Kong Xueli, a scholar, was a descendant of Confucius himself. He was gentle and refined by nature and skilled at writing poetry. He had a close friend who was serving as magistrate in Tiantai County. The friend sent him a letter inviting him to come. Kong set out, but by the time he arrived, his friend had just died. Stranded and unable to return home, he took shelter in Putuo Temple, where he earned a meager living by copying scriptures for the monks.

　　About a hundred paces west of the temple stood the mansion of a certain Mr. Shan. Mr. Shan had once been the son of a noble house, but after a great lawsuit his fortunes had declined. His household was small, so he had moved to the countryside, leaving the mansion empty. Over time, it fell into disrepair.

　　One day, a great snowstorm was raging. The roads were deserted. By chance, Kong passed by the gate of the Shan mansion. A young man came out. He was extraordinarily handsome. Seeing Kong, he hurried forward and greeted him, offering a few words of comfort, then insisted that Kong come inside. Kong took a liking to him and gladly followed him in.

　　The rooms were not particularly large, but everywhere were hung embroidered curtains and tapestries. On the walls were many paintings and calligraphies by ancient masters. On a desk lay a book whose title slip read Random Notes from the Land of Wonder. Kong flipped through it and found that he had never seen anything like it before. Assuming that the young man was the master of the Shan mansion, Kong did not ask about his family or rank.

　　The young man, however, asked Kong in detail about his travels. He seemed to pity him and suggested that he take in students as a tutor. Kong sighed and said, "A wanderer like me—who would act as my patron and spread my name?" The young man said, "If you do not find me too dull and stupid, I would like to become your student." Kong was delighted, but he dared not claim the title of teacher. He proposed instead that they be friends. Then he asked, "Why has this mansion been shut up for so long?"

　　The young man answered, "This is the Shan family's residence. When the young master Shan moved to the countryside, it stood empty for a long time. My own family name is Huangfu. We originally lived in Shaanxi. Our house was destroyed by a wildfire, so we have borrowed this place to settle for a while." Only then did Kong realize that the young man was not the owner of the mansion. That evening they talked and laughed together most happily, and the young man invited Kong to share his bed.

　　At daybreak the next morning, a servant boy came in and lit a charcoal brazier. The young man had already risen and gone inside, while Kong was still sitting up in bed, wrapped in his quilt. The boy entered and announced, "The Grandfather has come." Kong quickly got up. An old man with completely white hair came in. He thanked Kong earnestly and said, "Sir, you have not rejected my foolish son and have kindly agreed to teach him. The boy is just beginning to scribble. Please do not treat him as a peer just because you are friends." Then he presented Kong with a set of brocade clothes, a sable hat, socks, and shoes. After Kong had washed his face and combed his hair, the old man called for wine and food. The tables, mats, skirts, and robes were all of unfamiliar names and dazzling splendor. After several rounds of wine, the old man excused himself and left, leaning on his staff.

　　After the meal, the young man presented his lessons. They consisted entirely of ancient prose and poetry—no examination essays. When Kong asked about this, the young man smiled and said, "I have no ambition to seek office." That evening, they drank again. The young man said, "Tonight let us enjoy ourselves to the full, for tomorrow we shall not be allowed to." He called to a servant boy, "See if the Grandfather has gone to sleep. If he has, quietly summon Xiangnu." The boy left and first returned with a pipa wrapped in an embroidered bag. Shortly afterward, a maidservant entered. She was richly made up and extraordinarily beautiful. The young man ordered her to play The Lament of the Consort Xiang. She plucked the strings with an ivory plectrum, producing a passionate and stirring melody, the rhythm unlike anything Kong had heard before. Then the young man called for large cups, and they drank until the third watch before breaking up.

　　The next day, they rose early and studied together. The young man was extremely clever. He could recite anything after a single reading. Two or three months later, his compositions were remarkably sharp and elegant. They agreed to drink together every five days, and each time they would summon Xiangnu. One evening, flushed with wine and feeling his blood heat, Kong fixed his eyes on her. The young man understood at once and said, "This girl was raised by my father. You, brother, are alone and without a family. I have been thinking for you day and night for a long time. I shall find you a good wife." Kong said, "If you are kind enough to arrange it, she must be someone like Xiangnu." The young man laughed and said, "You are indeed one of those who 'having seen little, marvel at much.' If you think such a girl is fine, your wish is all too easily satisfied."

　　Half a year passed. One day, Kong wished to go out into the countryside. When he reached the gate, he found it double-locked from the outside. When he asked about it, the young man said, "My father is afraid that socializing might distract my mind, so he has shut the gate to visitors." Kong accepted this without further thought.

　　The weather turned hot and stifling, so they moved their study to a pavilion in the garden. One day, a swelling like a peach appeared on Kong's chest. By night it had grown as large as a bowl. He moaned in agony. The young man attended him morning and night, neglecting his own sleep and meals. After a few more days, the sore worsened, and Kong could no longer eat or drink. The Grandfather also came, and they sat sighing together. The young man said, "Last night I thought of asking my younger sister Jiaonuo to cure you. I sent someone to my grandmother's house to call her back. Why has she not come yet?"

　　Soon a servant boy entered and announced, "Miss Jiaonuo has arrived. The aunt and Miss Song have come with her." The father and son hurried inside. After a short while, the young man led his sister out to see Kong. She was about thirteen or fourteen, with clever, sparkling eyes and a willow‑slender grace. The moment Kong saw her, his groaning stopped, and his spirit lifted. The young man said, "This is my dear friend, no less dear than a blood brother. Please treat him well, little sister."

　　The girl blushed shyly but pulled up her long sleeves and approached the bed to examine him. As she took his pulse, Kong felt a fragrance stronger than orchids. She smiled and said, "It is no wonder you have this illness—your heart has been stirred. Though the condition is dangerous, it can be cured. However, the hard mass has already formed. It must be cut away." She took the gold bracelet from her arm and placed it over the swelling, pressing down slowly. The sore rose up an inch above the bracelet, but the remaining inflammation around the root was all bound within it, no longer as wide as a bowl. Then, with one hand, she opened her robe and took out a small knife, its blade thinner than paper. Holding the bracelet with one hand and the knife with the other, she cut gently along the root. Dark blood flowed out, staining the bed mat. But because Kong was so close to her lovely figure, he felt no pain at all—instead, he feared she would finish too quickly and he would have to part from her so soon.

　　Before long, the rotten flesh was cut away, a round lump like a tree gall. She called for water and washed the wound. Then from her mouth she produced a red pill the size of a pellet. She placed it on the wound and pressed it, making it spin. After one turn, Kong felt a hot steam rising. After a second turn, a gentle itchiness spread. After the third turn, he felt a coolness that penetrated deep into his bones. She took the pill back into her mouth and said, "It is healed!" Then she hurried out. Kong leaped up and went to thank her. His terrible affliction was gone. But his mind was now filled with thoughts of her beauty, and he could not control himself.

　　From then on, he left his books and sat in a daze, finding no comfort anywhere. The young man saw what was troubling him and said, "Brother, I have been looking for a good match for you, and I have found one." Kong asked, "Who is it?" The young man replied, "One of my relatives." Kong fell into deep thought, then simply said, "Never mind." He faced the wall and recited the lines: "No water can compare with the vast sea; no cloud can match the peaks of Mount Wu."

　　The young man understood what he was hinting at. He said, "My father has long admired your great talent and often wished to join our families by marriage. But I have only one younger sister, and she is still too young. My aunt has a daughter named A Song. She is eighteen, and not at all plain. If you do not believe me, A Song walks in the garden every day. Station yourself in the front side‑room, and you can see her."

　　Kong did as he was told, and indeed he saw Jiaonuo come walking with a beautiful woman. Her arched brows were painted like black crescents, and her delicate feet were shod with phoenix-embroidered slippers. She was the equal of Jiaonuo. Overjoyed, Kong begged the young man to act as matchmaker. The next day, the young man came out from the inner chambers and congratulated him: "It is settled." A separate courtyard was prepared for the wedding. That evening, amid the din of drums and pipes and swirling dust, Kong found himself suddenly sharing a bed with the very lady of his dreams. He almost doubted whether the Moon Palace itself could be more splendid than this. After the marriage, his heart was at peace.

　　One evening, the young man said to Kong, "The benefit of your friendship and instruction is something I shall never forget. But recently the young master Shan has settled his lawsuit and is returning. He is demanding his mansion back most urgently. I intend to leave this place and go west. It seems that we shall not be able to stay together much longer. My heart is tangled with the sorrow of parting." Kong wanted to follow him. But the young man urged him to return to his own home province. Kong was reluctant, feeling the difficulty of it. The young man said, "Do not worry. I can send you there at once."

　　Soon the old Grandfather came out, leading Songniang. He presented Kong with a hundred taels of gold. The young man took Kong and his wife by the hands and told them to close their eyes and not look. They floated up into the air, and Kong felt only the wind whistling past his ears. After a long time, the young man said, "We are here." Kong opened his eyes and saw his own hometown. Only then did he realize that the young man was not human. Overjoyed, he rushed to knock on his mother's door. His mother was overjoyed beyond expectation, and when she saw the beautiful young woman who was her new daughter‑in‑law, she was overjoyed as well. They turned to look, but the young man had already vanished. Songniang treated her mother‑in‑law with great filial devotion. Her beauty and virtue became widely known.

　　Later, Kong passed the imperial examination and was appointed Judicial Commissioner in Yan'an. He took his family with him to his post. His mother stayed behind because the road was too long. Songniang bore him a son, named Xiaohuan. Kong offended a high censor and was dismissed from office. He was held up by legal complications and could not return home. One day, while hunting in the countryside, he happened upon a handsome young man riding a black horse, who kept glancing at him. Looking closely, he saw that it was Huangfu, the young man. They reined in their horses and dismounted, overcome with both sorrow and joy. The young man invited Kong to his home. They came to a village where the trees grew so thick that they shaded the sun. Entering the residence, Kong saw golden studs on the door—truly the house of an old family. He asked after his sister, and learned that she had married, and that his mother‑in‑law had passed away. He grieved deeply.

　　After spending the night, he left and returned with his wife. Jiaonuo also came. She took Kong's little son, lifted him up, and played with him, laughing, "Sister, you have spoiled our kind!" Kong bowed to thank her for her earlier cure. She smiled and said, "Brother‑in‑law, you are a high official now. Your wound has healed—have you forgotten the pain already?" Her husband, Wu Lang, also came to pay his respects. Kong stayed for two nights and then left.

　　One day, the young man looked troubled. He said to Kong, "Heaven is about to send a terrible calamity down on us. Can you save us?" Kong did not yet know what he meant, but he bravely promised to do his best. The young man hurried out and called his whole family together. They all knelt in the hall before Kong, bowing. Kong was greatly alarmed and asked what was happening. The young man said, "I am not human. I am a fox. Now the ordeal of the thunderbolt is upon us. If you are willing to face the danger and help us, our whole family may survive. Otherwise, please take your son and go, so that you will not be involved." Kong swore to live or die with them.

　　The young man then made him stand at the gate, sword in hand, and instructed him, "Even when the thunder crashes down, do not move!" Kong did as he was told. Indeed, dark clouds gathered, turning daylight into pitch black. He looked back at the house and saw no grand mansion—only a huge grave, and a bottomless pit. As he stood staring in astonishment, a thunderclap split the sky, shaking the mountains. A fierce wind and rainstorm uprooted old trees. Kong's eyes were dazzled and his ears deafened, but he stood firm without moving.

　　In the midst of the thick black smoke and dark clouds, a hideous creature appeared with a sharp beak and long claws. It snatched a person from the cave and rose straight up with the smoke. Kong caught a glimpse of the person's clothes and thought they looked like Jiaonuo's. He leaped up into the air and struck the creature with his sword. The person fell down. Then a sudden, thunderous explosion threw Kong to the ground, and he died.

　　After a while, the sky cleared. Jiaonuo regained consciousness. Seeing Kong lying dead beside her, she wept bitterly, "Kong Lang died for my sake. What reason have I to live?" Songniang also came out. Together they carried Kong home. Jiaonuo told Songniang to hold his head while her brother used a gold pin to pry open his teeth. She herself pinched his cheeks, put the red pill into his mouth with her tongue, and then breathed into him. The pill went down his throat with a rattling sound. After a while, Kong revived. He opened his eyes and saw all his loved ones around him, as if waking from a dream. The family was reunited, and after their terror came joy.

　　Kong said that the graveyard was no place to live for long and proposed that they all return to his hometown. Everyone agreed, but Jiaonuo alone was unhappy. Kong suggested that she and Wu Lang come as well, but she worried that Wu Lang's parents would not part with their young son. They debated all day without reaching a decision. Suddenly, a young servant from Wu Lang's house came running, drenched in sweat and out of breath. When they anxiously questioned him, they learned that Wu Lang's household had also suffered the same calamity that very day. Everyone had been killed. Jiaonuo stamped her feet in grief and could not stop weeping. They all consoled her, and the plan to return together was settled.

　　Kong went into town to attend to some business for a few days, and then they packed up and set off. When they reached his home, he gave the young man and his family a spare garden to live in. He kept the gate locked from the outside. Only when he and Songniang came to visit would the lock be opened. Kong, the young man, and Jiaonuo spent their time drinking, playing chess, and talking together as happily as one family. When Xiaohuan grew up, he was handsome and clever, with something of the fox about him. When he went into the city, everyone knew he was a fox's child.

　　The Historian of the Strange comments:

　　What I admire in Scholar Kong is not that he won a beautiful wife, but that he gained such a delightful female friend. Her face could make one forget hunger, her voice could banish melancholy. To have such a good friend, and to drink and talk with him from time to time—the communion of souls is even better than the joining of bodies.



中文如下：


娇娜 ：

娇娜

【原文】

孔生雪笠，圣裔也。为人蕴藉，工诗。有执友令天台，寄函招之。生往，令适卒。落拓不得归，寓菩陀寺，佣为寺僧抄录。

寺西百馀步，有单先生第。先生故公子，以大讼萧条，眷口寡，移而乡居，宅遂旷焉。一日，大雪崩腾，寂无行旅。偶过其门，一少年出，丰采甚都。见生，趋与为礼，略致慰问，即屈降临。生爱悦之，慨然从入。屋宇都不甚广，处处悉悬锦幕，壁上多古人书画。案头书一册，签云《琅嬛琐记》。翻阅一过，俱目所未睹。生以居单第，意为第主，即亦不审官阀。少年细诘行踪，意怜之，劝设帐授徒。生叹曰：“羁旅之人，谁作曹丘者？”少年曰：“倘不以驽骀见斥，愿拜门墙。”生喜，不敢当师，请为友。便问：“宅何久锢？”答曰：“此为单府，曩以公子乡居，是以久旷。仆皇甫氏，祖居陕。以家宅焚于野火，暂借安顿。”生始知非单。当晚，谈笑甚欢，即留共榻。

昧爽，即有僮子炽炭于室。少年先起入内，生尚拥被坐。僮入白：“太公来。”生惊起。一叟入，鬓发皤然，向生殷谢曰：“先生不弃顽儿，遂肯赐教。小子初学涂鸦，勿以友故，行辈视之也。”已，乃进锦衣一袭，貂帽、袜、履各一事。视生盥栉已，乃呼酒荐馔。几、榻、裙、衣，不知何名，光彩射目。酒数行，叟兴辞，曳杖而去。餐讫，公子呈课业，类皆古文词，并无时艺，问之。笑云：“仆不求进取也。”抵暮，更酌曰：“今夕尽欢，明日便不许矣。”呼僮曰：“视太公寝未。已寝，可暗唤香奴来。”僮去，先以绣囊将琵琶至。少顷，一婢入，红妆艳绝。公子命弹《湘妃》。婢以牙拨勾动，激扬哀烈，节拍不类夙闻。又命以巨觞行酒，三更始罢。

次日，早起共读。公子最惠，过目成咏，二三月后，命笔警绝。相约五日一饮，每饮必招香奴。一夕，酒酣气热，目注之。公子已会其意，曰：“此婢为老父所豢养。兄旷邈无家，我夙夜代筹久矣。行当为君谋一佳耦。”生曰：“如果惠好，必如香奴者。”公子笑曰：“君诚‘少所见而多所怪’者矣。以此为佳，君愿亦易足也。”

居半载，生欲翱翔郊郭，至门，则双扉外扃。问之，公子曰：“家君恐交游纷意念，故谢客耳。”生亦安之。时盛暑溽热，移斋园亭。生胸间肿起如桃，一夜如碗，痛楚吟呻。公子朝夕省视，眠食都废。又数日，创剧，益绝食饮。太公亦至，相对太息。公子曰：“儿前夜思先生清恙，娇娜妹子能疗之。遣人于外祖母处呼令归，何久不至？”俄僮入白：“娜姑至，姨与松姑同来。”父子疾趋入内。少间，引妹来视生。年约十三四，娇波流慧，细柳生姿。生望见颜色，呻顿忘，精神为之一爽。公子便言：“此兄良友，不啻胞也，妹子好医之。”女乃敛羞容，揄长袖，就榻诊视。把握之间，觉芳气胜兰。女笑曰：“宜有是疾，心脉动矣。然症虽危，可治。但肤块已凝，非伐皮削肉不可。”乃脱臂上金钏安患处，徐徐按下之。创突起寸许，高出钏外，而根际馀肿，尽束在内，不似前如碗阔矣。乃一手启罗衿，解佩刀，刃薄于纸。把钏握刃，轻轻附根而割。紫血流溢，沾染床席。而贪近娇姿，不惟不觉其苦，且恐速竣割事，偎傍不久。未几，割断腐肉，团团然如树上削下之瘿。又呼水来，为洗割处。口吐红丸，如弹大，着肉上，按令旋转。才一周，觉热火蒸腾；再一周，习习作痒；三周已，遍体清凉，沁入骨髓。女收丸入咽，曰：“愈矣！”趋走出。生跃起走谢，沉痼若失。而悬想容辉，苦不自已。

自是废卷痴坐，无复聊赖。公子已窥之，曰：“弟为兄物色，得一佳偶。”问：“何人？”曰：“亦弟眷属。”生凝思良久，但云：“勿须。”面壁吟曰：“曾经沧海难为水，除却巫山不是云。”公子会其指，曰：“家君仰慕鸿才，常欲附为婚姻。但止一少妹，齿太稚。有姨女阿松，年十八矣，颇不粗陋。如不见信，松姊日涉园亭，伺前厢，可望见之。”生如其教，果见娇娜偕丽人来，画黛弯蛾，莲钩蹴凤，与娇娜相伯仲也。生大悦，请公子作伐。公子翼日自内出，贺曰：“谐矣。”乃除别院，为生成礼。是夕，鼓吹阗咽，尘落漫飞，以望中仙人，忽同衾幄，遂疑广寒宫殿，未必在云霄矣。合卺之后，甚惬心怀。

一夕，公子谓生曰：“切磋之惠，无日可以忘之。近单公子解讼归，索宅甚急。意将弃此而西，势难复聚，因而离绪萦怀。”生愿从之而去。公子劝还乡闾，生难之。公子曰：“勿虑，可即送君行。”无何，太公引松娘至，以黄金百两赠生。公子以左右手与生夫妇相把握，嘱闭眸勿视。飘然履空，但觉耳际风鸣。久之，曰：“至矣。”启目，果见故里，始知公子非人。喜叩家门，母出非望，又睹美妇，方共忻慰，及回顾，则公子逝矣。松娘事姑孝，艳色贤名，声闻遐迩。

后生举进士，授延安司李，携家之任，母以道远不行。松娘举一男，名小宦。生以忤直指罢官，罣碍不得归。偶猎郊野，逢一美少年，跨骊驹，频频瞻顾。细视，则皇甫公子也。揽辔停骖，悲喜交至。邀生去，至一村，树木浓昏，荫翳天日。入其家，则金沤浮钉，宛然世族。问妹子则嫁，岳母已亡，深相感悼。经宿别去，偕妻同返。娇娜亦至，抱生子掇提而弄曰：“姊姊乱吾种矣。”生拜谢曩德。笑曰：“姊夫贵矣。创口已合，未忘痛耶？”妹夫吴郎，亦来谒拜。信宿乃去。

一日，公子有忧色，谓生曰：“天降凶殃，能相救否？”生不知何事，但锐自任。公子趋出，招一家俱入，罗拜堂上。生大骇，亟问。公子曰：“余非人类，狐也。今有雷霆之劫。君肯以身赴难，一门可望生全。不然，请抱子而行，无相累。”生矢共生死。乃使仗剑于门，嘱曰：“雷霆轰击，勿动也！”生如所教。果见阴云昼暝，昏黑如瑿。回视旧居，无复闬闳，惟见高冢岿然，巨穴无底。方错愕间，霹雳一声，摆簸山岳；急雨狂风，老树为拔。生目眩耳聋，屹不少动。忽于繁烟黑絮之中，见一鬼物，利喙长爪，自穴攫一人出，随烟直上。瞥睹衣履，念似娇娜。乃急跃离地，以剑击之，随手堕落。忽而崩雷暴裂，生仆，遂毙。

少间，晴霁，娇娜已能自苏。见生死于旁，大哭曰：“孔郎为我而死，我何生矣！”松娘亦出，共舁生归。娇娜使松娘捧其首，兄以金簪拨其齿，自乃撮其颐，以舌度红丸入，又接吻而呵之。红丸随气入喉，格格作响。移时，醒然而苏。见眷口满前，恍如梦寤。于是一门团 ，惊定而喜。

生以幽圹不可久居，议同旋里。满堂交赞，惟娇娜不乐。生请与吴郎俱，又虑翁媪不肯离幼子，终日议不果。忽吴家一小奴，汗流气促而至。惊致研诘，则吴郎家亦同日遭劫，一门俱没。娇娜顿足悲伤，涕不可止。共慰劝之，而同归之计遂决。生入城勾当数日，遂连夜趣装。既归，以闲园寓公子，恒反关之，生及松娘至，始发扃。生与公子兄妹，棋酒谈宴，若一家然。小宦长成，貌韶秀，有狐意。出游都市，共知为狐儿也。

异史氏曰：余于孔生，不羡其得艳妻，而羡其得腻友也。观其容可以忘饥，听其声可以解颐。得此良友，时一谈宴，则“色授魂与”，尤胜于“颠倒衣裳”矣。

【翻译】

书生孔雪笠，是孔圣人的后代。他为人温厚含蓄，善于作诗。他有个志趣相投的朋友在天台县做知县，写信来请他前去。孔生到了那里，知县恰好病故了。于是孔生流落在当地，回不了家，住在菩陀寺里，被寺里的和尚雇去抄写经文。

菩陀寺往西走一百多步，有一处单先生的府第。单先生本来是个大家公子，因为打了一场大官司而家道衰落，由于家里的人丁减少，便搬到乡下去住，这处府宅就空闲在那里。有一天，纷纷扬扬地下着大雪，路上静悄悄地没有一个往来行人。孔生偶然路过单府门前，看见一个少年走了出来，容貌很是俊美。那少年见了孔生，就上前来行礼，问候几句后，就请孔生入内做客。孔生对少年很有好感，就爽快地跟他进了大门。只见里面的房屋虽然不算很宽大，但处处都悬挂着绸锦围幔，墙壁上挂着许多古人的字画。书桌上放着一册书，封面上题签是《琅嬛琐记》。孔生把书翻阅了一遍，内容都是他从未读过的。孔生见少年住在单家的府第里，以为他是这里的主人，也就不再问及他的出身门第。少年详细询问了孔生的经历后，很是同情，劝他开设学馆教授学生。孔生叹息说：“我是个流落他乡的人，有谁肯做我的推荐人呢？”少年说：“如果你不嫌弃我愚笨的话，我愿拜你为老师。”孔生很高兴，不敢以老师自居，情愿彼此以朋友相待。孔生于是又问：“你们家的宅院为什么长期关锁着呢？”少年回答说：“这里是单家的府第，早先因为单公子到乡下去住了，就长期空闲着。我姓皇甫，世世代代住在陕西，由于家宅被野火烧毁了，才在这里暂时借住的。”孔生这才知道少年不是单家的主人。当晚，两人谈笑得很欢畅，少年便留孔生住在一起。

第二天天刚亮，就有僮仆进来在屋里生着了炭火。少年已经先起了床到内室去了，孔生还围着被子坐在床上。这时，一个僮仆进来说：“太公来了。”孔生慌忙起床，只见一个鬓发雪白的老人走进屋来，向孔生诚恳地道谢说：“承蒙先生不嫌弃我顽劣的儿子，愿意教他读书。这孩子刚刚开始学习诗文，不要因为和他是朋友的缘故，先生就把他当作同辈看待。”说完，送给他一套绸缎衣服，貂皮帽子一顶，袜子、鞋子各一双。老人看他洗完了脸，梳完了头，就叫人端上酒菜来。孔生见到这里的桌案、床榻、下裙、上衣，都叫不上名来，每一样都光彩夺目。酒过几巡，老人起来告辞，拄着拐杖离开了。用完了餐，公子就拿出了相关课程的作业给孔生看，孔生见都是古文古诗，并没有科举应考的八股文，就问这是为什么。公子笑着说：“我不求参加科举取得功名。”到了晚上，公子又让人端出酒来，说：“咱们今天晚上再尽情欢乐一次，明天就不允许了。”他又把僮仆叫来说：“去看看太公睡了没有。要是睡了，悄悄地叫香奴来这里。”僮仆出去了，先拿来了一把锦袋套着的琵琶。过了一会儿，有一个丫环入屋，只见她盛妆打扮，美貌绝伦。公子让她弹《湘妃怨》的曲子。丫环用象牙做的拨片勾动琴弦，便响起了忽而激扬高昂忽而凄清美妙的琴声，节奏不像是孔生素来听到过的。公子又让人拿来大酒杯畅饮一番，一直玩乐到夜里三更时分才散去。

第二天，两人一早就起来读书。公子非常聪明，读书过目不忘，即刻成咏，两三个月以后，他写出的诗文就已警策绝妙。两人约好每五天就在一起喝一次酒，每次喝酒都要叫来香奴。有一天晚上，孔生乘着酒兴，头脑发热，两眼盯着香奴不放。公子已经明白了他的心思，就说：“这个丫环是我父亲收养的。兄长独居没有家室，我日夜都在为你谋画这事儿，已经很久了。很快会给你找个称心的妻子。”孔生说：“如果好意替我找伴侣，一定要像香奴这样的。”公子笑着说：“你实在是人家说的那种少见多怪的人呀！以为这样就算好的话，你的愿望也太容易满足了。”

又过了半年，孔生想到城郊去游玩游玩，走到大门口，却发现两扇门从外面反锁着。向公子一问，公子回答说：“父亲怕我交往游玩多了扰乱了心性，就用这个办法来谢绝客人。”孔生听了，也就安了心。这时正是盛夏潮热的时节，孔生和公子就把书房移到了园亭里。一天，孔生的胸前忽然肿起一个桃子大小的脓包，一夜之间长到了碗口大，他十分痛苦，不住地呻吟。公子从早到晚都来探视，急得吃不下，睡不安。又过了几天，孔生胸前的脓疮更厉害了，连吃饭喝水都不能够了。太公也来看望他，但只能和公子相对叹息。公子说：“我前天夜里想到，娇娜妹妹可以治疗孔先生的病。我派人去外祖父家叫她回来，为什么这么久了还不到呀？”不一会儿，一个僮仆进来报告说：“娇娜姑娘到了，姨妈与阿松姑娘也一同来了。”公子和父亲立即起身到内室去了。过了一会儿，公子领着妹妹前来探视孔生。娇娜年纪大约十三四岁，娇媚的眼波中流露出聪慧，腰身像杨柳一样婀娜多姿。孔生看见这样姿色出众的女子，顿时忘记了痛苦和呻吟，精神为之一爽。公子就对娇娜说：“这是哥哥我最要好的朋友，情谊胜过了同胞兄弟，请妹妹好好地给他医治。”娇娜于是收敛羞容，挥动长袖，靠近床边来诊治。孔生在她把脉的时候，感到有阵阵的芳香传来，那芬芳胜过了兰花。诊脉之后，娇娜笑了笑说：“本来就该得这种病，心脉动了啊。不过病虽然严重，还是可以治的。只是脓块已经凝结，非割皮去肉不可了。”说完摘下手臂上的一只金镯子，放在患处，慢慢向下按。肿烂的伤口渐渐鼓起了一寸多高，已经超出金镯露了出来，脓根的馀肿也被吸束在镯圈里，不像原来那样有碗口大了。于是娇娜掀起衣襟，解下一把佩刀，刀刃比纸还要薄。她一手按着镯子，一手握刀，顺着脓疮的根部轻轻地割了起来。伤口处不断溢出的紫血，把床席都弄脏了。这时孔生因为贪恋挨近娇娜的动人身姿，不但不觉得痛苦，反而怕她很快就割完，不能多依偎。没过多久，腐烂的肉都被割下来，像病树上长的树瘤似的那么一团。娇娜又叫人拿水来，为孔生清洗割过的伤口。然后从口中吐出一粒红丸，有弹子大小，放在肉上，按着红丸让它旋转。才转了一圈，孔生就觉得胸前热气蒸腾；再转一圈，疮口有些发痒；转到第三圈后，只觉得浑身清凉，一直透入到了骨髓。娇娜收起红丸放回口中，说：“好了！”就快步走出房去。孔生连忙跳起身子，赶着前去道谢，多日的重病好像一下子就消失了。而孔生只要一想起娇娜美丽的容颜，就难以自已。

从此孔生抛下书本整日呆坐，再没有可以寄托他精神的地方了。公子已经看出了他的心思，就说：“小弟为你物色多时，终于选到了一个好伴侣。”孔生问：“是谁？”公子说：“也是我的一个亲属。”孔生沉思很久，说：“不必了。”又面对着墙壁吟出两句诗：“曾经沧海难为水，除却巫山不是云。”公子明白了他的意思，说：“我父亲敬佩你的博学多才，常常想能与你结成姻亲。但我只有一个小妹子，岁数还太小。我姨妈有个女儿叫阿松，十八岁了，并不难看。如果你不信，阿松姐每天到园亭里来，你悄悄在前厢房里看，就可以看见。”孔生按照公子所说的去做，果然看见娇娜陪着一个美丽女子前来，只见她两道蛾眉又黑又弯，穿着描凤绣鞋的脚小巧纤细，容貌与娇娜不相上下。孔生大为欣喜，就请公子做媒。第二天，公子从内室出来，向孔生祝贺说：“事成了。”于是另外收拾了一处院子，为孔生举办婚礼。那天晚上，鼓乐齐鸣，梁上的灰尘都被震落得到处飞扬。孔生因为盼望中的仙女忽然就要和自己同床共枕了，竟怀疑起那月亮里的广寒宫殿也未必真在天上。成婚以后，孔生心中非常满意。

一天，公子忽然来对孔生说：“和你在一起研读得到的教益，我没有一天不记在心里。但近日单公子家的官司已经了结了，就要回来，催要宅院催得很急。我们准备离开这里回到西边去，想到从此后咱们势必难再相聚，心中就被离愁别绪搅得乱纷纷的。”孔生表示愿意随他们一起去。但公子劝他还是回自己的家乡好，孔生感到回家很有困难。公子说：“不要担心，可以马上送你们回去。”没多久，太公带着松娘也来了，还送给孔生一百两黄金。公子两手分别握住孔生夫妇，嘱咐他们闭上眼睛不要看。孔生只觉得自己飘飘然地腾空而起，耳边的风声“呼呼”作响。过了许久，听见公子说：“到了。”孔生睁眼一看，果然看到了家乡，这才知道公子并非凡人。孔生高兴地敲开家门，孔母喜出望外，又看到了漂亮的媳妇，大家正在喜悦宽慰的时候，回头一看，公子已经不见了。松娘侍奉婆婆十分孝顺，她的美丽和贤惠，在远近乡邻中间都传开了。

后来，孔生考中了进士，被任命为延安府的司理官，他带着全家去上任，只有母亲因为路太远没有前往。松娘生下了一个男孩，名叫小宦。不久，孔生因为冒犯了高级巡察官员，被革去官职，在那里听候处置，一时还不能返回家乡。有一天，他偶然在郊外打猎，忽然遇见一个美貌少年，骑着一匹小黑马，不住地注视他。孔生仔细一看，原来竟是皇甫公子。于是两人拉着缰绳，停下马，聚到了一块儿，都感到悲喜交集。公子邀请孔生到他们那里去，到了一个村落，只见树木茂密繁盛，浓浓的树阴把太阳都遮住了。来到公子家中，只见大门上镶着包金大钉头，像是世族豪门人家似的。孔生问起公子的妹妹，说已经出嫁了，又知道岳母已经去世，深觉悲哀，感触万分。住了一个晚上，孔生就离去了，然后又把妻儿都带了过来。娇娜也来了，抱着孔生的孩子举起又放下，逗弄着说：“姐姐乱了我们的种啦！”孔生再次拜谢娇娜以往的治病之恩。她却笑着说：“姐夫富贵了。好了疮疤，还没有忘记痛吗？”娇娜的丈夫吴郎，也前来拜见。孔生一家住了两个晚上就走了。

一天，公子面色忧愁地对孔生说：“上天要降下大祸了，你能救救我们吗？”孔生虽然不知道是什么事，但一口应承下来。公子迅速出去，把全家人都叫了进来，在堂上一齐向孔生拜谢。孔生大吃一惊，急忙追问这是怎么回事儿。公子这才说：“我不是人类，是狐狸。现在遭遇到了雷霆劈击的劫难。你要是肯挺身抗难相救，我家一门老小还有指望存活下来。不然的话，就请你抱着孩子赶快离开吧，不要受了连累。”孔生发誓愿与大家同生共死。于是，公子便请他手执宝剑站在大门前，嘱咐他说：“即使遭到雷霆轰击，你也不要动！”孔生按着公子所说的准备好。果然看到天上阴云密布，白天顿时变成黑夜，黑沉沉地像是压下了一大片黑石板。他再回头看原先的住处，再也看不见有什么高宅深院，只有一座大坟墓岿然而立，下方是一个深不见底的大洞。正当他惊愕不已的时候，空中突然响起一声霹雳，震得地动山摇；接着又是一阵狂风暴雨，把老树都连根拔了起来。孔生虽然觉得已是眼花耳聋，还是在那里屹立着不动。在滚滚的黑烟之中，忽然现出一个恶鬼，尖嘴长爪，从洞里抓出一个人，顺着黑烟一直升了上去。孔生看了一眼那人的衣着，心里觉得像是娇娜。于是，他急忙一跃而起，用剑向空中的恶鬼全力一击，被抓的人就随之从空中坠落下来。忽地又是一阵山崩地裂似的炸雷，孔生摔倒在地，便死了。

过了一会儿，云开日出，娇娜自己苏醒过来。她看见孔生死在旁边，放声大哭道：“孔郎是为救我而死的，我还活着干什么呀！”这时候，松娘也出来了，她俩一起抬着孔生回到家里。娇娜让松娘抱着孔生的头，又让公子用金簪拨开他的牙齿，自己用手指捏着他的面颊，使他的嘴张开，用舌头把红丸吐到他的口中，又嘴对嘴地向孔生吹气。红丸随着气进入了孔生的喉咙，“格格”地响了一阵儿。又过了一会儿，孔生竟然一下子睁开眼睛，苏醒了过来。他看见亲人围聚在身边，觉得仿佛是大梦初醒一样，于是全家团圆，化惊为喜。

孔生认为坟墓不宜久住，就与大家商议着一起回他的家乡去。全家人听了都一致称好，只有娇娜一人闷闷不乐。孔生又请她与吴郎一起前往，她却又顾虑公婆舍不得小儿子，于是整天也没有商量出个结果来。就在这时，忽然有一个吴家的小仆人汗流满面、气喘吁吁地跑来。大家吃惊地盘问他，原来吴家也在同一天遭到了劫难，全家老小都死去了。娇娜一听，悲痛得捶胸顿足，泪如雨下。大家一齐劝慰多时，于是一同回孔生家乡的计议也就决定了下来。孔生进城办理了几天事情后，全家就连夜收拾行装出发了。回到家乡以后，孔生让公子一家住在他闲置的花园里，花园门总是反锁着，只有孔生、松娘夫妇来时，才打开锁。孔生与公子兄妹两人，经常在一起下棋、饮酒、闲谈、宴会，像一家人一样。小宦长大以后，面容秀美，有着狐狸的机灵性情。他到街市上去游玩，人们都知道他是狐狸所生的孩子。

异史氏说：对于孔生，我不羡慕他得到了娇艳的妻子，而是羡慕他拥有一位亲密的女友。看到她的容貌可以使人忘记饥渴，听到她的声音能够令人开颜欢笑。得到这样的好朋友，时时在一起饮酒闲谈，那种“色授魂与”的精神上的交流享受，更胜过“颠倒衣裳”的男女性爱。