Ximen Qing (西门庆) purchases Li Jiaor (李娇儿) as a concubine, provoking anger from his wife Wu Yue'nang (吴月娘). Li Jiaor is grateful and dutiful. She proves skilled at household accounts and becomes trusted with cash and ledgers. Ximen Qing soon takes another concubine, Zhuo Erjie (卓二姐), who is frail and alluring in a sickly way. Her presence intensifies household tensions. Ximen Qing cultivates a circle of hangers on including Ying Bojue (应伯爵) and Xie Xida (谢希大). These men provide him with leads for lending and unofficial legal favors. He uses their connections to recover his fortunes. He decides to hold a brotherhood oath on the third day of the tenth month. He invites the prosperous neighbor Hua Zixu (花子虚) and plans a ritual at the Jade Emperor Temple (玉皇庙). Gifts arrive with marked contrast. One envoy brings a gilt lacquer box full of silver. Another brings a shabby box with only small bronze coins. Wu Yue'nang protests the shame of such companions. To prepare the offerings and feast Ximen Qing borrows money from Li Jiaor. He also instructs his servant Dai'an (玳安) to buy meat, wine, and ten jars of fine liquor. The brothers gather at dawn and perform vows in the temple. They rank themselves by age and burn incense before the portraits of the three sworn heroes. The banquet is loud and riotous. During the revelry Dai'an reports that Zhuo Erjie lies dying. Ximen Qing and Hua Zixu hurry home. Zhuo Erjie dies within days. The household keeps mourning for weeks. Li Jiaor then falls ill but recovers with careful tending. In spring Ximen Qing strolls the street and is struck by a glimpse of Pan Jinlian (潘金莲) at a window. The attraction is instant. The shrewd matchmaker Wang Po (王婆) notices and begins to maneuver. She teases and probes Ximen Qing, then demands payment to arrange a match. He, obsessed and impatient, promises a large sum. Wang Po seizes the chance and begins her scheme. The episode closes with alliances, debts, rituals and the beginnings of a dangerous intrigue. FREE transcripts of the audio files are available for download at: https://www.truelake.com/qrpages/pingshufreedownloads/

西门庆买李娇儿做小妾，触动吴月娘愤怒。李娇儿虽出身低微，却知礼勤恳，善理家计，渐得吴月娘倚重，负责出纳，二人日久如姐妹。西门庆又纳卓二姐为妾，卓二姐体弱多病，带着病态的风情，使西门庆沉迷，屋内矛盾频起。西门庆结交应伯爵、谢希大等帮闲，借助他们在青楼和官场间的关系放债揽事以牟利。他筹办十月初三兄弟结拜，邀花子虚入伙。宾客来贺时礼品悬殊，吴月娘愤慨，西门庆为体面而周旋。为备礼仪与筵席，他向李娇儿借款，玳安备办三牲酒肉并送供品请道士主持。结拜礼在玉皇庙举行，众人依年分排行焚香立誓，席间觥筹交错，亦见些许私下窃取点心的卑微行径。酒酣间传来卓二姐命危，西门庆与花子虚匆归奔丧。卓二姐数日后去世，家中操办丧事数周。其后李娇儿亦染病，所幸经细心调护渐愈。早春游街时，西门庆在紫石街偶遇潘金莲，两人目光交会生情。王婆见机行事，先探言辞再索酬，促成撮合局面。西门庆为追逐情欲与面子，答应重金，王婆遂开始布置，后续隐含更多纷争与算计。 音频文件的字幕稿可在以下网址免费下载： https://www.truelake.com/qrpages/pingshufreedownloads/