This volume follows jealous rivalries, superstition and secret liaisons in Ximen Qing (西门庆)'s household. Pan Jinlian (潘金莲) is accused by Sun Xue'e (孙雪娥) and Li Jiaoer (李娇儿) of an affair with a servant. Ximen Qing erupts in anger. Pang Chunmei (庞春梅) intervenes and calms him. Guests arrive to celebrate his birthday. The two Wu uncles Wu Dajiu (吴大舅) and Wu Erjiu (吴二舅) come with Ying Bojue (应伯爵) and Xie Xida (谢希大). Meng Yulou (孟玉楼) tends to Pan and hears her vows of enmity toward the accusers. Worried for Li Guijie (李桂姐), Ximen Qing demands a lock of Pan's hair as proof and returns it to Li Guijie, who hides a strand in her shoe as a petty revenge. Pan falls ill. Wu Yue-niang (吴月娘) summons Liu Pozi (刘婆子) and her blind husband Liu Lixing (刘理星). Liu Lixing reads Pan's fate and declares malignant omens. He prescribes a ritual. Pan follows the directions to carve willow dolls, bind them with red thread, and mix burned talisman ash into her husband's tea. She believes the rites will bind her husband's heart. Meanwhile Ximen Qing seeks other pleasures. At a gathering he meets Li Ping'er (李瓶儿) and is taken with her. Their attraction deepens. He arranges secret meetings with her. Wu Yiner (吴银儿) and other entertainers provide cover. A maid named Yingchun (迎春) and another maid Xiuchun (秀春) play small roles in arranging or noticing the trysts. Li Ping'er gives erotic pictures and a gold hairpin to Ximen Qing. Pan smells the perfume, searches Ximen's pockets and finds the gifts. She forces him to promise to stop beating her, to visit the outer courtyards less, and to confess his dealings with Li Ping'er. The volume closes with heightened tension. Hua Zixu (花子虚) is drugged and later seized by officers during a banquet. The household is shaken. Jealousy, deceit and belief in charms interweave. Private desire and public scandal advance together. The narrative prepares for further consequences. FREE transcripts of the audio files are available for download at: https://www.truelake.com/qrpages/pingshufreedownloads/

本卷描写西门庆家中嫉妒与秘恋交织的纷争。潘金莲被孙雪娥和李娇儿控称与小厮通奸，西门庆震怒，在庞春梅劝解下暂止惩罚。寿宴来客如吴大舅、吴二舅、应伯爵与谢希大纷至，孟玉楼为潘抚慰。为保李桂姐心意，西门庆索取潘的一绺头发作为证明，李桂姐得发后暗藏鞋底以示报复。潘此后食少吐泻，吴月娘请来刘婆子及其盲夫刘理星诊脉。刘理星断言有凶煞，传授符咒法术，令潘以柳木刻小人、红绳缠结并将符灰入茶，以求锁住丈夫情意。潘信之并依计施行。然西门庆并未安于室内，他在兄弟宴席间遇见花子虚之妻李瓶儿，暗生情愫并频频密会。李瓶儿赠送春宫图和金簪，潘闻香生疑，夜查得物后逼西门庆许下三条约束以保沉默。花子虚在外被灌醉并遭官兵带走，宴席与私会的窥视使事态更为复杂。春梅在内外周旋，吴月娘虽待人周到却生疑。众人之间的权势、妒忌与迷信交织成网，家庭秘事与外患并行，隐含更大冲突的可能。全卷以细腻笔触呈现市井风流与女人命运的纠葛，逐步将隐秘的情欲与现实的危险推向高潮。 音频文件的字幕稿可在以下网址免费下载： https://www.truelake.com/qrpages/pingshufreedownloads/