Ximen Qing (西门庆) hosts a boisterous feast where courtesans serve and guests trade jests. During the night Li Ping'er (李瓶儿) suffers anguish because her month old infant will not stop crying. Pan Jinlian (潘金莲) briefly loses control and threatens the child. Wu Yue-niang (吴月娘) intervenes and the household summons Liu Po (刘婆子). Liu performs a ritual before the Kitchen God. She burns incense and rocks a small jacket to call the child's spirit back. The infant quiets and the family breathes relief. On Wu Yue-niang's birthday the house fills with visitors. Ximen Qing is away drinking and later lodged at Pan Jinlian's place. Chen Jingji visits to fetch garments and, after drink and song, seizes a key and rushes off. Meng Yulou (孟玉楼) reports that Ximen Qing has purchased the neighboring Qiao mansion. Several women go to inspect the new house. On the stair Wu Yue-niang missteps and falls. She returns home with severe abdominal pain. Only her sisters and the maid Xiaoyu know that the fall leads to a miscarriage. Liu Po diagnoses and manages the loss. Meanwhile Ying Bojue (应伯爵) arranges a velvet yarn deal for Ximen Qing. The goods are stored on Lion Street in Li Ping'er's former room. Ying recruits Han Daoguo (韩道国) as a clerk. Han's household is chaotic. Ruffians break in and expose Han's brother and wife in public shame. Han Daoguo rushes home and seeks help. Ying and Ximen Qing intervene. They bribe officials and set the legal machinery in motion. At the prison court Xia Longxi (夏龙溪) presides. Witnesses are flogged until they confess. Families scramble to bargain for mercy. They give money. Ying pockets a portion. A bookboy carries food and pleading to Li Ping'er for intercession. Ximen Qing senses the scent of wine and a sweet perfume. He seizes and assaults the bookboy and drags him toward a cool bed. A little painter glimpses the assault through a crack in the door. The household is thrown into sudden tension. Private favors, bribery and violence now entangle the characters and push events toward darker complications. FREE transcripts of the audio files are available for download at: https://www.truelake.com/qrpages/pingshufreedownloads/

西门庆设宴召妓助兴，席上笑闹声中暗藏攀附权势的角力。上房李瓶儿满月婴儿夜半长哭，奶母无方。潘金莲一时狠念欲伤婴被吴月娘及时阻止。众人请来刘婆子招魂烧香，凭行法使婴儿渐止哀号，李瓶儿与众人方得安心。吴月娘生日来客盈门，西门庆外出饮酒后被安置潘宅过夜。陈敬济取衣失合于酒宴，被春梅劝饮后夺钥而出。众姊妹又随孟玉楼前往察看西门庆新购对门乔宅，吴月娘登楼失足摔下，腹痛加剧回家后终致流产，惟姐妹与小玉知情。与此同时，应伯爵为西门庆谋得绒线买卖，物资寄放狮子街李瓶儿旧处，并为其物色伙计韩道国。韩家虽贫却事端不断，地痞趁机闯入将王氏与韩二施以羞辱。韩道国奔回求援，应伯爵与西门庆合力出面收买和压制。案情牵涉贿赂与权势交织，提刑所审理时押堂厉办，众作案者先被刑打威逼而后招供。为求情家属拿钱请托，书童代为送酒菜到李瓶儿房中。西门庆觉察其中异香，以酒色占有书童。此举恰被小画童从门缝目击。事由闹剧、私利、暴力和隐忍交错，人物命运因此走向更复杂的纠纷与后果。 音频文件的字幕稿可在以下网址免费下载： https://www.truelake.com/qrpages/pingshufreedownloads/