年關(guān)將至，李秋寶孝心上來(lái)，準(zhǔn)備給去世的雙親燒袱包，這是民間燒紙祭祖的習(xí)俗，好讓二位老人在陰間富富足足地過(guò)個(gè)年。

　　這天，李秋寶稱了幾斤草紙，制成袱包，只等寫上雙親的名諱和“吉日化財(cái)” 的套語(yǔ)后就可以燒祭了。無(wú)奈，這李秋寶目不識(shí)丁，哪里寫得了袱包，他一尋思，便提了袱包去找在家坐館的孫秀才。

　　不巧，這孫秀才正在往自家菜園里挑糞。清理茅坑也是民間過(guò)年的習(xí)俗。李秋寶一見就喊道：“孫先生，這粗活哪是你秀才做的，今天，我們換個(gè)差，你替我寫袱包，我替你挑糞，如何？”孫秀才見有這般好事，就撂了糞桶，接過(guò)李秋寶遞來(lái)的袱包往家里去。

　　且說(shuō)這孫秀才的菜園正挨著李秋寶家的，李秋寶將糞挑到田頭的時(shí)候，見自家園里的菜黃蔫蔫的，心里的小九九就動(dòng)起來(lái)了，于是將孫秀才家的糞大部分潑到了自己家的菜園里。很快，李秋寶就把糞挑完了，這邊孫秀才也寫完了袱包，兩人客套幾句后就分手了。

　　再說(shuō)，第二天早晨，孫秀才正在搖頭晃腦地領(lǐng)著學(xué)生讀書，孫娘子從外面進(jìn)來(lái)，一把奪過(guò)他的書，嚷道：“那李秋寶把我們家的糞都潑到他田地去了！”說(shuō)著就把他往外拉。孫秀才掙脫了手，說(shuō)：“不就是一點(diǎn)糞嗎，比我教學(xué)生還大？”孫娘子卻越發(fā)有氣：“一點(diǎn)糞確實(shí)是小事，可他李秋寶不該欺騙我們，今天說(shuō)什么也得向他討個(gè)說(shuō)法！你去不去？”孫秀才拿孫娘子沒辦法，不情愿地說(shuō)道：“好，我一會(huì)兒就去還不行嗎？”

　　孫秀才內(nèi)心里確實(shí)不想去，見娘子就站在一旁等著他，心想今天不去肯定是不行的，便布置學(xué)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                生描紅，自個(gè)兒去找李秋寶。