年关将至，李秋宝孝心上来，准备给去世的双亲烧袱包，这是民间烧纸祭祖的习俗，好让二位老人在阴间富富足足地过个年。

　　这天，李秋宝称了几斤草纸，制成袱包，只等写上双亲的名讳和“吉日化财” 的套语后就可以烧祭了。无奈，这李秋宝目不识丁，哪里写得了袱包，他一寻思，便提了袱包去找在家坐馆的孙秀才。

　　不巧，这孙秀才正在往自家菜园里挑粪。清理茅坑也是民间过年的习俗。李秋宝一见就喊道：“孙先生，这粗活哪是你秀才做的，今天，我们换个差，你替我写袱包，我替你挑粪，如何？”孙秀才见有这般好事，就撂了粪桶，接过李秋宝递来的袱包往家里去。

　　且说这孙秀才的菜园正挨着李秋宝家的，李秋宝将粪挑到田头的时候，见自家园里的菜黄蔫蔫的，心里的小九九就动起来了，于是将孙秀才家的粪大部分泼到了自己家的菜园里。很快，李秋宝就把粪挑完了，这边孙秀才也写完了袱包，两人客套几句后就分手了。

　　再说，第二天早晨，孙秀才正在摇头晃脑地领着学生读书，孙娘子从外面进来，一把夺过他的书，嚷道：“那李秋宝把我们家的粪都泼到他田地去了！”说着就把他往外拉。孙秀才挣脱了手，说：“不就是一点粪吗，比我教学生还大？”孙娘子却越发有气：“一点粪确实是小事，可他李秋宝不该欺骗我们，今天说什么也得向他讨个说法！你去不去？”孙秀才拿孙娘子没办法，不情愿地说道：“好，我一会儿就去还不行吗？”

　　孙秀才内心里确实不想去，见娘子就站在一旁等着他，心想今天不去肯定是不行的，便布置学                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                生描红，自个儿去找李秋宝。