初刻拍案惊奇

chū kè pāi àn jīng qí

Slapping the Table in Amazement (Part I), first of two books of vernacular stories by Ming dynasty novelist Ling Mengchu 凌濛初|凌蒙初[Ling2 Meng2 chu1]

chū

at first

quarter (hour)

pāi

to pat

àn

(legal) case

jīng

to startle

strange