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]
初
chū
at first
刻
kè
quarter (hour)
拍
pāi
to pat
案
àn
(legal) case
惊
jīng
to startle
奇
qí
strange