掖縣相國毛公，家素微，其父常為人牧牛。時邑世族張姓，有新阡在東山之陽。或經其側，聞墓中叱咤聲曰：「若等速避去，勿久混貴人宅！」張聞，亦未深信。既又頻得夢警曰：「汝家墓地，本是毛公佳城，何得久假此？」由是家數不利。客勸徙葬吉，張乃徙焉。
掖县相国毛公，家素微，其父常为人牧牛。时邑世族张姓，有新阡在东山之阳。或经其侧，闻墓中叱咤声曰：「若等速避去，勿久混贵人宅！」张闻，亦未深信。既又频得梦警曰：「汝家墓地，本是毛公佳城，何得久假此？」由是家数不利。客劝徙葬吉，张乃徙焉。
Lord Mao, the Grand Secretary, came from Ye County. His family had always been humble, and his father often herded cattle for other people. At that time an old family of the county named Zhang had a new burial ground on the south slope of the East Hills. Someone passing by heard a voice shouting from inside the tomb: “Clear out of here, all of you, and quickly! You have lingered too long in a great man’s house!” When Zhang heard of it he did not really believe it. But then he was warned again and again in dreams: “The ground where your family’s tomb stands is by rights Lord Mao’s resting place. How can you go on borrowing it?” After that the family had one misfortune after another. A visitor advised that it would be lucky to move the graves, so Zhang moved them.
一日相國父牧，出張家故墓，猝遇雨，匿身廢壙中。已而雨益甚，潦水奔穴，崩渹灌注，遂溺以死。相國時尚孩童。母自詣張，丐咫尺地掩兒父。張問其姓氏，大異之。往視溺死所，儼當置棺處，更駭；乃使就故壙窆焉。且令攜若兒來。葬已，母偕兒詣張謝。張一見，輒喜，即留其家，教之讀，以齒子弟行。又請以長女妻兒，母謝不敢。張妻卒許之。然其女甚薄毛家，怨慚之意時形言色。且曰：「我死不從牧牛兒！」及親迎，新郎入宴，彩輿在門，女方掩袂向隅而哭。催之妝不妝，勸亦不解。俄而新郎告行，鼓樂大作，女猶眼零雨而首飛蓬也。父入勸女，不聽，怒逼之，哭益厲，父無奈。家人報新郎欲行，父急出曰：「衣妝未竟，煩郎少待。」又奔入視女。往復數番，女終無回意。其父周張欲死，皇急無計。其次女在側，因非其姊，苦逼勸之。姊怒曰：「小妮子，亦學人喋聒！爾何不從他去？」妹曰：「阿爺原不曾以妹子屬毛郎；若以妹子屬毛郎，何煩姊姊勸駕耶？」父聽其言慷爽，因與伊母竊議，以次易長。母即向次女曰：「迕逆婢不遵父母命，今欲以兒代姊，兒肯行否？」女慨然曰：「父母之命，即乞丐不敢辭；且何以見毛家郎便終身餓莩死乎？」父母大喜，即以姊妝妝女，倉猝登車徑去。入門，夫婦雅敦好逑。第女素病赤鬜，毛郎稍介意。及知易嫁之說，由是益以知己德女。
一日相国父牧，出张家故墓，猝遇雨，匿身废圹中。已而雨益甚，潦水奔穴，崩渹灌注，遂溺以死。相国时尚孩童。母自诣张，丐咫尺地掩儿父。张问其姓氏，大异之。往视溺死所，俨当置棺处，更骇；乃使就故圹窆焉。且令携若儿来。葬已，母偕儿诣张谢。张一见，辄喜，即留其家，教之读，以齿子弟行。又请以长女妻儿，母谢不敢。张妻卒许之。然其女甚薄毛家，怨惭之意时形言色。且曰：「我死不从牧牛儿！」及亲迎，新郎入宴，彩舆在门，女方掩袂向隅而哭。催之妆不妆，劝亦不解。俄而新郎告行，鼓乐大作，女犹眼零雨而首飞蓬也。父入劝女，不听，怒逼之，哭益厉，父无奈。家人报新郎欲行，父急出曰：「衣妆未竟，烦郎少待。」又奔入视女。往复数番，女终无回意。其父周张欲死，皇急无计。其次女在侧，因非其姊，苦逼劝之。姊怒曰：「小妮子，亦学人喋聒！尔何不从他去？」妹曰：「阿爷原不曾以妹子属毛郎；若以妹子属毛郎，何烦姊姊劝驾耶？」父听其言慷爽，因与伊母窃议，以次易长。母即向次女曰：「迕逆婢不遵父母命，今欲以儿代姊，儿肯行否？」女慨然曰：「父母之命，即乞丐不敢辞；且何以见毛家郎便终身饿莩死乎？」父母大喜，即以姊妆妆女，仓猝登车径去。入门，夫妇雅敦好逑。第女素病赤鬜，毛郎稍介意。及知易嫁之说，由是益以知己德女。
One day the Grand Secretary’s father was herding cattle past the Zhangs’ old tomb when a sudden rain came on, and he took shelter in the empty grave pit. The rain grew heavier still; floodwater rushed into the pit, crashing and pouring in, and he drowned. The Grand Secretary was then still a small child. His mother went to Zhang herself and begged a foot of ground to bury the boy’s father. Zhang asked their surname and was astonished. He went to see where the man had drowned: it was exactly where the coffin had lain. More alarmed than ever, he had him buried right there in the old pit, and told her to bring her son along. After the burial the mother came with the boy to thank Zhang. The moment Zhang saw him he was pleased with him. He kept him in his house, taught him to read, and counted him among the young men of his own family. He also offered him his eldest daughter as a wife. The mother declined; she did not dare. In the end Zhang’s wife agreed to it. But the girl looked down on the Mao family, and her resentment and shame often showed in her words and her face. “I’d rather die than marry a cowherd’s brat!” she said. When the day came for the groom to fetch his bride, he went in to the feast and the decorated bridal chair stood at the gate, while the girl sat in a corner with her sleeve over her face, weeping. They urged her to dress and she would not dress; they reasoned with her and she would not be moved. Presently the groom announced that it was time to go. Drums and music struck up loudly, and still her eyes were raining tears and her hair was flying like tumbleweed. Her father went in and pleaded with her. She would not listen. He grew angry and tried to force her, and she wept louder. He was at his wits’ end. A servant came to say the groom wished to leave. Her father hurried out. “She is not quite dressed yet,” he said. “Please be so kind as to wait a little.” Then he ran back in to see his daughter. He went back and forth several times, but she would not change her mind. Her father was frantic enough to die, and in his panic could think of nothing to do. His second daughter was at his side. She thought her sister in the wrong and pressed her hard to go. Her sister turned on her angrily. “Little minx, now you’re nagging like the rest of them! Why don’t you go with him yourself?” “Father never promised me to Mr. Mao,” said the younger girl. “If he had promised me to Mr. Mao, I wouldn’t need you to talk me into going.” Her father liked how frank and spirited she was, and talked it over privately with her mother: they would put the younger in place of the elder. Her mother turned to the second girl. “That wicked, disobedient girl won’t do as her parents tell her. Now we want you to take your sister’s place. Will you go?” “If my parents tell me to, I wouldn’t dare refuse even a beggar,” the girl said readily. “And who says marrying young Mr. Mao means I’ll end up dead of hunger?” Her parents were overjoyed. They dressed her in her sister’s wedding clothes, and in great haste she got into the carriage and was off. Once she was in his house, husband and wife were a loving and well-matched pair. But she had long suffered from bald red patches on her scalp, and Mao minded that a little. When he learned the story of the exchange, though, he was all the more grateful to her as someone who had known his worth.
居無何，毛郎補博士弟子，往應鄉試。經王舍人莊，店主先一夕夢神曰：「旦夕有毛解元來，後且脫汝于厄，可善待之。」以故晨起，專伺察東來客，及得公，甚喜。供具甚豐，且不索直。公問故，特以夢兆告。公頗自負；私計女發鬑鬑，慮為顯者笑，富貴後當易之。及試，竟落第，偃蹇喪志，赧見主人，不敢復由王舍，迂道歸家。
居无何，毛郎补博士弟子，往应乡试。经王舍人庄，店主先一夕梦神曰：「旦夕有毛解元来，后且脱汝于厄，可善待之。」以故晨起，专伺察东来客，及得公，甚喜。供具甚丰，且不索直。公问故，特以梦兆告。公颇自负；私计女发鬑鬑，虑为显者笑，富贵后当易之。及试，竟落第，偃蹇丧志，赧见主人，不敢复由王舍，迂道归家。
Before long Mao became a licentiate and set out to sit the provincial examination. He passed through Wang Sheren Village, where, the night before, the innkeeper had dreamed that a god told him: “Any day now Top Graduate Mao will be coming this way. In time he will save you from trouble. Treat him well.” So the innkeeper rose early and watched carefully for every traveller coming from the east. When he found Mao he was delighted. He served him lavishly and would take no payment. Mao asked why, and the innkeeper told him of the dream. Mao thought a good deal of himself. Privately he reckoned that his wife’s hair was thin and sparse, and worried that great people would laugh at her; once he was rich and eminent, he would replace her. When the examination came, he failed. Downcast and dispirited, ashamed to face his host, he did not dare go back by Wang Sheren, but went home by a roundabout road.