陝西劉公，為興化令。有道士來獻盆樹；視之，則小橘細裁如指，擯弗受。劉有幼女，時六七歲，適值初度。道士云：「此不足供大人清玩，聊祝女公子福壽耳。」乃受之。女一見，不勝愛悅，寘諸閨闥，朝夕護之惟恐傷。劉任滿，橘盈把矣。是年初結實。簡裝將行，以橘重贅，謀棄之。女抱樹嬌啼。家人紿之曰：「暫去，且將復來。」女信之，涕始止。又恐為大力者負之而去，立視家人，移栽墀下，乃行。女歸，受莊氏聘。莊丙戌登進士，釋褐為興化令。夫人大喜。竊意十餘年橘不復存，及至，則橘已十圍，實纍纍以千計。問之故役，皆云：「劉公去後，橘甚茂而不實，此其初結也。」更奇之。莊任三年，繁實不懈；第四年，憔悴無少華。夫人曰：「君任此不久矣。」至秋，果解任。
陕西刘公，为兴化令。有道士来献盆树；视之，则小橘细裁如指，摈弗受。刘有幼女，时六七岁，适值初度。道士云：「此不足供大人清玩，聊祝女公子福寿耳。」乃受之。女一见，不胜爱悦，寘诸闺闼，朝夕护之惟恐伤。刘任满，橘盈把矣。是年初结实。简装将行，以橘重赘，谋弃之。女抱树娇啼。家人绐之曰：「暂去，且将复来。」女信之，涕始止。又恐为大力者负之而去，立视家人，移栽墀下，乃行。女归，受庄氏聘。庄丙戌登进士，释褐为兴化令。夫人大喜。窃意十余年橘不复存，及至，则橘已十围，实累累以千计。问之故役，皆云：「刘公去后，橘甚茂而不实，此其初结也。」更奇之。庄任三年，繁实不懈；第四年，憔悴无少华。夫人曰：「君任此不久矣。」至秋，果解任。
Lord Liu of Shaanxi was magistrate of Xinghua. A Daoist came to present him with a potted tree. He looked at it: a little orange tree, its trunk no thicker than a finger. He refused it. Liu had a young daughter, six or seven at the time, and it happened to be her birthday. “This is not fit for Your Honour’s refined pleasure,” said the Daoist. “It is only a small wish for the young lady’s happiness and long life.” So Liu accepted it. The moment the girl saw it she was delighted beyond words. She put it in her own rooms and tended it morning and evening, afraid it might come to harm. By the time Liu’s term was over, the trunk was a handful thick. That year it bore fruit for the first time. As they packed light for the journey, the tree was a heavy burden, and they meant to leave it behind. The girl clung to the tree and cried like the pet she was. The household tricked her: “We’re only going away for a while. We’ll be coming back.” She believed them, and only then stopped crying. Then, afraid that someone strong would shoulder it and carry it off, she stood and watched while the servants replanted it below the steps, and only then did she leave. After they went home, the girl was betrothed to a man named Zhuang. In the bingxu year Zhuang passed the jinshi examination and was given his first post: magistrate of Xinghua. His lady was overjoyed. She thought privately that after more than ten years the orange tree would be gone. But when they arrived, the tree was ten spans round and hung thick with fruit by the thousand. She asked the old yamen servants, and they all said, “After Lord Liu left, the tree grew very lush but bore no fruit. This is the first time it has fruited.” That made it stranger still. Through the three years of Zhuang’s term it bore heavily without fail. In the fourth year it withered and put out not a single blossom. “You won’t be in office here much longer,” said his lady. In the autumn, sure enough, he was relieved of his post.