益都鄭氏兄弟，皆文學士。大鄭早知名，父母嘗過愛之，又因子並及其婦；二鄭落拓，不甚為父母所懽，遂惡次婦，至不齒禮：冷暖相形，頗存芥蒂。次婦每謂二鄭：「等男子耳，何遂不能為妻子爭氣？」遂擯弗與同宿。於是二鄭感憤，勤心銳思，亦遂知名。父母稍稍優顧之，然終殺於兄。次婦望夫綦切，是歲大比，竊於除夜以鏡聽卜。有二人初起，相推為戲，云：「汝也涼涼去！」婦歸，凶吉不可解，亦置之。闈後，兄弟皆歸。時暑氣猶盛，兩婦在廚下炊飯餉耕，其熱正苦。忽有報騎登門，報大鄭捷。母入廚喚大婦曰：「大男中式矣！汝可涼涼去。」次婦忿惻，泣且炊。俄又有報二鄭捷者。次婦力擲餅杖而起，曰：「儂也涼涼去！」此時中情所激，不覺出之於口；既而思之，始知鏡聽之驗也。
益都郑氏兄弟，皆文学士。大郑早知名，父母尝过爱之，又因子并及其妇；二郑落拓，不甚为父母所懽，遂恶次妇，至不齿礼：冷暖相形，颇存芥蒂。次妇每谓二郑：「等男子耳，何遂不能为妻子争气？」遂摈弗与同宿。于是二郑感愤，勤心锐思，亦遂知名。父母稍稍优顾之，然终杀于兄。次妇望夫綦切，是岁大比，窃于除夜以镜听卜。有二人初起，相推为戏，云：「汝也凉凉去！」妇归，凶吉不可解，亦置之。闱后，兄弟皆归。时暑气犹盛，两妇在厨下炊饭饷耕，其热正苦。忽有报骑登门，报大郑捷。母入厨唤大妇曰：「大男中式矣！汝可凉凉去。」次妇忿恻，泣且炊。俄又有报二郑捷者。次妇力掷饼杖而起，曰：「侬也凉凉去！」此时中情所激，不觉出之于口；既而思之，始知镜听之验也。
In Yidu there were two brothers named Zheng, both men of letters. The elder Zheng made a name for himself early. His parents doted on him beyond reason, and for the son’s sake they doted on his wife as well. The younger Zheng was down on his luck and not much in his parents’ favour, so they came to dislike his wife too, to the point of not treating her with common courtesy. Warmth on one side and coldness on the other: there was no little bitterness between them. The younger wife would often say to her husband, “You are a man just like him. Why can’t you do something to make your wife hold up her head?” And she shut him out and would not sleep with him. Stung and indignant, the younger Zheng set his heart to his studies and sharpened his wits, and he too made a name for himself. His parents began to favour him a little more, but always less than his brother. The younger wife’s hopes for her husband were very keen. That year was the year of the provincial examinations, and on New Year’s Eve she secretly divined by mirror-listening. Two people who had just got up were pushing each other about in fun, and one said, “You go and cool off too!” She went home. She could not tell whether it meant good or ill, and put it out of her mind. After the examinations both brothers came home. The summer heat was still fierce. The two wives were in the kitchen cooking food for the men working in the fields, and the heat was hard to bear. Suddenly a mounted herald came to the door to announce that the elder Zheng had passed. Their mother came into the kitchen and called to the elder wife, “Our eldest has passed! You can go and cool off.” The younger wife, angry and wretched, wept as she cooked. Soon another herald came to announce that the younger Zheng had passed. The younger wife flung down her rolling pin with all her strength and stood up. “I’m going to cool off too!” she said. At that moment her feelings were so stirred that the words were out before she knew it. Only when she thought it over afterwards did she realize that the mirror-listening had come true.