夏商，河間人。其父東陵，豪富侈汰，每食包子，輒棄其角，狼藉滿地。人以其肥重，呼之「丟角太尉」。暮年，家綦貧，日不給餐；兩肱瘦，垂革如囊，人又呼「募莊僧」，──謂其挂袋也。臨終謂商曰：「余生平暴殄天物，上干天怒，遂至凍餓以死。汝當惜福力行，以蓋父愆。」商恪遵治命，誠樸無二，躬耕自給。鄉人咸愛敬之。富人某翁哀其貧，假以貲，使學負販，輒虧其母。愧無以償，請為傭。翁不肯。商瞿然不自安，盡貨其田宅，往酬翁。翁詰得情，益憐之，強為贖還舊業；又益貸以重金，俾作賈。商辭曰：「十數金尚不能償，奈何結來生驢馬債耶？」翁乃招他賈與偕。數月而返，僅能不虧；翁不收其息，使復之。年餘，貸貲盈輦，歸至江，遭颶，舟幾覆，物半喪失。歸計所有，略可償主。遂語賈曰：「天之所貧，誰能救之？此皆我累君也！」乃稽簿付賈，奉身而退。翁再強之，必不可，躬耕如故。每自歎曰：「人生世上，皆有數年之享，何遂落魄如此？」會有外來巫，以錢卜，悉知人運數。敬詣之。巫，老嫗也。寓室精潔，中設神座，香氣常熏。商入朝拜訖，便索貲。商授百錢，巫盡內木筩中，執跪座下，搖響如祈籤狀。已而起，傾錢入手，而後於案上次第擺之。其法以字為否，幕為亨；數至五十八皆字，以後則盡幕矣。遂問：「庚甲幾何？」答：「二十八歲。」巫搖首曰：「早矣！官人現行者先人運，非本身運。五十八歲，方交本身運，始無盤錯也。」問：「何謂先人運？」曰：「先人有善，其福未盡，則後人享之；先人有不善，其禍未盡，則後人亦受之。」商屈指曰：「再三十年，齒已老耄，行就木矣。」巫曰：「五十八以前，便有五年回潤，略可營謀；然僅免寒餓耳。五十八之年，當有巨金自來，不須力求。官人生無過行，再世享之不盡也。」別巫而返，疑信半焉。然安貧自守，不敢妄求。後至五十三歲，留意驗之。時方東作，病痁不能耕。既痊，天大旱，早禾盡枯。近秋方雨，家無別種，田數畝悉以種穀。既而又旱，蕎菽半死，惟穀無恙；後得雨勃發，其豐倍焉。來春大饑，得以無餒。商以此信巫，從翁貸貲，小權子母，輒小獲；或勸作大賈，商不肯。迨五十七歲，偶葺牆垣，掘地得鐵釜；揭之，白氣如絮，懼不敢發。移時，氣盡，白鏹滿甕。夫妻共運之，稱計一千三百二十五兩。竊議巫術小舛。鄰人妻入商家，窺見之，歸告夫。夫忌焉，潛告邑宰。宰最貪，拘商索金。妻欲隱其半。商曰：「非所宜得，留之賈禍。」盡獻之。宰得金，恐其漏匿，又追貯器，以金實之，滿焉，乃釋商。居無何，宰遷南昌同知。踰歲，商以懋遷至南昌，則宰已死。妻子將歸，貨其粗重；有桐油如干簍，商以直賤，買之以歸。既抵家，器有滲漏，瀉注他器，則內有白金二鋌；遍探皆然。兌之，適得前掘鏹之數。商由此暴富，益贍貧窮，慷慨不吝。妻勸積遺子孫，商曰：「此即所以遺子孫也。」鄰人赤貧至為丐，欲有所求，而心自愧。商聞而告之曰：「昔日事，乃我時數未至，故鬼神假子手以敗之，於汝何尤？」遂周給之。鄰人感泣。後商壽八十，子孫承繼，數世不衰。
夏商，河间人。其父东陵，豪富侈汰，每食包子，辄弃其角，狼藉满地。人以其肥重，呼之「丢角太尉」。暮年，家綦贫，日不给餐；两肱瘦，垂革如囊，人又呼「募庄僧」，──谓其挂袋也。临终谓商曰：「余生平暴殄天物，上干天怒，遂至冻饿以死。汝当惜福力行，以盖父愆。」商恪遵治命，诚朴无二，躬耕自给。乡人咸爱敬之。富人某翁哀其贫，假以赀，使学负贩，辄亏其母。愧无以偿，请为佣。翁不肯。商瞿然不自安，尽货其田宅，往酬翁。翁诘得情，益怜之，强为赎还旧业；又益贷以重金，俾作贾。商辞曰：「十数金尚不能偿，奈何结来生驴马债耶？」翁乃招他贾与偕。数月而返，仅能不亏；翁不收其息，使复之。年余，贷赀盈辇，归至江，遭飓，舟几覆，物半丧失。归计所有，略可偿主。遂语贾曰：「天之所贫，谁能救之？此皆我累君也！」乃稽簿付贾，奉身而退。翁再强之，必不可，躬耕如故。每自叹曰：「人生世上，皆有数年之享，何遂落魄如此？」会有外来巫，以钱卜，悉知人运数。敬诣之。巫，老妪也。寓室精洁，中设神座，香气常熏。商入朝拜讫，便索赀。商授百钱，巫尽内木筩中，执跪座下，摇响如祈签状。已而起，倾钱入手，而后于案上次第摆之。其法以字为否，幕为亨；数至五十八皆字，以后则尽幕矣。遂问：「庚甲几何？」答：「二十八岁。」巫摇首曰：「早矣！官人现行者先人运，非本身运。五十八岁，方交本身运，始无盘错也。」问：「何谓先人运？」曰：「先人有善，其福未尽，则后人享之；先人有不善，其祸未尽，则后人亦受之。」商屈指曰：「再三十年，齿已老耄，行就木矣。」巫曰：「五十八以前，便有五年回润，略可营谋；然仅免寒饿耳。五十八之年，当有巨金自来，不须力求。官人生无过行，再世享之不尽也。」别巫而返，疑信半焉。然安贫自守，不敢妄求。后至五十三岁，留意验之。时方东作，病痁不能耕。既痊，天大旱，早禾尽枯。近秋方雨，家无别种，田数亩悉以种谷。既而又旱，荞菽半死，惟谷无恙；后得雨勃发，其丰倍焉。来春大饥，得以无馁。商以此信巫，从翁贷赀，小权子母，辄小获；或劝作大贾，商不肯。迨五十七岁，偶葺墙垣，掘地得铁釜；揭之，白气如絮，惧不敢发。移时，气尽，白镪满瓮。夫妻共运之，称计一千三百二十五两。窃议巫术小舛。邻人妻入商家，窥见之，归告夫。夫忌焉，潜告邑宰。宰最贪，拘商索金。妻欲隐其半。商曰：「非所宜得，留之贾祸。」尽献之。宰得金，恐其漏匿，又追贮器，以金实之，满焉，乃释商。居无何，宰迁南昌同知。逾岁，商以懋迁至南昌，则宰已死。妻子将归，货其粗重；有桐油如干篓，商以直贱，买之以归。既抵家，器有渗漏，泻注他器，则内有白金二铤；遍探皆然。兑之，适得前掘镪之数。商由此暴富，益赡贫穷，慷慨不吝。妻劝积遗子孙，商曰：「此即所以遗子孙也。」邻人赤贫至为丐，欲有所求，而心自愧。商闻而告之曰：「昔日事，乃我时数未至，故鬼神假子手以败之，于汝何尤？」遂周给之。邻人感泣。后商寿八十，子孙承继，数世不衰。
Xia Shang was a man of Hejian. His father, Dongling, was rich and lavish beyond measure. Whenever he ate steamed buns he threw away the corners, and they lay scattered all over the floor. Because he was so fat and heavy, people called him the Corner-Tossing Grand Commandant (Diujiao Taiwei). In his old age the family became very poor, and some days he had nothing to eat. His arms grew thin, the skin hanging from them like sacks, and people then called him the Alms-Begging Monk (Muzhuang Seng), meaning that he went about with bags hanging from him. On his deathbed he said to Shang, “All my life I wasted the things Heaven gave, and I angered Heaven, so I have come to die of cold and hunger. You must cherish your blessings and work hard, to cover your father’s faults.” Shang kept his father’s dying words faithfully. Honest and simple, with no other thought, he tilled the land with his own hands to feed himself. The country people all loved and respected him. A rich old man pitied his poverty and lent him money so that he could learn to peddle goods; but he kept losing the capital. Ashamed that he had no way to repay, he asked to work as the old man’s hired hand. The old man would not hear of it. Shang was uneasy and could not rest; he sold all his land and his house and went to pay the old man back. The old man questioned him and learned the truth, and pitied him all the more. He insisted on buying back Shang’s old property for him, and lent him a large sum besides, so that he could set up as a merchant. Shang declined. “I can’t even repay ten-odd taels. Why should I run up a debt I’ll have to pay off as a donkey or horse in my next life?” So the old man found another merchant to go with him. They came back after several months having barely avoided a loss; the old man took no interest and sent him out again. After a year or more, the goods bought with the loan filled a cart. On the way home, at the river, they met a gale; the boat nearly capsized, and half the goods were lost. At home he reckoned up what was left: just about enough to repay the lender. So he said to the merchant, “When Heaven makes a man poor, who can save him? It’s I who have dragged you down!” He went over the accounts, handed everything over to the merchant, and left with nothing but himself. The old man pressed him again, but he would not, and went back to tilling his land as before. He would often sigh, “Every man born into this world has a few years of good fortune. How have I come down so low?” Then a witch came from elsewhere who divined with coins and could tell anyone’s fortune. Shang went to see her respectfully. The witch was an old woman. Her lodging was spotless; in the middle stood an altar to her god, and the scent of incense always hung in the air. Shang went in and bowed, and she at once asked for money. Shang gave her a hundred cash. She put them all into a wooden tube, held it, knelt before the altar and shook it till it rattled, as people do when drawing lots at a temple. Then she rose, poured the coins into her hand, and laid them out one by one on the table. In her method, the inscribed face meant bad fortune and the blank back meant good. Up to the fifty-eighth coin, every one lay face up; after that, all were backs. She asked, “How old are you?” “Twenty-eight.” The witch shook her head. “Too early! Sir, the fortune you are living now is your forebears’, not your own. Only at fifty-eight will you come into your own fortune; then your troubles will be over.” “What do you mean, my forebears’ fortune?” “When a forebear has done good and his blessings are not used up, his descendants enjoy them; when a forebear has done wrong and his punishment is not used up, his descendants suffer it too.” Shang counted on his fingers. “Thirty more years. By then I’ll be old and doddering, ready for the coffin.” “Before fifty-eight,” said the witch, “you will have five years of easing, when you can make a little headway; but only enough to keep off cold and hunger. In your fifty-eighth year a great sum of money will come to you of its own accord, without your striving for it. You have done no wrong in this life, sir; another lifetime will not use it up.” He took leave of the witch and went home, half doubting and half believing. Still, he lived content with his poverty, kept to himself, and did not dare reach for more. When he reached fifty-three, he watched to test her words. It was the season of spring ploughing, and he fell ill with ague and could not plough. When he was well again, there was a great drought, and the early crops all withered. The rain came only near autumn; he had no other seed, so he sowed all his few mu with millet. Then came another drought; the buckwheat and beans half died, but the millet was unharmed. Later the rain came and it shot up, and the harvest was double. The next spring there was a great famine, and he did not go hungry. From then on Shang believed the witch. He borrowed money from the old man and traded in a small way, and each time made a small profit. Someone urged him to trade in a big way, but Shang would not. When he was fifty-seven, he happened to be repairing a wall and dug up an iron pot. When he lifted the lid, a white vapour rose like cotton fluff, and he was afraid to open it further. After a while the vapour was gone, and the jar was full of silver. He and his wife carried it in together; weighed, it came to one thousand three hundred and twenty-five taels. They whispered to each other that the witch’s art had been a little off. A neighbour’s wife came into Shang’s house, caught sight of it, and went home and told her husband. The husband was envious and secretly reported it to the county magistrate. The magistrate was exceedingly greedy; he arrested Shang and demanded the silver. Shang’s wife wanted to hide half of it. “It isn’t ours to have,” said Shang. “Keeping it will only bring disaster.” He handed it all over. Having got the silver, the magistrate was afraid some had been held back, so he demanded the container as well and filled it with the silver. It was full. Only then did he let Shang go. Not long after, the magistrate was promoted to assistant prefect of Nanchang. A year later Shang went to Nanchang to trade, and found that the magistrate had died. His wife and sons were going home and selling off their heavy goods. There were a number of baskets of tung oil, and since the price was low, Shang bought them and took them home. When he got home, one of them was leaking; he poured the oil into another vessel, and inside were two ingots of silver. He felt through all the baskets: every one was the same. When the silver was weighed, it came to exactly the amount he had dug up. From then on Shang was suddenly rich. He gave all the more to the poor, generously and without stinting. His wife urged him to save it up for their children and grandchildren. “This is how I am saving it for them,” said Shang. The neighbour had become so poor that he was begging; he wanted to ask for help, but was ashamed. Shang heard of it and told him, “What happened back then was because my time had not yet come, so the ghosts and gods used your hand to undo it. How is it your fault?” And he helped him out. The neighbour wept with gratitude. Shang lived to eighty, and his children and grandchildren carried on after him; the family did not decline for several generations.