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。
陝西的劉公擔任興化縣令。有個道士來獻一盆樹，劉公看了看，是一棵樹幹才手指那麼粗的小橘樹，便拒絕接受。劉公有個小女兒，當時六七歲，恰好過生日。道士說：「這棵樹不配供大人賞玩，不過借它祝小姐有福長壽罷了。」劉公這才收下。女兒一看見橘樹，就喜歡得不得了，把它放在自己的房裡，早晚照料，唯恐它受到損傷。劉公任期滿時，橘樹的樹幹已有一把粗了，那一年第一次結果。他們收拾輕便的行裝準備出發，嫌橘樹又重又累贅，打算丟下。女兒抱著樹，嬌聲哭起來。家人哄她說：「只是暫時離開，以後還要回來的。」女兒相信了，這才止住眼淚。她又怕有力氣的人把樹揹走，便站在旁邊看著家人把它移栽到臺階下，然後才離開。女兒回鄉後，與莊家訂了婚。莊生在丙戌年考中進士，初次授官便做了興化縣令。夫人十分高興。她心裡想著，已經過了十幾年，橘樹大概早已不在了。等到任上，卻見樹幹粗得要十個人才能合抱，果實累累，數以千計。她問從前的差役，他們都說：「劉公走後，橘樹長得十分茂盛，卻不結果，這是頭一次結果。」她越發覺得奇異。莊生任職的三年裡，橘樹一直結著繁多的果實；到了第四年，樹卻枯萎憔悴，連一點花也不開。夫人說：「你在這裡做官的日子不長了。」到了秋天，莊生果然被解除職務。
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。
陕西的刘公担任兴化县令。有个道士来献一盆树，刘公看了看，是一棵树干才手指那么粗的小橘树，便拒绝接受。刘公有个小女儿，当时六七岁，恰好过生日。道士说：“这棵树不配供大人赏玩，不过借它祝小姐有福长寿罢了。”刘公这才收下。女儿一看见橘树，就喜欢得不得了，把它放在自己的房里，早晚照料，唯恐它受到损伤。刘公任期满时，橘树的树干已有一把粗了，那一年第一次结果。他们收拾轻便的行装准备出发，嫌橘树又重又累赘，打算丢下。女儿抱着树，娇声哭起来。家人哄她说：“只是暂时离开，以后还要回来的。”女儿相信了，这才止住眼泪。她又怕有力气的人把树背走，便站在旁边看着家人把它移栽到台阶下，然后才离开。女儿回乡后，与庄家订了婚。庄生在丙戌年考中进士，初次授官便做了兴化县令。夫人十分高兴。她心里想着，已经过了十几年，橘树大概早已不在了。等到任上，却见树干粗得要十个人才能合抱，果实累累，数以千计。她问从前的差役，他们都说：“刘公走后，橘树长得十分茂盛，却不结果，这是头一次结果。”她越发觉得奇异。庄生任职的三年里，橘树一直结着繁多的果实；到了第四年，树却枯萎憔悴，连一点花也不开。夫人说：“你在这里做官的日子不长了。”到了秋天，庄生果然被解除职务。
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.