In his youth, Magistrate Mao of Yexian came from a poor background. His father worked as a cattle herder. A certain Mr. Zhang, a man from a prominent family in the county, erected a new tomb on the south side of Dongshan. As his family passed the graveyard, they suddenly heard a shout emanating from the tomb: "This is the residence of a noble one; you people must leave immediately and not dare to occupy this blessed ground." Old Master Zhang heard the story, half-believing and half-doubting, and did not relocate the grave. Subsequently, he frequently dreamt that someone warned him, saying, "Your family's grave plot rightfully belongs to Magistrate Mao. How dare you usurp this magpie's nest?" From that point onward, misfortunes plagued the Zhang household. Friends advised him to move the grave, and Mr. Zhang readily agreed, reluctantly transferring the tomb elsewhere.

One day, the Magistrate's father went to Dongshan to graze cattle and passed by the southern grave plot. A sudden downpour began, and he took shelter inside the empty tomb. The rain poured down relentlessly, flooding the tomb, and the old father tragically drowned. The Magistrate was still young. His mother went to the Zhang residence and pleaded, "Please, Master, grant us a small patch of earth so my deceased husband may be laid to rest peacefully."

When Mr. Zhang learned the deceased was surnamed Mao, he was greatly astonished. He immediately went to Dongshan to inspect and saw that the spot where Old Man Mao lay buried happened to be exactly where the coffin had previously rested, filling him with deeper dread. Recalling his dreams, he sighed, "There is destiny at work in the unseen world. This piece of land was fated to belong to the Mao family; now it is returned to its rightful owner." Mother Mao was overjoyed. She selected an auspicious date, buried her husband, and then, accompanied by her son, went to the Zhang residence to express their gratitude.

Upon seeing Magistrate Mao, Mr. Zhang was delighted. He invited the boy to live in his home permanently, taught him to read, and treated him as his own son. He then said to Mother Mao, "I intend to marry my eldest daughter to your young master. What are your thoughts?" Mother Mao was stunned and at a loss, repeating only, "We dare not presume to such heights." Mrs. Zhang insisted, "The words are already spoken; how can they be retracted? You must agree." Unable to refuse, Mother Mao consented.

The eldest daughter, despising poverty and valuing wealth, looked down upon the Mao family from the bottom of her heart. Upon hearing the news, she was displeased, her demeanor full of resentment. Whenever the marriage was mentioned, she would cover her ears and refuse to listen. She often told people, "I would rather die than marry a cowherd." On the wedding day, when the groom arrived to escort her, and the ceremonial sedan chair stopped before the door, the eldest daughter covered her face with her sleeve and wept against the wall. When urged to prepare herself, she absolutely refused. Despite all the family's persuasion, she remained unmoved.

Soon, the groom prepared to leave, and the music swelled, yet the eldest daughter remained disheveled and weeping incessantly. Mr. Zhang asked his son-in-law to wait and went inside to coax his daughter. The bride only shed tears, ignoring all her father's explanations. Mr. Zhang became angry and forced her, but the bride only wept uncontrollably, refusing to eat or listen to reason.

Mr. Zhang, having no recourse, had his household staff relay the message: "The groom is about to depart." Mr. Zhang rushed out of the room, pleading, "The bride is still preparing; please wait a little longer." With that, he hurried back inside, shuttling in and out several times.

After much delay, the eldest daughter refused to change her mind. Mr. Zhang was utterly frustrated, feeling close to death from vexation. The second daughter witnessed this and felt dissatisfied, urging her sister earnestly. The bride grew angry and snapped, "You little shrew, must you chatter on too? It's easy for you to talk when you aren't the one marrying the cowherd! If you have the ability, go marry him yourself." The second daughter replied, "Father never betrothed me to Young Master Mao. If Father commands me to marry, I will enter the sedan chair immediately, why would I need my elder sister to persuade me?"

Mr. Zhang, seeing her straightforward reply, secretly conferred with his wife: perhaps they could turn the situation to their advantage, trading the younger for the elder, and let the second daughter marry instead.

His wife asked the second daughter, "Your sister is disobedient and unfilial, refusing to follow your parents' orders. If we ask you to marry in her place now, are you willing?" The second daughter replied magnanimously, "If my parents command me to marry, even if it were to a beggar, I would not dare refuse. Moreover, Young Master Mao is a man of outstanding talent; how could he remain poor forever?" Hearing this, her parents were overjoyed. They immediately helped her prepare, placed her in the sedan chair, and the second daughter boarded, departing in haste.

After entering the new home, the couple's affection bloomed sweetly. However, the bride had always suffered from illness, and her hair was sparser than others'. While Magistrate Mao rejoiced, he could not help but lament this slight imperfection. As time passed, rumors of the sisters' exchange gradually reached his ears. Magistrate Mao admired his wife's virtue even more, regarding her as his confidante.

Not long after the marriage, Magistrate Mao passed the examination to become a Xiucai (scholar) and went to the provincial capital for the Xiangshi (provincial examination). Passing through Wang Sheren's shop, the proprietor had dreamt the night before that a deity entrusted him with a message: "Sir will encounter difficulty in the future, and the next day, Scholar Mao will arrive and help you escape trouble." For this reason, the proprietor rose early to wait, squatting by the roadside specifically to observe passing travelers. Upon seeing Magistrate Mao, he was overjoyed, preparing a feast and treating him with utmost hospitality, refusing any payment. He merely recounted his dream and asked for his assistance.

Magistrate Mao was rather self-assured, confident that achieving success on the examination rolls would be effortless. He immediately agreed, thinking to himself: "Once I pass the exams and attain high rank, my status will surely be eminent. However, my wife's thin hair might invite ridicule. After achieving wealth and status, it would be better to divorce her and remarry."

After the imperial examinations, the results were posted, and Magistrate Mao failed entirely. Filled with remorse and dejection, he felt too ashamed to face the shop owner and dared not stay at the inn, instead taking a detour home. Three years later, he went to take the exam again. The proprietor was still waiting by the roadside. Magistrate Mao said, "The words you spoke back then never came true; it is truly embarrassing to trouble you again." The proprietor replied, "Not so. The scholar merely harbored thoughts of replacing his wife, harboring ill intentions, which is why his success was struck from the records by the underworld, not because my dream failed."

Magistrate Mao was stunned: "How did you know?" The proprietor explained, "When you left without saying goodbye last time, I had another dream, and thus I came to know." Hearing this, Magistrate Mao was overwhelmed with regret, standing like a wooden statue. The proprietor advised, "The scholar should value himself. To achieve the rank of Jieyuan (top scholar) is merely a matter of time."

Not long thereafter, Magistrate Mao participated in the examinations and indeed seized the top rank. His wife's hair also grew thicker, falling like a waterfall of black silk, adding to her allure. The eldest daughter had married a wealthy local man, displaying great pride and arrogance. Her husband was lazy and dissolute, quickly squandering their fortune until the house was destitute, with no rice to cook. Hearing of her sister's success, the eldest daughter became increasingly ashamed. When she occasionally encountered her sister, she would deliberately take a different path to avoid her. Soon after, her husband died, and her family's fortunes declined. When she then heard that Magistrate Mao had passed as a Jinshi (imperial scholar), the eldest daughter, in a fit of anger, renounced the world and became a nun.

Later, Scholar Mao rose to become Prime Minister and returned to his hometown in glory. The eldest daughter sent a disciple to pay respects and request a reward. Upon entering the mansion, the Madam gifted several bolts of silk and satin, concealing gold and silver within. The disciple, unaware, accepted the fabric and reported back to his master. The eldest daughter was greatly disappointed and angrily declared, "If they gave me money, I could buy rice and firewood; what use is such material? Send it all back exactly as it came!"

The disciple, having no choice, visited again. The couple, Prime Minister Mao and his wife, were perplexed. When they opened the silk, the gold and silver were all intact. Prime Minister Mao laughed wryly and said, "Your master cannot even bear the weight of a hundred taels of gold, how can she possess the fortune to follow this old man?" He took out fifty taels of gold and bestowed it upon the disciple, saying, "Take this back for your master’s travel expenses. If I give her too much, her shallow fortune may not be able to sustain it."

The disciple returned and reported the facts truthfully. The eldest daughter sighed silently, reflecting on her life's actions—twisting right and wrong, seeking favor by avoiding evil. Had she ended up in this state through her own doing?

Later, the proprietor of the inn committed a crime and was arrested, imprisoned. Prime Minister Mao exerted all his influence to plead his case, ultimately securing his release from punishment.