Cheng Xiaosi, a native of Jiannan in Sichuan, was intelligent but came from a poor family, having lost both parents early on. He served under Hu Yintai and was greatly favored by the elder master. Lord Hu had three sons and four daughters; most were already betrothed to families of standing, with only the fourth daughter remaining unmarried. One day, Lord Hu said to Cheng Xiaosi, "Young sir, your talent is exceptional; you will never remain poor for long. I wish to marry my youngest daughter to you as your wife, and I hope you will take good care of her." A wedding was immediately arranged for the pair. After marrying, Cheng Xiaosi applied himself diligently to his studies, never resting through cold or heat.

Initially, when the Fourth Miss was still unwed, a certain divine shaman had examined her features and declared, "This young lady is destined for wealth and high status in the future." Her siblings paid this no mind, and seeing that she had now married a poor scholar, they looked down upon her even more, frequently referring to her as the "Noble One" right in front of her, using it to mock her. The Fourth Miss was dignified and reserved, saying little; no matter how her siblings goaded her, she remained entirely unmoved.

The Fourth Miss had a maid named Gui'er, who was indignant at the sight and declared loudly, "You dog-eyed people judge too harshly! How do you know my master won't rise to a high position?" The Second Miss scoffed, laughing, "If that poor scholar ever becomes an official, I will immediately gouge out my own eyes." Gui'er sneered, "I only fear that when that day comes, you'll be reluctant to part with your eyeballs." The Second Miss's personal maid, Chunxiang, laughed, "If the young lady breaks her word, she can just take my eyes." Gui'er called out, "Fine, that's a promise!" The two slapped hands to seal the wager.

Not long after, Lord Hu hosted his birthday banquet. His children arrived one after another to offer congratulations; piles of gold and silver gifts littered the place. Only the Fourth Miss and her husband came empty-handed. The Eldest Miss seized the opportunity to needle her, asking, "Fourth Sister, what birthday gift did you bring this time?" The Second Miss laughed, "Fourth Sister carries her entire head on her shoulders—the person is here, but the gift is not." Hearing this, the Fourth Miss smiled faintly, showing no anger, remaining composed and self-possessed. From that time on, her sisters assumed the Fourth Miss was meek and easy to bully, looking down on her even more.

Lord Hu had a concubine surnamed Li, who possessed keen insight. She often told her daughter, the Third Miss, "The Fourth Miss is inwardly clever but outwardly clumsy; she possesses great wisdom that appears like foolishness, intelligent without showing it. Her husband, Young Master Cheng, studies day and night and will certainly not remain beneath others for long. Treat them well, and it will serve you well in the future." The Third Miss heeded her mother’s instruction, and every time she returned home for a visit, she made a deliberate effort to bond with the Fourth Miss.

That year, with Lord Hu’s assistance, Cheng Xiaosi entered the county school to study. The following year was scheduled for the imperial examinations, but Lord Hu unfortunately passed away. Cheng Xiaosi had to observe the mourning period for his father-in-law, making it impossible for him to take the exam. After the mourning period concluded, the Fourth Miss took out her private funds and gifted them to her husband, saying, "I have secured a 'Talent Inheritance' nomination for you, allowing you to participate in the make-up examination. Now that Father is gone, your siblings are all arrogant and overbearing; it is no longer suitable to stay at home. Focus your heart and mind on this imperial examination; if you can finally achieve renown, I shall share in your glory." Cheng Xiaosi murmured his assent and went to take the exam. At his departure, the Third Miss and her mother also presented him with gold and silver.

For this round of examinations, Cheng Xiaosi prepared meticulously, determined to succeed on the first attempt. However, when the results were posted, his name was nowhere to be found. Cheng Xiaosi was disheartened and indignant, feeling too ashamed to face his wife. He took his travel money and headed alone to the capital city to seek his fortune. The capital was a place of wealth and status, and the Hu family had many relatives serving as officials there. Cheng Xiaosi wished to avoid them, so he changed his name and sought employment everywhere.

In the capital, a Censor named Lord Li happened upon Cheng one day, was highly impressed, and immediately hired him as a secretary. Lord Li also paid to donate a "Tribute Student" nomination for him. With Lord Li’s help, Cheng Xiaosi successfully entered the Imperial Academy, and soon thereafter, he sat for the examination for the Shun Tian Prefecture, achieving successive victories, placing seventh in the Second Class. He was awarded the title of "Provisional Scholar" and assigned a post in the Hanlin Academy.

When Cheng Xiaosi achieved success and fame, he confessed the truth to Lord Li, revealing his real name, saying, "My wife is still in Sichuan; I wish to return home for a visit." Lord Li agreed, saying, "You are now an official of the court; if you go home, it must be in grand style." He lent Cheng Xiaosi one thousand taels of silver, advising him to first purchase a residence in his hometown before returning in glory.

Since Lord Hu’s death, the eldest son, due to the family’s financial shortfalls, had to sell his father’s villa for money out of necessity. Coincidentally, the buyer turned out to be none other than Cheng Xiaosi.

A while later, the third son married and held his wedding banquet. The Fourth Miss attended the celebration. Her siblings saw her dressed splendidly and radiant, and they learned from the eldest son that Cheng Xiaosi had succeeded in the examinations, making the Fourth Miss the wife of an official. They all rushed forward to curry favor. The Fourth Miss, putting past grievances aside, drank and conversed with them merrily. As the family was chatting, a sudden scream rang out from outside. Chunxiang burst into the hall in disarray, blood staining her cheeks, clear finger marks visible on her eyelids, crying out, "Gui'er is trying to gouge out my eyes! Young Mistress, save me!" Hearing this, the Second Miss recalled their original wager and was overcome with shame.

Not long after, the banquet concluded. The Fourth Miss entered a room to pay respects to the Third Miss and her mother. She spoke a few words with Lady Li and then took her leave. Upon returning home, Lady Li sent over many gold and silver ornaments, along with maidservants and servants, but the Fourth Miss refused them all, accepting only one young maid.

Later, the Hu household fell into decline, and the siblings, unversed in thrift, quickly squandered their entire fortune, finding themselves in straitened circumstances. Their father’s coffin remained in the main hall; the wood rotted, and no one paid it any heed. When Cheng Xiaosi heard the news, his anger flared. He immediately funded the funeral proceedings, ensuring his father-in-law was properly interred, and then he and his wife departed for the capital, choosing not to see the others.

More than ten years passed, and the Hu household worsened further, its fortunes plummeting. The second son became entangled in a legal case and was arrested. The presiding magistrate was a close friend and former classmate of Cheng Xiaosi, known for his strict enforcement of the law. Seeing his brother imprisoned, the eldest son wrote a letter pleading for his father-in-law's help. His father-in-law intervened to intercede, but was met with a rebuff; the magistrate paid him no attention whatsoever.

Utterly desperate, the eldest son traveled to the capital to beg for aid from Cheng Xiaosi and his wife. Upon arriving at their mansion, the Fourth Miss came out to greet him, asking, "Elder Brother, you have important family matters, yet you travel thousands of miles to the capital. What is the purpose of your visit?" The eldest son knelt on the ground, weeping as he explained the situation. The Fourth Miss helped him up and smiled, saying, "Elder Brother is a fine man; why weep over such a small matter? Though I am a woman, I too have never wept in front of others. There are many relatives of the Hu family who hold office in the court; you should seek their help to save Second Brother. Why come to me? I thought you made this long journey to specifically visit your sister; it seems I misunderstood." With those words, she turned and swept away.

The eldest son, filled with anger and shame, returned home resentfully. Seeing that the Fourth Miss refused to help, the entire family—old and young—cursed her loudly. Several days later, the second son was suddenly released without charge, saying, "This time, it was all thanks to Fourth Sister’s help; otherwise, I would have already lost my life." Upon hearing this, the family realized they had wrongly accused a good person.