許昌士人張孝基，娶同里富人女。富人惟一子，不肖，斥逐去。富人病且死，盡以家財付孝基。孝基與治後事如禮。久之，其子丐於途，孝基見之，惻然謂曰：“汝能灌園乎？”答曰：“如得灌園以就食，何幸！”孝基使灌園。其子稍自力，孝基怪之，復謂曰：“汝能管庫乎？”答曰：“得灌園，已出望外，況管庫乎？又何幸也。”孝基使管庫。其子頗馴謹，無他過。孝基徐察之，知其能自新，遂以其父所委財產歸之。   

Zhang Xiaoji, a learned man from Xuchang, married the daughter of a wealthy man from the same village. The wealthy man had only a no-good son who was expelled from the family. When the wealthy man was on his deathbed, he bequeathed all his property to Zhang, and Zhang handled the funeral affairs properly. Later, the expelled son was found begging on the streets. Out of compassion, Zhang asked him if he could spray water on gardens. The beggar replied, "I must be fortunate if I could get the job for living."  Gradually, the son could live on his own. Surprised by the change, Zhang asked the son if he could be a granary keeper. He said, "The spraying job has been my unexpected luck; what is more, to be a granary keeper?" So, Zhang let him get the job. The son behaved obediently and cautiously in his new job and made no mistakes. After a long inspection, Zhang confirmed that the son had reformed, so he returned all the properties to the owner.