It was Zheng who bought jewelry in the process of buying bamboo slips and pearls. This fable is about a Chu man who sells jewelry in Zheng State. He carved a pearl box with precious Mulan, smoked it with spices made of cinnamon, and decorated it with jewels and precious stones. Connected with beautiful jade, decorated with jade, and connected with kingfisher feathers. A man from Zheng bought this box, but returned the beads inside to him.

The implication of buying bamboo slips and returning pearls.

Zheng only stared at the beautiful box, but lost the really valuable pearl. It can be seen that everything must have priorities, otherwise it will be like the Zheng people who "buy gifts and return pearls" to make stupid things such as giving up the basics and making improper choices. In modern times, buying bamboo slips to return pearls is also a metaphor for people who spend little capital to get higher returns. People who sell bamboo slips get pearls with a "bamboo slip" to describe people who are short-sighted and choose improperly.