From Han Fei in the Warring States Period, Han Fei's "On the Left of Han Feizi's Foreign Reserve": "The Chu people have sold their pearls to Zheng, which are the cabinets of Mulan, Gui Xiang, pearl jade ornaments, rose ornaments and feather breastplates, and Zheng people bought their rafters and returned them."

Translation:

There was a businessman in the State of Chu who sold jewelry in the State of Zheng. He carved a pearl box with precious Mulan, smoked it with spices made of cinnamon pepper, decorated it with precious stones and jewels, decorated it with beautiful jade, and joined it with jade. A man of Zheng bought a box, but returned the beads in the box to him. It can be said that this jeweler is good at selling boxes, but not at selling jewelry.

Idiom explanation:

Rafters: wooden cases; Pearl: Pearl. Bought a box of pearls; But I returned the pearls in the box. Metaphor has no vision; Improper choice.