Whenever someone congratulated Huang Gong for having nice daughters by cupping one hand in the other before the chest, he always shook his head repeatedly and said:

Huang Gong had two sweet young daughters. They were as beautiful as flowers, with elegant and graceful carriages, and could be called unsurpassed beauties. Huang Gong confined them to their isolated boudoir, and forbade them to show their faces in public.

"My daughters are ugly, plain, coarse. and stupid, not worth mentioning."

From then on, people believed this to be true. The reputation of Huang Gong's two daughters being ugly spread around. Though they had reached marriageable age, no one called to ask for their hands.

In the past, an old man named Huang Gong in the State of Qi was very particular about being modest and humble, and he liked to be praised by people for his modesty and humbleness.

There was a rascal in the State of Wei whose wife had died. He had no money to remarry, so he called at Huang Gong's house to propose marriage. As expected, Huang Gong agreed. After the wedding ceremony, when the veil of the bride was removed, the rascal saw a lady of unsurpassed beauty and was extremely happy.

News spread around fast. Not until then, did people realize that Huang Gong had been overmodest and had deliberately described his daughters as ugly. Thereupon, many distinguished families came to propose marriage to the second daughter. Thereafter Huang Gong's house became as crowded as a market place.