In the past, a man of the State of Chu intended to go to the State of Zheng to sell pearls.
从前,有个楚国人准备到郑国卖珍珠。

First he used rare lily magnolia to make a small exquisite case which he fumigated with the delicate fragrance of osmanthuses and Chinese prickly ashes. Furthermore, the case was inlaid with emerald-green jadeite, and adorned with attractive rosy jade. The whole case was decorated in an extremely exquisite way.
他先用名贵的木兰做了一只精巧的小匣子,又用幽香的牡桂和花椒把匣子熏了一下,并且在匣子上面镶了碧绿的翡翠,还嵌上引人注目的玫瑰石,整个匣子装演得十分考究。

A man of the State of Zheng saw this exquisite case and liked it very much. He bought it with a great deal of money, but he returned the pearl in the case to the man of Chu.
有个郑国人看到这只精美的匣子,非常喜欢,就用重金买了下来。但是,他却把匣子里的珍珠退还给了那个楚国人。

Later, people ridiculed the man of Chu by saying that he was good at selling cases, but not good at selling pearls.
后来,人们都嘲笑这个楚国人,说他很善于卖匣子,却不善于卖珍珠。