Guo Ju was a man of Longlv (today's Linzhou, Anyang, Henan) or of Wen County in Henei (today's southeast of Wen County, Henan) in the East Han Dynasty. His family's financial situation was originally well-off.

郭巨，晋代隆虑（今河南林县）人，一说河内温县（今河南温县西南）人，原本家道殷实。

After his father died, he divided the family property into two for his two younger brothers and supported his mother by himself.

父亲死后，他把家产分作两份，给了两个弟弟，自己独取母亲供养，对母极孝。

He was very pious¹ to his mother and later his family's financial situation went worse gradually. His wife gave birth to a boy and he was afraid that supporting this child would affect supporting his mother.

后家境逐渐贫困，妻子生一男孩，郭巨担心，养这个孩子，必然影响供养母亲

So he said to his wife: "Children can be reborn but Mother cannot relive after death. It would be better for us to bury the son and save some food for Mother."

遂和妻子商议：“儿子可以再有，母亲死了不能复活，不如埋掉儿子，节省些粮食供养母亲。”

When they dug a hole, they suddenly found a jar of gold two thirds of a meter under the ground and on it was inscribed²: "God give this to Guo Ju and officials may not take it and civilians³ should not possess it."

当他们挖坑时，在地下二尺处忽见一坛黄金，上书“天赐郭巨，官不得取，民不得夺”。

When the couple obtained the gold, they returned home to support their mother and foster⁴ the child as well.

夫妻得到黄金，回家孝敬母亲，并得以兼养孩子。