張家灣有個獵人叫張誠，有一天傍晚，張誠的妻子翠花看到有個人在門外探頭探腦，就跑去關門，沒想到被他衝進家裡，並在客廳的椅子上坐下，接著對她說：「大嫂，天快黑了，讓我住一晚，明天一早我就走。」翠花心想：「丈夫不會馬上回來，我也打不過他，怎麼辦？」這時，她從布簾縫隙瞄到床底下丈夫的一堆鞋子，靈機一動。翠花邊倒茶邊說：「出外靠朋友！先喝口茶，我去準備洗腳水。」接著翠花就到床下拿出六雙鞋子放在客廳，再搬來一大盆水，山賊就說：「大嫂，一雙鞋子就夠了，再說我也用不著這麼多水呀！」翠花回答：「一雙是給你換的，其他是我老公和親戚待會兒回來要換的。」山賊東張西望地說：「我怎麼沒看到他們？」翠花說：「他們在屋後山腳下幹活，應該快回來了，你先坐一下，我到廚房做飯，等他們回來就可以吃飯。」山賊知道事情不妙，就趁翠花在廚房忙時，趕緊溜走。
三十六計之第二十九計：樹上開花
本指樹上花朵靠著樹枝交錯伸展的姿態，能更突顯整體的陣容浩大，並使人感到眼花撩亂。此指當自己的力量不夠時，可藉由外來或假象的力量，來壯大自己的聲勢，達到嚇阻或擊退敵人的最終目的。
There once was a hunter who lived near the bay. One evening, his wife Cuei Hua saw a suspicious man outside their home. She rushed to shut the door but the thief was quicker than she was. He got in already and sat himself on a chair in the living room. The thief said to her, "Lady, it is getting dark soon. Let me stay for the night, and I shall leave early tomorrow." Cuei Hua thought, "My husband won't be home anytime soon, and I am not capable of fighting off this man. What should I do?" Through the curtains, she caught a glimpse of a couple of her husband's shoes underneath the bed. So she had an idea.
Cuei Hua poured tea for the thief and said, "Friends are important to a traveler. Have a cup of tea first, and I'll bring you some water to wash your feet with." Then Cuei Hua went inside and brought out six pairs of shoes with her into the living room, followed by a large basin full of water. The thief said, "One pair of shoes should be enough for me. Besides, I don't need so much water to wash my feet." Cuei Hua replied, "One is for you, and the others are for my husband and his relatives who should be back soon." The thief looked around and said, "I don't see them around here…" Cuei Hua replied, "That's because they are working near the foot of the mountain behind this house. But they'll be back soon. Make yourself at home. In the meantime, I'll make dinner in the kitchen so we can all have dinner when they return." The thief realized that things would not be as easy as he had imagined. So he slipped away while Cuei Hua was busy cooking in the kitchen.
Strategy 29: Deck the Tree With Fake Blossoms
Originally, it refers to the visual effect that all the dotted blossoms on a tree create - the illusion of a tree that is larger than it really is. Here it means to take advantage of terrain, weather, or other external conditions to create the visual illusion of a bigger force than you actually have. By deceiving the enemy into thinking that you are stronger than you really are, you can achieve the goal of scaring him away.
