According to the legend, Dong Yong was a man of Qiancheng (today's north of Gaoqing County, Shandong) in the East Han Dynasty. His mother died when he was young and the family moved to Anlu (in today's Hubei) to avoid the war.

董永，相传为东汉时期千乘（今山东高青县北）人，少年丧母，因避兵乱迁居安陆（今属湖北）。

Later, his father died and Dong Yong sold himself to a rich family as a slave so as to bury his father.

其后父亲亡故，董永卖身至一富家为奴，换取丧葬费用。

When he was on his way to work, Dong Yong met with a woman under a pagoda tree and she said that she was homeless. So they got married.

上工路上，于槐荫下遇一女子，自言无家可归，二人结为夫妇。

The woman wove 300 bolts of cloth in one month and bought back Dong Yong's freedom.

女子以一月时间织成三百匹锦缎

When they passed the pagoda tree on their way home, the women told Dong Yong she was the daughter to the Emperor of Heaven and was ordered to help him repay the debt.

为董永抵债赎身，返家途中，行至槐荫，女子告诉董永：自己是天帝之女，奉命帮助董永还债。

With that said, she flew away. Henceforth the pagoda tree was renamed "compassion for piety".

言毕凌空而去。因此，槐荫改名为孝感。