Jade Sculpture
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One day there came to Hongren Pawnshop in the city of Shaoxing a customer who wanted to pawn a jade sculpture. He said it was a relic of the Han dynasty that he had inherited from his father and his father from his grandfather. To all appearances it was an exquisite piece of work and the man asked for 1,000 ounces of silver. The pawnbroker being out of town, his assistant accepted the deal and gave him the amount he asked for.
When the pawnbroker returned, he carefully examined the piece only to find it was only an imitation worth no more than 100 ounces of silver. He was so exasperated that he wanted the shop assistant to pay for the loss if the owner did not redeem it.
Grief overwhelmed the shop assistant for he was a poor man. Not knowing what to do, he sought the help of a friend named Xu Wenchang who was a well-known artist and playwright in the Ming dynasty and also known for resourcefulness. Xu Wenchang came up with an action plan.
A few days later, the pawnbroker sent out invitations to his friends and relatives, which read, “The undersigned humbly seeks the pleasure of your company to a party at his house to share his joy of viewing a rare jade sculpture of the Han dynasty that happens to be in his temporary possession.”
Guests came in a stream and food and drinks were served. Halfway through the party, the host announced that he was very pleased they accepted his invitation to come because the jadework would soon be returned to its owner. Then he went inside to fetch the treasure.
Minutes later he came back with the jade sculpture. Everyone held his breath in silent expectancy. Holding it in both hands, he passed through the crowd until he reached a table in the middle of the room. He was about to place it on the table when suddenly he tripped himself and fell. The sculpture slipped from his hand, fell to the floor, broken into pieces.
“Ah!” all those present were stunned at the disaster. The host's face turned ashen. He staggered to his feet, and then excused himself. His guests were disappointed and sorry for the host. The next day the mishap at the pawnbroker’s became the talk of the town.
A few days later the man who had pawned the jade came to Hongren Pawnshop. Putting 1,000 ounces of silver on the counter, he said he would like to redeem the sculpture. The shop assistant counted the silver and then took out the jade sculpture from inside without a word. The man gazed at it for a long time. No mistake. It was his phony jade sculpture, intact, unbroken. Flabbergasted, he took it back and left.
What he did not know was that it was all the idea of Xu Wenchang. The broken sculpture was a fake. It was a fake of his original fake. Xu Wenchang knew the guests would spread the news, and the news would entice the trickster back to the pawnshop because he would likely bluff the pawnbroker into giving him more money.
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Wise Proverbs
- Don't have an unlimited desire for more.
- 不要贪得无厌。
- A man whose heart is not content is like a snake which tries to swallow an elephant.
- 人心不足蛇吞象。
- Content is better than riches.
- 知足者常乐。
Editor Says:
Over-greediness is self-defeating.