Wang Cheng

Wang Cheng was a descendant of an old family in Pingyuan (in present‑day Shandong Province). But he was extremely lazy, and his livelihood had declined year by year until only a few broken rooms remained. He and his wife huddled in coarse bedding, constantly reproaching each other for their misery.

One sweltering summer day, there was an old garden outside the village, formerly owned by a Mr. Zhou. Its walls and buildings had collapsed, leaving only a pavilion, where many villagers would stay overnight. Wang was also there. At dawn, the sleepers all left, and it was not until the sun was high that Wang rose and began to wander home. On the grass, he spotted a gold hairpin. He picked it up and saw tiny characters engraved on it: “Made for the Household of the Yibin (Prince Consort).” Wang’s grandfather had been a Yibin of the Heng Prince, and many of the family’s old possessions bore that mark. He held the hairpin, hesitating.

Suddenly, an old woman came looking for the pin. Though Wang was poor, he was upright by nature, and he immediately returned it to her. The old woman was delighted and praised his virtue: “The pin is of little value, but it was a keepsake from my late husband.” When Wang asked who her husband was, she replied: “The late Yibin Wang Jiezhi.” Wang was startled: “That was my grandfather! How is it that we meet?” The old woman was also surprised: “Then you are Wang Jiezhi’s grandson! I am a fox‑spirit. A hundred years ago I was deeply attached to your grandfather. After his death, I went into seclusion. Passing by here, I dropped my hairpin, and it fell into your hands – surely this is fate!”

Wang had indeed heard that his grandfather had a fox‑wife, and so he believed her words and invited her to his home. The old woman followed. Wang called his wife out to meet her. She was dressed in rags and looked gaunt and sallow. The old woman sighed: “Alas! That the grandson of Wang Jiezhi should be so poor!” Seeing the broken stove with no fire, she asked: “How do you manage to live like this?” The wife then recounted their poverty in detail, sobbing as she spoke. The old woman gave the hairpin to the wife and told her to pawn it for money to buy grain. “I will come to see you again in three days,” she said. Wang tried to detain her, but she replied: “You cannot even support one wife; if I stay, how will it help?” And she left at once.

Wang told his wife of their relationship, and his wife was terrified. But Wang praised the old woman’s kindness and urged his wife to serve her as an elder. His wife agreed. Three days later, the old woman returned, produced some silver, and bought several shi of wheat and millet. That night, she shared a short bed with the wife. At first the wife was afraid, but seeing the old woman’s sincere care, she soon lost her fear.

The next day, the old woman said to Wang: “Grandson, do not be lazy. You should take up some small trade – you cannot live on idleness forever.” Wang said he had no capital. She replied: “When your grandfather was alive, he could take gold and silver as he pleased, but I, as one removed from the world, had no need for such things, so I never took much. I have saved forty taels of silver from the sale of cosmetics over the years, and they are still with me. Since they have lain unused for so long, you may take them, buy fine ramie cloth with the money, and hurry to the capital to sell it at a small profit.”

Wang followed her advice and bought over fifty bolts of cloth. The old woman told him to prepare for the journey, estimating that it would take six or seven days to reach the capital. She warned: “Be diligent and do not dawdle; if you delay even a day, it will be too late!” Wang promised and set off.

But on the way, he was caught in a rainstorm, soaking his clothes and shoes. Having never endured hardship, he was exhausted and stopped at an inn to rest. The rain continued through the night, and the next day the roads were even muddier. He waited until noon, when the mud began to dry, but clouds gathered again and a heavy downpour resumed. He delayed two more days before continuing.

As he approached the capital, he heard that ramie cloth had become very expensive, and he was secretly overjoyed. But when he arrived and checked into an inn, the innkeeper expressed great regret. It turned out that the southern routes had just opened and ramie cloth had been very scarce; a certain Prince’s mansion had been buying it urgently, pushing the price to three times the normal rate. But the day before Wang arrived, the prince had completed his purchase, and later sellers were left disappointed. The innkeeper told Wang this. Wang was disheartened. The next day, more cloth arrived and prices fell further. Wang refused to sell at a loss, but after ten days, with his food expenses mounting, he grew deeply worried. At the innkeeper’s suggestion, he sold at a loss, losing over ten taels of silver.

The next morning, he checked his money pouch to plan his return – and found the gold was gone. In shock, he told the innkeeper, who could offer no help. Someone suggested he report the theft and hold the innkeeper responsible. But Wang sighed: “This is my fate; how can I blame the innkeeper?” The innkeeper, grateful for his honesty, gave him five taels of silver to see him home.

But Wang felt he could not face his grandmother. Pacing restlessly, he found himself in a dilemma. He saw men fighting quails for gambling stakes – often thousands in a single bet – and each quail cost over a hundred coins. An idea struck him: he still had enough capital to buy quails. He discussed it with the innkeeper, who eagerly encouraged him and offered free room and board until the venture succeeded. Wang agreed and set off, returning with a large basket of quails.

That night, another downpour began and lasted until dawn. The streets were flooded, and the rain continued for days. When Wang checked his quails, many had died. Terrified, he did not know what to do. As the days passed, more died, until only a handful remained – and then, by the next morning, just one lone quail was left. He told the innkeeper, weeping, and the innkeeper lamented with him. Wang, with no money left, despaired of returning home and considered ending his life, but the innkeeper consoled him.

Together they examined the surviving quail, and the innkeeper said thoughtfully: “This seems an extraordinary bird. Perhaps the others were all killed by it! Since you have nothing else to do, try training it. If it proves good, you can make a living by gambling.” Wang followed his advice. After the quail was trained, the innkeeper told him to take it to the streets, where he could bet for food and wine. The quail was very strong, and Wang always won. The innkeeper was delighted and gave him more money to bet against wealthier opponents. After three victories, in half a year, Wang had accumulated twenty taels of silver. His heart was at ease, and he cherished the quail as if it were his own life.

Now, it happened that the Grand Prince (a Manchu noble) was fond of quail‑fighting. Every year at the Lantern Festival, he would invite quail‑keepers from the people to come to his mansion and compete. The innkeeper told Wang: “Great wealth could be yours in a single stroke – but it all depends on your luck.” He then explained the plan and took Wang with him, instructing him: “If you lose, just retreat in defeat. But if by any chance your quail wins, and the prince wants to buy it, do not agree at once. If he insists, look at me and follow my lead; wait until I nod before accepting.” Wang agreed.

At the mansion, the courtyard was crowded with quail‑keepers. Presently, the prince appeared. His attendants announced: “Let those who wish to fight come forward.” A man stepped up with his quail, and the prince released his own. After a brief flutter, the challenger’s quail was defeated. The prince laughed heartily. Several more challengers mounted the platform and lost in quick succession.

The innkeeper said: “Now is the time.” They climbed the platform together. The prince studied Wang’s quail and observed: “There is a vein of anger in its eyes – this is a fierce fighter. It must not be underestimated.” He ordered his “Iron‑Beak” quail to face it. After a few rounds, the prince’s quail was beaten. He sent for a better one, but it too lost. Finally, the prince ordered his prized “Jade Quail” to be brought out – a white bird as elegant as an egret, of extraordinary spirit. Wang, daunted, knelt and pleaded to stop: “Your Highness’s quail is a divine creature; I fear it will injure mine and ruin my livelihood.” The prince laughed and said: “Release it! If it dies, I will compensate you generously.”

Wang released his quail. The Jade Quail rushed forward, but Wang’s quail crouched like an angry chicken, waiting. When the Jade Quail struck, it rose like a soaring crane and countered. The battle swayed back and forth for the duration of a full incense stick. Gradually, the Jade Quail grew weary, while Wang’s bird grew fiercer and more urgent. Before long, white feathers fell in disarray, and the Jade Quail fled with its tail drooping. The thousand onlookers all sighed in admiration.

The prince took Wang’s quail into his own hands, examining it from beak to claws, and asked: “Is it for sale?” Wang replied: “Your servant has no fixed property; this bird is my life. I do not wish to sell.” The prince said: “I will give you a high price – enough to buy a middle‑class estate. Would you be willing then?” Wang bowed his head in thought for a long time, then said: “I am not eager to part with it; but since Your Highness loves it, if I can make a living from the sale, what more could I ask?”

The prince asked the price. Wang said: “A thousand taels.” The prince laughed: “Foolish man! What treasure is this, to be worth a thousand taels?” Wang replied: “Your Highness may not regard it as a treasure, but I consider it worth a piece of the fabled He Shi jade (a legendary jade disc valued above all else).” The prince asked why. Wang said: “I take it to the market and earn several taels a day, enough to buy rice and keep a family of over a dozen mouths from hunger and cold. What treasure could compare to that?”

The prince said: “I will not cheat you – two hundred taels.” Wang shook his head. The prince raised the offer. Wang glanced at the innkeeper, who showed no reaction. Wang then said: “In deference to Your Highness’s command, I will reduce the price by a hundred.” But the prince said: “Enough! Who would pay nine hundred taels for a single quail?” Wang was about to leave with his bird when the prince called out: “Quail‑man! Come back! I will give you six hundred – take it or leave it.” Wang looked again at the innkeeper, who remained impassive. Wang, his heart full of satisfaction and fearing to miss the opportunity, said: “To sell at that price is indeed disheartening. But if I do not accept, I may offend Your Highness. Very well, I will accept.” The prince was pleased and paid him on the spot.

Wang left with his gold. The innkeeper grumbled: “Didn’t I tell you? You were too hasty! If you had held out a little longer, eight hundred taels would have been yours.” Wang returned to the inn and emptied the gold on the table, asking the innkeeper to take whatever he wished. The innkeeper refused, but Wang insisted, and finally the innkeeper took only what was owed for his board. Wang then packed and went home.

At home, he recounted his adventures and showed the gold to his family in celebration. The old woman directed him to buy three hundred mu of good farmland, build a house, and furnish it, so that they could live like a family of rank. Every morning, she had Wang supervise the ploughing and his wife supervise the weaving; if they slackened, she scolded them. Husband and wife grew accustomed to this and dared not complain. After three years, the family grew even wealthier. Then the old woman announced she wished to leave. Husband and wife begged her to stay, even weeping, and she relented – but the next morning, when they went to greet her, she had vanished without a trace.

The Historian’s Commentary (Yishi Shi yue):

“Wealth usually comes from diligence – but here it comes from idleness, a thing unheard of! Yet I see that though he was reduced to utter poverty, his true nature never changed. That is why Heaven first abandoned him but finally showed him mercy. Still, is there truly wealth to be found in laziness?”

Note

From Liaozhai, lazy yet upright Wang Cheng returns a fox‑spirit’s golden hairpin. The kind fox gives him startup funds. After business misfortunes, he strikes fortune with a victorious fighting quail and thrives under the fox’s strict guidance.

Pingyuan (平原):

A county in Shandong Province, China. Many of Pu Songling’s stories are set in this region.

Yibin (仪宾):

An official title used in the Ming dynasty for the husband of a princess of the imperial clan – a prince consort. Wang’s grandfather had held this title, indicating the family’s former noble status.

Heng Prince (衡府):

A princely house of the Ming dynasty. The Prince Heng Mansion stood on the west side inside the South Gate of Qingzhou City, Shandong Province. It served as the princely residence for Zhu Youhui, Prince Heng of the Ming Dynasty. The House of Prince Heng spanned six generations with seven princes in total and lasted until the end of the Ming Dynasty. In the early Shunzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty, the last Prince Heng, Zhu Youye, surrendered to the Qing forces but was later executed. Lin Siniang (Fourth Lady Lin) is believed to be modelled on a palace maid or courtesan from the Prince Heng Mansion who died a martyr in this incident. The mansion buildings were torn down, and the estate underwent two confiscations in the early Qing period. We

Fox‑spirit:

In Chinese folklore, foxes can become spirits or immortals after centuries of cultivation. They often form attachments to humans. Here, the fox‑spirit is benevolent and becomes the family’s benefactor.

Lantern Festival:

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month, marking the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations. It is traditionally a time for lantern displays, festive gatherings, and public entertainment – including quail‑fighting.

Quail‑fighting (斗鹑):

A traditional pastime in China, similar to cockfighting. Quails were trained to fight for gambling stakes, and good fighters could fetch high prices.

Prince / Grand Prince (大亲王):

A high‑ranking Manchu prince in the Qing dynasty. In the story, he is likely a member of the imperial family with great wealth.

Currency and prices:

The story mentions taels (liang) as a unit of silver currency. A thousand taels was a vast sum – enough to buy a middle‑class estate.

“He Shi jade” (和氏璧, 连城之璧):

He Shi jade was a legendary jade disc said to be worth several cities. It became a metaphor for something of supreme value.

Morality and irony:

The story is unusual because its hero succeeds despite his laziness. However, the final comment by the historian warns that laziness is not the real cause of wealth – rather, Wang’s good nature (returning the hairpin, not blaming the innkeeper) earns him divine favor. The fox‑spirit represents both fortune and discipline; she ensures that the family works hard once prosperity is gained.