Original Text
Wang Cheng was the son of an old official family in Pingyuan County. By nature he was extremely lazy, and his family fortunes gradually declined until only a few dilapidated rooms remained. He and his wife lay on a straw mat, and she constantly reproached him, making life difficult to bear. It was the height of summer, and outside the village there was once a garden belonging to the Zhou family, but now the walls had collapsed and the buildings were in ruins, leaving only a pavilion. Many villagers sought refuge from the heat there, and Wang Cheng was among them. One day at dawn, the sleepers gradually departed. Not until the red sun had risen three poles high did Wang Cheng get up, dawdling as he thought of returning home. Suddenly he noticed a gold hairpin in the grass. Picking it up, he saw a few small characters engraved on it: "Made for the Consort's Mansion." Wang Cheng's grandfather had once been the son-in-law of Prince Heng, and many old family items bore such markings, so Wang Cheng held the hairpin, hesitating and speculating. Just then, an old woman came looking for a lost hairpin. Although Wang Cheng was poor, he was upright by nature and immediately handed the hairpin to her. The old woman was very pleased and greatly praised Wang Cheng's virtue, adding, "This hairpin may not be worth much, but it is a keepsake from my deceased husband." Wang Cheng asked, "Who was your husband?" She replied, "He was the late Consort Wang Jianzhi." Wang Cheng exclaimed in surprise, "That was my grandfather! How could you have met him?" The old woman also marveled, saying, "Are you Wang Jianzhi's grandson? I am a fox spirit. A hundred years ago, I was married to your grandfather. After he died, I went into seclusion. Passing by here, I lost the hairpin, and it happened to be found by you—is this not the work of fate?" Wang Cheng had heard before that his grandfather had a fox wife, so he believed her words and invited the old woman to his home for a visit. She followed him there.
Upon arriving at the home, Wang Cheng called out for his wife to come forth, and she appeared in tattered rags, her face sallow from hunger. The old woman could not help but sigh, saying, "Alas! The grandson of Wang Jianzhi has fallen to such poverty!" Seeing the broken stove with not a trace of smoke, she asked, "With the household in such straits, how do you manage to sustain yourselves?" Wang Cheng's wife then recounted their bitter plight in detail, unable to hold back her sobs and tears. The old woman handed her the gold hairpin, telling her to exchange it for some money to buy rice, and said she would return to see them after three days. Wang Cheng tried to detain her, but she replied, "You cannot even support your own wife; what use would it be for me to stay here, staring at the rafters in vain?" With these words, she departed. Wang Cheng explained to his wife who the old woman was, and she was greatly alarmed. He then spoke of her kindness, urging his wife to treat her as a mother-in-law, to which she agreed. After three days, the old woman indeed returned. She produced several taels of silver and bade Wang Cheng buy a shi of grain and a shi of wheat. That night, she shared a narrow bed with Wang Cheng's wife. At first, the wife was somewhat fearful of her, but later, perceiving her sincerity, she no longer harbored any doubts.
The next day, the old woman said to Wang Cheng, "Grandson, you must no longer be idle; you should take up some small trade. How can you sustain yourself forever by sitting idle and consuming your resources?" Wang Cheng told her that he had no capital. The old woman replied, "When your grandfather was alive, gold, silver, silks, and satins were all at my disposal. But since I am a person detached from the worldly affairs, I had no need for such things, so I never took much. I have only saved forty taels of silver meant for buying rouge and powder, which I still keep to this day. It is of no use to me stored away for so long; you may take it all to purchase hemp cloth, and if you hurry to the capital within a set number of days, you can gain a small profit." Wang Cheng heeded her words and bought over fifty bolts of hemp cloth. The old woman bade him pack his belongings immediately and set out, calculating that he could reach the capital in six or seven days. She also cautioned him, "You must be diligent and not lazy; be sure to travel swiftly and not delay. If you arrive even a single day late, it will be too late for regrets!" Wang Cheng respectfully agreed.
Wang Cheng shouldered his goods and set out on the road, but halfway he encountered rain, soaking his clothes and shoes through. Having never endured the hardships of wind and frost in his life, he found himself utterly exhausted and decided to rest temporarily at an inn. Unexpectedly, the rain poured down heavily all night long, with water streaming from the eaves like ropes. After a night, the road became even more muddy and treacherous. Watching passersby struggle through the mire, with mud rising past their calves, Wang Cheng felt deeply disheartened. By noon, the ground had just begun to dry a little, but then dark clouds gathered again, and a torrential downpour began. It rained continuously for two days before he finally set out again. As he neared the capital, Wang Cheng heard people say that the price of hemp cloth in the city was soaring and rising rapidly, which secretly delighted him. Upon arriving in the capital, he unloaded his luggage and lodged at an inn, but the innkeeper deeply regretted that he had come too late. It turned out that just before, the southern roads had only recently opened, and very little hemp cloth had been transported to the capital, yet the Prince’s mansion urgently needed to purchase it, so the price of hemp cloth had suddenly skyrocketed to about three times its usual value. The day before Wang Cheng entered the capital, the Prince’s mansion had just finished buying enough, and those who arrived later with hemp cloth were all greatly disappointed. After the innkeeper explained the situation, Wang Cheng felt deeply dejected. Another day passed, and even more hemp cloth arrived in the capital, causing prices to drop even further. Because there was no profit, Wang Cheng still refused to sell. He hesitated for over ten days, calculating that his expenses for food and lodging had already been considerable, and his heart grew increasingly anxious. At this point, the innkeeper advised him to sell the hemp cloth at a low price and consider other plans. Wang Cheng followed his advice, selling it all at a loss of over ten taels of silver. The next morning, when he rose to prepare for his return journey, he opened his bag and found that all the silver was gone. Alarmed, he reported this to the innkeeper, who could think of no solution. Someone suggested he report the matter to the authorities and demand compensation from the innkeeper. Wang Cheng sighed and said, “This is due to my own misfortune; what does it have to do with the innkeeper?” When the innkeeper heard this, he was deeply moved by Wang Cheng’s virtue and gave him five taels of silver, urging him to return home with comfort. Wang Cheng, however, felt he had no face to return and see his grandmother, pacing back and forth in indecision, trapped in a dilemma with no way forward or backward.
Just then, he saw people playing cricket fights in the street, where bets could reach several thousand cash, and each bird often cost no less than a hundred cash. A sudden idea struck him; calculating the money in his pouch, he found it just enough to trade in crickets. He returned and discussed it with the innkeeper, who strongly urged him to try his luck, agreeing to let him board and lodge at the inn without charge. Wang Cheng was delighted and set off. He bought a full load of crickets and returned to the capital. The innkeeper was also pleased and wished him a speedy sale. But unexpectedly, a heavy rain began to fall at midnight and continued until dawn. When day broke, the streets were like rivers, and the rain still pattered without ceasing. Wang Cheng had to stay at the inn, waiting for clear weather. Yet the rain fell incessantly for several days, showing no sign of stopping. He rose to check the cages and found the crickets gradually dying. Greatly alarmed, he knew not what to do. Another day passed, and more crickets died, leaving only a few, which he gathered into one cage. When he looked again the next night, only a single cricket remained alive. Wang Cheng then told the innkeeper, weeping like rain. The innkeeper also sighed deeply at his misfortunes. Feeling his money gone and no home to return to, Wang Cheng was so grief-stricken that he wished only to die. The innkeeper repeatedly comforted him and took him to examine the sole surviving cricket closely. After a careful look, he said, "This seems to be an extraordinary breed. The others likely died from its fighting. Since you have nothing else to do, train it; if it proves good, you can use it for gambling to make a living." Wang Cheng followed his advice. After training, the innkeeper told him to take the cricket to the street to bet for meals and wine. The cricket was exceedingly fierce and won several bouts. The innkeeper was delighted and gave Wang Cheng silver to challenge the professional cricket keepers' birds, resulting in three victories in three matches. Thus, over half a year, Wang Cheng accumulated twenty taels of silver. His heart grew more at ease, and he cherished this cricket as his very life.
Earlier, the Grand Prince had a passion for quail fighting. Every year on the Lantern Festival, he would allow commoners who raised quails to enter his mansion and pit their birds against his own. The innkeeper said to Wang Cheng, "Now is the time to make a fortune, and it should be within reach, though I cannot say whether fate favors you." He then told Wang Cheng about the quail fighting at the prince's residence and took him along. The innkeeper further instructed, "If you lose, simply accept your misfortune and leave. But if, by chance, your quail triumphs, the prince will surely want to buy it. Do not agree. If he insists on purchasing it at any cost, just watch my expression and nod only when I do." Wang Cheng replied, "Very well."
Upon arriving at the prince's mansion, he saw that those who had come to compete in quail fighting were already crowding shoulder to shoulder below the steps. After a while, the prince came out and took his seat in the hall, and the attending officials announced, "Let those who wish to fight come forward." Immediately, a man stepped up, holding his quail and moving forward with quick, short steps. The prince ordered his own quail to be released, and the guest's quail was also set free. As soon as the two quails leaped at each other, the guest's quail was defeated. The prince could not help but burst into loud laughter. In this manner, before long, several people had mounted the platform and been defeated. The shopkeeper said, "It is time." The two then followed each other and both mounted the platform. The prince sized up Wang Cheng's quail and said, "There is a line of anger in its eyes; this is a brave and fierce fighting quail, not to be taken lightly." He then ordered one called Iron Beak to be brought forth for the match. After the two quails had leaped and fought fiercely several times, the prince's quail was defeated. The prince selected an even better one to fight, but after two replacements, both were defeated. The prince hastily ordered the treasured Jade Quail, raised within the palace, to be brought out. After a moment, someone carried it forth, and they saw that this Jade Quail had snow-white feathers all over its body, like an egret, truly a divine and extraordinary creature. Wang Cheng felt fear in his heart, knelt on the ground, and begged not to fight, saying, "Your Highness's Jade Quail is a divine bird from heaven; I fear it will harm my bird and ruin my means of livelihood!" The prince laughed and said, "Release it. If your bird dies, I will compensate you handsomely." Only then did Wang Cheng release his quail. As soon as the Jade Quail saw its opponent, it charged straight forward. Just as the Jade Quail was rushing in, Wang Cheng's quail crouched low, waiting like an angry rooster; when the Jade Quail struck fiercely with its beak, Wang Cheng's quail suddenly leaped up, descending like a soaring crane to attack. The two quails advanced and retreated, rose and fell, locked in combat for about the time it takes for a single watch, until the Jade Quail gradually lost its strength and began to slacken; but Wang Cheng's quail grew even more furious and attacked with greater urgency. Soon, they saw the Jade Quail's snow-white feathers falling in drifts to the ground, and the Jade Quail fled with drooping wings. The onlookers, numbering over a thousand, all sighed in admiration and envy of Wang Cheng's quail.
The prince then asked Wang Cheng for his quail, took it in his hand, and began to play with it, examining it carefully from beak to claws. After a thorough inspection, he asked Wang Cheng, "Can your quail be sold?" Wang Cheng replied, "Your humble servant has no fixed property and depends entirely on this quail for his livelihood; I am unwilling to sell it." The prince said again, "I will reward you with a good price, enough to secure the wealth of a middle-class family. Would you be willing then?" Wang Cheng lowered his head and pondered for a long time, then said, "I was originally unwilling to sell, but considering that Your Highness is so fond of it, and if Your Highness can truly grant me a means of living without worry about food and clothing, what more could I ask for?" The prince asked the price, and Wang Cheng replied it was one thousand taels of silver. The prince laughed and said, "Foolish fellow! What treasure is this to be worth a thousand taels of silver?" Wang Cheng said, "Your Highness does not regard it as a treasure, but your humble servant considers it more precious than a priceless jade disc." The prince asked, "Why is that?" Wang Cheng said, "Your humble servant takes it to the market to fight, earning several taels of silver each day, exchanging them for a peck or half a peck of grain, so that a family of ten or more has no worry of cold or hunger. What treasure could match this?" The prince said again, "I will not treat you unfairly; I will give you two hundred taels of silver." Wang Cheng shook his head. The prince added another hundred taels. Wang Cheng glanced stealthily at the innkeeper, seeing his expression unchanged, and said, "Accepting Your Highness's command, allow me to reduce it by a hundred taels as well." The prince said, "Enough! Who would exchange nine hundred taels of silver for a single quail?" Wang Cheng put away his quail and prepared to leave. The prince called out, "Quail keeper, come back! Quail keeper, come back! I will honestly give you six hundred taels. If you agree to sell, so be it; otherwise, forget it." Wang Cheng looked again at the innkeeper, who still showed no reaction. Wang Cheng's heart was already fully satisfied, and fearing to lose this opportunity, he said, "To conclude the deal at this price, your humble servant is truly unwilling. But after much haggling without reaching an agreement, I will surely greatly offend Your Highness. There is no other way; let it be as Your Highness has said." The prince was overjoyed and immediately ordered the silver to be weighed and handed over to him. Wang Cheng packed the silver, thanked the prince for the reward, and came out. The innkeeper reproached him, saying, "What did I tell you? Why were you so hasty in making the decision yourself? If you had held out a little longer, eight hundred taels of silver would have been in your hands." Wang Cheng returned to the inn, placed the silver on the table, and asked the innkeeper to take it himself, but the innkeeper refused. Wang Cheng insisted, and only then did the innkeeper calculate the cost of Wang Cheng's meals over the past few months and accept it.
When Wang Cheng had fully prepared his traveling gear and returned home, he recounted his experiences in full detail, and brought out silver for everyone to celebrate together. The old lady had him purchase three hundred mu of fine farmland, build a house, and acquire furnishings, so that they once again restored the ancestral estate to its former prosperity. Every day, the old lady rose early and had Wang Cheng supervise the hired laborers in tilling the fields, while she had his wife oversee the household women in weaving; if either of them showed the slightest laziness, the old lady would scold them harshly. Wang Cheng and his wife remained obedient and submissive, daring not to utter any complaints. After three years had passed in this manner, the family grew even wealthier, yet the old lady then announced her departure and wished to leave. Wang Cheng and his wife together earnestly begged her to stay, even to the point of weeping bitterly, and so the old lady relented and remained. But when they went to pay their respects the next morning, she had vanished without a trace.
The Chronicler of the Strange remarks: Wealth is always gained through diligence, yet Wang Cheng's wealth was gained through idleness—a thing unheard of. But people do not realize that although Wang Cheng was utterly destitute, his sincere and honest nature remained unchanged, so Heaven first abandoned him but ultimately took pity on him. Could there truly be riches and honor to be found in laziness?
Commentary
The fox grandmother's admonition to Wang Cheng, "Be diligent, not lazy; be prompt, not slow. Delay one day, and regret will come too late," serves as the finishing touch of this tale. The first two lines expound the wisdom of commercial operations and the infallible path to personal success, while the last two form the pivotal plot point of the story—precisely because Wang Cheng defied the fox grandmother's warning and delayed his actions, his venture in selling kudzu failed, leading to subsequent events that ultimately altered his fate.
The indolent Wang Cheng was utterly unsuited for commerce, and even if he attempted it, he would never succeed. That he was able to return home with profit depended entirely on the aid of his fox grandmother and the innkeeper; and the reason he gained their assistance was due to Wang Cheng's attitude of life, as described by Dan Minglun: "He picked up a hairpin but did not take it, lost his gold but accepted fate—truly, the gentleman is content in poverty, and the wise man knows his destiny." This attitude defined Wang Cheng's character and temperament, and it was greatly admired by Pu Songling. Pu Songling deeply understood the harm of laziness, so he concluded the tale with the fox grandmother urging Wang Cheng and his wife: "She made them rise early, had Wang oversee the plowing and his wife supervise the weaving; if they were the least bit idle, she would scold them. The couple accepted this peacefully and dared not utter a word of complaint."
As secondary characters in the tale, whether it be the fox grandmother, the simple and honest wife of Wang Cheng, the kind-hearted innkeeper, or the great prince who delighted in quail fighting, the author depicts each with meticulous care, revealing their temperaments fully. Particularly in the fox grandmother's progression from casual conversation with Wang Cheng to acknowledging kinship, from instructing Wang Cheng to boldly taking on the restoration of the family fortunes, she is vividly portrayed as an affectionate yet stern, shrewd and adept old woman skilled in managing a household. The descriptions of quail fighting in the story encompass scenes, plots, the characters' dispositions, and the battles of the quails themselves, all rendered with great literary skill, demonstrating the author's formidable prowess.