| There
was a scholar in Binzhou, Shandong Province. One day, he was reading in
his studio when there was a knock at the door. He answered it and saw
a white haired old man in plain clothes. The scholar let him in and asked
his name. The old man introduced himself: "I'm called Yangzhen. And
my family is Hu. Actually I am a fox fairy. I admire your grace and refined
tastes very much so I have come to be together with you day and night."
The scholar, a carefree man to begin with, was not surprised and let him
stay. They talked about and commented on history and current events freely.
The old man was very learned, citing classics and coming up with remarks.
Sometimes, he elaborated on the principles of the classics and offered
his profound analysis, which was beyond the capabilities of the ordinary
man. The scholar marveled at his talent and asked him to stay in the house
for quite a long time.
One day, the scholar said to the old man in a low voice: "You
are really kind to me. But I'm so poor. Why don't you help with a wave
of your hand, which, I believe, will bring large amounts of money."
The old man remained silent for a while as if he were reluctant to do
the scholar such a favor. After a while, however, he said laughing:
"It's pretty easy. But I need a dozen coins to be the capital."
The scholar did what he asked. Then the old man went with the scholar
into a secret room where he chanted charms, reading in the fashion of
an exorcist. Presently, millions of coins began to fall like a downpour
through the beams of the house, making jingling sounds as they fell
to the floor. The coins continued to rain and were soon up to their
knees. The two pulled up their feet and stood on the coins but soon
they were up to their ankles again. In this three-meter by three-meter
room, the coins were now more than one foot deep. The old man turned
to the scholar and said: "Are you satisfied now?" The scholar
answered: "Yes, it's enough." Then the old man, with a wave
of his hand, stopped the rain of coins. They left the room and locked
the door.
The scholar was very glad, thinking he had gotten rich in a moment.
After a while, he went into the secret room to fetch some money, only
to find the whole roomful of coins was gone. What was left were the
original dozen coins, now laying scattered on the floor, the ones he
had given to the old man as capital. Disappointed, the scholar flew
into a rage before the old man and accused him of cheating him. The
old man was upset and said: "I came to you for an exchange of knowledge.
I didn't want to gang up with you as a thief. I should make friends
with burglars if I were you. I simply can't oblige you." After
this, the old man went off in a huff.
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