During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, there was an antique shop called Asong Pavilion in Suiyang City, Guide Prefecture. On this day, the owner of the shop, Zhao Songge, called his son Zhao Zikun to him, took out a crystal clear white jade monkey and said, "Father wants to go out more while he can still move. Asong Pavilion will be handed over to you in the future. Remember, this is the treasure of our town shop, and it is a royal treasure of the Han Dynasty!" Zhao Zikun saw this treasure for the first time and asked curiously, "Father, how do you judge that this is a treasure of the Han Dynasty?"

Zhao Songge stroked his beard: "This jade is suet white jade, and the current price should be above 5,000 taels of silver!" Zhao Songge pointed to the fine lines on the white jade monkey's tail and said: "The white jade monkey's tail has been broken before, and it has been glued well. It is difficult for ordinary people to find it. You have to keep it properly!"

The next day, Zhao Songge packed a simple bag and set off on his way.

That day, Zhao Zikun was sitting in the store when a scholar-like person came in. He looked around and whispered, "Can I borrow a step to talk?" Zhao Zikun introduced him to the study and served him hot tea. The scholar burst into tears: "My father was an official in the imperial court, and because of his honest temperament, he offended a traitor and was falsely accused and sentenced to death! I want to buy a rare treasure to walk around the palace. I heard that your store has a white jade monkey from the Han Dynasty. I wonder if I can cut my love?"

When Zhao Zikun heard that the loyal minister was killed, he hurriedly took out the white jade monkey from the bedroom. The scholar's eyes lit up: "I don't know how much you want to sell, sir?" Zhao Zikun said: "My father's estimate is more than 5,000 taels of silver!" The scholar looked embarrassed: "Although my family has been an official for three generations, my sleeves are clean and my savings are very thin. I tried my best, and now I can only raise 4,000 taels of silver. Sir, let me think of a way. If it's not enough, then I have to go with my father!" Zhao Zikun advised: "Young master is not familiar with the place in life, and it is inconvenient to carry silver taels. It is better for me to bring my friend to the inn tomorrow to find you!"

After breakfast the next day, Zhao Zikun was about to leave when his wife suddenly shouted that her stomach hurt, as if she was about to give birth. He had to call the jade carver Zhu Bao and his buddy Shen Si: "There is a scholar in the Tianzihao of Fuquan Inn who wants to buy a white jade monkey from our store to save people.

Zhu Bao hurriedly said, "Young master, this is the treasure of our town store!" Zhao Zikun said eagerly, "It's important to save people! What I agreed with him yesterday was five thousand taels of silver!" Zhao Zikun asked Zhu Bao to write a five thousand taels and a four thousand taels, a total of two tickets for sale, and told him: "If he can't raise five thousand taels of silver, give him four thousand taels!"

The two of them came to the inn and explained to the scholar the reason why the young master could not come in person. The scholar said politely, "Congratulations to the young master for me! Alas, it's just that I didn't raise enough silver taels!"

Zhu Bao said, "The young master has ordered that if this is the case, I will sell you 4,000 taels!" With this, he handed the white jade monkey and 4,000 taels of tickets to the scholar. The scholar took a closer look at the treasure, then opened the closet and put it in, carefully locking it: "Wait a minute, you two, I will go to the silver account to get the silver!"

After waiting for two hours and not seeing the scholar come back, Zhu Bao felt bad: "Quick, I'll stay in the room, you go to the counter and ask!" The man at the counter was making plans, and when he heard Shen Si's words, he didn't raise his head: "The guest checked out and left." Shen Si asked eagerly: "Where did he go?" The man at the counter said impatiently: "Last night he asked me how to get to the Suihe ferry, I must have gone to the ferry!"

Shen Si hurriedly ran back to Zhu Bao and said, "That guy is a liar and escaped to the Suihe Ferry!" Zhu Bao was shocked and quickly pried open the closet. There was no shadow of the white jade monkey in it, and he gently pushed the baffle behind the closet, which shook slightly. Zhu Bao suddenly realized: "A good thief and a liar, he has already set up a set to pit us!"

Zhu Bao frowned and said to Shen Si, "You go to the ferry to chase a liar, I will handle the matter here!" Shen Si ran away, while Zhu Bao restored the closet to its original state little by little, and then left the inn quietly.

The next morning, as soon as the Asong Pavilion opened, two patrons rushed in, threw the two tickets at the counter, and then took out two identical white jade monkeys: "You have done a good job in Asong Pavilion, the three thousand taels of silver you sold us are actually fakes!"

Zhao Zikun was taken aback, picked up the ticket seller and carefully checked it, recognizing that it was Zhu Bao's handwriting. A group of people came in to watch the excitement in the store, and Zhao Zikun's face was sallow: "Yesterday, I asked Zhu Bao and Shen Si to take the white jade monkey to meet the buyer, but they haven't returned yet. Then Zhu Bao must have seen the money and made money, and used the skills he learned to imitate the carving and deceive!" Everyone didn't believe it, Zhao Zikun was so anxious that he bowed again and again, and promised that anyone who was deceived could come to exchange for silver taels in three days with fakes and tickets.

News of the change in Asong Pavilion immediately spread through the streets.

Zhao Zikun could not even take a breath and hurriedly sent someone to report the theft to the official. The head hunter came to inquire about the situation, and as soon as he was arrested, he came to report: "Yesterday, the wind and waves were high, and a boat overturned on the Suihe River. There was a corpse floating on the bank, which was confirmed to be Zhu Bao of the Asong Pavilion. He also had a burden tied to him, which was the stolen white jade monkey!"

After a while, Zhao Zikun posted a notice at the door of the store: The treasure of our store, the white jade monkey, has been lost and found, and in order to repay the debt, he wants to sell it at a preferential price! Hearing the news, the owner of the German antique shop came over and picked up the white jade monkey to carefully appreciate it: "A rare treasure, but it is only stained with the bad luck of the corpse! I have been friends with your father for many years, so I should help you in times of crisis! Otherwise, I will not accept it." After saying that, he took out 5,000 taels of silver bills to make a deal.

With this money, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. When the door was about to close, Zhao Zikun found a beggar sitting at the door for a day, so he said, "Come to the back hall and have a drink with me!" The beggar said, "I am a beggar living on the street, what qualifications do I have to drink with my husband at the same table?" Zhao Zikun smiled miserably: "In order to pay off the debt, I have mortgaged the property and all the goods in the store, and in a few days, I will be like you!" The beggar listened, and then followed Zhao Zikun to the back hall.

After a few glasses of wine, the beggar asked, "Is the payment of silver taels over?" Zhao Zikun shook his head: "The two villains lied to several people, I don't know at all, but one person will never come!" The beggar asked puzzled: "What do you mean?"

Zhao Zikun sighed: "A few days ago, the son of a loyal minister wanted to buy a white jade monkey to save his father. For some reason, I couldn't go to the inn to deliver the goods in person, so I asked Zhu Bao and Shen Si to go. Who knew that the two of them sold the fake to the scholar and ran away with the real one! If the scholar gave a fake gift, his father would die without a doubt. He is a strong man and will definitely go with his father! You say, did I harm the father and son of the loyal minister?"

The beggar shook his head: "Sir, the person who bought the treasure may be a liar, and seeing that it is not easy to start in the store, he resorted to a plan to turn the tiger away. Zhu Bao and Shen Si may have already joined the gang!" Zhao Zikun shook his head: "I have also thought about it, but according to the head guard's inference, it was my initiative to send the treasure to the door, and it was also my temporary decision to send Zhu Bao and Shen Fourth Generation to send the treasure, so it is unlikely." The two chatted and drank, but ended up lying drunk in the store.

After a few more days, a man suddenly came to the store, with a wry attitude. He took out the ticket, held a sandalwood box, and said softly, "I have been entrusted by someone to exchange silver tails!" Zhao Zikun saw that the crack in the white jade monkey's tail was in his eyes, and said, "Sir, wait a minute!" Then he hurried to the back hall and said to the two officials waiting there, "Sir, the liar's accomplice is outside!"

The two officials ran out, pinned the man to the ground, and asked, "Where is your accomplice?" The man was terrified and trembled, saying, "The fortune teller under the old locust tree opposite is it!" The official looked around, and there was indeed a fortune teller wearing a straw hat sitting under the locust tree, still peering into the store.

The official locked the man in the tree in the backyard, then walked around the old locust tree through the back door, and locked the fortune teller with a "click." Zhao Zikun stepped forward and took off the man's straw hat, which turned out to be the scholar who bought the treasure.

The official escorted the two to the yamen, and the county magistrate was shocked: "Bring the truth about your deception!" The man was already trembling with fear: "The little one is an actor, and he was bribed by this person for ten taels of silver, pretending to be a beggar to go to the Asong Pavilion to inquire about the news. Today, he asked me to go to the Asong Pavilion to exchange silver taels, and agreed to share the silver taels equally. The other little ones don't know!" The scholar shouted: "The grass people Zhou Wei bought the fake white jade monkey of the Asong Pavilion by mistake a few days ago, and today he is going to exchange silver taels. Because he was afraid that the Asong Pavilion would bully his life, he asked him to go to exchange silver taels on behalf of the little one. The people of the Asong Pavilion colluded with the actors and wanted to rely on the grass people's silver taels. I hope the eldest master will learn from it!"

The county magistrate smiled contemptuously: "Send Zhu Bao to the hall!" The scholar stared at Zhu Bao in front of him, dumbfounded, and immediately speechless. Zhu Bao glared at the scholar angrily and said, "After I found out that the white jade monkey was stolen by you, I hurriedly came back to discuss a plan with the young master. The young master estimated that you were still hiding in Suiyang City, so he carved a few white jade monkeys overnight, and asked two friends to come and apologize with great fanfare. Then, he lied to the outside world that I escaped with the real product and died in Suihe, and found the real white jade monkey on me. The owner of the Defang Antique Store helped buy the white jade monkey at a high price, so that you can be sure that the white jade monkey in your hand is indeed a fake. After Shen Si went, he did not return, and the head hunter deduced that he was probably killed by you. The two witnesses are dead, and there is no proof of death, so you will take the risk to exchange silver taels! "

Before Zhu Bao could finish speaking, the scholar was already in a cold sweat, and he explained the truth of the deception. After listening, the county magistrate was shocked: "Where did Shen Si go?" Zhou Wei's face was already sallow with fright: "I said! The little one fled to the Suihe Ferry that day, when the wind was strong, there was no boat on the water, so he couldn't escape and was captured by Shen Si. I bewitched him to share the stolen goods with me, but he was moved by my words and took me to the brick kiln to hide. Shen Si asked me for silver taels again and again in order to get out as soon as possible. After I learned that the white jade monkey in my hand was a fake, I resented the two of them for being greedy. The real product was in their hands, but they used the fake to corrupt my money. I was so angry that I smashed him to death with a brick!" Zhou Wei looked at the actor again and said fiercely: "I wanted to wait for the actor to exchange silver taels and kill him too. It's his fate!"

The head hunter whispered a few words in the county magistrate's ear, and the county magistrate asked, "There are white jade monkeys in the Asong Pavilion that outsiders don't know about, how did you know about it?" Zhou Wei said, "I had a drink with a guest when I stopped at the Yuelai Inn on the south side of the Suihe River. He said that he had been in love with the white jade monkey, the treasure of the town shop in the Asong Pavilion, for a long time, and couldn't ask for 5,000 taels of silver. I lied about knowing the owner of the Asong Pavilion, and I was willing to help him buy it. I agreed to pay for it and deliver it at the same time, and he paid me 50 taels of hard work!" The county magistrate rolled his eyes and said to the head hunter, "Bring Zhou Wei to arrest that person for interrogation!"

The catcher escorted Zhou Wei to the Yuelai Inn, pushed open the door, and an old man poured himself a drink. Zhou Wei said, "That's him!" Zhao Zikun was so surprised that he knelt down on the ground: "Father, why is this your old man?" The catcher was also confused. Zhao Songge said to his son, "I've heard a little about what happened in the store! Check out the bill for me and go home!" As soon as he entered the house, Zhao Zikun's mother took his grandson to Zhao Songge. Looking at the white and fat grandson, he said lovingly: "From now on, I will no longer ask about the things in the store, but will pretend to my grandson and enjoy the joy of family!"

Just as he sat down, Zhao Zikun mustered up the courage and said, "Father, after you leave, I will take stock of the property in the store and divide it into 100 shares. Zhu Bao will get twenty, Shen Si will get fifteen, and the rest of the clerks will get their own income. Unfortunately, Shen Si is no longer blessed to enjoy it! In this way, everyone should do their best. It seems that the family's wealth is lost, but the income in the family will increase every year!" Zhao Song Pavilion was expressionless, and Zhao Zikun was uneasy.

Zhao Zikun offered the white jade monkey and said, "Father, the treasure of our town shop has been returned to Zhao!" Zhu Bao, who was hanging his hands, called out in surprise: "No! This white jade monkey is not a jade of the Han Dynasty! I didn't have time to take a closer look at it last time at the inn." When Zhao Songge heard this, he laughed and smashed the white jade monkey to pieces: "This vulgar thing actually killed two people! Son, Zhu Bao is right! This thing is like coagulated fat and looks like a high-quality jade material. In fact, it is made by cutting open the belly of a live sheep, sewing ordinary jade into the belly of a sheep, and raising it in a few years!" Zhao Zikun looked at his father stupidly. Zhao Songge said again with a long heart: "You are upright and kind, trusting others, I really can't worry about you. One day, I went to Yuelai Inn to find the shopkeeper to play chess and saw Zhou Wei selling fake jade. I suddenly had a plan, saying that I wanted to travel far, give the store to you, and then give you the white jade monkey. Then, I found Zhou Wei and said that I wanted to buy the white jade monkey and asked him to deceive you, just to let you understand after being deceived that people are sinister and you should be wary of people! "

Zhao Zikun's face turned red, "Father, I'm still not good at learning, a fake, and I'm still a treasure! Zhu Bao can see at a glance that this is not a treasure of the Han Dynasty, and I still can't be the owner!" Zhao Songge smiled: "The owner's eyes are not used to identify the authenticity of the goods, but to identify the people's hearts. Your wisdom and skills of employing people are all above being a father, and you must be better than a father!"

Zhao Zikun pleaded, "Father, I promise you to support the storefront. It's just that you should keep the treasure of our town store!" Zhao Songge looked up to the sky and laughed: "Although the white jade monkey is priceless, our family has never used a vulgar thing like the white jade monkey as the treasure of the town store. For decades, the treasure of our town store is - fair trading, integrity, help the poor, and be kind to others!"