During the Qing Dynasty, there was a scholar named Jia Wenyuan in Gudang County. He studied hard in the cold window but failed many times, and he didn't even get admitted as a scholar. Even so, he still did not change his original intention, which made the family too poor to open the pot, and the old lady who depended on each other also suffered. She was hungry and full, and her life was very difficult.

As the saying goes, "Hunger and cold make a heart steal." At noon that day, Jia Wenyuan returned from visiting friends. He was too embarrassed to eat at a friend's house, so he was hungry. When he passed by a melon field, the big and round watermelon whetted his appetite. He wanted to buy one, but he had no money. Hunger overcame shame, and Jia Wenyuan saw that no one was guarding, so he went in and stole a watermelon.

A scholar walking on the road with a watermelon would definitely be suspected by others, and Jia Wenyuan was hungry and thirsty, so he found a remote place to eat the watermelon. After a watermelon, Jia Wenyuan was full of waist and was about to clean the battlefield and bury the watermelon rind, when a stern voice suddenly came from behind: "Okay, you melon thief!

Jia Wenyuan was terrified and knew that he had met the melon grower, and he begged for mercy, saying that he picked the watermelon because he was thirsty and tired on the way, and he could compensate for how much the watermelon was worth. The melon grower was an old man, about fifty years old. He glanced at Jia Wenyuan and said with a sneer, "Who am I to be stealing melons? It turns out to be a scholar! The dignified scholar actually did something shameful, saying where to put your face? If you want to compensate, you can pay five taels of silver for a watermelon, not even one less!"

Jia Wenyuan didn't dare to reason with the old man because he stole things first, so he could only beg in a low voice, "Old man, can you pay less? I really... really can't come up with so much silver."

The old man didn't pity him, and said with a straight face, "No! If you don't take the silver, I will send you to the official, to see if the silver is important or your face is important?" Jia Wenyuan was most afraid that the old man would send him to the official, and if he met the official, this matter would definitely be spread, and his life would be ruined. But now that it is difficult for the family to even eat, how can he get five taels of silver? Seeing the old man's firm attitude, Jia Wenyuan had to bite the bullet and beg: "Okay, five taels is five taels, but I can't take it out for the time being. When I have the money, I will definitely give it with both hands. If you are worried, you can make a document as evidence."

Seeing that Jia Wenyuan really couldn't come up with any money, the old man seemed to be moved with compassion: "Okay! Since you are willing to lose money, I won't force you to ask for it now. You are a poor scholar, and you don't know when you will have money. Give you a chance to make money, the watermelons in the field should be sold, and you will go to the market with me to sell watermelons these days. As long as you sell enough silver, we will settle the two."

This is a good way to make up for mistakes. Although going to the market to sell melons will lose the face of a scholar, it is better than being sent to see the official. Jia Wenyuan nodded quickly and agreed.

Early the next morning, Jia Wenyuan rushed over to help the old man pick up watermelons and sell them at the market. When selling melons, the old man called Jia Wenyuan to shout, how could he shout? But seeing that the old man was angry, he had to do it. At the beginning of the shout, Jia Wenyuan's voice was as small as a mosquito, and after a few times, it gradually grew louder. Someone he knew laughed and asked him why this scholar was selling watermelons. Jia Wenyuan's face was flushed with shame, saying that he was helping relatives. Later, he gradually found that the melon buyers did not care about these at all, so he was no longer embarrassed and shouted more and more freely. Sometimes he also added the words crepe crepe, which attracted many people to buy melons.

Five days later, the watermelons were sold out, and a total of five taels of silver was sold. The old man left five taels of silver, and the remaining three taels of silver were given to Jia Wenyuan.

Find face

Jia Wenyuan returned to the village, and selling melons became a joke among the villagers. Although the old man gave three dollars of hard work, he lost face and resented the old man, and secretly swore: If I prosper in the future, I will humiliate the old man in person. The study test was too difficult for Jia Wenyuan. With the experience of selling melons, he felt that doing business was faster than reading, so he decided to go outside. He entrusted his mother to relatives and went to Jiangnan alone.

In the blink of an eye, ten years have passed, and Jia Wenyuan has really developed and become a wealthy businessperson. After returning home, the first thing he did was to find the old man and recover the lost face of the year.

Now is the season of watermelon ripening, as long as the old man still grows melons, he will definitely go to the market to sell melons. Jia Wenyuan came to the market, and although the old man was much older, Jia Wenyuan recognized him at a glance. He went quietly to the melon stall and bought a watermelon. The old man didn't recognize him, and happily cut it for him. Jia Wenyuan picked up the watermelon, took a bite, spit on the ground with a "bah" sound, and said angrily to the old man: "What kind of watermelon is this? It's terrible to eat! Don't say five cents, it's not worth a penny!" He threw the watermelon in his hand far away.

The old man saw someone coming to find fault, and after looking at it for a long time, he recognized who it was. He didn't get angry, but mocked: "Who do I think it is? It turned out to be a scholar who stole melons back then! Now that I have money, come to add to my bad luck, don't you? Tell you, the old man, I have lived for sixty years, and I have never been afraid of anyone. You can not eat watermelon if it is not delicious, but you must keep the money of Wuwen melon, don't think that the old man is easy to bully!"

Jia Wenyuan wanted to give him a slap in the face, but he didn't expect to bump into the nail. Seeing that the old man didn't buy it, he half-flaunted and half-scared: "Back then, when you ate a watermelon, you competed for five taels of silver from me, and you forced me to be a dignified scholar to sell melons! Today I am no longer the poor scholar who was at the mercy of others, if you apologize to me, it's fine, or you will smash your melon stall!" The old man was also a bull temper, and laughed: "If you want me to apologize, there is no way! Hurry up and pay and leave, otherwise don't blame me for being rude!"

Seeing that he could not scare the old man, Jia Wenyuan thought of a countermeasure while paying the money. He shook the ten taels of silver in his hand and said contemptuously to the old man, "I apologize, this silver is yours, and I can buy all the watermelons here." The old man looked at the silver and was silent for a long time, then stared at the old man and said, "Do you think you can make me submit if you have money? Stop dreaming, don't want the melon money, get out now!" After saying that, he clenched his fists and stared at Jia Wenyuan angrily.

Jia Wenyuan was a little embarrassed and a little scared, thinking that he was no match for the old man, he hurriedly put away the money and fled. Walking on the road, he was a little discouraged, and this time he lost even more face. Can't the rich fight the poor old man? He was not reconciled, and after thinking hard, he thought of a clever plan.

When the old man went to the market to sell melons again, Jia Wenyuan bought other people's watermelons at a high price and sold them at a low price. The people who bought melons were greedy for cheap, but no one bought the old man's watermelons. At first, the old man didn't take it seriously, but for a few days he didn't even sell a single watermelon, and he began to worry. The more anxious the old man was, the happier Jia Wenyuan was.

In the end, the old man could not hold on any longer and asked Jia Wenyuan to argue. The quarrel between the two attracted a lot of people to the market. Jia Wenyuan saw so many people watching the fun and became more and more proud. In order to humiliate the stubborn old man, he put on airs and said indifferently that as long as the old man kowtowed and admitted his mistake, he would let the old man go. Seeing that Jia Wenyuan was determined to oppose him, the old man knew that he could not fight him, so he had to kowtow to him in full view and apologize.

lose face

Out of this resentment that had been pressing in his heart for ten years, Jia Wenyuan earned enough face. Because his old mother was not in good health, after he fulfilled his wish, he started doing business in his hometown. On this day, he suddenly received an invitation from the county princess, asking him to go to the mansion to talk. Making friends with the county princess is a very face-saving thing, and he danced with joy.

The next morning, Jia Wenyuan went to the county prince's mansion and was warmly received. After some pleasantries, the county prince said that in order to facilitate transportation, he was going to build a stone bridge over the Dasha River that runs through the county. The imperial court let the localities to raise their own money, and the county government had limited financial resources and had to mobilize the people to donate. Jia Wenyuan is a wealthy businessperson and should take the lead in donating more silver taels to benefit the people in his hometown.

Jia Wenyuan was no longer happy about the donation, but since he was here, he had to give the county princess some face. He talked about many difficulties and finally agreed to donate one hundred taels of silver. The county princess didn't think it was too little, which reassured him.

While drinking tea, Jia Wenyuan was taken aback by the arrival of a person. What was the old melon seller who was forced to kowtow and apologize to him? Did he come to complain? How would the county princess see him when he found out about this? The more Jia Wenyuan thought about it, the more guilty he felt.

Fortunately, the old man didn't recognize him. When the county magistrate saw the old man, he hurriedly got up to greet him. While saluting, he said, "Father is here, and the son has lost a long way to welcome him, please forgive me!" The old man was actually the county magistrate's father! Jia Wenyuan was terrified when he heard that, and wanted to give birth to wings and fly out. As long as the old man recognized him and complained to his son, wouldn't the county magistrate have to put him in prison?

The old man sat on the stool and drank tea. He had to get away before the old man could find himself. Jia Wenyuan did not wait for the county princess to speak and hurriedly got up to say goodbye. Fortunately, the county princess didn't stop him, otherwise he wouldn't know how to end it! After leaving the gate, he was covered in sweat.

This matter must be handled well, and no matter what, the old man must be forgiven. That night, Jia Wenyuan heard that the old man came back from the county office, and he came to the door with a gift to apologize. The old man did not embarrass him, but listened to his confession and silently apologized. After Jia Wenyuan finished speaking, the old man sighed and said, "I haven't told my son about this yet. If you want my forgiveness, you must promise me one thing."

Seeing that the old man let go, Jia Wenyuan hurriedly replied, "Okay! Okay! Don't mention one, even ten or eight pieces, I will agree!" The old man said calmly, "The bridge on the Dasha River needs silver taels, you take the lead and donate 1,000 taels of silver, I will forgive you, and you will benefit the whole city." As long as you can get the old man's understanding, 1,000 taels of silver is no problem, Jia Wenyuan hurriedly nodded and agreed.

Before the bridge was built, the county princess held a donation ceremony in front of the yamen, and Jia Wenyuan's donation won the praise of the people. Since then, the county princess has not bothered him, which relieved his hanging heart.

Jia Wenyuan's business was doing very well because he had won face by donating silver to build bridges. While making money, he continued to do good deeds, and the local people respected him more and more, and his business got better and better. Later, there was a saying in Gudang County that Jia Wenyuan's rise to fame was because he was inspired by the old man who grew melons. Whenever someone asked him for proof, he always smiled and nodded.