In ancient Suzhou, there was a cloth shop named “One Penny,” whose origin was quite peculiar. Initially, two Huizhou merchants, A and B, partnered up and brought a large sum of money to Suzhou to do business. Upon arriving in Suzhou, they befriended a pair of courtesans and lavishly spent money on them without hesitation. However, these two women were not ordinary courtesans.
Warnings from unexpected allies
One night, when no one else was around, the women spoke to the merchants: “Throughout history, brothel keepers have never been sincere. When you have money, they treat you as honored guests; when you run out of money, they kick you out. This is a common occurrence. You left your hometown with a large sum of money to make a profit, but now you are spending it all on us. We’ve noticed that your wealth is dwindling. If you don’t plan, how will you face your families when you return? Please think carefully.”
The merchants agreed that the women made sense, but they couldn’t bear to part with them and continued their indulgent lifestyle. Whenever the brothel keeper made demands, they would find ways to meet them. Soon, they exhausted all their assets, even pawning their belongings. The brothel keeper then mocked them and even threatened to evict them.
Seeing this, the two women said to the merchants: “See? You didn’t listen to us before, and now you’ve ended up like this. Although we are unfortunate and have fallen into this life, it was never our intention. We are grateful for your deep affection and the bond we’ve formed. We believe your current misfortune is temporary and that you will rise again. Let’s part ways for now and work hard to rebuild our lives. We will wait for you and repay you in the future!” With that, they each gave the merchants fifty taels of silver and urged them to leave quickly.
The merchants reluctantly accepted the silver and parted tearfully. As the New Year approached, they bought some wine to keep warm and snacks to stave off hunger at a small tavern. Distraught, they forgot to take the silver with them and only realized it when they returned to their lodging. They hurried back to look for it, but found it was gone.
The innkeeper urged them to pay for their stay, so they had to pawn their clothes. Eventually, they ran out of belongings and fell into dire straits. They were forced to beg and spent nights in an ancient temple. Ashamed to see the women, they avoided their residence, taking detours whenever they passed. On New Year’s Eve, they gathered some dry branches to make a fire by the roadside and lamented their situation.
Making the most of one penny
Suddenly, Merchant A found a penny in his pocket and sighed: “We’ve squandered our fortune, and what use is this last penny? We might as well throw it away.” Merchant B, however, had an idea and quickly picked up the penny, saying: “This is our last hope. Heaven has left us this final chance. Who knows if this is a sign that our bad luck is about to end?” He rose and said: “Wait here, I have a plan.” Merchant A was puzzled about what Merchant B could do.
After a while, Merchant B returned with bamboo strips, straw, old paper, and chicken and duck feathers. Merchant A asked: “What are you doing with these?” Merchant B smiled and took out some flour, mixing it with water to make a paste. He then wrapped the straw around the bamboo strips, covered it with the old paper, and stuck it on the feathers. Soon, he had made a realistic-looking bird. Merchant A remarked: “We’re in such a dire situation, and you’re making toys?” Merchant B just smiled and continued working. By morning, they had made 2-300 bird-shaped toys.
At dawn, Merchant B handed half of the toys to Merchant A and invited him to Xuanmiao Temple. He assured Merchant A: “Trust me, I have a plan.” Merchant A reluctantly followed.
Xuanmiao Temple was a famous tourist spot in Suzhou, especially crowded during the New Year and spring. Upon arrival, they saw many women and children. The women and children eagerly bought the bird-shaped toys, each selling for over 10 pennies. They sold out and made a substantial amount of money in no time. Merchant A was amazed at Merchant B’s ingenuity and was overjoyed. He asked: “How did you use that one penny?” Merchant B smiled: “The bamboo strips, straw, old paper, and feathers were all picked up from the market. The penny was used to buy some flour, just enough.” They both laughed heartily.
A new path to prosperity
From then on, they bought various colored papers and feathers and started making toys shaped like people, flowers, and other objects. They made toys at night and sold them at Xuanmiao Temple during the day. From spring to summer, they accumulated over 3 million coins in just a hundred days. They then changed their strategy and started stockpiling goods, making successful transactions each time. They accumulated enough to open a cloth shop in Suzhou’s Changmen in less than two years. They named the shop “One Penny” to commemorate their humble beginnings.
They each took out a thousand taels of silver to help the two courtesans they had befriended leave their profession. The women also contributed their savings to help run the business. A few years later, their wealth had grown significantly, and they sent for their families from Huizhou to reunite. The two families agreed to intermarry for generations, a tradition that has lasted for over 200 years. To this day, the sign “One Penny” still hangs in front of the cloth shop outside Changmen, shining brightly and catching the eyes of passersby.
These two Huizhou merchants, who once squandered their lives in indulgence, were fortunate to meet loyal and kind-hearted courtesans. They eventually found their way and seized opportunities in adversity. They learned valuable life lessons and passed down the story of their “One Penny” beginning, ensuring their family’s prosperity for over two centuries. Comfortable times can be a breeding ground for failure, while harsh adversity can be the cradle of success. This life lesson is vividly illustrated by the experiences of these two Huizhou merchants.
Translated article
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