Infotainment Resource

Some of the best insights into Chinese culture can be gleaned from the real-life stories that are popular across the mainland. Just like everywhere else in the world, Chinese people will go to great lengths to keep the things they love or take drastic action to avoid a bad situation.

On an old-fashioned street in China lies a small blacksmith's shop. The shopkeeper is old and for him, the small shop is also his home. His old products have become increasingly hard to sell, but he's stuck to his old sales style all the while: no hawking, no bargaining, and no closing at night.

Everyone who passes by his shop sees him waiting on his bamboo chair, a small radio in his hand, and a Yixing purple clay teapot at his side. His income is just enough for his food and tea. He is getting so old that he does not need any extra things, so he is very content with his simple life.

One day an antique dealer happened to pass through the old street. By chance, he noticed the purple clay teapot beside the old blacksmith. The pot looked old and elegant, and was as dark as ink, which reminded the dealer of a master potter named Dai Zhengong.

The merchant could not help coming up to the ironsmith. He took up the teapot, and looked at it carefully. At the base of the spout, he found a small inscription with the name 'Dai Zhengong.' The merchant was pleased beyond expectation, for he knew clearly that each of the artist's works was more valuable than its weight in gold.

And reputedly, only three of Dai's purple clay teapots were still around: one was in New York, the second in Taiwan, and the third in the hands of a private collector.

The merchant told the ironsmith that he was willing to pay 100,000 yuan (USD $14,700) for the pot. The old man was taken back at first, and then he turned down the offer. As his grandfather had passed on the pot to his father, this pot was an important piece of his own family's tradition. To enjoy tea from this teapot while forging iron was an important tradition in his family.

The ironsmith suffered insomnia for the first time in his life after the merchant was gone. Over the past sixty years, he had been brewing tea with this purple clay pot day after day. He always thought it was an ordinary teapot, but now it is strange that someone wanted to purchase it at such an incredible price! It was totally beyond his imagination and understanding.

The pot began to eat at him. Every now and then, he had to sit up and gaze at the pot for a while. He was greatly upset by it. As it became known that the old blacksmith possessed such a valuable purple clay teapot, a lot of people came and asked him various questions. They asked if he had another treasure, and whether he could lend money to them. Furthermore, they even knocked on his door all night. His peaceful life fell into disorder, and he had no clue how to cope with the situation.

Several days passed, and the curio dealer appeared once again. This time, he doubled his offer in cash for the pot. The old smith could stand it no longer. He called up his neighbors, and in front of them he smashed the pot.

At present, the old black smith is 102 years old. He is still selling iron pans, axes, and dog chains.

A wise philosophy of life: The old smith seems stupid, but actually he is a man of great wisdom. At least, he knows that having enough is as good as having a feast. All he has been doing is enjoying his life, rather than being burdened with dispensable things.