Have you ever dreamed of getting a big, fat sum of money by chance? What if you could only have it at the cost of your peaceful life? Could you make a decision like the leading character of this true story?

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.

If you pass by his shop, most likely you can see him relaxing on an old lounge chair. There is always a small radio in his palm, and an old-fashioned purple clay teapot by his side. Apart from food and tea, he needs nothing more.

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 dealer went over to the old blacksmith, and picked up the pot. His eyes fell upon a small stamp on the spout. Sure enough, it was engraved with its creator’s name: Dai Zhengong. The dealer was overjoyed, as Dai Zhengong was world famous for ‘turning clay into gold’ – the purple clay teapots he made cost much more than their weight in gold.

It was said that only three of Dai’s masterpieces survived to the present: one was in the New York, another in Taiwan, and the last one was in the possession of a Chinese collector.

The dealer offered 100,000 RMB (about USD $14,700) to buy this pot. The old blacksmith got a big surprise when he heard the amount, but in the end he declined. For the pot was passed down in his family, three generations had brewed tea in this pot.

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.

Currently, the old smith is almost 100 years old. Just as in the past, he is still forging and selling iron ware.

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.