Wang Cheng lived in Pingyuan County. His ancestors had once held official posts, but by his generation, the family fortunes had dwindled to just a few dilapidated rooms. Life was hard, and Wang Cheng, inherently lazy, gradually found himself unable to make ends meet, lacking even a proper blanket to sleep under, making do with just a worn-out rush mat.

Not far from the Wang residence stood a manor house, long in disrepair, mostly ruined, with only a pavilion remaining. It was the height of summer, and the heat was stifling. One evening, Wang Cheng went to the pavilion to cool off and slept until late the following morning before sluggishly rising. As he prepared to leave, he noticed a flash of light in the tall grass. Investigating, he found a golden hairpin, exquisitely crafted, bearing the four small characters: "Made in Yibin Mansion."

Wang Cheng had lived a life of relative luxury in his childhood and had seen many hairpins; he wasn't immediately tempted by wealth. He thought, "Someone must have dropped this. The owner must be frantic. I’ll wait here. If anyone comes looking, I'll return it."

Not long after, an old woman shuffled into view, parting the weeds as if searching for something. Wang Cheng asked, "Old woman, are you looking for a golden hairpin? Stop searching; I have it right here." He then handed the hairpin back to her.

The old woman was overjoyed and praised Wang Cheng’s noble character profusely, saying, "This hairpin isn't worth much in coin, but it was my late husband's dearest possession, so I’ve kept it close."

Wang Cheng inquired, "Who was your husband?"

The old woman replied, "Lord Wang Jianzhi."

Wang Cheng exclaimed, "Lord Wang? That's my ancestor! How do you know him?"

The old woman responded, "Are you Wang Jianzhi’s grandson? I am a Fox Immortal. I knew your grandfather a hundred years ago. After he grew old and passed away, I retreated into seclusion alone. It must be fate that I passed by this spot, lost my hairpin, and you found it."

Wang Cheng smiled, "I heard my grandfather mention he once had a fox wife. Since you are my grandfather's widow, you are my grandmother. Please, come to my humble home for a visit."

The old woman could not refuse and followed Wang Cheng home. His wife came out to greet them. The old woman saw the meager dwelling, Wang Cheng’s wife clad in rags and worn-out shoes, her face pale from hardship, and sighed, "I never imagined the descendants of an old friend would fall to such straits?" Seeing no grain in the pot, she asked, "With such poverty, how do you manage to live day to day?"

Wang Cheng’s wife replied, "What choice is there? We just take it one day at a time."

The old woman took out the golden hairpin. "Take this to the market and pawn it for a few ounces of silver. Buy some rice and flour. I shall return in three days."

Wang Cheng urged, "Grandmother, since you’ve made this rare visit, please stay for dinner and rest one night before leaving."

The old woman chuckled, "My good grandson, you can barely support your own wife. The room holds only one bed—where am I supposed to sleep? Must I sleep on the floor?" With that, she left on her own.

Three days later, the old woman returned. She told Wang Cheng, "Grandson, a man must never be idle or neglect his duties. You should be pursuing some small trade. Eating away your inheritance will not sustain you long."

Wang Cheng replied, "I wish to trade, but I have no capital."

The old woman said, "When I was with your grandfather, I saved forty taels intended for purchasing cosmetics. Take this, buy some cloth, and travel to the capital to sell it. Depart immediately; you might earn a small profit."

Wang Cheng agreed and purchased over fifty bolts of ge cloth, loading them onto his carrying pole. The old woman instructed him, "It should take six or seven days to reach the capital. Do not be lazy on the journey; you must walk swiftly. If you arrive a day late, you will regret it endlessly."

Wang Cheng assented and set off with his load. Along the way, a heavy rain began to fall, drenching his clothes completely. Being accustomed to his laziness, the soaking rain left him utterly exhausted, so he found a small inn to rest. Alas, the heavy rain continued relentlessly throughout the night. When he awoke the next day, the ground was flooded, and the official road was impassable due to the mud. He reasoned, "How can I travel in such downpour? It’s best to wait until the rain stops."

The rain persisted for two days and two nights. When the sky finally cleared, Wang Cheng trekked to the capital only to find he had missed his opportunity. He checked into an inn, where the proprietor remarked, "Guest, you arrived too late. If you had come just one day sooner, selling cloth would have made you rich."

Wang Cheng asked, "What happened?"

The proprietor explained, "The continuous rain these past few days caused a shortage of goods. Cloth was in high demand; the Beile’s residence bought vast quantities, driving the price up to three times the normal rate. Many cloth merchants made a fortune."

Wang Cheng asked, "Does the Beile's residence still need to buy cloth?"

The proprietor said, "No, they finalized their purchase yesterday. You were too late, sir. Ah, many merchants, hearing news of the Beile’s bulk buying, rushed in carts full of fabric to cash in. Now the capital is piled high with cloth, and the price has plummeted. I fear you will lose your entire investment on this trip. Listen to this old man’s advice: sell the cloth quickly at a low price, or the longer you wait, the greater your loss will be."

Wang Cheng nodded and walked around the main streets. Indeed, sellers were everywhere. Earning a profit now was impossible. With no choice, he sold his cloth cheaply, calculating his returns to find he had lost over ten taels of silver.

Wang Cheng’s first business venture was a failure, leaving him dejected. Then, just as misfortune rarely comes alone, his guard dropped that night, and a thief made off with all his travel money—not a single copper coin remained.

Someone advised Wang Cheng, "You lost your silver in the inn; the proprietor certainly bears some responsibility. You could report him to the Yamen."

Kind-hearted as he was, Wang Cheng shook his head. "The loss of the silver is entirely my fault; what does it have to do with the proprietor? I cannot accuse an innocent party." He ignored the suggestion and took his leave.

The matter quickly reached the proprietor’s ears. Seeing Wang Cheng’s upright character, the man developed a soft spot for him. As Wang Cheng departed, the proprietor specially gifted him five taels of silver for his journey home.

Wang Cheng returned to the city with the meager five taels. He pondered, "With this forlorn appearance, how can I face my wife? I might as well wander around; perhaps I’ll encounter a turning point."

With this thought, he wandered aimlessly until he reached a street corner where several young masters were betting heavily on fighting quails, staking thousands of wen in copper coins with every exchange. He thought, "A single quail only costs a few dozen wen. If I buy many more quails and sell them to these rich young sirs, I should surely make a good profit." So, he spent everything he had, acquiring sixty or seventy quails, which he kept in cages, preparing to sell them on the street the next day. As dusk fell, he returned to the same inn to lodge.

Who knew that that night a torrential rain began, lasting several days without ceasing? The continuous dampness meant the quails were crowded in their narrow cages, packed together with their waste. The air grew foul, and lack of exercise caused a large number to sicken and die. Eventually, out of more than seventy quails, ninety-nine percent perished, with only one surviving by luck.

Wang Cheng was heartbroken and filled with remorse. The innkeeper comforted him, "Master, do not weep. Let us examine the quail."

The two approached the cage. The single surviving quail stood alert, showing no signs of decline. The proprietor analyzed, "Looking at this bird, its eyes are filled with fighting spirit; it is no common creature. If I am not mistaken, this is a 'Fighting King.' The other dead quails in the cage were likely killed by it in combat. Care for it well; if you use it for gambling fights in the future, it could certainly be a way to make a living."

Since matters had reached this point, though Wang Cheng was doubtful of the proprietor’s words, this last quail was his only hope. Having no choice, he diligently cared for and trained it, teaching it fighting skills.

Before long, the quail became exceptionally tame and fierce. When taken to the streets for contests, it won every fight, bringing back much wine, grain, cloth, gold, and silver. Within half a year, he had accumulated over twenty taels of gold.

Soon, Wang Cheng's quail became famous far and wide. Coincidentally, there was a Prince in the capital who greatly enjoyed quail fighting. Hearing of the prowess of Wang Cheng’s bird, he immediately sent his retainers to invite Wang Cheng to the Prince's residence for a match.

The innkeeper privately advised Wang Cheng, "Your chance to strike it rich has arrived. If our 'Fighting King' defeats all the quails in the Prince's estate, the Prince will surely pay a handsome sum to buy it when he is pleased."

Wang Cheng asked, "If the Prince intends to buy the quail, how should I bargain with him?"

The proprietor said, "Watch my signal when the time comes."

The two arrived at the Prince's mansion. Taking a careful look, they saw many guests had been summoned to compete, not just Wang Cheng. With a gathering of birds, the Prince brought out one quail and declared, "Who dares challenge me? Step forward and show your skill."

A young master stepped up to challenge, releasing his quail, which was defeated in just a few rounds and returned in disgrace. Then many other guests competed, but none could best the Prince’s quail, each retreating defeated.

The Prince laughed loudly, "All these quails are weaklings! Isn't there anything decent?"

The proprietor whispered to Wang Cheng, "It’s your turn."

Wang Cheng released his quail as instructed. The Prince took one look and changed expression, saying, "There’s a killer instinct in its eyes; this is a master, do not underestimate it. Bring forth my 'Iron Beak.'"

'Iron Beak' was the finest among the Prince’s collection of fighting quails, renowned for its ferocity. Yet, as soon as it entered the ring, after only a few exchanges, it was beaten by the 'Fighting King.' The Prince was furious and sent out several more quails in succession, all reputed to be brave fighters. But one after another, they lost, none able to gain an advantage over the 'Fighting King.'

Seeing the 'Fighting King’s' divine strength, the Prince nodded and remarked, "A worthy adversary. It seems I must summon the 'Jade Quail' to secure a victory." He commanded his attendants, "Hurry and fetch the 'Jade Quail!'"

Before long, a servant brought forth a quail. It was pure white, as large as a heron, possessing extraordinary spirit. Upon seeing it, Wang Cheng’s heart sank. He knelt and pleaded, "Your Highness, this quail is a divine creature. Your humble servant willingly concedes defeat."

The Prince laughed, "You surrender before the fight even begins? Ah, I see. You fear my 'Jade Quail' will kill your bird, leaving you without your means of sustenance, is that it? No matter. If your 'Fighting King' dies in the bout, I shall compensate you with a large sum of silver."

Wang Cheng said, "Since that is the case, your subject dares to fight!" He released the 'Fighting King' and commanded it to fight bravely.

The two quails met. The 'Jade Quail' immediately lunged forward, biting wildly, while the 'Fighting King' maintained stillness, awaiting its moment. Suddenly, the 'Fighting King' lunged into the air, like a crane seizing its prey, its attack incredibly fierce.

The two birds battled in the air, soaring up and down, locked in stalemate for a long time. The 'Jade Quail' gradually weakened, while the 'Fighting King' grew more vigorous, fighting with increasing intensity. Only then was heard the mournful cry of the 'Jade Quail' as its snow-white feathers scattered, and it fled in disarray.

The onlookers gathered around, and upon seeing the 'Fighting King' win, they couldn't help but clap and cheer.

The Prince was also moved. He gently picked up the 'Fighting King,' stroking it back and forth, praising it repeatedly. He asked Wang Cheng, "Will you sell this parrot?"

Wang Cheng replied, "Your servant and the 'Fighting King' depend on each other for life; I am unwilling to sell it."

"I can offer a large price; consider it."

"Since Your Highness genuinely wishes to purchase it and is willing to pay a high price, this humble servant must reluctantly part with it."

"Name your price."

"One thousand taels of gold."

"Foolish man! What treasured quail is worth one thousand taels of gold?"

"If Your Highness does not value the 'Fighting King' as a treasure, in my heart, I consider it more precious than a city full of jade."

"What do you mean by that?"

"When walking the streets with the 'Fighting King,' I won every wager, earning several taels of gold and bushels of white rice daily. The sustenance, housing, and clothing for my entire family of over ten people rely entirely on the 'Fighting King.' Is this not a rare treasure?"

The Prince remained silent in thought for a long moment. "How about this: one fixed price, two hundred taels of gold, what say you?"

Wang Cheng did not reply, only shook his head.

The Prince gritted his teeth, "Three hundred taels."

Wang Cheng subtly watched the proprietor, who remained impassive. He then said, "If Your Highness truly desires it, let's settle on nine hundred taels of gold."

The Prince laughed, "Come now, who would spend nine hundred taels of gold on a quail?"

Wang Cheng said no more, picked up the quail, and turned to leave.

The Prince became anxious and called out quickly, "Alright, alright, don't go! Six hundred taels. If you agree to sell, leave the quail; otherwise, forget it."

Wang Cheng looked towards the proprietor, who still made no sound. He thought, "Six hundred taels is already substantial; one shouldn't be too greedy." He then said, "Very well, six hundred taels, it’s a deal."

The Prince was overjoyed and ordered his accountant to deliver six hundred taels of gold, which amounted to a large bundle. Wang Cheng left the quail and happily departed with the gold.

Returning to his lodging, the proprietor complained, "Why were you so hasty? If you had bargained a little more, you could have secured eight hundred taels of gold!"

Wang Cheng laughed, "Six hundred taels is certainly not little; let's leave it at that. Proprietor, your contribution to this fortune is immense. I’ve placed the gold on the table; take whatever you wish."

The proprietor shook his head. "This old man does not crave wealth. Gold is hard-won; you keep it all yourself."

Wang Cheng refused to keep it all and insisted on sharing the gold with the proprietor. The proprietor flatly refused, and finally, under duress, only accepted a few taels to cover his expenses.

Wang Cheng packed his belongings and returned to his hometown. He built a new house and bought fields. He and his wife toiled diligently, and their life grew better and better. The old woman stayed at Wang Cheng's home for three years, but eventually, missing the unrestrained life of the open fields, she departed without saying goodbye.