不贪为宝 — “To consider honesty and incorruptibility as true treasures”

During the Spring and Autumn period, a man from the State of Song was quarrying stones in the mountains when he discovered a precious piece of jade. Overjoyed, he carried it home and invited a jade craftsman to appraise it. The craftsman examined it carefully and praised it profusely, saying, "This jade is magnificent, flawless, a true treasure! But you must be careful not to display it in front of others, lest it be stolen!"

In fact, the man's invitation to the jade craftsman had already attracted the attention of his neighbors. Usually, few people visited his house, but this time, with the craftsman's sudden arrival, some people kept peeking in. The man felt uneasy, fearing a mishap would turn his joy into disappointment. So, he secretly hid the jade. Despite this, he still worried it might be stolen. If he sold it, he feared he wouldn't know its true value and others would take advantage. He pondered it over and over, finally deciding to present it to a person of high status, hoping to gain some favor in return. A few days later, seeing that no one had discovered it, he quietly took the jade and headed to the capital.

Upon arriving at the capital, he went to see Zihan, the minister in charge of public works, and offered him the jade. Zihan asked in bewilderment, "You are giving me such a valuable treasure; you must want me to do something for you, I suppose? However, I never accept gifts from others."

The man hastily shook his head and said, "I don't need your help with anything. According to the jade craftsman, this piece of jade is a rarity, which is why I wish to present it to you." Zihan refused again, saying, "I absolutely cannot accept this jade. For if I accept it, both you and I will lose a treasure."

The man did not understand Zihan's words and simply stared blankly at him. Zihan continued, "I consider non-greed my treasure, while you consider the jade your treasure. If you give me the jade, you naturally lose your treasure. But if I accept your jade, I will lose my treasure, which is non-greed. In this way, both parties will lose their respective treasures."

Seeing Zihan's reasoning for not accepting the jade, the man was left with no choice but to confess, "This humble person cannot find peace keeping the jade, so I specifically came to the capital to present it to you."

Zihan pondered for a moment, then asked the man to stay for a while. He then instructed a jade craftsman to carve and polish the jade, sent it to the market to be sold, handed the money to the man, and finally arranged for someone to escort him home.