Zhou the Millionaire IV

“Then, would you tell your tenant farmer not to poison the old fish?” the monk politely asked. “If you would,” he said, “not just this humble monk would be greatly obliged to you but that fish would also try to return your favor. As a matter of fact, by not having it killed, you earn some extra merit.”

The rich merchant had no alternative but to grant the monk his wish. “Well,” the merchant said reluctantly, “I will do what you have told me.” The monk was happy and gladly partook of a vegetarian supper the merchant and his wife offered. The supper consisted of rice noodles and green peas. The monk left after the supper, thanking profusely again for the favor his host did the giant lamprey.

But Zhou the Millionaire was a miser. He did not want to take back the four taels of silver he had already given his tenant farmer to catch the giant fish. Zhou did not tell the farmer not to poison the fish he still wanted to have as extraordinarily nutritious food shortly before the arrival of north Taiwan's humid, cold winter.

On the day that followed, the tenant farmer sent the giant lamprey to the rich merchant. His chef was ordered to cut it up into small chunks so that they would be given to his relatives and employees at his export-import firm at Banka. He wanted to share the highly nutritious food with them.

While the chef was cutting up the fish, Zhou and his wife were in the kitchen to watch how it would be cleaned and then cooked. As the sharp long kitchen knife cut into the belly of the fish, its blood spewed out, a couple of drops staining the waist part of her dress. When the fish belly was cut open, the chef found green peas and rice noodles. They all knew the giant lamprey was the Buddhist priest who had pleaded for mercy.

In the meantime, neighbors also reported they saw a Buddhist monk rushing into the merchant's Banka firm exactly at the time when the drops of blood of the giant fish stained Mrs. Zhou's dress. She conceived. In time, a long-awaited son was born as a great joy of the hitherto childless couple. They were happy the family line would be carried on. Zhou the Millionaire wouldn't be an unfilial son after all. The new-born heir was named Jinlong or Gold-Prosperity. His courtesy name was Dailong or Substitute Dragon. As time passed, the happy merchant totally forgot his encounter with the Buddhist priest who begged for mercy for the giant lamprey.

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