To modern people, the terms "shang" (merchant) and "gu" (trader) carry little semantic difference, both meaning trade. However, in ancient times, there was a distinction between "shang" and "gu" in their business methods: selling in small quantities was called "shang," while traveling to sell goods was known as "gu." A person who conducted business by buying goods in one place and selling them in another was called a "gu ren" (trader).
Once upon a time, there was a merchant who purchased a batch of goods in Henan and shipped them by waterway for sale in a distant place. His boat was sailing smoothly down the river with the wind when suddenly dark clouds gathered, a fierce wind rose, heavy rain poured down, and the river swelled rapidly. The merchant stepped out of the cabin to check on his cargo when a huge wave struck the bow of the boat, knocking him into the water. Struggling in the river, he cried out, "Help me!"
A fisherman heard the cries and hurriedly rowed his boat over to rescue him. Seeing the fisherman, the merchant shouted loudly, "Hurry and save me! I'll give you one hundred taels of silver!"
The fisherman pulled the merchant out of the water and brought him into the cabin. After the merchant changed into dry clothes, he took out ten taels of silver and handed it to the fisherman, saying, "Take this. These ten taels of silver are enough to support your hard work for half a year."
The fisherman refused to accept the silver and said to the merchant, "Earlier, when you were in the water, you promised me one hundred taels of silver, not ten."
The merchant, visibly displeased, replied, "You're simply too greedy. How much money can you possibly earn fishing in a single day? Now you've suddenly gained ten taels of silver—surely that's not a small amount!"
The fisherman said, "Perhaps the situation is as you say, but the principle is different. Even if you hadn't promised me one hundred taels, I still would have saved your life. But since you did promise it, I hope you won't go back on your word."
The merchant shook his head, walked slowly back into the cabin, and ignored the fisherman. The fisherman sighed deeply and returned to his fishing boat.
A year later, the merchant had acquired another shipment of goods and happened to encounter the fisherman again on the river. Both men recalled their unpleasant parting from the previous year. The merchant said, "I gave you ten taels of silver—why don't you use it as capital to start a small business instead of enduring the hardships of fishing in wind and rain?"
Before the fisherman could reply, the merchant's boat struck a rock. Water began flooding into the cabin, and the vessel slowly started to sink. The merchant panicked, running in circles, and shouted desperately at the fisherman, "Hurry and save me! This time I'll give you three hundred taels of silver—I promise I won't break my word!"
The fisherman rowed past the merchant's side, turned his head, and said calmly, "Call someone who deserves your trust to save you. I don't want your silver, nor will I save the life of a man without integrity and honor."
Soon, the merchant disappeared into the surging river along with his sinking boat.