Unexpected Wealth
 
In ancient times, a government courier in China went out early in the morning one day. Out in the wilderness, a man carrying valuables saw the courier holding a long spear and got scared, so he hid in the bushes.
 
The courier heard noise coming from the bushes but couldn't see anybody. He thought a tiger or a cougar was hiding in the bushes, so he used his spear to stab into the bushes and killed the man accidentally. After the courier realized that he had killed someone by mistake, he didn't report it to the government. Instead, he took the person's valuables, left the body in the bushes, and walked away.
 
No one had seen the incident. The courier became very rich and got married. His wife gave birth to a daughter.
 
One day when he was standing outside his house, he saw the man whom he had killed by mistake. He ran into the house, shut the door, and peeked out from behind the door. The man walked into the home of his neighbor who was a tanner.
 
Soon after, the wife of the tanner gave birth to a son. The courier, remembering what he had done, was very nice to the neighbor and his son. When the courier’s daughter grew up, he prepared to marry his daughter to the tanner’s son. The tanner was so pleased that he made his son promise to treat the courier as his own father.
 
One hot summer day, the courier got very drunk, went to bed, and started to sweat profusely. The tanner's son, who was looking after him, was using a knife to wipe off the sweat. The courier, being drunk, felt something on his stomach, thought it was a mosquito, and slapped it, driving the knife into his stomach.
 
Before he died, he told his family the entire story and decided to immediately marry his daughter to his neighbor's son, and gave him all his wealth. He then told them that he had come by this unexpected wealth due to greed. “That is why I had this unexpected disaster. Now I have paid him back. From now on, all of you have to be good people and don't do anything against your conscience.”
 
(From The Way to Gather Good Fortunes and Avoid Disasters)
 
意外之财
 
从前，有一个在衙门当差的衙役，有一天清晨，他很早就出了门。当他走过荒郊野外的时候，被一位身上带著财物的出外人看见了。这位出外人，看到衙役带著兵器长矛走过来，怕他会对自己心怀不轨，就立刻藏身在草丛里面。
 
这时候，衙役也搞不清楚，只听到草丛里面，有窸窸窣窣的声音，又没看见附近有人，他害怕是老虎或豹子藏在草丛里面。因此，就用长矛向草丛里面乱刺，结果刺中了这位出外人，拖出草丛一看，人已经死了。衙役这时才知道自己误杀了人。他取下了出外人身上所带的财物，并且把尸体丢弃在草丛里面。
 
这件事没有被人发现。衙役因此而变得富有，娶了妻子。妻子为他生下了一个女儿。
 
有一天，这个衙役在门口，忽然看见被他误刺而死的那位出外人，他立即把门关起来，躲在门后偷看：出外人竟然走进了对门邻居皮匠的家中。
 
不久之后，皮匠的妻子就生下了一个儿子。衙役知道其中的因缘，就对皮匠非常好，并且很照顾、疼爱皮匠的儿子。自己的女儿长大之后，那个衙役就准备把女儿嫁给皮匠的儿子；皮匠对这门亲事非常地欢喜，就要求儿子要好好地孝顺衙役，如同孝顺自己的父亲一样。
 
有一次，正逢到夏天，天气很热，衙役喝醉了酒，睡在床上，他身上的汗，不断地冒出来。皮匠的儿子在旁边侍候他，就用刀轻轻的把衙役身上的汗刮掉。衙役因为喝醉了，糊里糊涂，感觉有东西在他身上动来动去，以为是蚊子或虫子，就用手去拍打，没想到：衙役用自己的手拍在刀背上，因此就把刀子拍入了自己的肚子里去。
 
这时候衙役还没有死，于是便呼唤家人，说出了这件事情的原委，并且立即决定把自己的女儿嫁给皮匠的儿子，家产也都还给了皮匠的儿子。
 
衙役在死前，对身边的亲人讲：“我贪得了别人的意外之财，我便招得了这意外之灾。我现在把欠债还了他（指被刺死的那位外出人），我心甘情愿！你们今后，要好好做人，别干昧良心的事！”
 
（事据《集福消灾之道》）