In the prosperous Tang Dynasty, in a quiet alley in Chang'an, the capital city, there lived a young scholar named Zhang Sheng. He had delicate features, an elegant temperament, and was well-versed in books, with lofty aspirations to govern the country and bring peace to the land. In another part of the city, there was a young lady named Cui Yingying. She came from a noble and prominent family that held great prestige in the imperial court. Since childhood, Cui Yingying had received an excellent education. She was extraordinarily beautiful and talented, proficient in playing musical instruments, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

By chance, Zhang Sheng and Cui Yingying met at a grand flower-viewing event in spring. At that time, the flowers were in full bloom, and butterflies were dancing gracefully. Zhang Sheng was reciting poems among the flower beds, and his clear voice and wonderful verses happened to be heard by Cui Yingying who was passing by. She couldn't help but be attracted and quietly walked closer. Zhang Sheng looked up and was also smitten by this fairy-like woman in front of him. Their eyes met, and in an instant, the spark of love quietly ignited in their hearts. Since then, they often met privately, sometimes enjoying the bright moon together in the garden pavilions, or discussing poems and odes in the study. Their feelings grew deeper day by day.

However, this beautiful love affair was not without obstacles. When Cui Yingying's father learned that his daughter was in love with Zhang Sheng, he was extremely angry. In his opinion, Zhang Sheng was just a poor scholar. Although he was talented, he didn't have a wealthy family background or a prominent social status and couldn't provide Cui Yingying with a prosperous and noble life. He firmly disagreed with this marriage and, in front of Zhang Sheng, set a very harsh condition: if Zhang Sheng could earn a thousand taels of silver within just one year, he would agree to marry Yingying to him. At that time, for Zhang Sheng, who had no business foundation at all, this was undoubtedly an almost impossible task, like a towering and insurmountable mountain standing between his love for Cui Yingying.

Zhang Sheng was full of sorrow but was unwilling to give up his love for Cui Yingying easily. On the advice of his friends, he came to a peaceful Taoist temple outside the city with a glimmer of hope. The Taoist temple was built against the mountain, surrounded by pine and cypress trees, with wisps of incense smoke curling up, exuding an otherworldly and serene atmosphere. Zhang Sheng stepped into the temple and saw the Taoist priest with a long flowing beard and an air of immortality sitting with his eyes closed and meditating in the courtyard. He walked gently forward, bowed respectfully, and told the priest about his love story with Cui Yingying and the difficult situation he was facing. His words were sincere, and his eyes were full of helplessness and expectation.

The Taoist priest slowly opened his eyes, with a trace of pity and a profound insight into worldly affairs in his gaze. He slowly got up, walked into the inner room, and soon came out holding an exquisite silk pouch. The priest handed the pouch to Zhang Sheng and said solemnly, "Young man, there is a mystery hidden in this pouch. You can open it only when you are in a difficult situation and on the verge of despair. It may be able to help you. But you must remember that everything in the world has its own destiny, and you also need your own efforts and perseverance to turn things around." Zhang Sheng felt as if he had found a precious treasure. He took the pouch carefully, thanked the priest profusely, and then turned and left.

After returning home, Zhang Sheng began to work hard to earn a thousand taels of silver. At first, he tried to set up a bookstall in the market to sell the scriptures and books he had copied by hand. However, due to his lack of business experience, the business at the bookstall was very slow, and often no one showed any interest throughout the day. But Zhang Sheng didn't get discouraged. He remembered the Taoist teaching that "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." He understood that everything needed to start from the basics and couldn't be rushed. So, he put more effort into copying the books, improving the quality of his handwriting. At the same time, he took the initiative to introduce the wonderful contents of the books to passers-by, trying to attract customers.

Despite his hard work, the meager income was just a drop in the bucket compared to the goal of a thousand taels of silver. Then, he heard that there was a silk business in the neighboring town that could bring quite a good profit. Zhang Sheng was very excited and decided to go to the neighboring town to explore business opportunities without hesitation. He used his only little savings to buy a batch of silk, full of expectation for making a big fortune. However, fate seemed to play a trick on him again. On the way to transport the silk, they encountered a sudden heavy rainstorm. The road was muddy and difficult to travel on, and a lot of silk was soaked and damaged by the rain, greatly reducing its quality. When he transported the remaining silk to the neighboring town to sell it, because he was not familiar with the local market conditions, he was forced to lower the price by unscrupulous merchants. In the end, this silk business ended in a fiasco. Zhang Sheng not only didn't make any money but also almost lost all his capital.

After that, Zhang Sheng tried many other businesses, such as selling tea and running a small tavern, but all failed for various reasons. He encountered countless setbacks and difficulties, was burdened with debts, and his life fell into extreme hardship. The once high-spirited scholar now had a haggard face and his eyes were full of exhaustion and confusion. But even so, his love for Cui Yingying and his belief in a beautiful marriage never wavered. Often in the dead of night, he read Taoist scriptures, trying to draw strength and wisdom from them to comfort his tired heart.

Time passed quickly, and the one-year deadline was approaching. Zhang Sheng's situation became even more difficult. He had almost tried all the ways to make money that he could think of, but he was still far from the goal of a thousand taels of silver. On a freezing cold night, Zhang Sheng sat alone in his cold room, looking at the almost empty money bag on the table, his heart full of despair. He felt that he had let down Cui Yingying's deep affection and was about to lose the chance to be with her for a lifetime. Just when he was in utter despair, his eyes happened to fall on the silk pouch given to him by the Taoist priest.

A glimmer of hope suddenly rose in Zhang Sheng's heart. With trembling hands, he picked up the pouch and slowly opened it. Inside the pouch, there was a yellowed piece of paper with a few lines of beautiful small characters written on it: "Integrity is the foundation of doing business. Treat people sincerely and ensure the quality of goods is excellent. Opportunities are like meteors flashing by and disappear in a blink of an eye. You need to observe keenly and seize them bravely. Don't be discouraged when encountering setbacks. Stick to the right path, conform to nature, and then you will see light at the end of the tunnel." Zhang Sheng read the words on the paper over and over again, as if he saw a bright light in the dark, and his heart suddenly became clear.

He began to reflect on his previous business experiences and realized that in the process of doing business before, he was too eager for quick success and neglected the importance of integrity. Moreover, when facing opportunities, he wasn't decisive and perceptive enough. So, he decided to start anew. He borrowed a small amount of money from relatives and friends and opened a small stationery store. This time, he kept the Taoist teachings in mind, personally selected every piece of stationery to ensure the excellent quality of the goods. During the business operation, he treated every customer sincerely, without cheating anyone, whether old or young, and patiently introduced the uses and features of the stationery to them.

One day, Zhang Sheng heard that a grand imperial examination was going to be held in the palace, and scholars from all over the country were flocking to the capital. He keenly sensed that this was an excellent business opportunity. So, he quickly prepared a large number of high-quality writing materials and set up a temporary booth near the examination venue. Because his goods were of high quality, the prices were fair, and the service was excellent, many scholars were attracted to buy from him. For a while, the booth was crowded with people, and the business was booming. Zhang Sheng seized this opportunity, worked day and night, not only paid off all his debts but also earned a considerable profit.

After that, he continued to adhere to the concept of honest business operation and constantly expanded his business. His reputation gradually spread in the business community in the capital. More and more people were willing to cooperate with him. When the one-year deadline was about to end, Zhang Sheng finally succeeded in earning a thousand taels of silver.

With joy and pride in his heart, he took the thousand taels of silver to Cui Yingying's home. When Cui Yingying's father saw that Zhang Sheng had really met the condition he had set, although he still had some doubts in his heart, he had to keep his promise. Under everyone's blessings, Zhang Sheng and Cui Yingying held a grand wedding. On the wedding day, Zhang Sheng was dressed in magnificent wedding clothes, and Cui Yingying wore a phoenix coronet and a robe with embroidered patterns. Standing in the middle of the wedding hall, they looked like a pair of celestial beings. Their eyes were full of happiness and joy, and they were full of beautiful expectations for the future.

Everyone exclaimed that it was really not easy for this pair of lovers to finally get married. And all of this was inseparable from the guidance and blessing of Taoism. The wisdom of honest business operation and seizing opportunities in Taoism that Zhang Sheng grasped in the difficult situation not only helped him earn a thousand taels of silver and pass the test of marriage but also enabled him to gain precious wealth and experience on the road of life. Since then, the love story of Zhang Sheng and Cui Yingying spread in Chang'an and became a much-told tale among people, also making more people feel in awe of and yearn for the magic and wisdom of Taoism.