从前，在江南水乡，住着一位名叫王员外的富商。他家财万贯，富甲一方，却有一个嗜好，那就是喜欢收藏奇珍异宝。一天，王员外听说远方来了一个高人，带来了许多稀世珍宝。王员外闻讯后，便派人将高人请到家中，并备下丰盛的酒席款待他。高人酒过三巡后，便拿出一件件珍宝，向王员外展示。王员外看到这些珍宝，顿时垂涎三尺，恨不得立刻将它们据为己有。他不断地询问高人这些珍宝的价格，想要买下它们。高人却说：“这些珍宝不是用钱就能买到的，只有有缘人才能得到。”王员外听了，便更加心心念念，想要得到这些珍宝。他苦苦哀求高人，希望他能将珍宝卖给自己。高人被王员外缠得无奈，最终答应把其中一件珍宝卖给他，但价格却极其昂贵。王员外为了得到这件珍宝，倾尽家产，也不惜借债。最终，他终于买下了这件珍宝，并把它视为掌上明珠。从那以后，王员外便更加痴迷于收藏珍宝，只要听说哪里有稀奇古怪的东西，他就会不惜一切代价去购买，甚至为此倾家荡产。而他那份贪婪，也成了人们茶余饭后的谈资。
cong qian, zai jiang nan shui xiang, zhu zhe yi wei ming jiao wang yuan wai de fu shang. ta jia cai wan guan, fu jia yi fang, que you yi ge shi hao, na jiu shi xi huan shou cang qi zhen yi bao. yi tian, wang yuan wai ting shuo yuan fang lai le yi ge gao ren, dai lai le xu duo xi shi zhen bao. wang yuan wai wen xun hou, bian pai ren jiang gao ren qing dao jia zhong, bing bei xia feng sheng de jiu xi kuan dai ta. gao ren jiu guo san xun hou, bian na chu yi jian jian zhen bao, xiang wang yuan wai zhan shi. wang yuan wai kan dao zhe xie zhen bao, dun shi chui xian san chi, hen bu de li ke jiang ta men ju wei ji you. ta bu duan di wen xun gao ren zhe xie zhen bao de jia ge, xiang yao mai xia ta men. gao ren que shuo: “zhe xie zhen bao bu shi yong qian jiu neng mai dao de, zhi you you yuan ren cai neng de dao.” wang yuan wai ting le, bian geng jia xin xin nian nian, xiang yao de dao zhe xie zhen bao. ta ku ku ai qiu gao ren, xi wang ta neng jiang zhen bao mai gei zi ji. gao ren bei wang yuan wai chan de wu nai, zhong yu da ying ba qi zhong yi jian zhen bao mai gei ta, dan jia ge que ji qi ang gui. wang yuan wai wei le de dao zhe jian zhen bao, qing jin jia chan, ye bu xi jie zhai. zhong yu, ta zhong yu mai xia le zhe jian zhen bao, bing ba ta shi wei zhang shang ming zhu. cong na yi hou, wang yuan wai bian geng jia chi mi yu shou cang zhen bao, zhi yao ting shuo na li you xi qi gu guai de dong xi, ta jiu hui bu xi yi qie dai jia qu gou mai, shen zhi wei ci qing jia dang chan. er ta na fen tan lan, ye cheng le ren men cha yu fan hou de tan zi.