Have you ever dreamed of getting a big, fat sum of money by chance? What if you could only have it at the cost of your peaceful life? Could you make a decision like the leading character of this true story?

On an old-fashioned street in China lies a small blacksmith’s shop. The shopkeeper is old and for him, the small shop is also his home. His old products have become increasingly hard to sell, but he’s stuck to his old sales style all the while: no hawking, no bargaining, and no closing at night.

Everyone who passes by his shop sees him waiting on his bamboo chair, a small radio in his hand, and a Yixing purple clay teapot at his side. His income is just enough for his food and tea. He is getting so old that he does not need any extra things, so he is very content with his simple life.

One afternoon, a curio dealer happened to go by the blacksmith’s shop. All of a sudden, he took note of the old-fashioned purple clay teapot sitting by the old smith. It was as jet black, and appeared so elegant and quaint! “Could it be made by Dai Zhengong?” the dealer asked himself with surprise.

The merchant could not help coming up to the ironsmith. He took up the teapot, and looked at it carefully. At the base of the spout, he found a small inscription with the name ‘Dai Zhengong.’ The merchant was pleased beyond expectation, for he knew clearly that each of the artist’s works was more valuable than its weight in gold.

It was said that only three of Dai’s masterpieces survived to the present: one was in the New York, another in Taiwan, and the last one was in the possession of a Chinese collector.

The dealer offered 100,000 RMB (about USD $14,700) to buy this pot. The old blacksmith got a big surprise when he heard the amount, but in the end he declined. For the pot was passed down in his family, three generations had brewed tea in this pot.

The pot was not sold, but the old blacksmith could not fall asleep after the dealer left. He had been using the teapot for nearly sixty years, seeing it as an ordinary one all the time. He couldn’t imagine a man actually wanted to buy it for such an extraordinary price! He tried hard to understand why, but he couldn’t get the answer.

In the past, he used to drink tea lying there, paying no attention to his teapot. At present, however, he sat up and stared at the pot for several minutes. This upset him quite a lot. When it got around that the ironsmith owned a precious purple clay teapot, people kept visiting his shop. Some wondered if he had another valuable thing, and some even asked him to lend money to them. Furthermore, some people would knock on his door late at night asking these questions. His life was thrown into confusion. He had no idea what to do about his pot.

The dealer paid a second visit to his shop offering 200,000 RMB, and the old blacksmith could not take it anymore. He called in some people from his neighborhood, and in their presence he broke his pot into pieces.

Currently, the old smith is almost 100 years old. Just as in the past, he is still forging and selling iron ware.

The Chinese wisdom of life: For those who really enjoy their lives, anything superfluous is unnecessary. Most people will not be burdened with this kind of foolish parcel.

Whenever you are confronted with a variety of wine bottles in your neighborhood shop, sometimes, you tend to let go of the thought of purchasing because you can’t determine which is which.

Educate yourself

Don’t worry help is at hand because the people who work at the store will be able to five you lots of information and even recommend a good wine for your dinner party. Read about the different kinds of wines which are assured to tickle your taste buds.

Free taste

For one to know how it feels, one must endure it first, that is why, whenever there are free tasting of wine within your area, grab that once in a lifetime opportunity. Your local wine store will sometimes run a wine tasting even and at the same time offer discounts of the wines available that evening. Using these events can help you decide exactly which wines you like.

Depend on dependable sources

If you just want to buy a good wine and would be happy to take the advice of a store owner then just go down to your local store. Some of the elegant wine stores have services that will fill you with details about different kinds of wine. You will find yourself inside a cellar that’s full of wine laid horizontally on compartments that prevents that wine from being exposed to heat and light.

Watch out for bad advertisements

As much as possible, do not go for commercialized wines because these are normally poor in quality and you’ll get lesser in taste. When looking for a wine make sure you don’t just go for the one with a pretty label, a nice looking label doesn’t mean a good wine. Your local wine store won’t stock the mass market wine found in super markets so are usually of a better quality.

Be aware of the importer

Make sure if you buy an imported wine that it has a shipping label on the back, this is required by law and will identify reputable wine growers.

Be an avid wine drinker

Like anything else practice makes perfect, so make wine tasting your hobby to truly learn about good wines.

How you store your wine will determine the quality and taste. The older your wine gets, the more mature its taste will become, and it gets more valuable as well. To save money though, some have chosen not to buy their wine rack. Wine cellar construction can get expensive, so it’s good to keep costs down wherever possible. It’s important that you have a quality wine rack plan before you go any further. A high quality wine racking system doens’t mean it is expensive, it means it will stand the test of time.

Make exact measurements so you get the most out of your wine rack with of the space available. Wine must be kept in a specific environment for optimal flavor. Wine storage is pretty simple, there are only three big factors to consider: light, humidity, temperature. Avoid sunlight and high heat for your wine collection. Wine will age much faster and quickly sour in the heat of the sun. Keep the wine temperature from rising and falling more than necessary. It’s important to keep the cork moist, so store the wine on the side. If you already have your diy wine cellar built, you already have that taken care of.

A wine club membership presents you with the best wines to add to your cellar slowly. Storing your wine will become an issue as you collect a wide variety of vintages. Many wine racks are designed to make the most out of the available space. Often the are cost effective and maxamize available space. Reading of wine labels and finding different bottles is quick and easy as well. Wine racks can match almost any decor if you are looking to show it off. Large quantities of wine can often be acquired through your wine club at a nice discount. Find some of your own plans to save money when building a rack.

Making your own wine rack is the easiest and cheapest method. It’s fun to make a diy wine rack, it gives you a sense of accomplishment also. You can find the wine rack plan on the internet and design it with most tools you’d find in your garage. You can build a racking system for under ten dollars if you wanted to.

Perhaps your budget won’t allow for that, if so we would suggest going with the brick and wood method. Put the planks on top of the bricks to make shelves, and use other pieces to divide the shelves up. Your wine racks can be as expensive or cheap as you want. Making a budget wine rack is a great cheap and easy option that is simple to do for anybody. Explore our site for more wine storage ideas.