#Like yes good on Mr Hughart for deciding that additional books were likely to become too repetitive

[msbarrows]

From Bridge of Birds, by Barry Hughart (which had multiple scams being run during the course of the story, some by the two main characters and other, as in this case, by other people around them):

He was right, although when it turned up he was as astonished as I was. There was a loud commotion at the gates and a mob burst into the courtyard and demanded to see the governor. The governor stepped out, along with our porcupine merchant, and the mob parted to reveal a furious farmer, a cow, and two gentlemen of low appearance. A babble of voices drifted up to us, and we were able to piece together the following account: The farmer had heard a commotion in his pasture and he had rushed out to discover that a bald gentleman was down on his knees with his arms wrapped lovingly around the legs of one of the farmer’s prize cows. A fat gentleman, who was carrying a small funeral urn, was weeping his eyes out, and he turned and wept on the farmer’s shoulder for a while. Then he recovered enough to relate a marvelous tale. The bald fellow’s beloved mother had expired some time ago, and her son had honored her rather unusual request to be cremated. One night the ghost of his mother came to see him in a dream, and she expressed the wish to have her ashes placed among the lohans at Lungmen. So the bald fellow and his dear friend had set forth with the ashes on the pious pilgrimage, only to discover that the ghost had something else in mind. The road to Lungmen passed by the farmer’s pasture, and the cow had been waiting for them. The bald fellow had recognized the soft brown eyes immediately. “Mother!” he screeched. “My beloved mother has been reborn as a cow!” The reunion had been emotional, and the farmer was forced to shed a few tears himself as he watched it. The cow’s eyes were streaming with tears of joy as she lovingly licked the bald fellow’s skull. “Mother! What joy to see you again!” he sobbed, kissing her hairy legs. What choice did the farmer have? He felt the warm glow of a deed well done as he watched his cow dwindle in the distance with the arms of the two gentlemen wrapped around its neck. He was only a gentleman farmer, and he was quite surprised when he was informed that cows always weep when they lick salt. “And that includes salt that has been sprinkled upon a bald skull!” the farmer yelled. “How dare you accuse us of fraud?” screamed Pawnbroker Fang. “We shall sue!” howled Ma the Grub. When the farmer took off in pursuit he was joined by neighbors who had also experienced the wiles of Ma and Fang, and now they wanted the governor to hang these crooks from the highest tree. “Lies, all lies!” screamed Pawnbroker Fang. “We demand compensation for slander!” howled Ma the Grub. “Ox, you know these creatures well. What will they do now?” asked Master Li. “They will go on the offense,” I said firmly. “I don’t know how, but they’ll manage it.” “Splendid. Gentlemen, let’s get out of here.”

i am! obsessed! with this book from the late ming dynasty about scams to watch out for (esp. if you are a traveling merchant). this guy is like, there ARE immortals who can survive without food but you WILL NOT encounter them because they live alone in the mountains and don't talk to anyone. if a monk comes to your house and claims to not need to eat, it's probably because he's secretly eating human fetuses, or something. eunuchs are invariably corrupt and the court system is useless. however, do NOT try to bribe anyone for a better SAT result for your idiot failson; this never works. nuns WILL try to seduce your wife into cheating on you. if your idiot failson does really badly on the SAT, make sure to have his father's remains buried somewhere with A+ fengshui; this is Guaranteed to work (unless your wife is cheating on you).