Once, Zhuang Zhou went to Marquis Jianhehou to borrow provisions.
Marquis Jianhehou said, "Certainly. However, you must wait until the end of the year when the taxes have been collected. Then, I will lend you three hundred jin of gold."
Zhuang Zhou replied angrily, "Yesterday, I encountered a crucian carp trapped in a dried-up wheel rut. It begged me for a liter of water to save its life. I promised that I would travel south to persuade the Kings of Wu and Yue to divert the waters of the Xijiang River to rescue it. The carp said to me in anger, 'I will perish without water. All I need now is a single liter to survive, yet you speak of a journey a thousand miles away! By the time you return, you may find me in a shop that sells dried fish!'"