The unlucky merchant Li Xiao-xian owed the rich man Pan Yun. Fear of punishment, he fell ill. Pan Yun, who came to visit him in horror: does it mean that, thinking of helping people with money, he plunges them into torment? He forgives the debt, gives money for treatment and tells the accountant to bring all the debt receipts.
In the presence of his wife, daughter Ling Zhao and son Feng-mao, Pan burns receipts. In heaven, the Jasper Emperor, having noticed smoke, sends the god of prosperity to find out what is the matter. He, under the guise of a wandering student, enters Pan’s house and starts a long conversation with him about the advantages of wealth over poverty. However, Pan is becoming increasingly stronger in his intention to distribute his treasures. "Student" leaves, promising to meet in 20 years. A miller comes from the estate of Pan and complains about his fate. Pan gives him a bar of silver. He falls asleep in dreams of a prosperous future, but now and then wakes up - he feels that he has lost money.
Pan's pious Buddhist thoughts come into conflict with the worldly thoughts of his wife thinking about the future of her children. The miller interrupts their conversation. He asks to exchange an ingot for smaller coins, and after receiving the required, he goes to a fun house. Pan Yun lights a censer to pray, but he hears a conversation between a donkey, a horse and an ox. It turns out that earlier, in human guise, they were debtors to Pan, but now they are fulfilling the unpaid.Despite his wife’s resistance, Pan decides to burn the remaining paper, and drown all the treasures in the sea.
Pan wants to drown the treasures, but the dragon god cannot accept them without the permission of the Jasper Sovereign. Treasures are immersed in boats, and the wormhole makes holes in the bottoms, but the boats do not sink. Finally, the heavenly messenger permits the Dragon to accept them. Pan leads his family to the Longmen Mountains, where he is about to do bamboo weaving.
Pan's daughter, Ling Zhao, sells her father’s products. Trade does not go well, but the monk Dan-sha always buys the remaining goods. So this time, he invites the girl to the monastery. Dan-xia is trying to flirt with her, but is duly rebuffed. After ascertaining the strength of Lin-zhao, the monk leaves her money. Before Lin-zhao returns home, a "lad in the dark" appears inviting him to heaven. The whole family is transferred to the heavenly palace in no time. They are met by a spirit that counts wealth - it turns out to be that same debtor Li Xiao-hsien. Then comes the god of prosperity; as he promised, the meeting took place 20 years later. In the end, it turns out that all members of the Pan family are not mere mortals, but incarnations of celestials. Pan utters the last monologue, convincing people to forget about wealth and strive for Tao.
