A father was coaching his son. He said: “Be flexible when talking. Do not make a decisive answer quickly.” The son asked: “How do I speak with flexibility?”
Coincidently, a neighbor came to borrow a few objects from them. The father hereby told his son: “If he comes to borrow objects, do not say directly that we have them, or we do not have them. You can say some of them are at home and others are not. Then it is flexible. You can follow this principle in other matters as well.” To this, the son nodded.
A few days later, a guest came and asked: “Is your respectable father at home?” The son replied: “Some are at home and others are not.”
About Good Laughs
(Image: Bernadette Wolf via Nspirement)
Good Laughs (笑得好) is a collection of short stories edited by Chinese doctor Cheng-Jin Shi (石成金) of the Qing Dynasty (1636-1912). This collection can be considered as the Chinese version of Aesop’s Fables. Dr. Shi was believed to have lived between the Kangxi and early Qianlong reigns. He also authored many other books on remedies for life and health.
Good Laughs is meant to nourish the heart with stories. In the preface, Dr. Shi wrote: “People are entertained by being sarcastic; I inspire people with sarcasm. It entertains the heart, but it can also save a life like acupuncture.”
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