Goodness and tolerance are virtues that often bring unexpected rewards. The tale that follows of a virtuous wife showcases how acts of kindness and patience in difficult situations can lead to positive outcomes, reinforcing the idea that virtue is its own reward.
A virtuous wife’s tolerance
Once, there was a poor scholar who sustained his life by writing letters for others. Business was good on the eve of the Lunar New Year, so he bought a chicken and sent it home to his wife.
While his wife was boiling water to remove the feathers, a servant of her neighbor rushed over and said: “You are really quick, and in the blink of an eye, you’ve removed the feathers!” He picked up the chicken and left, and the wife said nothing.
That night, the husband came home and asked his wife: “Why didn’t you cook the chicken? The wife said: “It’s all my fault, I’m too careless. The chicken got away from me and flew off before I could kill it. I’m really sorry for that!” The husband said: “It’s my fault. This would not have happened if I had the money to buy some pork.”
A neighbor’s help
On the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, the neighbor came early to pay New Year’s greetings to the poor scholar. He said to the poor scholar: “A man of great benevolence and righteousness like you will have a bright future. This year is the year of the great competition in the capital. You should take the examination.”
The scholar’s face turned red, and he replied: “To my shame, I don’t even have enough to eat, so how can I afford to go to the capital?” The neighbor said: “I know the situation, but I’m willing to lend the money to you. You don’t have to repay me on a fixed schedule, and I won’t charge you interest. I think you will be fortunate in the future.” After saying that, he left.
The scholar was a bit confused. His wife laughed and said: “I guess the neighbor must have found his chicken.” The scholar was even more confused! His wife then said: “Yesterday, our neighbor took away our chicken, and I was afraid that you would come back angry and make it a bad New Year for them and for us, so I said that it had flown away.” The scholar understood and admired his wife’s kindness and generosity from the bottom of his heart.
While they were talking, the neighbor’s laborer brought 200 taels of silver, saying it was from his master to cover the scholar’s travel expenses to the capital.
The laborer apologized, saying: “I’m sorry for mistakenly taking your chicken yesterday. Last night, my master found his own chicken in the bathroom, and we realized we had taken the wrong one. But you didn’t make any fuss about it. The master praised you, saying that such magnanimity will surely lead to a bright future and wished for me to convey his feeling of admiration for you!” The scholar now understood that his virtuous wife’s righteousness had moved the neighbor. With the silver, he went to the capital for the examination and indeed became the top scholar.
Translated by Audrey Wang
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