Gui Qian, now emboldened by his hidden fortune, quietly acquired fertile farmland in Huiji County through an old acquaintance. Whenever he collected rent, he would pretend he was visiting wealthy relatives. When he returned, he changed into shabby clothes and started working again, living a double life for nearly 10 years.
During this time, Shi Ji passed away, leaving behind a 3-year-old son. Believing that his misdeeds would now go unchallenged, Gui Qian gloated: “Finally, my time to shine has come!” He went to Shi Ji’s grave with a chicken and wine to perform a mock ritual, declaring: “Sir, I cannot repay your kindness now, but how could I ever forget it? Now that you’ve passed, I no longer feel right about occupying your land. I’d rather leave and risk death from cold and hunger than continue to owe you.” With that, he ignored the pleas of Shi Ji’s family to stay and tearfully departed with his entire family to Huiji.
The abandoned family and Gui Qian’s cold indifference
Years passed, and Shi Ji’s family fell into poverty. His widow and son, struggling to make ends meet, sought help from Gui Qian. They heard that he had grown wealthy in Huiji and hoped he might remember the kindness Shi Ji had shown him and offer some assistance. At the very least, they wished to reclaim the gold that had been lent.
Setting out on a long journey, they finally arrived in Huiji. Shi Ji’s son, Shi Sheng, first arranged for his mother to rest at an inn before heading to Gui Qian’s house. The estate was grand and lavish, in stark contrast to their own dire situation. Shi Sheng sent in his visiting card and, after a long wait, was finally led to a waiting area.
However, despite hearing the news of his visitor, Gui Qian did not come out to meet him. Instead, he busied himself in the courtyard, ordering servants about, while Shi Sheng waited anxiously. Eventually, Gui Qian approached, but he acted as though he did not recognize Shi Sheng and inquired coldly: “Who are you?”
Shi Sheng explained their hardship and how his mother was still waiting at the inn. Reluctantly, Gui Qian invited him to dine, but the conversation was short and stilted. He only asked Shi Sheng’s age and showed no further interest in their plight.
Humiliation and heartbreak
Shi Sheng, feeling slighted, tried to express his frustration, but Gui Qian’s demeanor grew stern. “I know why you’re here,” he snapped. “I will settle this matter. Do not make a scene and bring me shame!” Overwhelmed with frustration, Shi Sheng returned to the inn and recounted his experience to his mother, who wept bitterly.
Days later, Shi Sheng decided to try again, hoping Gui Qian might show more kindness. But after waiting for hours with no response, his patience ran out. Angrily, he confronted the servants and demanded to see Gui Qian, only to be met with mockery and refusal.
Finally, Gui Qian’s eldest son appeared, feigning ignorance of Shi Sheng’s identity. “Our father is aware of your request,” he said dismissively. “He is making arrangements. Why are you causing trouble?” Feeling humiliated, Shi Sheng left in despair, realizing he could not expect help.
Repayment denied, misfortune strikes
After much pleading, Shi Sheng was finally given two gold ingots — just a fraction of what was owed. When he tried to argue, Gui Qian had already left, and a servant coldly informed him that he should be grateful for receiving anything at all. Desperate, Shi Sheng attempted to speak with Gui Qian’s wife, only to be rebuffed with a challenge to produce a written record of the debt, knowing full well none existed.
Defeated, Shi Sheng returned to his mother, who, grief-stricken by the betrayal and the death of her husband, soon fell ill and passed away. The meager compensation they had received was not even enough to cover her funeral expenses.
A plot of revenge
As time went on, Gui Qian’s wealth continued to grow. To reduce the taxes he had to pay, he attempted to buy an official position. However, he was deceived by a man named Liu, who kept the bribe and used it to secure the official position for himself. Enraged, Gui Qian decided to seek revenge. He bought a sharp dagger and planned to assassinate Liu when he entered the imperial court.
One night, believing dawn had broken, Gui Qian set out with his dagger. But it was only the third watch, and the streets were deserted. Exhausted, he leaned against a city gate to rest and soon drifted into a dream.
A chilling dream of karmic retribution
In his dream, Gui Qian crawled into a grand hall, where he saw Shi Ji sitting at a desk, sternly glaring at him. Terrified and ashamed, Gui Qian groveled: “Sir, your son came to see me. I did not dare forget your kindness, but I was afraid to give him too much, fearing he would not manage it well.”
Shi Ji thundered: “You are nearing your end, yet you still dare to lie to your master?” Gui Qian, too frightened to look up, crawled further into the kitchen, where he saw Shi Sheng’s mother serving food. Falling to his knees, he begged: “I am starving. Could you spare some leftovers for me?”
Shi Sheng’s mother ordered servants to beat him with a large wooden stick, and Gui Qian fled to the courtyard. To his horror, he saw his wife and children transformed into dogs. Looking down, he realized that he, too, had turned into a dog.
He cried out in despair: “Why have we all become dogs?” Seething with rage, his wife retorted: “Do you not realize how you betrayed Shi Ji? He sits in judgment above, and you beg for mercy, but did you show any to his son?”
Gui Qian angrily said: “You persuaded me to hide the silver we found! How is this my fault?” His wife countered: “And when his son came to us, who told me not to repay him?”
Gui Qian’s sons intervened, saying: “These matters are in the past. Let us not dwell on them and increase our sorrow. If we ever have another chance at life, let us vow never to act like this again!” With that, the family wept together in their shared misery.
Redemption at last
Gui Qian awoke, drenched in sweat, and realized it had all been a dream. As dawn broke, he felt a deep sense of regret and reflection. “Heaven has revealed my wrongdoings to me,” he thought. “This dream is a warning. There is still time to repent and make amends. If divine retribution is this severe for me, surely Liu, who deceived me, will not escape either.”
Throwing his dagger into the river, Gui Qian returned home and immediately traveled back to Changzhou to find Shi Ji’s son, now 27 years old. He arranged a proper burial for Shi Sheng’s parents and offered his daughter in marriage to Shi Sheng, hoping to atone for his past sins.
Years later, Liu was exposed for his crimes and brought to justice. Gui Qian, recognizing the cycle of karma at work, equally distributed his wealth among his two sons and son-in-law to ensure he had made full restitution to the family of Shi Ji, avoiding further retribution.
The wisdom of karma
A famous saying in the Fengdu Ghost City read: “Good deeds always prosper. If they do not, there must still be lingering evil; once the evil is gone, good will flourish. Evil deeds always lead to ruin. If they do not, there must still be lingering virtue; once the virtue is exhausted, destruction is certain.”
These words prove true in every sense.
See Part 1 here
Translated by Audrey Wang
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