Throughout history, stories of kindness and selflessness have shown how good deeds often lead to unexpected rewards. Whether through compassion, generosity, or integrity, these virtuous acts ripple outward, shaping lives in ways beyond imagination. Three compelling tales highlight the profound truth: By helping others, you ultimately help yourself.
A beggar’s gratitude transforms a farmer’s life
In a particular village, there lived an elderly man named Qian who engaged in farming. He owned over 10 acres of modest farmland to sustain his livelihood. Known for his generosity and kindness, people respectfully referred to him as a wise elder. One day, a beggar woman arrived in the village, covered in sores and filth, and lay near death outside Qian Weng’s home. The villagers scorned her and tried to drive her away.
However, Qian Weng felt deep compassion for her. He gave her porridge to drink and bought medicine to treat her ailments. After a night, her skin condition slightly improved, but she did not leave. She continued to ask Qian Weng for food daily, and he generously provided for her without hesitation. Over a month passed, and her sores healed completely.
The woman expressed her gratitude to the old man, saying: “I was afflicted with a terrible disease and was on the brink of death due to hunger and cold. Your kindness saved me. Although I am now healed, my husband has died, and I have no means of support. Begging is not a long-term solution. I am willing to work in your home without pay, just for food.” Qian Weng agreed.
From then on, the woman worked diligently, managing household supplies with great care and thrift. Qian Weng and his family trusted her completely. A few years later, Qian Weng’s wife passed away, leaving him alone. His daughter-in-law suggested that Qian Weng marry her since the woman could manage the household and was not yet 40. Friends and relatives encouraged him as well.
Consequently, Qian Weng took the woman as his wife. A year later, she bore him a son. She later revealed to Qian Weng that she was once the wife of a notorious thief who had abandoned her. The thief had died in prison, leaving a treasure of 10,000 taels of silver buried under a large tree. Qian Weng retrieved the silver and became a wealthy man in the area. She later bore him two more sons. Qian Weng lived to be over 70 years old before passing away. Indeed, by helping others, Qian Weng helped himself!
First saved a thief, then saved by a thief
During the Qing Dynasty in Wuxi, an elderly man caught a thief chiseling through his wall on New Year’s Eve. Upon recognizing the thief as the son of an old friend, the elderly man quietly asked: “How did you end up like this? Your father and I were close friends. You must be driven by poverty to resort to such actions.” He then gave the young man money for the New Year and additional funds to start anew.
Ashamed, the young man moved away and eventually built a successful life. Years later, he rented a boat to visit the elderly man. Arriving at night, he discovered a man hanging from the old man’s door. He and his companions discreetly moved the body onto the boat and disposed of it in the river. A year later, he revisited the elderly man and recounted the incident.
The elderly man said: “You saved me! The man who hanged himself had quarreled with my son earlier. Without your help, I might not be here today.”
‘I would rather be deceived than deceive others!’
Tao Yuxi’s great-grandfather, Tao Si Weng, ran a dye shop during the Song Dynasty. One day, someone sold him a batch of purple grass, claiming it could dye fabric. Tao Si Weng bought it for 4 million coins. A few days later, a market broker visited the shop and declared: “This is fake!” The broker explained: “This grass has been steamed and lost color. The color you see is superficial and cannot be used.” Tao Si Weng tested it and found this to be true.
The broker offered to sell it to smaller dye shops, but the next day, Tao Si Weng gathered the entire batch and burned it, saying: “I would rather be deceived than deceive others!”
At that time, Tao Si Weng’s family was not wealthy. However, they later prospered, and many of his descendants achieved high ranks in the imperial examinations.
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