In 1892, a woman and her husband fled to Shandong, China. Unfortunately, shortly after their arrival, her husband fell gravely ill and passed away, leaving her with seven young children. To survive, she sold pancakes on the street. Little did she know a chance encounter and some bandits would change her life forever.
One day, Pan Shoulian, a wealthy local, was out on errands and passed by her stall. The aroma of the pancakes caught his attention, and he couldn’t help but take a closer look at the woman. Despite her patched clothing, she was neatly groomed and worked diligently, carrying a child while selling pancakes. Pan Shoulian, who prided himself on his ability to judge character, saw something special in her demeanor and approached her with an offer: “Come home with me! I’ll hire you, and you’ll earn much more than you do here.”
The woman was taken aback, and Pan Shoulian quickly realized his abruptness. He explained with a smile that his wife, after giving birth, was unable to nurse their child, and they needed a wet nurse. Distrusting his servants’ judgment, he decided to find one himself. Upon seeing this woman, he felt she was different from the average woman and earnestly requested her to be their child’s wet nurse.
Qiu’s foresight
The woman, surnamed Qiu, considered the offer. The income from being a wet nurse was indeed higher than selling pancakes, and it would provide a stable environment for her children. She agreed immediately. At the Pan household, she devoted herself to caring for the young master. She helped other servants with chores in her spare time, quickly earning the household’s admiration.
Everyone knew how difficult it was for a widow to raise so many children alone, and they often gave her food to take home. However, she would say: “The master already pays me; I cannot take more.” Pan Shoulian, upon hearing this, admired her integrity even more and offered to increase her wages. Qiu gratefully declined, saying: “I don’t need more money. I only wish for my eldest son to attend your private school. Would that be possible?”
Pan Shoulian was impressed by her foresight and immediately agreed, even inviting all her children to live with them so she wouldn’t have to worry about them. This decision saved his son’s life and laid the foundation for his future success.
Repaying kindness with fortune
Years passed, and an unexpected disaster loomed. One day, Pan Shoulian took most of the able-bodied men from the household on a business trip. During their absence, bandits, who had been plotting for some time, stormed the Pan residence, ransacking it for valuables. Finding nothing of worth, they decided to kidnap Pan Shoulian’s son.
Brandishing knives, the bandits demanded to know who the young master was. Seeing the young master trembling, Qiu, with tears in her eyes, pointed to her eldest son, Jin Yunpeng, and said: “He is the young master!” The bandits seized Jin Yunpeng, threw him onto a horse, and told Qiu to inform Pan Shoulian to pay 200 taels of silver for his son’s ransom before riding off.
After taking Jin Yunpeng to the mountains, the bandits noticed something unusual — he neither cried nor fussed, but remained calm. With his chest puffed out, the bandit leader questioned him, and Jin Yunpeng declared: “My family owes a debt of gratitude to Master Pan. I am willing to repay it with my life. My mother taught us to repay kindness.” His words moved the bandits, believing that a child who understood gratitude at such a young age was destined for greatness. They decided to release him.
Upon returning home and learning of the events, Pan Shoulian was deeply moved. He bowed to Qiu, acknowledging her as his sworn sister, and treated her children as his own. To express his gratitude to the bandits for sparing Jin Yunpeng, Pan Shoulian later brought gifts to the mountains and invited them to work as his household guards, ensuring their livelihood. He then entrusted his son’s upbringing to Qiu with even greater confidence.
Under Qiu’s guidance, all eight children thrived and played significant societal roles. Her eldest son, Jin Yunpeng, served twice as the Premier of the Republic of China, while her second son held a prominent position in Shaanxi. Pan Shoulian’s son, Pan Fu, also served as Premier of the Beiyang Government due to his exceptional talents.
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