In the village of Honggangchi in Pingyin County, Jinan, lived two men with starkly different reputations. On the west side of the village was a man widely known as the “good gentleman.” On the east side lived his polar opposite — dubbed by locals as the “evil gentleman.” Both families shared the surname Han, as most villagers did, but their actions set them worlds apart.
The good gentleman was known for his compassion and generosity. Whenever someone came seeking help — especially the poor — he not only offered assistance, but also invited them in for a meal, filled their sacks with food, and repeatedly assured them they owed nothing in return. When monks or Taoist priests came to collect alms, he greeted them personally and gave generously. He even spent his own money to repair the village bridges and roads. Over time, his children and grandchildren adopted his kind-hearted ways. People from nearby villages all spoke highly of him and affectionately called him the “good gentleman.”
In contrast, the evil gentleman refused to help anyone, even close relatives. He was as stingy as they come — earning a reputation like that of an iron rooster, not giving up even a single feather. When the poor asked for help, he not only turned them away, but often insulted them. Practitioners who came seeking alms were met with vicious dogs and locked gates. His descendants, raised in the same cold-hearted fashion, treated others with hostility and disdain. It was no surprise that villagers came to refer to him as the “evil gentleman.”
A puzzling twist of fate
One summer, the good gentleman passed away. As was customary for wealthy households, the family planned to keep his body at home for seven days before burial. However, due to the intense heat of midsummer, the body began to decompose by the second day, attracting maggot-like creatures with tails. The burial garments were soaked in blood and pus, making it impossible to wait the full seven days. Heartbroken, the family had to rush the burial after only three days.
That winter, the evil gentleman also died. Since it was during the coldest days of the year, his family managed to keep the body at home for seven full days before sending him off with a lavish funeral. They even spread the word: “Everyone says our family is bad, yet our elder died clean and peacefully in the wintertime. Isn’t this proof that Heaven favors us?”
The good gentleman’s son was deeply troubled when he heard this. He couldn’t understand why someone who had done good all his life would suffer such a shameful death, while a lifelong wrongdoer had a dignified farewell. Angry and disillusioned, the family began to turn away beggars and those seeking help. They stopped offering food, shelter, or donations to monks and practitioners. Day by day, the good gentleman’s descendants hardened their hearts and chose to follow the path of selfishness.
A mysterious monk and a magical mirror
Exactly one year after the good gentleman’s passing, a monk appeared at the family’s door, asking for alms. The son refused him and said: “Please leave. We no longer do good deeds. My father helped people his entire life, and look how he ended up.” He recounted the events of his father’s death with sorrow, concluding that kindness had brought no reward, and Heaven was unjust.
The monk listened patiently, then said with a smile: “Let me show you something that may change your mind.”
From his robe, he pulled out a bronze mirror. Curious, the son looked into it — and was stunned. He saw his father sitting on a grand chair, dressed in fine silks and robes adorned with glowing pearls. He looked youthful, with white hair and a peaceful face, sipping tea while attendants served him from all sides.
(Image: via ChatGPT-4o)
The monk explained: “The blood-stained clothing your father wore at burial was actually this luxurious attire in the spiritual realm. The so-called maggots with tails were precious pearls in disguise. What you saw was not disgrace, but transformation.”
Then, the monk turned the mirror over. The image shifted to reveal the evil gentleman, who had been buried in fine burial clothes. But in the mirror, he had been reborn as a black donkey with shiny fur, being dragged into a broken thatched hut to pull a grinding mill. Crowds of people surrounded him — those he had refused to help during his life — each holding a thick stick. As the donkey passed by, they took turns beating it mercilessly. The monk said: “He owed these people debts in life. Now, he must repay them in suffering. There is no rest for him — day or night, year after year.”
A family’s awakening
The good gentleman’s son was speechless. Eyes wide and mouth agape, he finally clasped his hands together and said: “Thank you, Master, for this revelation. From now on, our family will return to doing good, just like my father did.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a golden light flashed, and the monk vanished. The son realized it had been a divine visit — a heavenly reminder that true virtue never goes unrewarded.
From that day forward, the family embraced kindness once again, treating monks, beggars, and the needy with renewed sincerity and devotion.
Translated by Patty Zhang
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