Throughout history, the essence of friendship lies in loyalty and righteousness; qualities esteemed above all else. The ancients valued true friends far more than money or fame, even surpassing life itself. They also went to great lengths to earn their friends’ trust. Such stories were not uncommon in the past, and the following family history depicts this well.
In the Qing Dynasty, a wealthy gentleman named Yin Gong from Jixi, Anhui, shared a deep friendship with another affluent man, Liu Gong. When Liu Gong passed away prematurely, he entrusted his young son to Yin Gong, who readily agreed.
As young Liu grew up, he strayed from the path of righteousness and spent his days in idle revelry, feasting and gambling. His mother admonished him, but he paid no heed. Upon hearing this, Yin summoned Young Liu. He relayed his father’s dying words and earnestly urged him to mend his ways. Liu wept bitterly, vowing to change his ways. But afterwards, he succumbed to his old ways. To honor his friend’s trust, Yin admonished Liu many times, but each time the outcome was the same: after tearful remorse, he returned to his frivolous pursuits.
Realizing direct and firm reproval was futile, Yin instructed his men to gamble with Liu daily, causing him to lose vast sums of money. When funds ran low, Yin Gong’s men urged him to sell his land. Yin, under false pretenses, provided the money to purchase this land at rock-bottom prices when Liu desperately needed the cash.
Relying on the wealth his father had left behind, Liu did not rein in his behavior. Instead, he continued gambling and reveling. When he lost, he sold fields, land, gold, silver, jade, antiques, and paintings. Each time, Yin purchased these assets. Within a few years, Liu had gambled away his entire inheritance. All his fertile fields and valuable properties were acquired by Yin. Finally, he gambled away his family’s grand mansion. Fortunately, Yin regained it through intermediaries.
Acting as a guardian over the gambled inheritance, Yin kept this acquired wealth in a special place that generated even greater returns for the Liu family’s assets, ensuring not to take a single penny for himself. Liu remained unaware of what was transpiring around him.
Without family wealth or a home, Liu’s life became unbearably difficult. At first, he drifted between several relatives’ homes. Though taken in, he endured countless cold stares. He ate only cold leftovers and constantly heard insulting remarks. Unable to endure it any longer, he left his relatives and sought refuge in temples and Taoist shrines. Since he wasn’t a monk, he was not permitted to stay long-term. With nowhere else to turn, Liu took to the streets. He spent his days begging and his nights sleeping rough with other beggars.
Yin, who had been watching over Liu all along, had him brought back. First, he was given a bath and clean clothes, then a hearty meal. After Liu had eaten his fill, Yin asked him: “Do you recall what I once told you?” Having endured hardship and witnessed the coldness of human nature, Liu burst into tears, overcome with self-reproach.
Yin said: “What you’ve lost cannot be recovered. I hope you will study diligently; perhaps you can achieve something.” Xiao Liu agreed. From that day on, he transformed, throwing himself into his studies with renewed vigor. A year later, he passed the county-level examination to become a scholar, achieving modest success.
Seeing Xiao Liu back on the right path, Yin returned all the family’s properties, fields, and possessions to him. He said: “When I saw you lost and unrepentant, I knew you wouldn’t understand until you were at your wits’ end. Thus, I had no choice but to devise a desperate plan, a strategy of putting myself in a do-or- die situation. The individuals who gambled with you in the past were all under my direction. Those who purchased your house and fields were also commissioned by me. Now that the plan has succeeded, your future prospects are boundless! I am already advanced in years and have little time left. When I meet your father after death, I can rest in peace!”
Xiao Liu suddenly understood everything. His gratitude was beyond words. When the villagers heard the story, they marveled at Yin Gong’s noble character and foresight, qualities far beyond the reach of ordinary men.
Translated by Eva and edited by Maria
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