In the world today, there are still many, many good-natured and righteous people. Quietly doing good and charitable deeds without publicizing them shows strong character and inner security. Some individuals do noble deeds for the greater good, yet silently endure the stigma of being falsely accused, misunderstood, and maligned, such as Chinese Doctor Wei Weng. Still, they will not defend themselves against being so grievously wronged.
Such a man or woman is scarce and precious! Heaven loves and protects such selfless ones!
A much-beloved doctor and philanthropist
Changzhou is located in the southern part of Jiangsu Province. It was home to the renowned Chinese Doctor Wei Weng. He was benevolent, philanthropic, and a highly skilled medical practitioner. His was much beloved, and his reputation spread far and wide.
Anyone who came to seek his medical help or advice, be it rich or poor, he was dedicated to treating everyone respectfully and did not seek any thanks or praise. For those patients who were destitute, he would not only give them the necessary medication, but he also gave them a sum of money.
Noble and selfless deeds
Small landholders and tenants from the countryside beyond the city also flocked to seek medical diagnoses and treatments from Wei Weng. He would first greet them with a bowl of porridge or a cake to eat. This allowed the patients to calm down and be at ease before he took their pulse diagnoses.
People asked Wei Weng why he was so considerate of his countryside patients. He said: “They come from a long distance and are hungry, so their blood must be disturbed. I give them something to eat first and let them get some rest on the inside so that their pulse reading will return to normal. Their pulse diagnosis will then be accurate. I am not looking to be seen like I am doing some good deeds; I’m just trying to get a reputation for being an excellent healer.”
Often, Wei Weng would make such humble and self-effacing comments so as not to perform so many noble deeds.
A defining moment in the life of Wei Weng
Once, a family relative invited him for a consultation, and he went there. After Wei Weng left, 10 taels of silver disappeared from under his patient’s pillow. The patient’s son suspected Wei Weng had stolen the money. He did not dare to say anything, but he told others.
He was told to go to Wei Weng’s house and kneel with incense. So he went to Wei Weng’s house as he was told. Wei Weng was surprised to see him kneeling in front of his gate with incense and asked: “What’s the matter with you? Is there something wrong?”
The patient’s son replied: “There is one thing I don’t understand and would like to ask, but I am afraid that you will be offended, so I dare not speak.”
Wei Weng said: “Speak freely, I will not blame you.” The patient’s son then told him the whole story.
Wei Weng invited him into a secret room in his house and said: “You are indeed correct about this matter. I took the money for the time being because of an urgent need. I originally wanted to wait until tomorrow, when the consultation was resumed, and then privately return the money to its original owner. You may have it back immediately since you have asked for it. And please do not inform others about it!”
So Wei Weng took out 10 taels of silver and gave them to him.
In the eyes of his neighbors, Wei Weng’s good character was gone
When the man came to Wei Weng’s gate with the incense, the neighbors saw him and said that Wei Weng had always been prudent in his speech and had been very strict with himself and that the man should not have falsely accused the elder of such an obscene act!
But when they saw the man leaving the house with the silver, they all sighed: “The hearts of men are unpredictable! They’ve gotten so bad!” The rumor mill suddenly became abuzz with gossip and slander about the doctor.
When Wei Weng heard all the slander and accusations against him, he didn’t care and was completely unperturbed by it. Soon, the patient was cured, and when reorganizing and cleaning the bed net, he found the silver under the mattress.
Seeing the silver under the mattress, he was extremely shocked and regretful, saying: “The lost thing has never been stolen. Ah, how could we have wronged the elder doctor so badly? We must quickly go over there and return the silver to him in public to not let Wei Weng suffer this injustice any longer.”
Solemn remorse and repentance
So the father and son went to Wei Weng’s gate together, holding incense and kneeling. When Wei Weng saw them, he smiled and asked: “Why have you come here today?”
The son was ashamed and said: “The lost silver was still in the house, and I suspected you stole it, so I thought you deserved to die.”
The father continued: “Today, we have come to pay back the silver you gave us publicly. The boy is ignorant and remorseful, ready to be beaten and punished by you.”
Weng smiled and helped them, saying: “It’s all right, don’t mind.”
His son said with difficulty: “The day before yesterday, I told slanderous words to offend you; this was a terrible shame. Now, thanks to your generosity, you have forgiven me. May I take the liberty to ask why you were willing to suffer the stigma of being called a thief, but did not say a word about it?”
Why did he endure the stigma of being humiliated and called a thief?
Wei Weng smiled and said: “Your Majesty and I are of the same family; I have always known him to be thrifty and frugal. If he had been sick and heard that he had lost ten taels of silver, his condition would have worsened, and he would have fallen ill. Therefore, I preferred to be stigmatized so that he would know that he had regained his lost property and would turn his grief into joy and be cured naturally!”
Hearing Wei Weng’s reply, the father and son knelt and kowtowed again, and the father said: “I am grateful to you for your generosity and kindness in saving my life, and I would like to be a dog and a horse in the next life to repay your great kindness.”
Wei Weng invited the father and son into his room and entertained them with wine.
All is well that ends well
That day, a wall of neighboring spectators gathered around the area, and they all said: “The deeds of the elder are beyond our ordinary understanding.” So the good name of “Wei Weng” was known far and wide.
Later, the doctor’s son, Wei Lian, started his career as a scholar and became a provincial Minister of Justice and an Imperial Envoy. By the time he reached 80, he had been awarded many recognition grants. His grandchildren also became very distinguished. Han Shu states: “Yin virtue will be entertained as well as the joy of their children and grandchildren.”
The book Han Scripture confirms that kindness and virtue are passed down from generation to generation. The descendants enjoy the blessings of Heaven. It is Heaven’s rule that kindness is rewarded.
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