Debts must always be repaid, one way or another.
In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, the village of Wajiadian was located several miles from Beijing. In this village, a wealthy family known as the Qians lived. About one kilometer away from their residence lived farmer Li, who was skilled in masonry and often did odd jobs for the Qian family. Over time, he became well-acquainted with the master of the house, Mr. Qian. Their families developed a close relationship, with the men calling each other “Brother.”
An entrusted secret
Mr. Qian planned to take his entire family to the south for several months one year. He asked Li to meet him and said: “Brother Li, we have a good relationship. I have a favor to ask. Would you be willing to help?” Li responded: “Brother Qian, just tell me what you need. I will do my best to help.” Mr. Qian explained: “I have a batch of fine wine that I worry might be stolen by the housekeepers while I’m away. Could you keep it safe for me at your house?” Li replied: “That’s a small matter. You can leave with peace of mind. I’ll return the wine to you exactly as you left it.”
Mr. Qian had 30 sealed jars of wine delivered to Li’s house, and he stored them in an empty room in his west wing, locking the door for safekeeping.
Two months passed without any news from Mr. Qian. One day, Li decided to check on the wine. He opened the door and saw the 30 jars, each sealed with animal parchment and labeled with the word “wine.” Curious, he picked up a jar and sniffed it, but detected no typical wine aroma. He shook the jar but heard no liquid inside. Intrigued, he opened one jar and was astonished to find not wine, but white silver ingots. He checked all the jars and counted 3,000 taels of silver.
Seeing the unexpected fortune, Li was tempted. He devised a plan to keep the silver. He bought good wine, filled the jars, and resealed them to look untouched. He then buried the silver in his cellar.
The return of Qian Yuanwai
Several months later, Mr. Qian returned. Li delivered the 30 jars of wine back to the Qian household. After Li left, Mr. Qian opened the jars and found only wine, not silver. Realizing his life savings were gone, Mr. Qian was filled with anger and despair. He considered going to the authorities, but realized he had no proof. The agreement had been to store wine, and wine was what he received back. Consumed by grief and frustration, Mr. Qian fell ill and died within six months.
With Mr. Qian dead and no one to reclaim the debt, Li used the silver to buy land, build a large estate, and marry several concubines. His once humble home became a bustling mansion.
An unsettling dream
One day, one of Li’s concubines was about to give birth. Since none of his wives had given him a child, he was particularly excited about the arrival of a son to inherit his wealth. That night, he had a vivid dream. He was in a room drinking tea when the door suddenly opened. Mr. Qian walked in, smiling, with a money pouch over his shoulder. “I’ve come to collect my debt,” he said. Li woke up drenched in sweat. At that moment, a maid entered to announce: “Congratulations, Master! The second mistress has given birth to a healthy baby boy.”
Despite the joyful news, the dream unsettled Li. He couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a connection between the dream and his son.
As the boy grew, he became exceptionally filial and talented. When he reached school age, Li hired several teachers, and the boy excelled in his studies. His teachers often praised him as a prodigy, capable of achieving great success. The memory of the dream faded over time.
When the boy turned 18, he went to the capital to take the imperial examinations and passed, earning a position as a seventh-rank official. The Li family celebrated grandly, with relatives and friends coming to congratulate them. During the festivities, someone suggested that Li should use his wealth to buy a higher official rank for his son, which was a common practice. Li agreed, thinking his son deserved a better position. He spent a large sum to secure a fourth-rank official title for his son. The family celebrated again.
Many matchmakers came to propose marriage for his son, but the son only wanted to marry the daughter of a high-ranking official. Li paid large gifts to the matchmaker and spent a fortune on a dowry to secure the marriage. The wedding date was set for the fifth day of the following month.
The final reckoning
As the wedding approached, Li was in high spirits. One night, after drinking a bit too much, he fell asleep and had the same dream from 18 years ago. Mr. Qian appeared, smiling, and said: “I’ve spent eighteen years collecting my debt, with some interest. Now it’s time to leave.” The money pouch on his shoulder was now full. Li woke up in a panic. Just then, a servant rushed in, saying: “Master, something’s wrong. The young master is ill!”
Li rushed to his son’s room to find him dead. He finally realized that Mr. Qian had been reborn as his son to reclaim the debt. All the expenses for his son’s education, examinations, official titles, and marriage totaled more than 30,000 taels of silver. No wonder Mr. Qian said he collected his debt with interest!
From that day, Li was left with nothing. He wandered the streets like a beggar, telling everyone about his past misdeeds and warning them not to commit deceitful and immoral acts. People thought he had gone mad, but his story serves as a reminder that debts must always be repaid, and ill-gotten gains bring ruin.
Translated by Katy Liu
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