During the Qing Dynasty, an official named Liao Yiqing once recounted a true story that circulated near his home. Though brief in its original telling, the incident left a deep impression on those who heard it, serving as a cautionary tale about integrity, greed, and the weight of one’s own words.
Not far from Liao’s residence stood a small tea and snack shop run by a man who had migrated from Jiangxi Province. The shop saw a steady flow of customers each day — travelers resting their feet, locals stopping for a quick bite.
A forgotten bundle becomes a test of conscience
One afternoon, a man dressed like a low-ranking official’s attendant sat down to eat. After finishing his meal, he left quietly, blending back into the street outside. When the shopkeeper later cleared the table, he noticed a small cloth bundle left behind.
Curious, he opened it. Inside were two pawn tickets and silver notes totaling more than five hundred taels of silver — a staggering sum, far beyond what an ordinary shopkeeper might earn in many years. After a brief moment of hesitation, he chose not to report the find. Instead, he concealed the bundle, telling no one.
A desperate plea and a vow made before Heaven
Before long, the man returned, visibly shaken and nearly stumbling as he searched the shop from corner to corner. When he could not find the bundle, his face fell. Turning to the shopkeeper, he explained that he was a servant in an official’s household. That very morning, his master had instructed him to pawn two leather cases at the Changsheng Pawnshop, where they were exchanged for 540 taels of silver. The pawn tickets and silver notes, he said, had all been wrapped in a white cloth bag — the same one now missing.
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