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.
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