Chinese Traditional Story: A Kind Man and the Plum Tree

Hello everyone, the story I'm going to share today is a kind man and plum tree. During the Qing Dynasty, a man named Shu Shan Han lived in Huading County. He was very wealthy and was known for his honesty and courtesy. He was kind and always willing to help. Everyone said he was a kind man. Here is the story of how he became so wealthy. Shu Shan's grandfather came from a poor family and he was a poor tailor. Although he barely made enough to support the family, he always helped others and everyone knew he was kind. One night, just before New Year's Eve, it was snowing heavily. Mr. Han was about to go to bed when he suddenly heard a noise outside the door. When he opened it, he saw a man holding a bag in his arms leaning against the wall. The man said he was from a company in Shanghai. He was on his way back from collecting money from the companies in Jiapu. It was too late for him to take a boat or find a motel. He told Mr. Han that he wanted to sleep outside the building until dawn. Mr. Han was concerned and said, because you've been collecting debts, you must have a lot of silver with you. If a robber finds you, your life may be in danger. It's so cold tonight. Even if no thief steals your money, you risk getting sick. My home is small, but please come in. When the man entered, Mr. Han noticed his clothes were wet. So he took off the new clothing that he planned to wear during the New Year celebration and gave them to the man to change into. He also prepared some food and wine. He said, you must be very hungry. I'm sorry, we only have these leftovers, but please eat. The man indeed felt hungry and cold, and he repeatedly thanked Mr. Han. After eating his fill, he immediately fell asleep. The next morning, it snowed even more heavily. There was no boat, so the man had to stay in Mr. Han's home until the snow stopped. Mr. Han treated him with the best dishes and wine, and was not impatient for the man to leave. The night before the man left, he told Mr. Han, I'm very grateful for your hospitality, and I want to repay you. I've heard the rice in Yunjin is inexpensive. If you buy some, you can take it to Shanghai and make a profit. I can lend you 250 taels of silver to buy the rice. Mr. Han thanked him but firmly refused. The snow stopped the following day, and Mr. Han helped the man rent a boat. Just as the boat was leaving the bank, the man called out to Mr. Han, I hid 250 taels of silver under the bed. Please take it. During the Lantern Festival next year, I will meet you at my company in Shanghai. When Mr. Han returned home, he took out the silver and put it in a special box. When the New Year came, he bought rice with silver to take to Shanghai. All the way there, he kept asking for the company's address. Just as he reached the company to look for the man, the man was walking out. Mr. Han immediately recognized him. The man was very happy to see Mr. Han and said, You are someone who can be trusted. He introduced Mr. Han to his boss and told him how he helped during his difficulty. The boss was happy and said, You are a good man who can be trusted, and you are not greedy. The boss treated Mr. Han to a sumptuous dinner, and helped him contact the company to sell the rice. The company continued to do business with Mr. Han, so he made a lot of money, which he used to help other poor families. A few years passed, and Mr. Han became very wealthy. He bought a large house. After he moved in, he found a book, which seemed to be discarded. He carefully picked it up and opened it. He found a note which read, The silver is under the plum tree. He looked in the yard, but there was no plum tree. He thought it must be a joke. He put that book aside. When he walked into the next room, he suddenly saw a painting of a plum tree on the wall. And then it looked real. He remembered the message in the note. At dusk, holding a candle, he and the other family members went to the wall with the plum tree painting. At the base of the wall, they noticed one tile looked different. When Mr. Han pried that tile up, there were four large cylinders filled with gold and silver. Thus, in one night, Mr. Han became a rich man. From then on, he was even more willing to help others, especially the poor. His son Shu Shan not only inherited family fortune, but also inherited his father's high morals on how to be a good person and to care about others. Shu Shan's son later passed the imperial examination and became a government official. Mr. Han's family enjoyed happiness and long lives for several generations. This story once again tells us that the principle of karmic retribution is a universal law. Those who do good are protected by the gods. This is an undeniable truth. Thank you very much for listening to the story. More Taichung stories will be ready for you if you just subscribe it. Thank you again.