ExclusiveTraditional Chinese Tales: Saving Lives Changes One's Own Destiny

Saving lives changes one's own destiny. In the early years of the Zhengde reign in the Ming Dynasty, there lived a merchant surnamed Wang from Anhui province. Although he was over 30 years old, he had not yet fathered any children. His uncle-in-law had expertise in physiognomy. One day, upon seeing Wang, his uncle-in-law displayed a look of deep concern and said to him, In October, you will face a significant calamity from which you cannot escape. What will you do? Wang, who had always esteemed his uncle's ability, promptly journeyed to Suzhou city to collect funds. On his way back, he passed through a region where the rivers had overflowed Consequently, he stayed temporarily at an inn. That evening, when the rain ceased, Wang went for a walk by the riverbank. He witnessed a young woman holding a child as she prepared to jump into the river. He urgently called out to the fishermen nearby, declaring, Whoever rescues them shall receive twenty taels of silver from me! The fishing boats rushed to rescue the woman and child. Wang paid the fishermen as promised. When he asked the woman why she had attempted suicide, she replied, My husband is poor and works as a labourer elsewhere. Yesterday, I sold a pig to pay our rent. Only to be cheated with counterfeit silver, I fear not only my husband's punishment upon his return, but also my inability to repay the debt which drove me to seek death. Upon hearing this, Wang felt an even deeper sense of sorrow and compassion. He calculated the pig's value, doubled the amount of silver, and gave it to the woman. On the woman's way home, she met her husband and tearfully recounted everything. But her husband suspected she was lying and deceiving him. He insisted they go together to Wang's lodging to confront him. Upon arriving at the inn where Wang stayed, he had already closed the door and was resting on his pillow. The woman's husband urged her to knock, saying they wished to express their gratitude. Wang sternly replied, You are a young wife, and I am a lone traveller. How appropriate is it for us to meet in the dead of night? If you truly wish to express your gratitude, bring your husband tomorrow. There is no rush. The woman's husband then replied in fear, We're both here together. Only then did Wang get dressed and rise. The moment he opened the door, the brick wall inside suddenly collapsed, crushing the bed beneath it. Miraculously, Wang escaped unharmed. Was this not a reward from heaven for his good deeds? Later, Wang encountered his uncle-in-law, who examined him closely and exclaimed in surprise, Your face is marked with the Yin-Zhi lines. You must have saved several lives. Your future blessings will be boundless. Yin-Zhi refers to virtuous deeds done in secret, unknown to others. Examples include helping others unconditionally, rescuing people without selfish motives, contributing to the society and the nation. These are manifestations of Yin-Zhi. Indeed, Wang went on to have eleven sons. At the age of ninety-six, he remained energetic and healthy. His second son, Wang Sui, conducted business with integrity and morality. Someone familiar with him learned of this story and deliberately recorded it. This serves as testimony to the fact that accumulating hidden virtue can indeed alter an inescapable bad fate and extend one's life. From Classified Compilation of Contemporary Trends