The following story is from the Qing Dynasty Commentary Notes Novel Collection "YiZhi Lu", which has been slightly changed when translated.
In the northern part of the county, there is a farmer named Liu Erwang. Liu Erwang planted a few acres of land, hard work, hoeing grass, pest control, fertilization, even seedlings, etc. never slackened, plus the weather in the past few years, the wind and rain are smooth, so the harvest is good, Liu Erwang's family is still OK, somewhat surplus.
Of course, if you encounter a famine year, you will not have enough to eat, clothe and warmth, let alone savings.
Liu Erwang has an uncle named Yang Sanru, who likes to drink, often gets drunk, and likes to gamble money, ten gambles and ten losses, but still enjoy it. When the family lost all the money, they borrowed money everywhere, and in the end, no one lent him money, and he did not pay it back, and he became a complete scoundrel.
Yang Sanru saw that his nephew Liu Erwang had a good life in recent years and borrowed money from his nephew many times, but he never refused to repay the money. Usually, the money he borrowed was not much, it was only a hundred and ten yuan, a few hundred yuan, and Liu Erwang gave it to him. But this time, Yang Sanru suddenly wanted to borrow three or two pieces of silver, Liu Erwang's life was not rich, he did not have so much money, and he knew that this uncle loved to gamble money, so he insisted on not borrowing money again.
Dou Mien, Shi Mi Vengeance. If you always help a person, he will take your kindness to him for granted, and when you no longer help him, he does not remember all the kindness you had to him before, but remembers that you did not help him this time.
Yang Sanru is also like this. He saw that his nephew refused to borrow money, but instead became angry, pointing at Liu Erwang's nose and scolding. Hindered by generations, Liu Erwang could only swallow his anger. Yang Sanru saw that his nephew did not speak, did not borrow money, actually took a stone from the ground and smashed his head, blood flowing all over his face, saying that if his nephew refused to borrow money, he would go to yamen, saying that the head was injured by Liu Erwang, and he wanted the county order to punish him.
Liu Erwang was afraid at this time, even if he was reasonable, it would not be good to pass it out at that time, so he had to continue to endure anger and said to Yang Sanru: Uncle, nephew I really have no money, you want so much at once, I really can't afford it. Well, I'll give you one or two pieces of silver first, and I'll give you the rest in a few days. Besides, uncle, if you take one or two pieces of silver, you can't spend it for five or six days.
Yang Sanru was satisfied at this time, discouraged, and said happily: Let's read that you still have a little conscience, this time I will let you go, the remaining two silver, I limit you to ten days to give me, if you do not give me within ten days, I will definitely go to sue you! Therefore, Liu Erwang gave his uncle one or two pieces of silver, and then found cloth to bandage his wounds, and fortunately, wine and meat were served to him.
After eating and drinking, Yang San left triumphantly. On the tenth day, Liu Erwang did indeed give the remaining two or two pieces of silver to Yang Sanru.
After a few more days, Liu Erwang finished his farm work, went home to eat, and went to bed to prepare for a rest. At that time, it was still daylight, and Liu Erwang suddenly saw his uncle coming. Just now, before it appeared, it was a blink of an eye, how did the uncle suddenly appear? Liu Erwang felt strange, couldn't help but be a little scared, and asked tremblingly: Uncle, how did you come? Could it be that the money has been spent?
Yang Sanru said: Yes, but today I did not come to borrow money, I came to repay the money. When Liu Erwang heard it, he felt confused, his uncle who gambled money would actually pay back the money? Is it really possible? What does he pay back?
Seeing Liu Erwang's dazed face, Yang Sanru explained: I have calculated that the money borrowed from you over the years, in addition to the scattered and the three or two silver that borrowed you last time, add up to a total of more than 20 two silver. I am willing to serve you for twenty years as a way to repay you. After speaking, Yang Sanru disappeared.
Liu Erwang was frightened, opened his eyes and woke up, it turned out that it was a dream just now! He actually dreamed that his uncle served himself, and Liu Erwang felt very strange.
I was wondering about it, only to see my wife come in from outside, laughing and saying: Xianggong, it is really strange, our family's horse actually gave birth to a mule. How can a horse give birth to a mule? Besides, his horse is not pregnant! Liu Erwang did not understand, ran outside to the horse shed to see, sure enough, there was a small mule. He suddenly understood that the sleep he had just slept should be his uncle's dream, and his uncle estimated that he had died, turned into a mule, and reincarnated into his own home to pay off his debts.
Liu Erwang hurried to inquire, and sure enough, his uncle died, he lost the gambling money, lost too much and refused to give money, was chased too quickly when he fled, and accidentally rolled down the hill and fell to his death. This kind of thing can not blame anyone, the government also turned a blind eye, Liu Erwang had to simply bury his uncle.
After burying his uncle, Liu Erwang told his wife about his dreams, and said that he could use his uncle to work in the future, but now he is still young and has to be fed to work. The wife felt magical, but did not refuse, anyway, mules and horses in the countryside have to work.
For more than a year, the mules grew into adulthood and could work. Liu Erwang tried to let the mule work, but the mule did not refuse and obediently worked. Therefore, since then, every time Liu Erwang let the mule work, he would first ask politely, and still call the mule uncle.
For example, to carry a heavy object, Liu Erwang will say to the mule, "Please ask your uncle to check in"; if the neighbor borrows, Liu Erwang will also say "the neighbor wants to go to a distance, and the hard uncle drives him" and so on. After the neighbor led him, the mule was indeed obedient. If Liu Erwang does not say, then the mule will not work, and the neighbor will not take it and will not dry, and even attack people.
One day, Zhang San, a porcelain merchant from the same village, came to Liu Erwang's house to borrow mules for use, and he used mules to carry the porcelain and pull them to the street market to sell. Liu Erwang went to the stable, said a word to the mule, "Please ask your uncle to help people pull goods", led the mule out and handed it to Zhang San. Unexpectedly, after the mule saw Zhang San, he let out a long roar, broke the rope, and ran directly.
Liu Erwang and Zhang San followed all the way, and the mule actually rushed to the place where Zhang San made porcelain, and then when he saw the porcelain, he went to smash it and stomp it. Before and after, mules trampled on more than a hundred porcelain pieces.
Zhang Sanyi looked at it, was furious, and immediately asked Liu Erwang to compensate. Liu Erwang pulled the mule and said, "Uncle, how can you step on people's things?" If you don't want to pull goods, you don't want to go, why bother? Zhang Sanyi listened and was greatly surprised, why did Liu Erwang call a mule as his uncle? After he asked, Liu Erwang repeated his uncle's name and the matter of Tuo Meng's debt repayment.
After listening to Liu Erwang's words, Zhang San suddenly waved his hand and said: Don't need you to lose money, I used to owe your uncle money, I have not paid him back, this time he stepped on me more than a hundred porcelain, probably the same money I owe him. He's here to ask for money, and I'm paying him back, and I can't let you lose money.
Liu Erwang felt that it made sense, so he led the mule home.
Unconsciously, twenty years have passed. One night, Liu Erwang had another dream, and in the dream his uncle said to him: Good nephew, I have served you for twenty years, and the debt has been paid off. It's just that The old Liu of the East Village has borrowed his money, I can't repay the money, you sold me to him at a low price, the difference in the middle, it should be to pay him back.
Liu Erwang couldn't bear it and insisted on not. His uncle gave him dreams for three consecutive days, and in desperation, Liu Erwang had to give his uncle to Old Liu. After the mule was given to Lao Liu, he worked for a while and died without illness.