Working Hard
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Working hard was a common theme among the four of them. They had no intention of wasting their time and energy on frivolous activities such as playing cards. It was fortunate, then, that the men were able to come up with enough money for their living expenses.
They also received some assistance from the village elders, who allowed them to stay in the abandoned house as long as they paid rent. In addition, Mr. Teng and Mr. Niu took turns digging at the nearby riverbeds for treasures buried there by smugglers decades ago. The two of them would return home every day covered head to toe in dirt and dust.
They didn’t make much money doing this, but it wasn’t bad either. After all, they enjoyed what they were doing; however, Mr. Teng did note that he’d have to work harder than ever before in order to make his fortune.
“I’m not sure if I can do it,” he said when speaking about his future plans to the other three. “I’ve been too soft these past few years.”
Mr. Niu nodded emphatically. “You’ve got nothing to worry about, Mr. Teng! You’re going to be just fine!” He patted him on the back and smiled.
Mr. Teng gave a smile of gratitude.
After hearing Mr. Teng’s words, Mr. Wu’s face turned grim.
The other three knew that Mr. Wu hadn’t been particularly lucky in life. That was why they respected him so much. He had worked very hard to earn his reputation as one of the Four Great Heroes of the South Sea Fleet, even though his luck never seemed to turn in his favor.
The only thing he could rely on was his strength. Mr. Wu was a man who would go to any lengths to reach his goals. Even if it meant taking a gamble on an idea that may or may not proves fruitful, he wouldn’t hesitate to take action. It was because of this trait that he managed to rise above his station in life.
And now, as he looked at Mr. Teng, he felt somewhat worried. What if Mr. Teng ended up like him?
However, Mr. Wu’s concerns were quickly laid to rest.
One night, Mr. Teng was having dinner with his friends when he heard someone knocking on the door.
He stood and walked over to open the door, revealing an old woman standing outside. She was wearing a gray veil that covered her entire face, making it impossible for them to see her expression. Her eyes appeared red and swollen, and she held a box filled with gold coins tightly in her hands.
“Is this the house of Master Li?” The old woman asked.
“That’s right,” Mr. Teng replied.
“Please, allow me to pay you to rent for the next month in advance.”
It was clear that this mysterious old woman was quite wealthy.
“We haven’t agreed to anything yet,” Mr. Teng said.
“Please, I’m begging you,” said the old woman. “This is a matter of life and death.”
“What can we possibly do for you?”
The old woman lowered her gaze and stared into the distance as she spoke quietly. “My son has recently passed away. He left behind a young wife and a child. I don’t have enough money to provide for my family. Please, help us.”
Her voice was so gentle that Mr. Teng couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.
“If you agree to help me out, I’ll give you more gold than your family could hope to make in a lifetime,” the woman added.
Mr. Teng was stunned by the news. He immediately put his arm around her and led her inside.
“Don’t worry, Mother,” he said. “Everything will be okay.”
She looked up at him with teary eyes and said, “Thank you, Master Li.” Then, she sat down and began crying.
Mr. Teng picked up the coins from the box and counted them.
There were roughly 80 pieces of gold in total.
***
After hearing the news, Mr. Teng went to the room where he kept his treasures. He rummaged through his chest until he found a large wooden box. Inside was a small golden dragon.
He placed the box on the table and opened it.
Inside was a pile of gold coins.
Mr. Teng smiled and closed the lid.
He turned to the old woman and said, “We’ll try our best to repay your kindness.”
***
A few days later, the old woman returned with another box full of gold coins. This time, the amount exceeded 1,000 pieces.
Mr. Teng was speechless.
“How many times are you planning on returning?” he asked.
The old woman shook her head. “No, no, please! Just once more.”
“Why do you keep coming here?”
“I’m trying to save my grandson. It’s all thanks to you that I’m able to provide for my family. But now that things have changed, I need your help again.”
“What happened?”
“My grandson fell ill after eating some poisonous mushrooms. His condition is getting worse day by day. If I don’t find a way to cure him, he won’t be able to survive.”
Mr. Teng was completely taken aback.
“But how did this happen?” he asked.
“His mother bought them from a village nearby. They must’ve been poisoned.”
Mr. Teng thought for a moment before saying, “Okay, I’ll do what I can to help you. But I want something in return.”
“Anything,” replied the old woman.
“As long as it involves medicine, I’ll do whatever you ask.”
“All right then. In that case, I have a request.”
***
One day, Mr. Teng discovered a strange-looking plant growing in the garden.
“What’s this?” he asked.
“It looks like a wild carrot. Do you know what it’s used for?”
“It’s a very popular herb in China.”
“That’s nice,” said the old woman. “I’ll bring you a bowl of its roots tomorrow morning. You can use it for any illnesses or injuries.”
Mr. Teng was impressed. “You’re really going out of your way to help me.”
“Not at all,” said the old woman. “I just want to repay the favor.”
Mr. Teng shook his head. “It’s not necessary, but thank you.”
“When you get back, I’ll have something for you too. Will that be okay?”
“Of course.”
The next morning, Mr. Teng made his way to the old woman’s house. She greeted him with a smile, but when she saw the wild carrot in his hand, she frowned.
“Where did you get that?” she asked. “I’ve never seen those leaves before.”
“I grew them myself,” he said.
“You mean you planted them?”
“Yes.”
“Then you must know a lot about plants.”
“Not much.”
“Are you sure?”
“Trust me, it was extremely difficult.”
The old woman laughed. “You must be joking!”
“What do you mean?”
“They look like they’d grown naturally.”
“Well, I had help.”
“Who helped you?”
“An old friend.”
“I see. So this is the man who taught you everything about plants?”
Mr. Teng nodded and introduced himself.
After that, they spent the whole day talking about herbs.
***
In the afternoon, Mr. Teng took some seeds from his bag.
“These are called ‘tiger eyes.’ They’re quite rare,” he said.
“Oh, really? Why’s that?”
“Because I got them off a tiger’s paw.”
“Really?!”
“Yes. It was an amazing experience.”
The old woman squealed in delight.
“My grandson has been having trouble sleeping lately,” she said. “Could you teach me how to use these seeds?”
Mr. Teng smiled and said, “Let’s go home first.”
Once they arrived, Mr. Teng started to explain how to make the tea. The old woman listened carefully until she felt satisfied. Then she thanked him for his time.
“Wait! What about the rest of the seeds?”
“Oh, yes. Here you are.”
She took the seeds and promised to come back the following day.
***
The next day, Mr. Teng visited the old woman’s house again. As soon as he entered the house, she ran up to him and gave him a warm hug.
“Thank you so much!” she cried. “Your tea helped my grandson get better. He’s almost well again.”
Mr. Teng was touched by the old woman’s gratitude.
“You’re welcome,” he said. “But I didn’t do anything special. I simply taught you how to make a simple herbal tea. Anyone could’ve done the same thing.”
The old woman smiled and said, “I know. That’s why I’m thanking you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Every morning, when I wake up, I pray to God. And every night, I give thanks to the people who’ve helped me in life.”
“So you’re praying to God for my sake?”
“No. My prayers go to everyone.”
“How many people does that include?”
“Everyone in the world.”
“Wow!” exclaimed Mr. Teng. “Even animals?”
“Of course. They all deserve our love and respect.”
“Have you ever prayed for me?”
“Of course I have. Every single day.”
“Why don’t you tell me your prayers?”
The old woman blushed. “Would you mind if I kept them private?”
He shrugged. “As long as no one else hears them, it’s okay with me.”
Over the next few days, the old woman continued to visit Mr. Teng regularly. Whenever she was feeling unwell, she would come to Mr. Teng’s house and he would treat her with herbal tea.
The End