Han Shaogong: It's Fear That People Speak Of

Aug. 27, 2025, 1:02 p.m. Essays

Once upon a time, there was a Zhang family, who were experiencing a difficult time, their father had passed away early, and they had suffered from a fire and flood, their family was so poor that it rang with the sound of coins. This family had three sons, both clever and bright, with wide, adorable eyes. However, their mother, using her fingers to calculate, only managed to provide enough money for one person to go to school, so she was extremely selfish and gave the opportunity to the eldest son.

'Remember,' their mother said as she bid farewell to her eldest son at the village entrance, 'Our family will tighten our belts for you. Go to the city to study, and if you succeed, don't forget your two younger brothers.'

The eldest son nodded in agreement.

The younger two, while feeling a bit disappointed, quietly sighed, but didn't say much. They thought it was unavoidable, so they followed their mother's arrangement, one went to farm, and the other went to chop wood and make charcoal, both worked very hard. They knew that only by earning more money could they support their eldest brother's education and bring hope back to the family.

If everyone in this village was poor, they would all feel that this matter was a natural thing. Unfortunately, this village actually had a Li family, who were wealthy and prosperous, with fat pigs and strong horses, vast lands, and also operated breweries and dye houses, with the aroma of meat and delicacies often wafting from their grand mansions.

Their three sons were all studying in the city, and when the school holidays came, they would wear leather shoes and sunglasses, humming tunes as they returned home. This caused some trouble. For example, they might say to the Zhang family's second and third sons, 'Don't you two think it's a democratic process if only your eldest brother is studying?'

The Zhang family's younger two were at a loss, staring at each other in confusion.

'Are you two stupid? Are you lazy? Are you illegitimate offspring? Certainly not. People are born equal. Why only your eldest brother is studying, while you two are just idle hands?'

Zhang family's second son said, 'Our family doesn't have much money…'

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'No money, no democracy? No money, no human rights? No money, no universal values? It's a matter of tolerance. If you want to support your eldest brother's education, you should at least let him wear leather shoes.'

Zhang family's third son said, 'Mom says, leather shoes are better than cloth shoes…'

'Ignorant people are ignorant, and fools are foolish.'

'It's different, but the biggest difference is that you lack independent thinking, always thinking that your parents are talking nonsense.'

The enlightened man, exasperated, shook his head and sighed, 'Too authoritarian! Too violent! What is 'home'? It's shameful!'

The Zhang family's second son didn't feel much, just like a gust of wind passing by. However, the third son was a little moved by the new concepts. Although he didn't understand democracy, human rights, or universal values, he had always secretly envied the younger sons of the Li family, who wore leather shoes and sunglasses.

Thinking about it, thinking about the painful places, he couldn't chop wood and make charcoal, so he refused to hand over the charcoal to his mother, and kept demanding to receive funds and check accounts, wanting to divide and scatter. He even made a hateful remark that he would rather be a dog for the Li family than a Zhang family member, which made his mother furious and she slapped him for it.

At this point, he was even more miserable and complained to the Li family, and the enlightened man sympathized and condemned with great indignation, 'Too authoritarian! Too violent! What is 'home'? It's shameful!'

They looked at the Zhang family with disdain from a distance.

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Years passed in a flash.

The eldest Zhang son eventually succeeded in his studies and made a name for himself, establishing a foothold in the, even the Li family looked at him with admiration, wanting to join forces with him to do business, often inviting him to eat, drink tea.But the eldest Zhang son didn't forget his mother's instruction, and he took his two younger brothers to the city to find them jobs and build houses for them. Zhang family's second son was very grateful, and couldn't help but be choked up when he saw his brother, 'My brother hasn't achieved anything, and now he can only rely on my light, I'm ashamed of myself.'

The eldest Zhang son was also a little ashamed, 'What are you saying? Didn't you work hard for me, and I wouldn't have achieved anything if you hadn't been so diligent. I owe you too much.'

At this time, Zhang family's third son mumbled, 'Mom said, leather shoes are not as good as cloth shoes…'

'Ignorant people are ignorant, and fools are foolish.'

'It's different, but the biggest difference is that you lack independent thinking, always thinking that your parents are talking nonsense.'

The enlightened man looked at him with a red face and exclaimed with great indignation, 'Too authoritarian! Too violent! What is 'home'? It's shameful!'

They looked at the Zhang family with disdain from a distance.

Eventually, the Zhang family's situation was never smooth, and it seemed that they would always be plagued by a bad name. Even the Zhang family generations later, when recalling the past, they felt ashamed and regretted, such as hitting one's own ears is uncivilized and unacceptable—embarrassing, truly embarrassing—shameful, truly shameful—

It was shameful.

As for the Li family's later fate, I don't know, I can only not mention it for now. Of course, I hope the Li family doesn't have accidents like death, fire, flood, cancer, or paralysis, nor does anyone become addicted to drugs or imprisoned—

In short, I hope that the Li family's affairs are smooth, and that they may be blessed, that their finances will always be prosperous, and that there will never be a situation where only one child receives an allowance for school—otherwise, I don't know how to talk to them, let alone the Zhang family's reaction.

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