There was a young man from a wealthy family who got lost one night while walking in the deep mountains. He saw a cave and decided to go in for a temporary rest. However, as soon as he entered, he saw a deceased elder of the same clan inside and was too scared to make a sound. But the elder waved him over with great earnestness. Thinking that the elder had been compassionate all his life and would not have any ill intentions, the young man went forward to pay his respects.
This story is clearly fictional and relates to a couplet about New Year's Day. Its purpose is to warn the living: only by objectively evaluating the deceased can we achieve peace of mind and lasting spirit. After all, a monument in the heart is more important and longer-lasting than an erected giant stone.
The state and tone of the elder were no different from when he was alive. After asking about some household affairs and exchanging sighs, the young man asked the elder: "Your grave is in another place, so why are you here?" The elder sighed and said: "In my life, I made no major mistakes. When studying, I progressed step by step; when serving in office, I fulfilled my duties without much achievement. Unexpectedly, several years after my burial, a huge stele suddenly appeared in front of my grave. The words carved on it, apart from my name and official position, were mostly exaggerated, some even fabricated out of thin air, boasting wildly. I lived a simple life and already felt uneasy about such praises. Now, tourists reading the epitaph often laugh, and the surrounding ghosts gather together to watch and mock me endlessly. I really cannot bear so many idle comments, so I hide here. I only return to the original grave site during the annual tomb-sweeping day to visit my descendants."
The young man consoled the elder frankly: "A moral and filial person deserves such inscriptions to bring glory to the family. Even the great scholar Cai Yong could not avoid writing some exaggerated words, and the great writer Han Yu once joked about earning some wine money by writing overly flattering epitaphs. There have been many such examples throughout history, so why do you take it so much to heart?" The elder replied solemnly: "Right and wrong lie in the hearts of people. Even if others can speak falsely, I feel ashamed when I reflect on myself. Moreover, false words are actually of no benefit. Promoting the family name mainly depends on the success of the descendants. Why should we use these empty words to invite ridicule?" With that, he turned and left.
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- Knowing some words are just meant to be heard and not taken seriously.
- Recommending 50 good sentences and short mood phrases again.
- Unreasonable troublemaking.