During the Qin Dynasty (221 BC to 2

During the Qin Dynasty (221 BC to 206 BC), there was a boy named Hán Xìn. Both his mother and his father had died, so Hán Xìn was on his own and was very poor. He often went down to the river to fish, but he rarely caught anything, so he was always hungry.

One day an old washer-woman saw Hán Xìn as he sat fishing. She saw that he was very thin, so she brought him a bowl of rice. Hán Xìn was very grateful to the old woman, and told her that he would repay her handsomely someday.

The old woman scolded him, saying, “Why do you promise so much when you have nothing? I feel sorry for you because you don’t have enough to eat, and that is why I give you food. If you were a real man you would find a way to support yourself.”

Hán Xìn knew that the old woman was right, so he set off to seek his fortune. He joined the rebel forces that eventually overthrew the Qin Dynasty in 206 BC. He rose through the ranks and eventually became a general of Han Dynasty (206 BC to 220 AD). He became rich and was well-respected.

Hán Xìn never forgot the old woman who had fed him. He sought her out, and gave her food, wine, and 1200 pieces of gold in thanks.

We say yī fàn qiān jīn to remind us that even small acts of helpfulness are very valuable, and must be repaid generously when we are able to do so.