My grandfather’s name was Hu Guohua. The Hu family was well-known in the surrounding villages as a prominent landlord. At the height of their prosperity, they purchased over forty connected houses along three alleys in the city. Throughout their history, some family members had held official positions and engaged in business, even donating to the grain depot and serving as assistants in the transportation of goods during the Qing Dynasty.
There is a saying that goes, “Wealth does not last beyond three generations.” This statement holds a great deal of truth. Even if a family possesses mountains of gold and silver, it cannot withstand the extravagance and wastefulness of its descendants.
By the time of the Republic of China, the family fortune began to decline in my grandfather’s generation. First, the family was divided, and Hu Guohua inherited a significant portion of the family assets, enough to live comfortably for the rest of his life. However, he refused to make wise choices, which was also influenced by the social environment of the time. He first became addicted to gambling and later fell into the trap of opium smoking, squandering the family’s vast wealth until nothing was left.
When Hu Guohua was young, he indulged in all vices—drinking, gambling, and womanizing—eventually leaving him so destitute that he didn’t have a single cent to his name. When a person becomes addicted to opium, the craving can be unbearable, but without money, who can afford to indulge? In his wealthier days, the owners and staff at the opium den would greet him with great respect, calling him “Master Hu” and treating him with utmost courtesy. However, once he fell into poverty, they treated him like a beggar, shooing him away and dismissing him without a second thought.
When a person becomes desperate due to poverty, concepts like shame and morality often lose their significance. Hu Guohua came up with a plan to deceive his uncle for some money. His uncle was well aware that he was a spendthrift and an opium addict, and he usually refused to give him even a single cent. However, this time, Hu Guohua tricked his uncle by claiming that he needed money to marry a wife, hoping his uncle would contribute some funds.
Upon hearing this, his uncle was moved to tears. He thought that this wayward nephew had finally decided to do something right. If he could marry a virtuous wife who would manage him well and help him settle down, perhaps he could turn his life around and learn to be a better person in the future.
So, his uncle gave him twenty silver dollars and urged him to marry a good wife and live a proper life, warning him never to fall back into the trap of opium. He even mentioned that he would visit Hu Guohua’s home in a few days to meet his wife personally.
Hu Guohua was full of cunning ideas. To appease his uncle, he returned home and sought out a craftsman in the village who specialized in making paper figures and horses—those that are burned as offerings for the deceased. This paper craftsman was highly skilled; he could create lifelike replicas of anything you could describe.
He crafted a paper woman for Hu Guohua, using white paper and glue, and then painted her features—eyebrows, eyes, nose, clothes, and hair—with watercolors. From a distance, she looked remarkably lifelike, almost as if she were a real person.
Hu Guohua carried the paper figure home and placed it on the Kang (a traditional heated bed) in the inner room, covering it with a quilt. He thought his plan was clever; when his uncle came to visit in a few days, he would say that his “wife” was ill and couldn’t meet guests, allowing his uncle to see her from a distance. Thinking about this, he couldn’t help but hum a little tune as he slipped into the city to use opium again.
A few days later, Hu Guohua’s uncle came to visit. Hu Guohua followed his pre-planned excuse, saying that his “wife” was unwell and couldn’t meet guests. He allowed his uncle to lift the curtain at the door for a quick glance before promptly lowering it again.
His uncle was not pleased and exclaimed, “Oh, is this how you treat your own uncle? No way! I must see the new bride today. If she’s sick, I’ll pay to have a doctor come and check on her.”
Hu Guohua desperately tried to block his uncle from entering, but the more he resisted, the more suspicious his uncle became, leading to a heated argument between them. Just then, the curtain of the inner room was lifted, and a woman stepped out. She was fair-skinned, with a round face, a large backside, and small feet. Hu Guohua’s heart skipped a beat—oh no, this was the paper figure he had crafted! How could it possibly be alive?
The woman greeted her uncle with a bow, explaining that she had not come out to welcome him earlier because she had not been feeling well. She asked for his forgiveness for her rudeness. However, she suddenly felt much better and invited her uncle to stay for a meal. After saying this, she turned and went inside to prepare the food.
Seeing this, Hu Guohua’s uncle was overjoyed. His nephew had such a virtuous wife, and she had a good appearance that would bring fortune to the family. He thought to himself that if his deceased sister could see this, she would be happy to know her son had married such a wonderful woman. In his excitement, the uncle gave Hu Guohua another ten silver dollars.
Hu Guohua stood there, feeling confused and anxious, unsure whether to be relieved or scared. Time passed quickly, and before he knew it, evening had arrived. The paper figure had prepared a table full of dishes, and his uncle was so happy he couldn’t stop smiling. However, Hu Guohua had no appetite. As he looked at the woman sitting across from him, he felt a wave of nausea, as if he had swallowed a fly. Her face was very pale, lacking any natural color, and the only flush on her cheeks came from the rouge she had applied.
Hu Guohua’s uncle, with his old and blurry eyesight, didn’t notice anything unusual about the woman. After drinking seven or eight cups of strong liquor, he became completely drunk. Hu Guohua borrowed a donkey cart and helped his uncle back home.
On the way back, the more Hu Guohua thought about it, the more scared he became. He decided not to go home and instead spent the night in the city’s red-light district, using up all ten silver dollars his uncle had just given him on drinking and visiting women.
In the end, he was kicked out for not having money to pay the bill. With nowhere else to go, he had no choice but to return home. When he got there, he found the house dark, and the paper figure lay motionless on his bed, covered with a quilt, as if everything that had happened before was just a dream.
Hu Guohua thought about what would happen if she turned into a real person at night. He decided it would be better to burn her completely. He carried the paper figure to the yard, took out a match, and was about to set it on fire when the paper figure suddenly spoke: “You heartless person! I helped you out of kindness, and now you want to burn me!”
Hu Guohua was startled. In the dead of night, he heard the paper figure continue speaking: “I feel sorry for you. Even though you indulge in drinking, gambling, and visiting women, you’re not a bad person at heart. I want to marry you. Will you accept?”
Hu Guohua shook his head vigorously and asked the paper figure, “Are you a spirit or a ghost?” The paper figure replied, “Of course, I’m a ghost. I’m just temporarily attached to this paper figure. But don’t look down on me, you poor man. I was very wealthy in my past life, and the gold and silver jewelry buried with me could keep you in opium for ten lifetimes. Haven’t you heard that a rich ghost is worth a hundred times more than a poor living person?”
Mentioning money made Hu Guohua a bit tempted, as he was extremely poor lately, even having pawned his clothes. However, he didn’t want to risk his life for wealth. He had heard stories from the elders about female ghosts luring men, draining their life force until they were left as nothing but skin and bones. So, he told the paper figure, “Even if you truly care for me, I can’t marry you. After all, we are from different worlds—humans and ghosts. This goes against the natural order.”
The paper figure replied, “Since you have such a hard heart, I won’t force you. But remember, there will come a day when you regret this decision. If you ever find yourself in such dire poverty that you can’t go on, come to the abandoned grave at the place named Shisanli Pu. In the middle of that graveyard, there’s a solitary grave without a tombstone. Inside it lies my coffin, filled with gold and jewels. If you dare to come, you can take whatever you want.”
After saying this, the paper figure fell silent. Gathering his courage, Hu Guohua lit a match and burned the paper figure to ashes.
Later, there were several times when Hu Guohua was so poor that he seriously considered going to the grave at Shisanli Pu to dig it up. However, he ultimately held back and managed to scrape by, borrowing and piecing together what he could. Two years later, when he found himself completely out of options, he finally went to that graveyard, but that’s a story for another time.
During that year’s Spring Festival, many events unfolded. The truth about Hu Guohua using a paper figure to deceive his uncle for money finally came to light. His uncle, furious and upset, fell ill and, within three days, passed away.
The relatives and friends of the Hu family treated him like a thief, keeping their distance from him. They wouldn’t lend him money, and they wouldn’t even let him have a bite of leftover food. In desperation, Hu Guohua sold the last pair of sandalwood boxes in his home for two silver dollars. These boxes had been his mother’s dowry, and he had always wanted to keep them as a memento, but he couldn’t resist the urge to feed his addiction.
With the two silver dollars, he bought a small piece of opium and hurried home. He couldn’t wait to light it up, collapsing onto his bed as he took a deep puff. The moment the smoke filled his lungs, he felt light as a feather, as if he were floating on a cloud.
At that moment, Hu Guohua felt as if he were living like an immortal. All the times he had been looked down upon, insulted, and bullied seemed unimportant. After taking another couple of puffs, he suddenly noticed a dark figure on his rickety bed. Squinting to get a better look, he realized it was a large rat crouching in the corner. This rat must have been quite old, as its whiskers had turned white, and it was about the size of a cat. It was inhaling the smoke wafting from Hu Guohua’s opium pipe, as if it understood the benefits of the opium and was greedily enjoying the scent.
Hu Guohua found it amusing and said to the big rat, “So you have a craving for smoke too? Looks like we’re kindred spirits.” After saying this, he took a puff and blew the smoke toward the rat. The rat seemed to understand that he meant no harm and wasn’t afraid; it lifted its head to accept the smoke being blown its way. After a while, as if it had satisfied its craving, the rat slowly crawled away.
For several days, the rat came to join Hu Guohua in smoking. While he was looked down upon and had no friends around him, he felt a sense of camaraderie with this rat. Sometimes, when the rat arrived a bit late, Hu Guohua would hold back his craving and wait for it.
However, the good times didn’t last long. Hu Guohua was left with only a bed and the empty house; he no longer had any money to buy opium. Feeling frustrated and hopeless, he sighed and said to the rat, “Oh, rat, today I’m completely out of money and can’t buy any more opium. It seems I won’t be able to enjoy this with you for much longer.” After saying this, he couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of regret.
The rat listened to him, its eyes sparkling with a glimmer of understanding, before turning to leave. When night fell, the rat returned, carrying a silver dollar in its mouth and placing it beside Hu Guohua’s pillow. Overwhelmed with surprise and joy, Hu Guohua quickly went into the city to buy a piece of opium.
After returning home, he lit it under the lamp and indulged himself, taking deep puffs and savoring the experience. He and the rat enjoyed a satisfying smoke together, feeling a sense of camaraderie and relief as they shared this moment of escape from their troubles.
The next day, the rat returned with three more silver dollars in its mouth. Hu Guohua was so delighted that he hardly knew what to say. Remembering a story he had learned in school, he said to the rat, “You know my poverty and still generously help me. You truly are my kindred spirit! If you don’t mind, let’s become sworn brothers.”
From that day on, he treated the rat as a brother, calling it “Brother Rat.” They shared everything—food, opium, and even the bed. Hu Guohua made a cozy little nest for the rat out of cotton, allowing it to sleep beside him. Their bond grew stronger as they enjoyed each other’s company, finding solace in their unusual friendship.
The bond between Hu Guohua and the rat was as close as that of the best of friends. Every day, the rat would go out and return with silver dollars—sometimes one or two, other times three or five. From then on, Hu Guohua had no worries about food or clothing. Years later, my grandfather would often reminisce about this time, saying it was the happiest period of his life.
As the months passed, Hu Guohua gradually became more prosperous. Unfortunately for Hu Guohua, he was destined to encounter a scheming individual who had set his sights on him.
In the village, there was a scoundrel named Wang Ergang. Unlike Hu Guohua, who had once enjoyed wealth and status as “Young Master Hu” for over twenty years, Wang Ergang had never known such fortune. His family had been poor for generations, and he had never even worn a decent pair of pants.
Seeing Hu Guohua’s downfall, Wang Ergang took pleasure in it. He would often insult and bully Hu Guohua, relishing the chance to pick on the once-privileged young man to feel better about himself.
Recently, Wang Ergang found it strange that Hu Guohua, despite being so poor and having pawned everything of value, seemed to be spending his days smoking opium at home. He wondered where the money for the opium was coming from. Perhaps Hu Guohua was up to something shady. Wang Ergang thought it might be a good idea to keep an eye on him. If he caught Hu Guohua stealing, he could turn him in to the authorities and earn a reward.
However, after watching for a while, Wang Ergang noticed that Hu Guohua rarely left his house, only going into town occasionally to buy food and opium. He had no contact with anyone else. The more Wang Ergang couldn’t figure out how Hu Guohua was getting money, the more his curiosity and desire to uncover the truth grew.
One day, while Hu Guohua went out to buy food, Wang Ergang seized the opportunity to climb over the wall and sneak into his house. He rummaged through everything, hoping to uncover some secret about Hu Guohua. Suddenly, he spotted a large rat sleeping on the bed. In a cruel impulse, Wang Ergang grabbed the rat and tossed it into a pot of boiling water on the stove, then pressed the lid down, thinking he would enjoy watching Hu Guohua’s reaction when he returned home to find his pet cooked.
Before Wang Ergang could leave, Hu Guohua came back and caught him in the act. When Hu Guohua saw the rat in the pot, already scalded to death, his eyes filled with rage. He grabbed a kitchen knife and lunged at Wang Ergang, slashing at him repeatedly. Wang Ergang was hit with several blows, but fortunately, Hu Guohua was a heavy opium smoker and lacked strength. Although Wang Ergang was covered in blood, he managed to escape and ran to the local security team for help.
The captain of the security team was a relative of a local warlord and was busy drinking with him at the time. When he saw Wang Ergang in such a state, he realized the seriousness of the situation. “This is unacceptable!” he exclaimed. “A knife attack in broad daylight? Is there no law anymore?” He quickly ordered several of his men to capture Hu Guohua and bring him in, binding him tightly.
Hu Guohua was brought before the captain, who sternly demanded to know why he had attacked Wang Ergang with a knife.
With tears streaming down his face, Hu Guohua recounted the entire story, sobbing as he spoke. He lamented, “I was once so desperate that I thought I would die. Without this rat, I wouldn’t be alive today. Yet, in a moment of carelessness, I caused my dear brother to lose his life. Although I didn’t kill him, he died because of me. How can I bear the thought of failing such a good friend in the afterlife? I take full responsibility for my actions. Since I injured Wang Ergang, I accept whatever punishment is deemed necessary. I only ask for permission to return home and bury my brother the rat. If I must die, at least I can do so with my eyes closed.”
Before the captain could respond, the warlord beside him sighed and said to Hu Guohua, “Damn it! To forget kindness is ungratefulness, and to betray loyalty is a disgrace. If you can feel such loyalty to a rat, how much more should you feel it for a human? I admire your sense of righteousness and see that you have no one to rely on. Why not join my army as a deputy?”
In times of chaos, the warlord ordered his men to whip Wang Ergang as a form of retribution for Hu Guohua and then allowed Hu Guohua to return home to bury the rat. Hu Guohua placed the rat’s body in a wooden box, dug a hole, and buried it. After mourning for a while, he decided to join the warlord.
As the saying goes: “When hungry, even chaff tastes sweet; when full, honey loses its sweetness.” When a person is in dire straits, even a bowl of porridge or a piece of bread can evoke deep gratitude. Moreover, the rat had gifted Hu Guohua so much money, even if it was all stolen. The wise say that one should not drink from a stolen well, but that is a standard for the most virtuous. It is difficult for even the ancients to uphold such standards, let alone someone like Hu Guohua. It was said that if one smoked in a room for too long, even the flies and rats would become addicted, and this was no exaggeration.