ancient china, chinese folklore, chinese narrative, chinese traditions, destiny, family, family ties, feng shui, heritage, inheritance, life lessons, moral lessons, morality, societal values, tradition, wealth, wealth and power

Wealth and Fate: The Salt Merchant’s Ambitious Son

Some individuals amass immense wealth through hard work, talent, opportune moments, or chance. Yet while some are able to retain their wealth, others can’t. Why is this? Is it pure coincidence, or is there an underlying inevitability to it? This can be attributed to the “fortune” predestined in one’s life. Imagine if a person’s life ...

Max Lu

Vintage open chest, coins on a wooden table, and a bright light from inside the chest.

The Accuracy of Fortune-Telling: How Fate Can Be Altered by Good Deeds

Is fortune-telling accurate? This question has sparked different opinions for ages. Why do some fortune-tellers get their predictions right, while others miss the mark? What are the factors that determine the accuracy of fortune-telling? The following tale might just enlighten you. Xue Er’s fortune During the Qing Dynasty, there was a famous face reader in ...

Mikel Davis

A tree covered with spring blossoms next to West Lake in Hangzhou, China.

The 3 Taboos of Wealth and Status: How Behavior Shapes Your Destiny

Regardless of your status or wealth, breaking any of these three major taboos will definitely lead to disasters. In fact, causality and retribution are closely related, though they may seem to be invisible to the human eye. As an old saying goes: “Good begets good, and evil begets evil.”  You may believe that money and ...

Tatiana Denning

On the man's left is an arid landscape with deep cracks in the parched earth and a sandstorm in the distance. On his right is a beautiful expanse of lush, green grass as far as the eye can see with blue sky and a few puffy white clouds overhead.

God’s Highest Reward for Good People: A Tale of Perception and Justice

Upon hearing people lament: “Good people don’t seem to get rewarded, while bad people seem to be living the good life. It’s unfair!” one might wonder what God’s thoughts are. Though God remains silent, the question continues to echo in the hearts of innocent children. In 1963, a girl named Mary Barney wrote a letter ...

Mikel Davis

Sunlight shining down on wildflowers.

How Does Jade Prevent Disasters and Bless the Wearer?

Jade is a type of precious stone, but it is considered to have the warmth of water. More than 8,000 years ago, the ancestors of the Chinese people began to advocate the benevolent properties of the stone. Initially, it was considered the vehicle for communication between God and the people.   The pictograph for jade (玉) ...

Michael Segarty

A jade stone set in a gold ring.

Money Says It All

Money says it all. Repaying it can show your character, while earning it can indicate your true nature. As such, it can reveal many aspects about you. It reveals your heart Someone shared online: “I liked to make friends and was relatively generous, so people, no matter close or distant, wanted to become my friend ...

Helen London

A woman's hands holding money.

The Prisoner, the Daughter, and the Unlocked Door

The prisoner Once, a reformed prisoner in a labor camp found 1,000 yuan by the roadside while he was out working on a road project; without hesitation, he handed it over to the supervising police officer. The supervising officer retorted: “Are you trying to bribe me with this money in exchange for reducing your sentence? ...

Emma Lu

A door opens into an outdoor landscape with the moon shining over water.

Unearned Fortune Provides a Test

In ancient times when an unearned fortune came to your door, doing the right thing was not a difficult decision. These days, it seems the world has gotten so polluted that simple basic morality is gone and anything could happen. This story from 2011 shows that basic morals are not entirely missing. Not only can ...

David Jirard

An open treasure chest with golden light shining out from the lid.

Integrity Brings Wealth and Blessings

Regardless of what culture or race we belong to, integrity has the highest value. A friend of mine brought US$15,500 (100,000 yuan) to Shenzhen to take over a business laying floor tiles. After the contract was signed, the selling party from Shantou knew that it would be a loss-making deal. So the boss from Shantou ...

Helen London

Floor tiles.

Good and Evil Determine Life and Death

A long time ago, the morals of the people in a village had become very bad, and gods were going to destroy the town. A Bodhisattva wanted to save the benevolent people in the village, giving those who knew the difference between good and evil another chance to survive. So she went down to the ...

Helen London

A Chinese village.