Family Treasure
Once upon a time, there lived a blacksmith, the most hardworking man you could ever find. He had a son, nearly twenty years old, tall, handsome, fond of eating, but lazy when it came to work. One day, the blacksmith said to his son:"I've worked all my life, son. Everything in this house was earned by my hands. But you don't want to work—you just eat and drink, and you haven't earned a single yuan. What will become of you?"
The son brushed off his father's words and said:
"What's so hard about earning a yuan? It doesn't take any talent!"
The father replied:
"Alright, if you earn a yuan, I'll give you a whole chest of treasures."
The son was eager to get the chest of treasures, but he didn't have a yuan. He didn't feel like working. He paced back and forth in front of the gate, unsure of what to do.
His mother saw him and felt sorry for her son. She worried he might waste away from overthinking or grow thin. She approached him and said:
"I'll give you a yuan. Take it to your father quickly."
The lazy son took the yuan, grabbed a bundle of food, lay down in the shade under a tree, and ate to his heart's content. He lazed around until evening, then returned home as if nothing had happened. He handed the yuan to his father and said:
"Here's your yuan. Now give me the chest of treasures."
The blacksmith took the coin, examined it, turned it over in his hands, then threw it into the forge and said:
"You didn't earn this yuan."
The lazy son realized he wouldn't get the chest of treasures and grew upset. He went to bed but couldn't sleep, tossing and turning all night. His mother found out about this and gave him money again the next day. The lazy son took the money and spent the whole day idling again, but this time he decided to pretend he'd worked. He ran two miles, worked up a sweat, rushed into the house out of breath, handed the yuan to his father, and said:
"I worked so hard to earn this yuan—my legs can barely hold me up! Now give me the chest of treasures!"
The blacksmith took the money, looked at it for a long time, then threw it into the river that flowed near their house and said angrily:
"You didn't earn this yuan either!"
The lazy son saw that there was no way he would get the chest of treasures and grew so frustrated he could have died!
His mother finally realized what was going on and understood that she had been doing her son more harm than good. The next day, she called him over and said:
"Your father wants what's best for you, son. If you want the chest, you must work honestly!"
The young man listened to his mother and left the house that very day. He walked and walked until his soles were worn out, and finally, on a small street, he found work carrying logs. He worked until nightfall, and after paying for his meal, he had a single coin left. The young man had never worked before and was so exhausted he collapsed. He got up and continued carrying logs. For ten days, he worked without spending a single coin, saving up a yuan. He joyfully returned home and gave the money to his father. The father took the coins, counted them, and threw them into the forge again. The son couldn't bear it and snatched the money from the fire, saying indignantly:
"I worked for ten days to earn this yuan!"
The father was delighted and replied:
"You're right, son! Now I see that you earned this money yourself. You didn't care when I threw away the other coins, did you?"
The blacksmith said this, brought out the chest, and added:
"This chest doesn't hold gold or silver or rare treasures—it holds all my tools. Take it and remember that it's worth more than gold or silver, more than any wealth! Work hard, and you'll never know hardship in your life!"
The son laughed joyfully and accepted his father's inheritance. This was the family treasure.
More fairy tales
