The Twenty-four Paragons of Filial Piety
Chewing on a few bites of the black wheat bun, Su Shimao really couldn't swallow it and put down his chopsticks.
"Shimao, eat a bit more," Zhao said worriedly, concerned her son might be hungry.
"Eat what? This isn't food for humans!" Su Shimao slammed the table heavily, annoyed. "Third Uncle is really something, how could he be so heartless, taking everything away!"
"Isn't that the truth! Third Uncle was always so honest and never talked back to anyone, but yesterday he seemed possessed. Sigh, it's really a sin," Zhao sighed.
Su Shimao snorted sharply through his nose, "Third Uncle isn't possessed, he's just worried about his daughter! That dead girl, Su Lanxiang, such a delicate country girl, falls ill just like that."
Hearing this, Zhao nodded in agreement, "Yes, it must be because of Su Lanxiang. Don't look at Third Uncle usually being so calm, but he really dotes on his daughter. Su Lanxiang's illness is severe; maybe Third Uncle got anxious, thinking we caused her to fall ill, so he took it out on us. That damned girl has ruined our family!"
Zhao cursed Su Lanxiang angrily, and Old Su also found Su Shimao's analysis reasonable.
Su Sanyun had always been a coward; over the years, Sun hadn't been able to persuade him to defy his parents. Probably this time, it was Su Lanxiang's near death that pushed him.
Old Su snorted, "That little bitch Su Lanxiang, her body fails her, and she ends up making her grandparents go hungry!"
Suddenly, Su Shimao's eyes flashed as he thought of something and said to everyone, "I read some classics, including the Twenty-four Filial Exemplars, which has a story."
The Twenty-four Filial Exemplars is a widely circulated moral code for filial children. Old Su especially liked these moral tales that pressured children to be filial. Hearing Su Shimao mention it, he got interested and urged him to tell the story.
Su Shimao said, "Once there was a man named Guo Ju. His family was once prosperous, but after his father died, Guo Ju divided the estate between his two younger brothers and devoted himself to caring for his mother, being very filial. However, the family grew poorer. Guo Ju's wife gave birth to a son, and Guo Ju's mother adored the grandson, often sacrificing her own meals to feed him. Guo Ju felt uneasy, thinking raising the child would affect his ability to support his mother. So he and his wife planned to bury the son to save grain for the mother. As they dug the pit, they found a jar of gold inscribed, "Heaven's gift to the filial Guo Ju, forbidden to officials and commoners alike." The couple took the gold home, cared for the mother, and raised the child. From then on, Guo Ju not only lived well but also became renowned for his filial piety."
After Su Shimao finished the story, Su Meixiang shivered suddenly, her one eye coldly staring at Su Shimao.
Old Su stroked his beard thoughtfully after hearing the story and nodded in praise, "That's a good story. Guo Ju buried his troublesome son to care for his mother, truly a great filial son worthy of praise! You all should learn from this and be more filial to me, your father!"
Su Shimao said, "Grandpa, look at that great filial son Guo Ju. He buried his son to save grain for his mother. But my Third Uncle, for the sake of his sick daughter Su Lanxiang, took away what was meant as filial offerings for his parents. Isn't that a huge act of unfilialness? I think it's that Su Lanxiang who bewitched Third Uncle, causing him to be unfilial."