Kindness is like water

I have a friend. The couple work in the same enterprise. They are both honest little clerks.

Two years ago, the enterprise where my friend worked carried out restructuring and laid off some employees. Because the couple were honest, they were laid off in the first batch of personnel.

Fortunately, the couple usually treat people well. They are very popular among the neighbors. Soon after they were laid off, they opened a Sichuan hot pot shop in a new clothing market in the small town with the help of friends, relatives and neighbors.

When the hot pot shop first opened, its business was cold, and it was all taken care of by friends and neighbors. But within three months, the couple won a large number of "repeat customers" for their enthusiasm and fair fees. The business of hotpot shop is getting better day by day. For the sake of friendship, I often take care of some business when the unit has a reception. When I went there many times, I found that almost every time it was time for dinner, seven or eight beggars and beggars in the small town came to their friends' hot pot shop in groups.

To tell you the truth, I have never seen the shopkeepers of other families in the small town treat these beggars as leniently and peacefully as friends and couples. The shopkeepers of other families will bluff and severely scold and abuse when they see beggars coming to the door. The couple would laugh and give these dirty, procrastinating and disgusting beggars to the various pots and pans in front of them every time. And I especially noticed that the meals the couple gave to the beggars were fresh meals from the kitchen, not leftovers used by customers.

Beggars also seem to be very knowledgeable. They leave after begging for food and never stay at the door of the hot pot shop, which affects the couple's business.

Whenever beggars come to beg, I pay attention to the expressions of the couple. It turned out that the couple had no affectation when giving alms to beggars. Their expression is so natural, their expression is so calm. It seems to be doing a natural thing that belongs to you. I really feel that these good deeds of the couple are from the heart, as calm and peaceful as the flow of water. There is a Zen saying: "kindness is like water." I think it must be the way they are.

About six months ago, one night, a boss engaged in clothing wholesale business, because he was addicted to mahjong tables, forgot to put out the coal stove for boiling water, resulting in a fire. Because the whole market is full of inflammables such as silk, chemical fiber, cotton and linen products, the whole market is a sea of fire in the blink of an eye.

On this day, my friend happened to buy goods in Kunming, leaving only women to look after him. The female shopkeeper, who had no strength and no help, saw that the hard-working hot pot shop was about to be swallowed up by the raging fire, but at this critical time, I saw that the beggars who usually came to beg every day, didn't know where to get out, and risked the risk to carry the bulky liquefied gas tanks out to a safe area. Then they rushed into the store that was about to be surrounded by the fire and moved out all the inflammable goods. The fire engine came soon. Although the hot pot shop suffered a little loss due to timely rescue, it was finally saved. The shops around have long been in ruins because they could not be rescued in time. Firefighters participating in the fire fighting said with emotion that if the bulky liquefied gas cans in the hot pot shop were not moved out of the fire site in time, the consequences would be unimaginable in case of explosion, and the whole market would be razed to the ground, so the loss would be great.

After the fire, it is said that the couple's usual good deeds have been rewarded. Without the help of these beggars who usually accept alms, I'm afraid the foundation of the hot pot shop will become a big crater.

As many appliances and belongings in the hot pot shop were saved by Beggars without great losses, the hot pot shop resumed business the afternoon of the second day after the fire. Both husband and wife are planning to treat the beggars who come to beg more sincerely in the future. But the strange thing is that these seven or eight beggars who usually come to beg every day have never seen them since the day when the hot pot shop resumed business. They all seem to disappear from the small town at once. Therefore, a mysterious saying spread in the small town that those beggars are immortals sent by heaven to test the good and evil of people's hearts. The couple's kindness is like water, which is true and good, so they get a good reward. The couple are half convinced. I also feel very strange.

Later, people from a small town went to another city on business and found this group of beggars. However, they no longer begged, but instead picked up waste and garbage for a living. Later, in order to appreciate the help of the beggars, the couple made a special trip to the city to visit. The old beggar said to the couple with tears in his eyes: "In the days of begging in the small town, no one has ever treated us as human beings. Only you and your wife treat us as human beings. It is your respect that has restored our self-esteem and self-confidence. The reason why we want to leave the small town is because we want to start a new life. Although we can only make a living by picking up garbage at present, we feel happy and happy."

Oh! A kind almsgiving can startle many people in his heart. Give up.