ExclusiveTraditional Chinese Tales：The Happy Recluse

The Happy Recluse Wang Ba from Taiyuan made a vow when he was young to become a recluse of noble character. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, Wang was offered a government position but he declined. Wang was friends with a fellow from the same county named Linghu Zhibo. Later Zhibo became and his son became an official in the county. Zhibo sent his son to deliver a letter to Wang. Arriving in a carriage and accompanied by attendants, Zhibo's son exhibited an air of dignity. Wang's own son happened to be working in the fields. Upon hearing that a guest had arrived, he dropped his tools and rushed home. Upon meeting Zhibo's son, Wang's son felt inferior and ashamed and couldn't even look up. Witnessing his son's lack of confidence, Wang lay down in bed after the guest left and refused to get up. Puzzled by his behaviour, Wang's wife asked him why. At first Wang refused to speak but later admitted, Zhibo and I have always been equals. Today when I saw his son dress so splendidly with a radiant demeanour and proper manners, while my son was unkempt, inarticulate and lacking in etiquette, I felt ashamed. My son and I are deeply bonded, therefore I couldn't help but feel disheartened. Wang's wife replied, when you were young you aspired to a life of tranquility and high moral standards, regardless of wealth, honour or officialdom. Now that you see Zhibo's wealth and status, why have you lost sight of your lofty ideals? Why are you feeling ashamed of your children, forgetting your original aspirations? Wang got up, smiled and said, you are absolutely right. From then on, he and his family chose to live in seclusion for the rest of their lives, becoming carefree recluses. In truth, children's fortunes are destined, not necessarily aligning with their parents' expectations. Therefore, naturally going with the flow is often the best approach. However, even wise people from ancient times often failed to grasp this principle. In this story, Wang's wife can be said to have hit the nail on the head. Her words instantly freed up Wang from his worries. She was indeed a very wise woman.