Chapter Forty-Six: The Liu Family’s Ancestral Teachings

That evening, when Liu Dayou returned home, his father and mother had already prepared dinner and were waiting for him to eat together. Seeing him come back empty-handed, his mother comforted him, “It’s all right if you didn’t catch anything today. We still have enough grain for a few more days. Tomorrow, I’ll go to the county and see if there’s any work. Maybe I can find some odd jobs and exchange for some food.”

Liu Dayou said nothing, eating in silence. The meal was simple: a few cornbread buns, a plate of pickled vegetables, and a bit of wild vegetable soup left over from lunch. It was humble fare, but Liu Dayou ate with satisfaction—he had eaten meals like this for more than twenty years.

After they finished eating and his mother was about to clear the dishes, Liu Dayou suddenly reached into his pocket and placed twenty silver coins on the table.

His mother was startled at the sight, blurting out, “Dayou, where did you get so much money?” She looked around anxiously, closed the door, and said in a low voice, “Dayou, we may be poor, but you mustn’t go down the wrong path! If you get caught, how will your father and I live? Listen to me—wherever this money came from, return it at once. Explain yourself and beg them not to report you to the authorities.”

His mother’s face was filled with panic. She had never seen so much money in her life. The sudden appearance of twenty silver coins nearly frightened her to death.

His father said nothing, but fixed Liu Dayou with a piercing gaze, reproach in his eyes. Honest and taciturn by nature, he was a man of integrity and despised wrongdoing. Seeing his son with so much money, he was already angry—were it not for wanting to hear an explanation, he’d have already reached for the stick.

“Father, Mother, let me explain. I didn’t steal or rob anyone. I earned this money openly and honestly,” Liu Dayou hastened to say.

“Speak! What happened?” his father demanded gruffly.

“This afternoon, I didn’t go hunting. I went to the county and enlisted in the army. The officer said that as long as I joined up, I’d get a twenty-dollar settlement allowance, and then five dollars a month in pay. This money on the table is the enlistment allowance,” Liu Dayou explained.

“What!” His mother was stunned, rooted to the spot, at a loss for what to do.

To his parents, Liu Dayou’s words struck like thunder on a clear day, leaving them both dumbfounded. Neither of them had ever imagined he would join the army. Being a soldier was a matter of life and death—one careless moment and you could fall on the battlefield, leaving grieving parents to bury their son. How could they not be shaken?

At the thought, his mother’s composure crumbled. “Dayou, how could you think of becoming a soldier? Soldiers die, my child! Listen to me, let’s return the money. Tell the officer you won’t enlist after all.”

“Dayou, if you become a soldier, you’ll be eating your last meal. If something should happen to you, how will your father and I go on living?” As she spoke, his mother began to sob, her emotions overwhelmed. The panic on her face had swept away all the courage she’d shown during the day. Any mother, no matter how strong she might seem, becomes soft and vulnerable when it comes to her own child. Such is a mother’s heart.

“Enough! You’re a woman, always crying. What do you know?” Hearing her sobs, his father took a drag from his pipe, his brows knit in impatience. “You think you can just return money like this? Once it’s taken, it’s not so easily handed back. Besides, once you’ve given your word, you can’t go back on it.”

Taking another draw on his pipe, he said gravely, “Dayou, since you’ve chosen to enlist, your father won’t stop you—nor could I, even if I wished. I know you’re not content with an ordinary life, don’t want to be a farmer forever, don’t want to live in obscurity. Even if you never say it, a father knows his son. I understand how you feel.”

He sighed. “I only regret that I amount to nothing, that I couldn’t give you a better life. I’m a mediocre man, with no great ambitions—born to be a farmer. But you’re different. If you have dreams and the will to pursue them, I won’t stand in your way. But remember, no matter what, the Liu family has always stood upright and acted with integrity. Never stray from the righteous path!”

At his father’s words, Liu Dayou’s eyes filled with tears. He dropped to his knees with a thud, choking out, “Father…”

“Get up! Stand up!” His father’s expression hardened, his voice stern. “A man’s knees are worth their weight in gold. As a Liu, you do not kneel easily, not even in death!”

“Yes, Father, I understand!” Liu Dayou replied solemnly, wiping away his tears as he stood.

Then his father went on, “I heard about this unit in the county today while working. It’s an anti-Japanese force. That’s a good thing! Fighting the Japanese is defending the homeland, bringing honor to our ancestors. Even if you die in battle, you will die with glory, and our family name will shine with pride!”

“Dayou, remember: when you join the army, always obey your superiors. Fight fiercely, show your mettle, and uphold the Liu family’s honor. Don’t disgrace our name. Do you understand?”

“I do, Father!” Liu Dayou bowed his head with resolve.

“Enough, I won’t say more. Just one last thing: in all things, act with dignity and honesty. Walk the straight path, and never bring shame to our ancestors. This is our family precept. I meant to teach it to you when you started your own family, but since you’ve chosen to join the army, I hope you’ll remember it for life. Even in death, never forget—this is the spirit passed down through generations of the Liu family.”

Though unlettered and unfamiliar with lofty principles, Liu Dayou’s father understood well what it meant to be a good man. Their ancestors had been both farmers and scholars, and though the family had declined, the family precepts had never been forgotten.

At these words, Liu Dayou dropped to his knees and kowtowed three times to his parents, his voice solemn and assured: “Father, Mother, rest assured. I will always abide by our family’s teachings, act honorably, and fight bravely! I will never bring shame to our family. If I should fail to make something of myself in this life, I am unworthy of being called a Liu!”

As he spoke, his face shone with determination, his tone resolute and powerful. This time, his father did not stop him from kneeling, but merely nodded, his expression tinged with pride and a faint sorrow.