In Juxian, two merchant brothers lived side-by-side, one affluent, the other destitute, their residences separated only by a single wall. During the Kangxi reign, a great drought struck the land. The younger brother's household was nearly empty of provisions. His wife urged him, "Go ask your elder brother for help; try your luck." The younger brother sighed, "It's useless. If my brother were willing to give aid, he would have done so long ago; why wait until now?"

"What harm is there in trying?" his wife countered. The younger brother reluctantly went to his brother's house to beg for grain. His sister-in-law met him, stating, "When brothers divide their households, they must stand on their own feet. If you seek grain now, I regret to say, we can offer no assistance." The younger brother retreated in utter humiliation, returning home crestfallen.

In the village lived three or four ruffians who coveted the elder brother's wealth. That night, they scaled the wall and entered to rob him. The elder brother's family awoke in terror, banging pots and wailing for help. The neighbors, having long disliked the brothers' arrogance, refused to lend aid to either. The elder brother, desperate, had no choice but to cry out his younger brother's name, begging for his life.

The younger brother was just preparing to intervene when his wife stopped him. She shouted over the wall, "Sister-in-law, when brothers divide their households, they must stand on their own feet. Now you beg us for aid? I regret to say, we can offer no assistance." Moments later, the ruffians smashed the doors and windows, seizing the elder brother's family and subjecting them to brutal torture—whips, branding irons, and every manner of cruelty.

As the elder brother and his wife screamed in agony, the younger brother could bear it no longer. He and his son immediately rushed to the rescue. Both were masters of martial arts; after only two or three exchanges, the ruffians were overwhelmed, routed, and fled in panic. The younger brother checked his brother's wounds, finding severe, foul-smelling burns searing their thighs. He immediately summoned the maids and servants, commanded them to tend to the injured, and then took his leave.

Although injured, the elder brother's wealth remained untouched. He told his wife, "This time, we owe everything to my brother's righteous help; not a single piece of property was lost. I intend to give him a portion of our estate. What do you say?" His wife shook her head vehemently. "If my brother-in-law were truly righteous, why did he wait until we were injured before offering aid? It shows his heart was never truly good. Not a single coin shall he receive."

Not long after, the drought worsened, and the younger brother's house had nothing left to cook. He returned to his brother's home seeking help and was lent a single dou of coarse rice—a mere drop in the bucket, offering no real remedy. The younger brother, haggard, told his wife, "Given our plight, we might as well sell our residence to my brother for silver to get by." His wife agreed. She immediately sent her son to the elder brother’s mansion with the deed.

The elder brother accepted the deed and told his wife, "Though my brother may lack virtue, he is still my flesh and blood. Moreover, his martial prowess ensures our safety. Once he moves away, if the ruffians return to cause trouble, what then? We should return the deed and give him some silver besides."

His wife retorted, "Not so. My brother-in-law's constant talk of leaving is merely a tactic to blackmail us. If we give him silver freely, are we not falling into his trap? Since he wishes to sell the house, let us grant his wish and buy it. As for the ruffians, they will be easier to handle; simply raising the walls will ensure we are safe."

Having settled their scheme, they purchased the adjoining residence from the younger brother, paying merely a dozen taels of silver. The younger brother lost his home and was forced to move to a neighboring village. The ruffians, hearing of the younger brother’s departure, immediately raided the elder brother’s house, seizing all the gold and silver, beating the couple severely, and then opening the granaries to distribute grain to the populace.

The elder brother, suffering from numerous wounds, died the following day. He left behind a son of only five years. The family wealth was gone, and their lives became difficult. The boy frequently visited the younger brother's home to share meals. The elder sister-in-law, witnessing this, was displeased and often spoke with resentment. The younger brother comforted her, saying, "Though my brother was unjust, the child is innocent. What crime has he committed?" He went out and bought steamed buns to treat his nephew.

As for the elder sister-in-law, due to her straitened circumstances, she had to pawn her residence, obtaining several dozen taels of silver to barely sustain herself. Years passed quickly. The nephew reached fifteen, but his constitution was frail, preventing him from doing heavy labor. The younger brother then had him sell baked biscuits on the street alongside his own son.

One night, the younger brother dreamt that his elder brother appeared, saying, "I am deeply grateful that you harbored no ill will and cared for my son. Beneath the grass of our old homestead, there is a cellar containing some fragmented silver. Find a way to redeem the property; the gold hidden in that cellar will be enough to cover your household expenses."

The younger brother followed the elder brother's instructions and redeemed the residence. Opening the cellar, he indeed found five hundred taels of gold. From then on, he abandoned his former trade and opened a thriving restaurant in the bustling market, his fortunes improving day by day.

Several more years elapsed. The elder sister-in-law passed away from illness. The younger brother was growing old himself, so he divided his property with his nephew, giving him half his accumulated wealth.