There once lived a scholar who had a beautiful wife and loving daughter. They were poor, but were living happily. The scholar studied extensively everyday so that he can take the civil exam once every three years in order to become a government official. Although the scholar and his family were poor, they were always together and happy.

The meals they had were meager and the clothing they wore were coarse. However, they always smile at each other and talk like a family everyday. As the exam start to get close, the scholar left his family in order to pursue his career. Finally, his studies had paid off and were able to pass the exam. Bestowed by the emperor to becoming a government official, the scholar now has a great house and big income for the family.

Now that the scholar has become a government official, his desire deepen where his greed for power and wealth starts to take over. Neglecting his family to further his ambition, the family hardly ever talked. His wife and daughter were very upset, missing the old days where they would talk over the slightest thing and smiled over the littlest delight.

Whether there was a flood or a natural disaster, the funds issued to ease the people were taken by the government official. Using it as bribe money, he was able to further his influence and power. As the years goes by, his power was felt and his wealth was envied across the country.

The love between his family grew coarser over the years, and the love they once had became hatred. The peasants eventually revolted within his district, where the situation alerted the emperor. Finding faults and seeing the official hoarding wealth from the peasants, the emperor had him executed. The government official came to a bitter end where his years of pursuing his career had destroyed himself and everyone else. The peasants were tarnished and his family was ruined in the pursuit of profit. In the end, he couldn’t even save his own life with his power and wealth.

The Scholar Story by David Kam

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