Once upon a time, a wealthy old man was looking for a son-in-law. One day, he passed by the village communal house and saw a scruffy young man, dressed in tattered clothes, yawning as he walked. The old man suddenly noticed the village god rising, as if to bow in greeting. He thought to himself: “This young man must have the demeanor of a high official, greater than the village god, which is why the god seems so anxious!” The old man then called him home and arranged to marry his daughter to him.
The young man was actually a former opium addict, but thanks to his new in-laws, he was no longer ragged. He indulged in smoking and became plump. The old man, wanting to show off his son-in-law, recounted the earlier story. However, none of the relatives believed him. The old man returned home and told his son-in-law to dress neatly, then took him to the communal house for the relatives to see. But this time, the village god simply sat on the altar, not rising as before. The relatives burst into laughter. The old man felt embarrassed and very angry, so he entered the communal house and asked:
– Hey, priest, why was it that when my son-in-law was dressed in rags and yawning, you stood up to greet him as he passed by? But now, when he is dressed neatly like this, you just sit there like a wooden block?
The village god smiled and replied:
– Now your son-in-law eats and drinks abundantly, has money for smoking, so why should I be afraid? In the past, whenever he came by here, I had to keep an eye out, fearing he might steal the incense burner or the bronze lamps on the altar. If I didn’t stand up to be cautious, he might take them!