The beggar asked the God of Wealth

 

The beggar asked the God of Wealth

 

In the blink of an eye, the annual Lunar New Year is here. The God of Wealth is one of the good gods commonly worshiped by Chinese people. Every New Year, every household hangs a statue of the God of Wealth in the hope that the God of Wealth will bless them and bring good fortune.

Agudengba and the groom Azhuo were chatting about the folk custom of picking up the God of Wealth during the Spring Festival.

A Zhuo said:

Life in this world is both safe and wealthy, and naturally perfect. This sincere wish has become a common psychology among people. To pray for wealth and receive blessings, and to worship the God of Wealth, this is the most grand festival among Chinese folk Spring Festivals. On New Year's Eve, the whole family sits together and eats dumplings, which symbolize the ingots given by the God of Wealth. After eating the dumplings, I stayed up all night, waiting to welcome the God of Wealth.

Agudenba smiled and said:

The "God of Wealth" is actually a crudely printed statue of the God of Wealth. This statue is printed on red paper, with a line drawing in the middle, and auspicious words such as "Add a child to bring wealth" and "Pray for peace" are written on both sides.

Those who "send the God of Wealth" are some poor children or street vendors. They buy statues of the God of Wealth at low prices and walk through the streets and alleys, selling door to door: "Here comes the God of Wealth!" The head of the household must not say "no", but should politely say He said: "Excuse me, please come in quickly." You can buy one for a few coppers, and no matter how poor you are, you will be rewarded with a sticky bean bag in exchange for one.

On New Year's Eve, some families can receive more than a dozen "God of Wealth statues" in order to bring good luck to the family.

This custom still continues in some areas of China. During the Spring Festival, some beggars go to the village to beg for money from door to door. After the owner gives them money, they paste a statue of the God of Wealth on the wall in front of the owner's house.

These beggars used yellow paper engraved with the God of Wealth's pattern and posted it on other people's doors. When posting it, they murmured: "If the God of Wealth posted it high, the owner would make steamed buns and cakes; if the God of Wealth posted it low, the owner would have good luck in the new year. "The God of Wealth should not be too high or too low, as the master's money covers the floor." The master replied: "It depends on wealth."

Agudengba asked Azhuo: Do you believe in the God of Wealth? The God of Wealth can really appear, why not let these poor beggars get rich first? The God of Wealth may want some people to get rich first, but these people will definitely not be beggars, hawkers and poor children.

Agudengba told Azhuo the story of beggars in ancient China:

During the Spring and Autumn Period, Wu Zixu, a native of Chu, was falsely accused of "rebellion" because his father was falsely accused of "rebellion". His whole family was killed by King Ping of Chu. He was the only one who escaped the disaster by going hunting. Wu Zixu was desperate and wanted to cross Zhaoguan to the Kingdom of Wu. At this time, a statue of Wu Zixu was posted at Zhaoguan, offering a reward for his capture. Wu Zixu was anxious and worried. His beard and hair turned all white overnight, and he was beyond recognition. As a result, he got through the pass and arrived at Suzhou, the capital of the Wu Kingdom. At this time, he was penniless and had to play the long flute he carried with him and beg to survive. While Wu Zixu was begging, he happened to meet Ji Guang, the prince of Wu Kingdom. Seeing Wu Zixu's extraordinary appearance and outstanding eloquence, he took him into the palace and entrusted him with important tasks. After Ji Guang succeeded to the throne, he served as King Helu of Wu. Wu Zixu led the Wu soldiers to defeat Chu and avenged King Ping of Chu by whipping him to death.

Agudengba said: Later, the beggars in Suzhou respected Wu Zixu as the beggar head because Wu Zixu wanted to have a meal here. The word "beggar" was widely used to refer to people who beg for food starting from the Song Dynasty. At that time, beggars were compared with horse doctors, bartenders, servants and human traffickers.

Agudengba sang a short song "The Beggar Asks the God of Wealth":

 

Society has been unequal between rich and poor since ancient times.

The Lunar New Year is decorated with lanterns and colors,

Rich officials are happy to receive the God of Wealth.

The begging refugees seek food for a living.

 

There are countless books on the history of the Great Famine.

The war is not just over, but hungry people are everywhere.

Why does the God of Wealth turn a blind eye?

Why does a hungry woman care about a beggar child?