Moral Judgment

It was a weekend, and Lao Hei got up early and took the bus. Seeing that there were plenty of empty seats on the bus, he found a comfortable window seat and sat down. After two stops, the bus gradually filled up, and an old man wearing a melon-skin cap sat down next to Lao Hei.

The bus started, but before it could leave the station, it stopped again. Everyone looked out to see a pregnant woman rushing towards them with a big belly. The bus door opened, and the pregnant woman, panting, thanked the driver and boarded the bus.

Upon seeing the pregnant woman, Lao Hei immediately wanted to give up his seat, but then he thought, "I'm going to the senior university to rehearse for a dance today, and it's a one-hour ride. If I give up my seat and stand all the way, I might not be able to walk steadily, let alone dance." Thinking this, Lao Hei sat still, looking out the window. Everyone else also pretended not to see and turned their heads away.

The pregnant woman, seeing no empty seats, slowly walked to the middle of the bus and stopped next to the melon-skin cap. She steadied herself, grabbed the overhead strap with one hand, and stood in the aisle. The bus started again, but the pregnant woman didn't stand firm and lurched forward. Fortunately, she grabbed the back of the melon-skin cap's seat in time, preventing her from hitting her belly.

This made the melon-skin cap man restless. He looked at the pregnant woman, slowly got up, but before he could stand straight, he suddenly sat back down. He nudged Lao Hei and said, "I wanted to give up my seat, but I looked around and thought you're younger than me. It should be you who gives up your seat, otherwise, it would be embarrassing for you to sit there while I stand up."

Lao Hei inwardly cursed: "This damn old man is cunning. He says he's afraid I'll be embarrassed, but he's clearly unwilling to give up his seat and is finding a reason to make me give up mine." Lao Hei retorted, "Why do you say I'm younger than you?"

The melon-skin cap man laughed and said, "Look at you, full of energy, while I'm all skin and bones, almost needing to lean on a wall to walk. Don't you think you should embody the spirit of Lei Feng?"

Usually, if someone complimented Lao Hei like this, he would be delighted and might even share his health tips. But now, he was not convinced, and he didn't think the melon-skin cap man looked any older than him. He said, "Forget it, you leaning on the wall is probably because you drank too much last night. I think you're in your prime, much younger than me."

Both were desperately complimenting each other's youth, and the people on the bus couldn't help but laugh. Even the pregnant woman standing next to them was amused.

After a few exchanges, Lao Hei felt a bit embarrassed. The pregnant woman was still standing there with her big belly, and someone should have given up their seat long ago. But now, after this dispute, if he gave up his seat, it would be admitting defeat. Lao Hei regretted not giving up his seat directly earlier; now he was in a dilemma.

The melon-skin cap man also felt it was not good to keep the pregnant woman standing, so he said with a chuckle, "She's waiting here, and our argument won't lead to any result. Let's let everyone else decide."

Lao Hei agreed and said, "Yes, the people have the most say." He asked the pregnant woman next to him, "Take a good look at us. Who is younger between us two?"

The pregnant woman looked at the melon-skin cap man's face, then at Lao Hei's for a while, shook her head, and said, "I'm sorry, but you two seem to be about the same age, and I can't tell who is younger."

The melon-skin cap man then said to the people around, "Let's have everyone decide. We must come to a conclusion so that the one who gives up their seat has no complaints, and the one who sits feels at ease."

Everyone found the two men amusing and now agreed with the melon-skin cap man's suggestion. A young man sitting behind Lao Hei came over, counted something on Lao Hei's face, then on the melon-skin cap man's face, and then pointed at the melon-skin cap man, saying, "This hat-wearing uncle is older; he has seven wrinkles on his forehead. That uncle is younger; he only has three wrinkles, and his complexion is also good."

Everyone laughed. The melon-skin cap man looked at Lao Hei triumphantly, as if to say, "See, I told you you're younger." Then a woman said, "Fewer wrinkles and a bright face might be because this uncle is in a good mood and exercises regularly, so he looks younger, but his actual age might not be younger, so appearances are still not accurate."

Lao Hei nodded happily at the woman. The bus was like a boiling pot, with everyone guessing the ages of the two men, some supporting the melon-skin cap man, others supporting Lao Hei.

Then someone shouted, "Check the ID card; the ID card shows the birthday!" Others agreed, thinking it was the fairest method.

Lao Hei slapped his forehead and said to the melon-skin cap man, "How about it, let's take out our ID cards and ask this lady to take a look."

The melon-skin cap man nodded, "No problem, but I didn't bring my ID card; I brought my household registration book today for some business." He then took out the registration book and handed it to the pregnant woman.

The pregnant woman took the registration book and the ID card, looked at them carefully, and said, "Both gentlemen were born in 1951," she pointed at the melon-skin cap man, "but this gentleman was born in May," then at Lao Hei, "and this gentleman was born in December. Although they were born in the same year, this gentleman is half a year younger."

Everyone laughed. It turned out that the two were born in the same year, but Lao Hei lost; he was younger and should give up his seat.

After all this debate, the bus had already passed several stations when it stopped again. Lao Hei didn't hesitate this time and immediately stood up, saying, "Miss, come and sit here!"

But the pregnant woman returned the documents to the two men and smiled, "Thank you, but I need to get off now."

Lao Hei and the melon-skin cap man were both stunned; they didn't expect that their argument had made her miss her stop.

The pregnant woman walked to the door and turned back to smile, "Actually, I had already reached my stop, but to see the result of your competition, I sat for an extra stop. But I still have to thank you." With that, she got off the bus.

Everyone on the bus laughed, but Lao Hei and the melon-skin cap man felt a bit embarrassed.

The driver looked back at everyone and said coldly, "These two gentlemen have been competing for so long, but at least someone has given up their seat. Moreover, they are both in their fifties. But looking at the people on the bus now, most of you are young, right? Why don't any of you dare to compete with them?"

The laughing passengers suddenly fell silent, and the bus became quiet.