The young girl cried every night. Her great-grandfather came to congratulate, saying, "A rabbit spirit has come to repay a kindness."

During the Ming Dynasty, there was a carpenter named Sun Qiang in Dongxi Village. He was an honest and kind young man, well-regarded by everyone.

One autumn afternoon, after finishing his work and receiving his wages from a client, Sun Qiang went to the market in the east of the city to buy some gifts for his parents. As he approached the city gate, he saw four boys, about fifteen or sixteen years old, bullying a young beggar. The beggar, about seven or eight years old, was not only poorly dressed but also had a large scar-like red birthmark on his right cheek, making him look quite unattractive.

Seeing the young beggar being kicked and punched by the boys and starting to sob on the ground, Sun Qiang couldn't stand it any longer. He stepped forward, pulled the boys away, and scolded them, "How can you bully a child like this? Stop it, or I'll have to deal with you!"

The boys were bullying the beggar because they thought he was ugly, so they had no real reason. Scared by Sun Qiang's stern warning, they quickly stopped and ran away. Sun Qiang took the opportunity to help the beggar up and asked with concern, "Are you okay?"

"I'm...I'm very hungry," the young beggar replied tearfully. "Big brother, can you give me something to eat? I haven't had anything for two days, and even my broken bowl was smashed by them." Saying this, the beggar pointed to the shards of the broken bowl by his feet.

Seeing the desperate look in the beggar's eyes, Sun Qiang felt a surge of compassion. He nodded quickly and asked, "Are you a little girl? What's your name?"

The young beggar nodded and said, "I don't know my name, but the people I beg with call me Little Dot. You can call me that too if you like, big brother."

"Alright, Little Dot, let's go. I'll buy you some buns." Moved by his compassion, Sun Qiang immediately took Little Dot to a bun shop and bought her a big bun. Little Dot devoured two buns ravenously but stopped eating even though she was still hungry. When Sun Qiang asked why, she said, "There are a few other beggars who haven't eaten for two days either. I want to save the remaining buns for them."

"You're in such a difficult situation yourself, yet you're still thinking of your companions. That's truly admirable," Sun Qiang sighed. He then bought another bun for Little Dot to eat. After eating one bun, she insisted on taking the remaining buns to her companions. Worried she might be bullied again on the way, Sun Qiang decided to accompany her to the Chenghuang Temple in the east of the city.

The temple, long abandoned and in disrepair, had become a home for the city's beggars. As soon as Little Dot entered with the buns, five or six adult beggars rushed over and snatched them away without a word. Sun Qiang could only shake his head at the sight and quietly asked Little Dot, "Do you live with them regularly?"

Little Dot nodded again. Sun Qiang asked, "Do they bully you?"

"If I find food and bring it back to share, they let me sleep in the temple. If I don't find food, they make me sleep outside," Little Dot replied honestly.

Hearing this, Sun Qiang felt even worse and clenched his fists in anger. "Despicable!"

No sooner had he spoken than the beggars stopped eating and glared menacingly at him. Feeling a bit frightened, Sun Qiang quickly grabbed Little Dot and said, "Come, stay at my house from now on. Don't stay with them anymore."

"Big brother, are you really going to take me in? Thank you!" Little Dot cried tears of joy as they walked. But after a few steps, she hesitated and said, "I look so ugly. If you take me home, your parents might blame you."

"My parents are kind-hearted like me. They won't blame me. Come on, follow me home. My name is Sun Qiang. You can call me Brother Qiang or Big Brother."

"Thank you, Big Brother." With that, Little Dot happily followed Sun Qiang home.

Just as Sun Qiang said, his parents, Old Man Sun and Madam Meng, were kind-hearted. Hearing about Little Dot's plight, they felt deep sympathy and didn't drive her away despite her appearance. To welcome Little Dot, Madam Meng even killed a chicken and made a pot of chicken soup that night, placing a drumstick in her bowl. "Child, you're so skinny. Eat more. From now on, you're part of our Sun family. No one will bully you anymore," she said. Old Man Sun also gave Little Dot a piece of chicken.

Moved to tears, Little Dot asked, "Can I call you Mom and Dad? I never knew my real parents. Meeting you today, I feel you're even better than my real parents."

"Of course, you can," Madam Meng nodded happily, and Old Man Sun said with a laugh, "Since you've called us Mom and Dad, you're now officially our daughter. We'll call you Sun Qian."

"Great, I'll call you Sister Qian from now on," Sun Qiang said excitedly.

Little Dot, now Sun Qian, nodded repeatedly. "I like this name very much. Thank you, Mom and Dad. Thank you, Big Brother!"

As they were having dinner, a clear voice called from outside, "Brother Qiang, are you back?" It was Zhang Fang.

Zhang Fang was a year younger than Sun Qiang, and her family lived just a hundred steps away from his. Growing up together, they were childhood sweethearts. Sun Qiang's parents thought Zhang Fang was pretty and wanted her as a daughter-in-law, but Zhang Fang's parents looked down on Sun Qiang a bit, so they hadn't agreed. This left Sun Qiang still unmarried past the age of twenty.

"Xiaofang, I'm back," Sun Qiang said, dropping his chopsticks and running out to meet her, as if he had lost his soul.

Sun Qian looked towards the door, putting down her chopsticks and looking serious. Meanwhile, Old Man Sun and Madam Meng, engrossed in discussing Sun Qiang and Zhang Fang's potential marriage, didn't notice Sun Qian's expression.

Seeing Zhang Fang, Sun Qiang couldn't help but hold her hand. "Fangmei, have you had dinner? My mom made chicken soup tonight. Come in and try some."

"I'd better not," Zhang Fang pulled her hand back, looking sad. "My mother is sick, and we don't have money for treatment. Brother Qiang, can you lend me two taels of silver? I'll pay you back slowly."

"Is Aunt Liu sick? Wait here, I'll get the money for you," Sun Qiang said, worried, and quickly went to get the money.

Madam Meng heard Zhang Fang and brought her inside, offering her some chicken soup. Zhang Fang entered happily but was startled by Sun Qian's face. "Who is this? How can someone be so ugly?"

"This is my adopted sister. She's had a hard life, so I brought her home," Sun Qiang said, sitting beside Zhang Fang and slipping two taels of silver into her hand, implying she didn't need to pay it back.

Zhang Fang quickly put the silver in her waistband and hurriedly left, saying she had to go home.

Seeing Zhang Fang's reaction, Old Man Sun and Madam Meng knew she had been scared by Sun Qian's appearance, so they didn't insist she stay. Sun Qiang, still concerned about Zhang Fang, wanted to visit her mother, but she wouldn't let him in. Disappointed, he returned home.

At the door, he saw his mother carrying a quilt for Sun Qian and quickly took it from her. "Mom, let me do it."

"Alright, I'll go wash the dishes then," Madam Meng said, handing over the quilt.

Sun Qiang took Sun Qian to a small room and started making the bed. Suddenly, Sun Qian asked, "Big brother, do you like that sister and want to marry her?"

Without hesitation, Sun Qiang nodded.

Sun Qian said seriously, "She lied to you about the money. She's not a good person. You shouldn't marry her."

"What? Zhang Fang lied to me? Is her mother not sick? No wonder she wouldn't let me see her mother." Sun Qiang pondered this, but before he could think further, Sun Qian continued, "Big brother, if you don't believe me, let's wait outside her house tonight. Then you'll know."

"Okay." Sun Qiang couldn't believe Zhang Fang would lie to him, so to prove her innocence, he agreed to Sun Qian's plan. After dark, they sneaked to Zhang Fang's house.

There was an ancient cypress tree outside Zhang's courtyard, tall and towering. Under the tree, Sun Qian whispered, "Big brother, you climb the tree first. I haven't climbed in a long time, so I might not make it up. I'll hide in the haystack."

Sun Qiang looked around and pointed to a nearby haystack. "You hide there."

Sun Qian shook her head. "No, someone will come to that haystack later. If you hide there, you'll be discovered."

"Really? How do you know?" Sun Qiang asked, surprised.

"I don't know, but I have a feeling," Sun Qian replied confidently.

"Alright then, just in case." Sun Qiang had no choice but to follow Sun Qian's request and climb up the ancient cypress tree with all his might. After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, he finally sat on a branch over ten feet high. He was panting heavily and was about to signal Sun Qian to come up as well, but in the blink of an eye, she had already climbed up like a monkey, much to Sun Qiang's surprise.

That night, a crescent moon hung in the sky. The two sat on the branch, clearly observing the happenings in the Zhang family courtyard. At this time, all was silent, and most people were asleep.

Suddenly, a shadowy figure crept along the path from the west side of the village. The figure reached the gate of the Zhang family courtyard and imitated the cry of a wild cat twice. Sun Qiang saw that the figure looked very much like a rogue and was even more puzzled: What is he doing here so late? Could he be trying to take advantage of Fang?

This rogue, although good-looking, was lazy and a typical delinquent. He had been coveting Zhang Fang's beauty for a long time and had even asked matchmakers to propose marriage several times, but the Zhang family clearly didn't think much of him and refused.

While Sun Qiang was staring at the rogue in a daze, Zhang Fang tiptoed out of the house, carefully opened the gate, and softly asked, "You rascal, why are you so late?"

The rogue replied with a wicked laugh, "I was worried about being caught by your parents."

With that, he pulled Zhang Fang and eagerly dove into a large haystack outside the gate.

"What are they doing?" Sun Qiang almost cried out in anger when he saw this. Fortunately, Sun Qian made a gesture for silence, stopping him just in time. Soon, heavy breathing sounds came from the haystack, and Sun Qiang knew exactly what was happening inside without having to think. He was so angry that he nearly fell from the tree. Only then did he believe that everything Sun Qian had said was true.

Zhang Fang, who seemed so pure on the surface, was so dirty and despicable behind the scenes that it was hard to accept. After the affair, Zhang Fang gave the rogue an ingot of silver, saying, "Take this to solve your immediate problems, but don't gamble anymore."

"Why so little? Didn't that fool Sun Qiang come back? He must have earned quite a bit while he was away. You should borrow more from him since he likes you and won't ask for it back," the rogue shamelessly suggested.

Sun Qiang felt as if his heart was being cut with a knife. He never expected that Zhang Fang borrowed money from him to give to the rogue.

About an hour later, the two shameless individuals finished their business and went home separately. Sun Qiang, disheartened, slid down from the tree. Sun Qian, knowing he was upset, softly comforted him, "Big brother, you are kind-hearted and have accumulated a lot of virtue. You will live a long life and find a good wife."

"Yes, I think so too." After this incident, Sun Qiang vowed not to like Zhang Fang anymore and to find a suitable wife through a matchmaker and live a steady life.

Because of this incident, Sun Qiang was very depressed for two days, losing interest in everything and lying in bed crying after meals. His mother, Meng Shi, thought he was ill and wanted to find a doctor. To prevent unnecessary trouble, Sun Qian explained the situation. Meng Shi was so angry that she stomped her feet, saying, "I never expected Zhang Fang to be so deceitful. It's true that you can know a person's face but not their heart!"

Just then, Zhang Fang's mother, Liu Shi, sent matchmaker Wang Daniu to propose marriage. Meng Shi let Wang finish her speech out of courtesy. Wang, unaware of the situation, said excitedly, "Sister, haven't you always wanted to be in-laws with the Zhang family? Now they have agreed, you should be happy! Why do you look so upset? Are you worried about the bride price? Don't worry, they only want two taels of silver, which you can afford. After all, Qiang has been working for years and earning well."

"Even if it was just one wen, I wouldn't agree to this marriage," Meng Shi interrupted, her anger finally boiling over.

Wang, puzzled, asked, "What do you mean by that?"

"Ask Zhang Fang yourself," Meng Shi replied angrily and recounted what Sun Qian and Sun Qiang had seen. Wang sighed, "I didn't expect Zhang Fang to be like this. She isn't even worth two taels." With that, she left to report back to Liu.

Liu didn't believe Wang's story, so after she left, she questioned Zhang Fang. Zhang Fang tearfully claimed that Sun Qiang had made it up because he had someone else in mind. Liu believed her daughter and, not wanting the Sun family to spread rumors, went to the village head, Zhang Wang, to complain that Sun Qiang was defaming her daughter and asked him to intervene.

Zhang Wang, a cousin of Zhang Fang's father, Zhang Yuan, couldn't tolerate Sun Qiang slandering his niece. He immediately took the Zhang family to the Sun family to demand an apology. Sun Qiang refused to admit he had said anything bad about Zhang Fang. Frustrated, Zhang Wang said, "If you don't apologize, you'll face village punishment."

The village punishment involved binding the offender and having each villager hit them with a stick. With over a hundred families in the village, Sun Qiang would face serious harm.

Upon learning this, Sun Qian bravely stood up and said, "Village head, my brother is innocent. If you punish a good man, heaven will hold you accountable."

"Who are you?" Zhang Wang was startled by Sun Qian's appearance and ran out of the Sun house. Zhang Fang and Liu then badmouthed Sun Qian, calling her an ill-omened outsider brought by Sun Qiang and insisted she must be expelled to protect the village. Zhang Wang decided that if Sun Qiang refused to apologize, he and the "ugly girl" would be expelled from the village.

Zhang Yuan, siding with his wife and daughter, also urged Zhang Wang to drive Sun Qiang and Sun Qian out.

With their plan in place, Zhang Wang led ten villagers with weapons into the Sun house to expel Sun Qiang and Sun Qian. Sun Qiang's parents, Sun Lao Han and Meng Shi, knelt and begged Zhang Wang to spare their son.

Zhang Wang sneered, "You have two choices: Sun Qiang can kneel and apologize to Fang, and the girl leaves, or Sun Qiang faces punishment, and the girl still leaves."

Both choices involved driving Sun Qian away. Sun Lao Han and Meng Shi couldn't bear to do it. Helpless, they knelt before the Zhang family, crying and begging for mercy.

Zhang Wang coldly said, "I'll spare Sun Qiang if he apologizes, but the girl must go. Do the villagers agree?" The crowd, influenced by the Zhangs and the rogue, nodded.

Disappointed, Sun Qiang said loudly, "Parents, don't beg them. I'll leave with Qian. I'm unfilial, and will repay you in the future." To protect his parents, he kowtowed to them and left with Sun Qian.

Seeing this, Sun Lao Han and Meng Shi couldn't bear it and packed their things, saying, "We're family, we'll go together."

"Every cloud has a silver lining," young Sun Qian remarked as they left.

The Sun family didn't understand but didn't think much of it. The villagers, eager to seize their house, quickly expelled them.

With no place to stay, the Sun family found a nearby cave. Shortly after entering, a heavy rain began and didn't stop until the next day. The cave, being high up, was safe, but the low-lying village was flooded. Out of the hundreds of villagers, only a few survived; most were swept away in their sleep.

When Sun Qiang heard that the Zhang family and the rogue had perished, he recalled Sun Qian's remark about the silver lining and wondered if she had foreseen the flood.

He looked for Sun Qian to ask but found only a letter and a silver note worth a thousand taels. The letter's content remains unknown, but it's clear that the Sun family, being good people, deserved their reward.