The Chinese Dream on Earth

Ancestral Teachings and Family Rules

The longevity of our ancestors' thoughts and spirits owes greatly to the summation and transmission by our kin. Noble families have passed down the outstanding qualities of their forebears from generation to generation, largely through ancestral teachings and family rules. These norms are natural summaries and transmissions of social activities, true both in China and abroad, following the laws of nature. Our family records, which detail all ancestors and relations, guide us in major affairs according to these ancestral teachings. There used to be an altar in the house for worshipping ancestors and deities.

For instance, our family teachings advise against holding official positions, so most ancestors refrained from joining any factions or political parties. In my great-grandfather's time, as the village population grew and interactions with the outside world increased, various factions and political parties frequently approached our family. My great-grandfather would politely decline, using our ancestral teachings as justification, while making some donations. Most groups respected our family rules and stopped insisting.

Our family members have always upheld virtues of personal development and integrity, being generous and honest regardless of wealth. They harbored little desire for power or money.

However, exceptions occur. One day, members of the Communist Party approached, and my grandfather attempted to fend them off with our family teachings, to no avail. It remains unclear what exactly was said, but ultimately, not only did my grandfather donate money and grain, he also sent my then-young, college-attending second uncle to join the military.

Although known for his idleness, my grandfather was reputed for his moral character. His only vice was gambling. Initially, my great-grandfather intended for him to manage the family estate, considering his minor gambling a harmless diversion. However, after my second uncle joined the military, my grandfather's gambling worsened. He gambled incessantly, losing our family fortune bit by bit. His wives, likely frantic with worry, watched as he squandered our assets with seeming indifference, as if losing money was his duty. His first wife passed away without children a few years into their marriage, and his second wife, who bore a daughter and three sons, died a few years after her youngest child's birth. My grandmother, a woman with bound feet, sometimes had to sell jewelry at the market to support the family. Villagers described her as generous, often treating those who accompanied her to the market, making her a popular figure. After gambling away our lands, my grandfather found work elsewhere. Just as the villagers began to pity our family's misfortune, a radical societal transformation commenced.

The slogan "Beat the landlords and distribute the land," a mainstay of the Communist Party during the Agrarian Revolutionary War, sparked dramatic changes in the Soviet area. It signified a complete overhaul of the semi-colonial, semi-feudal economic relations, political systems, ideologies, social structures, and laws, heralding substantial advancements in rural productivity and societal development.

Local landlords were quickly labeled as tyrants and taken control of. Their properties were confiscated, and they were subjected to daily public shaming and torment by Party members and peasants. When it was time for my grandfather's property to be searched, nothing was left to seize except two donkeys and some old fabrics, leading our family to be categorized as middle peasants.

My uncle, a school principal who was dedicated to teaching and averse to gambling, was not so lucky. His home, flush with the dowries of his wife, was found full of valuables. His possessions were confiscated, and he was labeled a "bad element," suffering the same public humiliations as the landlords. His sons, despite their academic excellence, frequently faced oppression due to their family background. Unable to endure it any longer, they fled one New Year's Eve—two headed to the northeast, and one to Xinjiang. The youngest son passed away in depression shortly after arriving in the northeast.

From initially lamenting my grandfather's loss of property to considering him fortunate for avoiding worse fates, the villagers speculated about the reasons behind his resilience—whether it was due to understanding Party policies from visiting members, divine protection from our ancestors, or some other unknown factor. My grandfather remained tight-lipped about these events, keeping the true circumstances to himself. Not long afterward, my grandmother passed away from cancer, leaving my grandfather to raise their children alone.

During the "Destroy the Four Olds" campaign, old thoughts, cultures, customs, and habits were eradicated. On August 18, 1966, under Mao Zedong and others at Tiananmen, the Red Guards, incited by Lin Biao and Jiang Qing, burned classic works and destroyed historical relics. Our family's genealogies and ancestral portraits were consumed by flames, our ceremonial objects seized. Overnight, the spiritual pillars that had been more precious than life itself were obliterated. By then, my second uncle had triumphed in the civil wars, and our home was designated as a "House of Glory" by the new government. Although now considered a revolutionary family, my grandfather could only watch helplessly as his life's foundation was destroyed. Whether this was an awakening or a shattering of dreams remains uncertain.

Attached: The Cong Family Teachings

The Cong family teachings emphasize self-cultivation before engaging with the world, being a filial son at home, and serving the people in governance. Building a career requires self-strength, and honesty is the foundation. Harmony among spouses and siblings, kindness towards friends, neighbors, and relatives, and treating others with generosity are paramount. Humility, respect, and avoiding arrogance and extravagance are crucial. Rich or poor, one should maintain integrity regardless of gain or loss. Those capable should help others, as serving society is of the highest virtue. A small act of kindness can bring a spring of gratitude, and virtuous deeds will shelter descendants. These teachings, passed down through generations, maintain the family's esteemed reputation.