Karma Chapter 1: For folks stuck in a tough spot, what’s the real chance to turn things around
No one wants to encounter bad luck, but when Hu Xueyan was 12, two misfortunes hit him one after another: the death of his father and his expulsion from the Hu clan. For others, this might have been crushing, but he instead "forced" himself to summon resolve in desperation. What’s more, through two altruistic choices, he seized the opportunity to change his fate. It turns out that the more unlucky you are, the more potential there is for a "comeback"; and real opportunities are never waited for—they are "created" when you help others.
I. Two Calamities at 12: Losing His Father and Being Banished, Yet Etching the Aspiration to "Rise Above Adversity"
Hu Xueyan’s father was a small businessman who traveled between Anhui and Hangzhou year-round. He had saved some money, and the family lived a stable life. But when Hu Xueyan was 12, his father suddenly passed away, and their happy days came to an abrupt end. Worse still, Hu Xueyan’s mother was his father’s concubine—he was neither the legitimate son nor the eldest. Within days of his father’s burial, Hu Xueyan and his mother were driven out of the Hu clan (a traditional Chinese extended family unit, where status was strictly tied to lineage).
On one side was the pain of losing his father in childhood; on the other was the hardship of being homeless. The 12-year-old Hu Xueyan did not wallow in sorrow or wail. Instead, a determination ignited in his heart: "I must rise above adversity, make a fortune, and let my mother live a dignified life!" The wandering years of the orphan and his mother were like a carving knife, engraving this thought deeply in his mind. This drive to "strive for dignity" became the strength that later helped him overcome all hardships.
However, aspirations alone were not enough. He needed an opportunity—a gateway to embark on the "path of turning his life around." And fate never lets a determined person down. Soon, an opportunity came, but it was hidden in a life-threatening accident.
II. The First Opportunity: Risking His Life to Save a Friend—Saving Others and "Saving" His Own Future
One day, Hu Xueyan was playing in the mountains with several friends. One child, distracted, suddenly slipped and fell off a cliff with a scream. The other children panicked instantly—some froze in place, others ran away as fast as they could, not even daring to mention the incident when they got home. After all, they were only around 10 years old; facing such a crisis, they were terrified out of their wits.
But Hu Xueyan did not run. He looked at his friend lying unconscious at the bottom of the cliff, gritted his teeth, and began to climb down bit by bit—feeling his way along the rocky cliff wall and clutching tree roots to avoid falling. When he reached the bottom, he hurried to check his friend’s breath—he was still alive! With all his strength, he dragged the injured friend to a safer spot and eventually helped him climb back up the cliff with the help of passing villagers.
No one knew if he was scared or confused at that moment, but his choice not only saved a young life but also a family. If that child had not survived, how devastated would his mother have been? After carrying him for ten months and raising him with so much effort, to suddenly lose him—how would she go on? Hu Xueyan’s rescue turned the tragedy of "a white-haired mother sending off her black-haired son" (a tragic Chinese idiom referring to a parent outliving their child) into the relief of "a family reunion."
The story soon spread to nearby villages and towns, and Hu Xueyan became a "little hero" praised by everyone. More importantly, by "risking his life to save someone," he quietly laid the first "foundation stone" for his future turnaround. Just as building a tall building requires a solid base, this merit of "altruism" became the firm basis for his later success in "rising above adversity." He seized this opportunity, using courage and kindness to make others remember the name "Hu Xueyan."
III. The Second Opportunity: Returning Lost Wealth—From a Cowherd to a Grain Shop Apprentice in the City
Life returned to the cycle of "herding cattle, begging for food, and barely surviving," and Hu Xueyan’s aspiration to "rise above adversity" remained just a thought—until one day. Under the scorching sun, as he was herding cattle home, a black cloth bundle by the roadside caught his eye. Inside was a wooden box filled with glittering gold and silver coins!
At that moment, two thoughts battled in his mind:
In the end, he chose the latter. Braving the scorching sun (which could easily cause heatstroke in summer), he waited in place for over an hour. Finally, he saw a man rushing over in a panic, scanning the ground as he walked. Hu Xueyan stepped forward to verify: "Did you lose a black cloth bundle with a wooden box inside?" The man nodded repeatedly and even described the exact number of gold and silver coins inside—proving he was the owner.
After confirming the man’s identity, Hu Xueyan returned the bundle. The owner was both surprised and grateful. Looking at the young boy in front of him—honest, ungreedy, and quick-witted—he asked: "Young man, what do you do for a living?" Hu Xueyan replied: "I herd cattle for a local family." The owner immediately said: "I run a grain shop in Dafu (a local town in the region), and I’m just short of an errand boy. Would you like to come work with me? I’ll give you room and board, plus a small salary."
In this way, Hu Xueyan went from a rural cowherd to an apprentice in a city grain shop. This was his first step "out of the countryside and into the commercial world," and the beginning of his exposure to business operations. And this opportunity did not fall from the sky—it was earned through his choice to "reject greed and return what wasn’t his."
Some might ask: "Wouldn’t taking the gold home also be an opportunity?" But throughout history, few people have truly built lasting success by keeping lost wealth. As the Chinese saying goes, "When the old man on the frontier lost his horse, who could say it was not a blessing?" (A proverb meaning misfortune can lead to unexpected good luck.) If Hu Xueyan had taken the gold and silver then, he might have solved his immediate troubles, but he would have lost long-term opportunities—and even betrayed his original aspiration to "rise above adversity through his own efforts."
IV. The Truth About Opportunities: The More Unlucky You Are, the More You Should Focus on "Helping Others"
Hu Xueyan’s experience at age 12 holds a simple but profound truth: misfortune is not a dead end, but a chance to "force" you to grow stronger. And real opportunities are never "waited for"—they are "created" when you choose to "help others."
He lost his father and was banished, yet this hardship forged his aspiration to "strive for dignity." He saved his friend, winning a good reputation and making others remember him. He returned the lost wealth, gaining a "stepping stone" to enter the commercial world. Every step was tied to "altruism"—by helping others solve their troubles, he widened his own path.
For ordinary people, this is also the best lesson: if you are encountering bad luck, do not complain about fate or blame others; if you are looking for opportunities, do not only focus on your own "gains and losses." Try to lend a hand to those around you, and help those in trouble solve their difficulties. Every time you help others, you are "accumulating opportunities" for your own future. After all, fate never disappoints those who "are willing to help others."