Karma Chapter 2: whether a new job, promotion, or raise-aren’t always about strategizing Sometimes, it’s the courage to let go that opens the next big door
When it comes to job-hopping or getting a promotion, most people focus on "how to scheme or curry favor." However, Hu Xueyan blazed a trail with unique "reverse thinking" — he never dwelled on "how much money he could make or whether it was worth it." Instead, he dared to take on "troubles" others avoided and bear risks others shied away from. For instance, when he worked as an apprentice at Dafu Grain Shop, a "critical illness emergency" no one dared to handle became the key opportunity for him to move from a small town to a big city.
I. A Customer Falls Critically Ill: Everyone Backs Away, But He Steps Forward
After Hu Xueyan became an apprentice at Dafu Grain Shop, life was uneventful, but he never stopped "accumulating trust and goodwill." His previous good deeds — risking his life to save a friend and returning lost wealth without hesitation — had already built up invisible positive connections for him. One day, opportunity arrived wrapped in "trouble":
A major customer from a Jinhua Ham business (a renowned Chinese ham brand, famous for its delicate flavor and long history) came to discuss a large-scale deal. After a tiring carriage journey, he caught a severe cold. When he checked into an inn, his condition worsened: he suffered from violent vomiting, diarrhea, and a high fever, and could barely speak. The inn attendants, fearing they would contract the illness, refused to go near him. Shopkeeper Jiang (the owner of Dafu Grain Shop) was frantic — this was a key client, and if something happened to him while in town for the shop’s business, not only would the deal fall through, but the shop’s reputation would also be ruined.
He tried to hire someone to care for the customer with a generous reward, but no one agreed. He called a staff meeting to ask for volunteers, but the apprentices just stared at each other, all terrified of contracting the "unknown illness." Just as Shopkeeper Jiang sighed in despair, a voice suddenly came from the corner: "I’m willing to go."
The speaker was Hu Xueyan.
No one knew if he feared infection at the time, nor if he had calculated "what benefits he could gain from this." Yet he chose the path everyone avoided: every day, he went to the inn to clean the room, feed the customer medicine and porridge, and stayed by his bedside day and night. Even when the customer rambled in delirium, Hu Xueyan remained patient, wiping his forehead and calming him down. Within a few days, the customer gradually recovered.
II. Going to Jinhua: Gratitude Comes First, Opportunity Follows
After recovering, the customer held Hu Xueyan’s hand, his eyes filled with gratitude: "Young man, come with me to Jinhua! It’s far bigger than Dafu — you should make your way in a big city, and I’ll teach you everything about the ham business."
Most people would have agreed immediately, but Hu Xueyan did not rush to nod: "I have to ask Shopkeeper Jiang first. If he agrees to let me go, I’ll go with you; if he still has use for me, even if I want to leave, I won’t."
Later, the customer visited Shopkeeper Jiang in person and explained his wish to take Hu Xueyan to Jinhua. Although Shopkeeper Jiang was reluctant to lose such a responsible apprentice, he knew: Hu Xueyan had just helped him out of a major predicament, and Jinhua offered far better prospects. It would be unfair to hold him back from a brighter future. In the end, he nodded with a smile: "This boy has real potential. Only in a big city can he develop his talents, and we’ll also have a reliable contact there in the future."
In this way, Hu Xueyan moved from the small-town Dafu Grain Shop to the Jinhua Ham business. This "career move" required no flattery or scheming — it was entirely earned through his courage to take risks and his commitment to gratitude.
III. Three "Good Seeds" Hidden in "Giving": Why Did His "Troubles" Become Opportunities?
Hu Xueyan’s act of saving the customer seemed like "good luck," but in reality, behind his "courage to give," he quietly sowed three powerful "good seeds," each paving the way for his advancement:
1. Sowing "Fearless Giving" in a Time of Urgency: The More Others Fear, the Truer the Opportunity
When the customer was critically ill, no one dared to approach him — this was exactly a "time of urgency" (like fertilizing crops when they are most in need of nutrients, which yields the best harvest). Hu Xueyan stepped forward despite the risk of infection, an act of "fearless giving." Just as Yuan Longping, the "Father of Hybrid Rice," planted high-quality rice seeds in experimental fields that needed them most, the reward here was naturally greater than usual. Such "help in times of crisis" is most likely to be remembered for a lifetime, making the customer’s gratitude and desire to repay him inevitable.
2. Helping People While Safeguarding the Business: Incidentally Sowing a "Seed of Wealth"
The customer had originally come to discuss a major business deal, which was put on hold due to his illness. By saving the customer, Hu Xueyan not only saved a life but also helped Shopkeeper Jiang secure the deal — essentially helping both the client and his employer, while quietly sowing a "seed of wealth." Later, when he moved to Jinhua to work in the ham business, this was essentially the "fruit" of that seed.
3. Honoring His Benefactor: Gratitude Multiplies Positive Energy
Shopkeeper Jiang was Hu Xueyan’s "benefactor" — it was Shopkeeper Jiang who had lifted him from being a rural cowherd to an urban apprentice and taught him the basics of business. When Hu Xueyan took care of the customer, he was not only helping the client but also relieving Shopkeeper Jiang’s anxiety — sowing a good seed in the "field of gratitude." Just as sowing seeds in fertile soil yields stronger crops, Shopkeeper Jiang’s willingness to let him go and the customer’s eagerness to take him under his wing were both the power of this "gratitude seed."
IV. The Truth About Opportunities: They Are Not "Calculated," But "Created"
Wang Lifen, producer of Win in China (a well-known Chinese entrepreneurial reality show), once said: "When opportunity comes, it often looks unkempt — you may hesitate to reach out for it; by the time you recognize it, it has already slipped away." Hu Xueyan’s greatest strength was his courage to reach out for this "unkempt opportunity":
His move from Dafu to Jinhua seemed like a coincidence of "being rewarded for saving someone," but it was actually the inevitability of "daring to give": he did not cling to the comfort of his current role, dared to take on troubles others feared, did not abandon gratitude to his benefactor, and combined "helping others" with "honoring kindness." In this way, "job-hopping," "moving to a big city," and "learning new skills" were just natural outcomes.
In the end, Hu Xueyan’s wisdom was never about "shrewd calculation," but about "simple courage to give." He turned "troubles" in others’ eyes into "stepping stones" for his career, and turned "risks" others fled from into "blessings" for building relationships and opportunities. This is perhaps the core of his journey from adversity to success: the more you dare to give, the more you gain; the less you dwell on rewards, the more actively rewards will come to you.