There is a Chinese saying, “A fault confessed is half redressed.” There is a story in a Chinese novel titled Sou Shen Hou Ji that illustrates this Chinese idiom.
Once upon a time, there was a literary man surnamed Zhou in Pei State. He had three sons in their early 20′s. They appeared very healthy. But other than being able to utter some sounds, none of them could speak.
One day a man passed by Zhou’s house and asked for a cup of water. He heard strange noises inside the house, so he asked Mr. Zhou, “What is that noise?”
Mr. Zhou replied, “My sons. They cannot speak. They can only utter some sounds.” [click to continue…]
Zhang Baozang was a low-ranking government official in Jinwu during the Tang Dynasty. One day on his way home, he saw a young man who had been out hunting. The young man was having a picnic with fresh meat. Zhang Baozang, leaning against a tree, sighed deeply, “I, Zhang Baozhang, am already 70 years old. I have not been able to afford to eat meat and drink wine like that. How pitiful.” A monk standing by the roadside pointed at him and said, “Within 60 days, you will be promoted to a high-ranking official with the third highest rank in the whole court. What do you have to sigh about?” After saying that, the monk disappeared.
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