The Value of Kowtowing

Xiao Fang prepared a special gift for her mother for the New Year – kowtowing. Not just once or twice, but a whole eight hundred and eighty-eight times.

Xiao Fang's idea was simple. During the New Year, elders like to hear good words and see younger generations perform grand salutations. She felt that kowtowing was the most direct way to express filial piety. Moreover, she had learned from short videos that some places have the custom of giving red envelopes for kowtowing during the New Year, and the more kowtows, the bigger the red envelope.

So, she started practicing kowtowing a few days in advance. From feeling dizzy at first to later doing it with ease, Xiao Fang felt that her kowtowing skills were already perfect.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Xiao Fang put on the new Hanfu she bought, and solemnly knelt before her mother and began to kowtow. One, two, three… At first, her mother smiled, but later her expression became a bit stiff.

Xiao Fang gritted her teeth and continued to kowtow. She felt that her head was numb from the kowtowing, but for the "legendary" big red envelope, she had to persevere.

By the eight hundred and eighty-eighth kowtow, Xiao Fang felt like her neck was about to break. She raised her head, looked at her mother, and smiled brightly.

Her mother took out a red envelope from her arms and handed it to Xiao Fang. Xiao Fang took it and couldn't wait to open it. There was only a thousand yuan inside!

Xiao Fang was stunned. She felt that kowtowing eight hundred and eighty-eight times was worth at least ten thousand yuan, right? How could it be only one thousand?

Her mother looked at Xiao Fang's disappointed expression and sighed: "My dear, Mom knows you're filial. But kowtowing is not a transaction, and it can't be measured by money. Giving you a thousand yuan is just a gesture."

Xiao Fang pouted, feeling unconvinced. She felt that her mother was tricking her. After kowtowing so many times, she only got such a small amount of money. It was not worth it at all.

After finishing the New Year's dinner, Xiao Fang felt that the New Year was a bit boring. She opened her phone and scrolled through her social media, and found that everyone was showing off their red envelopes. Some people were showing off a few thousand yuan, and some were showing off tens of thousands of yuan. Xiao Fang looked at those big red envelopes, feeling even more unbalanced.

She felt that she was too foolish. After kowtowing so many times, she only got a thousand yuan. If she had known, she might as well have gone to work.

Xiao Fang suddenly thought that the video of her kowtowing was also posted on a short video platform. She didn't know if anyone had liked it. She opened the short video app and found that her video had gone viral. Many people left comments, some saying she was filial, some saying she was silly, and some asking how much money she earned for each kowtow.

Xiao Fang looked at the comments and suddenly felt disgusted. She felt like she had become a monkey being watched, performing a kowtowing act. And her filial piety had also become a commodity that could be consumed.

She decided to delete the video.

At night, Xiao Fang lay in bed, tossing and turning. She remembered her mother's words, "Kowtowing is not a transaction." She suddenly understood where she had gone wrong. The true meaning of kowtowing was not to exchange for red envelopes, but to express respect and gratitude to elders.

She got out of bed, walked to her mother's room, and gently pushed the door open. Her mother was not asleep yet, and was reading a book.

Xiao Fang knelt on the ground, kowtowed to her mother, and said, "Mom, I was wrong."

Her mother put down her book, touched Xiao Fang's head, and said with a smile: "Silly child, it's good that you know."

The next day, Xiao Fang found an extra red envelope under her mother's pillow. She opened it and found that it contained two thousand yuan.

Xiao Fang smiled. This time she was very happy, because she knew that the money was not earned by kowtowing, but was her mother's love for her.