Biography of Gentleman He Zhenqian (1781) (Text)

Biography of the Gentleman He Zhenqian

My friend the Gentleman He Yinyu brought the Record of Conduct of his second oldest uncle to me, and asked me to write a biography for him. Thus I have collected his important deeds and recorded them here.

The name of the Gentleman was Zhonglei, and his courtesy name was Zhenqian. He was his second son of the Gentleman Zhongzhi. Early on his elder brother set up a separate household, thus the Gentleman shared meals –i.e. lived together] with his three younger brothers. Together the four of them had only three mou of farmland. Therefore Gentleman gave up studying, and devoted himself to household affairs, working hard to earn a living. Although he could barely make ends meet he still stood firm and erect. He suffered economic difficulties several times yet he was never frustrated. As a result, the family finances gradually became more than sufficient. Later, with the help of the third and fourth brothers, their family property became plentiful. The fifth brother studied Confucian learning, and became well known as a Government Student.[1] He was Yinyu’s father. Were it not for the Gentleman’s efforts, he could not have achieved this.  This is worthy of being transmitted [to later generations]!

I have heard that in ancient times there were officials who gave all their salaries to their brothers and there who those who gave away properties worth tens of millions. Of course, given their huge wealth, it is not so surprising that they were not stingy. However, that history admires them is because it is a rare achievementto put fraternal duty before profit. devoted to The Gentleman, despite shortages in clothes and food and the calluses on his hands and feet, raised his younger brothers under difficult conditions and continued in his deep affection for them. He enriched their livelihood and arranged fitting marriages for them, so that neither parents nor children  felt they lacked support.  His sympathy and empathy were more difficult for him than for the ancients [who did not have to suffer such hardship].Therefore I make this known, thus to admonish those who love profit and ignore the heaven-ordained duties of family, for they do not deserve to be called human.

On the fifteenth day of the intercalary fifth month in the xinchou year (1781),

Written by

Chen Songling of Pujiang