Everyone's Fortune Is Predestined
 
He Ruchong, a man from Tongcheng, lived during the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644 A.D.). He had an older brother named He Rushen. In 1573, the second year of Emperor Wanli's rule, they both won first place in the provincial level of the civil service examination. Later He Ruchong became a high-level royal court official while his older brother, He Rushen, became a treasury official in Zhejiang Province.
 
It was alleged that the He family suffered from poverty. He Ruchong and He Rushen used to study in the Shiwu Buddhist Temple on Qing Mountain in Tongcheng when they were young. One Chinese New Year's Eve while all the families in town were celebrating the New Year and playing with fireworks, the two looked at each other and sighed because they lived in such abject poverty that they were unable to go home and celebrate the New Year. Suddenly, they heard a noise outside as loud as thunder. They hurried out of the temple only to find a giant rock split open, revealing many treasures within. He Rushen was overjoyed beyond belief. He decided it must be a gift from Heaven out of pity for their poverty. He wanted to ship the treasure home.
 
He Ruchong stopped him and said, "No, we mustn't take it! A gentleman must be content with what he has. It is not a good thing to gain money for no valid reason. Besides, it may be a test from Heaven. You must not take the treasure."
 
He Rushen said, "Fine. Fine. But we are destitute. There is nothing wrong with borrowing a small amount of money." He took 50 taels of platinum and threw a written IOU into the split rock. The opening closed up by itself, and the giant rock returned to its original appearance.
 
Many years passed. He Rushen won the provincial level of the civil service examination and later became the treasury official. Once when he was auditing the government treasury he discovered that 50 taels of platinum were missing. He threw a fit trying to find who the culprit was when a government employee found a note in a corner that said, "On a certain month, day, and year, He Rushen borrowed 50 taels from Heaven."
 
The employee presented the note to He Rushen. He was shocked by the note. On closer inspection, he verified that it was the exact same IOU that he had written and thrown inside the opening of the giant rock. Next he told everyone the story of what had happened in the temple when he was young and replaced the missing money out of his own pocket.
 
Perhaps Heaven saw that the two destitute brothers were virtuous, so It showed them a miracle to encourage them. He Ruchong was impervious to the temptation and was content with the life Heaven had arranged for him. He was indeed a virtuous gentleman to guard his morality even when he was alone. His older brother, He Rushen, took the money out of selfishness, but he returned the money he borrowed in the end. Those who heard the story were very moved and became all the more convinced that everyone's fortune in life is predestined and no one must obtain money through unjust means.
 
财富定数　不可苟得
 
何如宠是明朝桐城（枞阳石矶乡）人，他的哥哥叫何如申，兄弟两人于万历二十六年同中进士，何如宠官至武英殿大学士，何如申官至浙江右布政使。
 
相传，何家以前非常贫困，何如宠、何如申兄弟两人年轻时曾在桐城青山上的石屋寺里苦读。
 
有一年除夕，听到家家户户开始放爆竹过大年，兄弟两人贫困窘迫，因为无法回家过年而在寺中相对愁叹。这时，忽然听到外面声震如雷，两人急忙出寺门查看，只见大山居然裂开了，里面金光璀璨，定睛细看，里面全是金银财宝。何如申大喜，以为这是上天怜悯他们贫穷，于是想要将财宝运回家，何如宠急忙制止他说：“不可以这样！君子应当安贫乐道，暴得此横财并不是甚么好事，而且又怎知不是上天在考验我们呢？你不要这样做。”
 
何如申说：“好，好，可我们实在太穷了，我暂时借一点，这有甚么害处？”于是他便从里面拿了白金五十两，并且书写了份契约投入山中，这时大山顿时合好如初。
 
很多年过去了，何如申中了进士，后来做了布政使，有一次稽核库银时，发现少了白金五十两，正在生气责怪，下边一小吏忽然发现墙角有一纸券，上面写着“某年某月某日，何某向天借白金一铤，计重五十两”，于是拿来上呈给何如申，何如申一时大惊，仔细查验，这正是自己以前书写后投入大山之中的。何如申于是对众人讲出了自己当年的这件往事，然后拿出自己的五十两白金补偿了库银的缺失。
 
可能是见何家兄弟二人有德有才但贫困至极，所以上天才显示异象以示勉励，何如宠能够不动私心，敬天知命，暗室慎独，这的确是正人君子风范。哥哥何如申起私心虽然拿了钱财，但后来还是要如数偿还。听说此事的人都非常感慨，愈加坚信人的财富等皆有定数，不可以用不正当的手段获得！