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Money Makes Cares

Many years ago, there lived a wealthy businessman named Chen

Po-Shih. He was good-hearted and wise and had all the luxuries a man
could want. But there was one thing he didn’t have and that was time.
You see, he had to work very hard taking care of his money. He
rose at dawn each morning and from then on, his day was one big rush.
Oh, how busy he was!
Hardly had he breakfasted when he had to go to his shop. And
there he stayed all day, talking to one businessman after another. Even
in the evening, there was no rest for him; his work always followed him
home and often he dined late or not at all. Sometimes, his thoughts
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were so full of some difficult problem concerning work that even sleep
had to wait.
Chen’s wife constantly worried about him. “Rest for a while and
enjoy yourself,” she pleaded. But it was no use; he either had to slave at
his work or give up all his money. And that he could not do.
Now, next to Chen’s house stood a tumble-down shack which was
the home of a labourer named Li. He was as poor as Chen was rich and
earned just enough to support himself and his wife.
Every day, Li toiled and sweated at whatever job he could find. But
in the evening, he stopped work and went home to eat a hearty dinner.
Then, he would sit in his garden and play his lute, enjoying the cool,
evening breeze.
Each evening, Chen’s wife heard the sweet music, and how it
disturbed her! “It’s unfair!” she thought. “Li is poor and yet so happy.
And here is my husband, so rich and so much wiser yet so full of care.
How I wish I could hear him sing and play the lute as Li does.”
One evening, Mrs Chen could stand it no longer. She went up to
Chen who was busily writing and told him exactly what she thought.
Gravely Chen put down his writing brush. “If it bothers you so
much, I can stop Li singing and playing,” he said, slowly.
“But how?” she asked.
“I’ll give him some money.”
“Why, that would only make him happier!” said Mrs Chen.
“I don’t think so,” said Chen thoughtfully. “Anyway, we will try it
and if you still hear him singing and playing tomorrow, we’ll know I was
wrong.”
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Early the next day, Chen sent a servant to ask Li to come and talk
with him.
“What can he want so early in the morning?” wondered Li’s wife.
But her husband was already on his way next door.
Li entered a large room and Chen rose courteously to greet him.
“Ah, neighbour Li,” he said. “I haven’t seen you as often as I’ve wished.
How has life been treating you?”
Li shifted his feet awkwardly. “I’m only a labourer,” he said, “and I
have to work hard for a living. But I’ve a good wife and we get along
happily.”
Chen smiled wistfully. “I’ve been thinking about you, Li,” he said. “I
know you could be much more than a labourer and I want you to
prosper. Please take these five hundred silver pieces and start a
business of your own.” So saying he handed Li a satin bag heavy with
coins.
Speechless with gratitude, Li ran home excitedly to tell his wife.
Chen, watching him go, did not look at all happy.
That day for the first time in years Li did not go to work. Instead,
he and his wife sat all day long discussing various ways to spend their
money. Lunch-time flew past without their even realising it. Soon, it was
dinner-time and they still had not decided what to do with the money.
Next door, Mrs Chen listened long at her window but there was no
sound of a lute or of a man’s voice singing. Slowly, she walked to her
husband. “You were right,” she said.
“I was afraid they would worry,” said Chen sadly.
It was long past his usual bed-time when Li finally went to bed,
but still, he could not sleep. Thoughts of the money whirled in his head
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and every little while he crept out of bed to see if it was safe in its
hiding-place.
For three days and nights, Li and his wife worried about how to
use the money. Then on the fourth night, Li had the strangest dream. In
it a bent old man appeared to him and said, “Money makes cares. If you
understand this, you will be happy again.”
At once, Li’s mind was clear. He slept well that night and early next
morning, he went to Chen.
“Good morning, Li,” said Chen, “you are looking well. Have you
decided what to do with the money yet?”
“Yes, I have,” said Li. “I’m going to give it all back to you. Thank
you for being so kind, but I was happier without it.” Then, he turned
and hurried off to work.
Li worked happily all that day and once again that evening, he
played upon his lute. The sound of his singing drifted next door and
hearing it, Chen looked up from his work and smiled as if he were glad.

Reading Comprehension
Answer the questions below by choosing the BEST option.

1. Which of the following statements about Chen Po-Shih is FALSE?

A. He was a hardworking and wealthy businessman.
B. He was a man of good heart and wisdom.
C. He had everything a man would want.
D. He had to work very hard to take care of his money.
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2. Chen was always busy because of the following reasons, EXCEPT

A. He had to run his shop right after breakfast.
B. He had to toil at whatever job he could find.
C. He brought work to his home and did it there.
D. His thoughts are sometimes focused on a difficult work-related
problem that he could not sleep.

3. Which of the following statements about Li is TRUE?

A. Li was living next door to Chen.
B. Li was as rich as Chen.
C. Li earned more than enough to support himself and his wife.
D. Li liked to sit in his garden and play his guitar.

4. Why did Li’s music disturb Chen’s wife?

A. Because Li was a poor lute player.
B. Because Li can eat a hearty dinner and play the lute in the
evening.
C. She felt that poor Li was a happier man than her rich husband.
D. She wanted to hear her husband to sing and play the lute as Li did.

5. How did Chen intend to stop Li from singing and playing?

A. By complaining to Li that his music disturbed his wife.
B. He planned to lodge a report with the village police.
C. He wanted to make Li poorer than he already was.
D. He was going to give Li some money.
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6. After Li received the money, how did he and his wife spend the
whole of that day?
A. Li and his wife spent it by going on a shopping spree.
B. Li went to work as usual while his wife cooked dinner.
C. They fretted about ways to use the money.
D. They planned to start a business.

7. Why couldn’t Li sleep that night?

A. He was worried that the money would be stolen.
B. He was busy looking for a hiding-place to hide the money.
C. He was anxious about how to spend the money.
D. He did not play his lute as usual.

8. For how long did Li and his wife worry about the money?
A. Three days and two nights.
B. Three days and three nights.
C. Three days and four nights.
D. Four days and four nights.

9. Why did Li do with the money after the dream?

A. He returned the money to Chen.
B. He donated the money to charity.
C. He invested the money.
D. He used the money to start his own business.

10. All the following made Chen smile that night EXCEPT…
A. He was glad that Li had learnt a lesson.
B. He was glad that Li had no more cares.
C. He was glad to hear Li sing and play the lute again.
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D. He was glad to get back his money.

Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words below. You may use a dictionary or
Google to find the meaning of the words that you do not know.
rose support discussing
breakfasted disturbed realizing
dined bothers whirled
slave treating drifted
earned prosper sweated

1. Frank is the most laidback person that I have ever known. Nothing
________ him.

2. Frank does not _________ at his job; in fact, he is a little lazy.

3. After he had ________ yesterday morning, he took a leisurely stroll

to his office.

4. His boss glared at him when he arrived late but he was not in the
least ________.

5. At 10.00am, Frank gathered around the water-cooler with some

equally lazy staff, ________ the football match between Liverpool
and Manchester United aired the night before.

6. They chatted and chatted without ________ that a whole hour had
passed.
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7. At lunch-time, Frank ________ at a posh café and after a

tremendously sumptuous meal, ________ off to sleep.

8. When he awoke, it was already 3.00pm. He ________ from his seat

and hurriedly paid for the lunch.

9. He dashed to his office and ________ buckets as he entered the

crowded lift.

10. By the time, Frank reached his desk, his boss was standing there
with an eye on his watch. Frank offered his apologies but he only
________ a scowl from his boss.

11. Later, Frank was summoned to his boss’ office. “Look, Frank,”
began his boss, “we have been ________ you leniently because you
are my son-in-law.”

12. “However, your laidback attitude means that you will never
_______ working in this company, or any company for that matter,”
his boss scolded.

13. “But we are going to promote you because you have the
________ of all the staff in this company,” said his boss,
unexpectedly.

14. Frank’s mind _______ wildly. Could this be actually happening? Or

was this an April Fool’s joke?
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Essay Writing – Discursive Essay

Write an essay entitled “Money – is it good or evil? Discuss.”

You may follow the following framework:

Paragraph 1 – Introduction
A general comment about money
Mention people have differing views about money
Thesis statement

Paragraph 2
What is an advantage or benefit of having money?
Explain, Elaborate, Give Example(s)

Paragraph 3
What is another advantage or benefit of having money?
Explain, Elaborate, Give Example(s)

Paragraph 4
What is a disadvantage or drawback of having a lot of money?
Explain, Elaborate, Give Example(s)
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Paragraph 5 – Conclusion
What is your own view of money?
End with a closing thought or advice.

You could also use the following framework:

Paragraph 1 – Introduction
A general comment about money
Mention people have differing views about money
Thesis statement

Paragraph 2
What is an advantage or benefit of having money?
Explain, Elaborate, Give Example(s)

Paragraph 3
What is a disadvantage or drawback of having money?
Explain, Elaborate, Give Example(s)

Paragraph 4
What is another disadvantage or drawback of having a lot of money?
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Explain, Elaborate, Give Example(s)

Paragraph 5 – Conclusion
What is your own view of money?
End with a closing thought or advice.

-THE END-