There was an old man who was very poor, and he had to live with his son in a small and old house. But he was always helping others all the time. When people asked him why, he always answered, "It is better to give than to receive (收到,得到)."
One day, the old man was badly ill, and before he died, he said to his son, "I have come to the end of my life. It is time for you to carry on our work. " A few days later, there was a funeral(葬礼) for him. Some people came to the funeral.
A man said, "I'd like to thank him for helping me." And a man from another town said, "I never helped anyone, but I always got help from him!"
Then a woman explained, "I knew the old man when I was young. When I became richer than before, I gave him money to build a house. However, he used that money to help you. He wanted to make you understand charity(慈善), but you have never learned. "
Next day, these people who the old man once helped came with wood and tools. "What are you doing?" asked his son. One of them said, "For forty years, the old man tried to make us understand charity. We finally learned!"
Within (在…之内) a few weeks, a new house was built for the old man's son. In the front of it, there was a sign that said, "It is better to give than to receive."