Once upon a time, Zeng Zi's wife was going to the market. Her little son wanted to go with her. She said, "It is too far and you'd better stay at home. " Her son was very upset and cried. She didn't know how to deal with it. Finally, she said to her son, "Stop crying, my dear, go home now. Mum will be back soon. When I'm back, I'll kill a pig to make a meal for you. " When the son heard what his mum said, he went home happily.
When Zeng Zi's wife returned home, Zeng Zi tied up their fat pig and prepared to kill it. His wife stopped Zeng Zi from killing the pig in a hurry and said, "We needn't kill it. I just made an excuse (借口). " Zeng Zi said seriously, "How can you cheat a child? Now you cheat him, then he will follow your example and cheat others. Besides, when a mother cheats her child, the child will no longer trust his mother. Then how can you educate the child well? So we must be honest and keep our promises. "
Zeng Zi raised his knife and killed the pig.
