The story of resolving conflicts

The story of resolving conflicts

During the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, Zhang Yingguan, a native of Tongcheng, became a bachelor of Wenhua Palace and the Minister of Rites. The neighbor is Ye Mansion, another large family in Tongcheng. The owner is Ye Shilang, who served in the same court as Zhang Ying. The two families also had a dispute over the courtyard wall and were at odds with each other. Mrs. Zhang repaired the book and sent it to Zhang Ying. Zhang Ying was deeply worried when he saw the letter and replied to the old lady: "The letters from home are only for a wall, so why not let people move three feet away? The Great Wall is still there today, but Qin Shihuang is nowhere to be seen." So Madam Zhang ordered the servants to move back three feet to build the wall. Ye Mansion was very moved and ordered his family to move the courtyard wall back three feet. From then on, the barriers between Zhang and Ye's houses were eliminated and the friendship between the two families was established. It is also known as "Six Feet Alley".

Coincidentally, during the Ming Dynasty, Dong Duxing, a native of Jiyang, Shandong, served as an official in the capital. One day, he received a letter from his family saying that he had a quarrel with his neighbors because he was building a house as a foundation. He hoped that he could use his power to come forward and resolve the matter. After reading it, Dong Duxing immediately revised a letter and said: "Sending books thousands of miles away just for the wall makes me laugh; you are kind and we are close neighbors, so why not give up two feet." After reading the book, his family felt that Dong Duxing was right. So he took the initiative to give up a few feet when building a house. When the neighbors saw the Dong family doing this, they also had some insights and followed suit. As a result, the two families gave up an eight-foot-wide space. After the house was built, there was an alley, known as "Renyi Hutong" in the world.