The Quarrelsome Brothers by Pu Songling
After their father's death, the Tsêng brothers feud over birth status, mourning and property, while Yu-yü repeatedly tries to reconcile them. Their long-lost eldest brother Ch‘êng enforces a temporary peace, but quarrels among Hsiao's sons lead to killings and further violence. Yu-yü shelters Chung, gains standing by passing an examination, helps settle the prosecution and returns to a family that eventually unites under his care.
By Pu Songling · Genre: Short Story, Family Drama, Moral Tale · 3,981 words
First lines
At K‘un-yang there lived a wealthy man named Tsêng. When he died, and before he was put in the coffin, tears were seen to gush forth from both eyes of the corpse, to the infinite amazement of his six sons. His second son, T‘i, otherwise called Yu-yü, who had gained for himself the reputation of being a scholar, said it was a bad omen, and warned his brothers to be careful and not give cause for sorrow to the dead, -- at which the others only laughed at him as an idiot.
Genres
- Short Story — A compact prose narrative follows the Tsêng family's quarrels through violence, prosecution and reconciliation.
- Family Drama — Brothers dispute their mothers' status, funeral obligations and inheritance, and their sons repeat the hostility.
- Moral Tale — Yu-yü's repeated forgiveness and assistance eventually secure the family harmony that retaliation and Ch‘êng's coercion fail to sustain.
Tags
sibling rivalry · family feuds · inheritance · mourning customs · reconciliation · civil service examinations
What this Textopian page supports
The Quarrelsome Brothers is listed on Textopian as a short story by Pu Songling, dated Date unknown.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Pu Songling
- Date: Date unknown
- Language: English
- Genres: Short Story, Family Drama, Moral Tale
- Length: 3,981 words
- Structure: 1 section, 19 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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