ABSTRACT
In Chih-ho-chi there lived an old man by the name of Lin who had been compelled by famine to flee from north of the Yellow River. Since he was elderly, no one wanted to hire him. So he lived in a shabby hut, west of the house of Chang Lao-lo, gathering firewood to earn a living. One day when he was gleaning the fields for leftover taro after autumn harvest, Lin ran into Sung K'o-ch'un, a well-known rich man from Chih-ho-chi. Rich and powerful, Sung exercised influence over civil and government dignitaries alike. But the poor despised him. The retainers, realizing the situation was dangerous, rushed to the side of Sung K'o-ch'un in an attempt to rescue him from the crowd. Chang Lao-lo, of course, would not allow him to escape. He slapped Sung K'o-ch'un on his ears until he stumbled backward and his mouth bled. Lao-lo then picked up his rake and began to fight.
