Hundreds of years ago a gentleman named Zou Ji lived in China. This man knew he was very handsome and spent the day contemplating himself in the mirror to enjoy his own beauty.
- Oh, how lucky I am! I have a delicate face, a slender body and a natural grace that attracts attention. Nature has been very generous with me!
His style and elegance were famous throughout the kingdom, but there were rumors that there was another man who could compete with him in beauty: a Mr. Xu, who lived in another city in the north of the country.
One morning one of the servants called to Zou Ji’s room.
- Sir, I remind you in an hour you have an appointment in your office with an important businessman.
- It is true! I fix and go down to receive it.
Zou Ji cleaned himself up, dressed in his best clothes, and as always, he found himself gorgeous.
While he was reviewing himself up and down in front of the mirror, he asked his wife:
- Dear wife, I do not know that Mr. Xu they talk so much about but you do. Tell me who is more beautiful of the two?
His wife immediately replied:
- You, dear, of course, Mr. Xu is handsome, but even in jest he does not approach your beauty!
Zou Ji was very pleased with the answer, but he did not agree and decided to ask for a second opinion. He left his bedroom, went down the marble staircase that led to the office and came across the housekeeper, a trusted woman who had been working in the family home for over twenty years.
The mistress wished him good morning with a nod, without stopping.
- Good morning sir!
- Wait a moment! I want to ask you a question and please be honest with me.
- You will say.
- I know you also know the famous Mr. Xu and I need you to tell me if he is more beautiful than me.
The answer was clear:
- Sir, have no doubts of any kind You are much more beautiful and attractive than him!
Zou Ji appreciated the compliment but the doubt continued to hover in his head as he made his way to his personal office.
Soon after, there was a knock at the door. Again, it was the maid.
- Sir, your guest has just arrived.
- Thanks, tell him what happens!
Zou Ji received the businessman with a friendly smile and invited him to sit in a comfortable chair.
- If you do not mind, before getting into professional issues I want to ask you a very personal question.
- Of course I do not care! What do you want to know?
- I know that you live in the north of the country like Mr. Xu and that you are childhood friends.
- He’s not wrong, that’s right.
- And in his opinion he is more beautiful than me?
The gentleman looked surprised at the bizarre question but answered with confidence.
- Please, do not worry about that. You are very beautiful, much more beautiful than him, without a point of comparison!
- Thank you very much, leave me alone. Now, if you want, tell me what brings you here.
Three days passed and by chance, Mr. Xu visited the city. The news spread like wildfire, Zou Ji found out, and quickly ran to tell his wife.
- Dear, Mr. Xu will be in the city for a while and I want to meet him! I sent him a notice to come to our house today to eat and he gladly accepted the invitation.
- What good news, my love! I will notify the service so everything is ready at one o’clock.
- Great! I’m going upstairs to dress up a little. I have to think hard about what I’m going to wear … At last I’ll check with my own eyes if I’m more handsome than him!
Mr. Xu presented himself very punctually and the couple came to meet him. As soon as Zou Ji saw him, he was stunned!
It was a handsome boy who wasted an innate elegance impossible to overcome. His teeth were perfect, his eyes were large and emerald green and his skin seemed softer than the silk itself. Not to mention that he moved exquisitely as if his feet were floating on the ground!
Zou Ji felt sunk in misery. It was evident that Mr. Xu was a much more handsome and seductive guy than him!
That night the disappointment and sadness did not let him sleep. The worst thing for him was not to prove that he was not as handsome as Mr. Xu, but to realize something much more important and what he had never thought of.
- “My wife told me that I was more beautiful than Mr. Xu because he loves me and he goes out of his way to please me; My housekeeper told me the same thing because she is afraid that the dismissal of her work; the businessman who visited me also assured me that I was more beautiful because he needs me to earn money …
Zou Yi, saddened, sighed:
- How difficult it is to know what others really think!
Moraleja: We all like to be told nice things and how fantastic we are, but it’s good to know that there are people who do it just for interest. Do not trust whoever spends the day piropeándote and telling you that you are the best in everything. You know what your virtues, your abilities and your limits are, and the important thing is to trust yourself and what your heart tells you.