Clean money

Tiến ran in and hugged his grandfather, boasting:

• Grandpa, I've just won a full scholarship to study abroad. I did brilliantly in the exam. You must give me a reward!
  His grandfather smiled warmly:
• All right, I give in at once. I'll reward you properly. Will your father be home early this afternoon?
• I heard he's tied up with a meeting at the department, so he may not finish in time for dinner.
• Do you know how your father got his position, and how you came to be such a good student?
  Tiến was puzzled:
• Because our family background is good. You used to be a senior official, Grandpa, so Dad was given a helping hand, and I had good conditions to study more freely.
  His grandfather shook his head:
• No, my child. I could show you many cases like mine where the children and grandchildren turned out ruined. Our family has succeeded and prospered because I raised your father on very clean money.
  You know that no state has enough money to pay officials generous salaries. The budget has to be invested in all sorts of things, so the pay of public servants is very low. Low pay is an enormous test of an official's ethics. A person may be good, but when the pay is too low, after a long time everyone runs out of strength. Then temptations appear, someone offers a bribe, and few can keep their integrity at the start. Once you have accepted it, you get used to accepting, and you slide down for the rest of your life. The responsibility is heavy but the salary is low, so people look for one way or another to make ends meet for their families.
  My only luck was that I asked myself where all that money came from. People were willing to give gifts worth a hundred times my salary, and who would not be tempted? But where did that money come from?
  If it came from ordinary people, they must have cut into their family's living: less food and clothing, less for school fees, medical care, buying a house... It is pitiful, my child.
  If it came from a company, they must have cut everyone's benefits to have money to give as presents. Benefits, profits and costs are all the sweat and tears of countless workers, so how could I bring myself to eat it?
  If it came from a criminal organisation, that money is certainly soaked in blood: the blood of kidnapped women, the blood of drugs... It is evil, and I dared not touch it.
  Thinking this way, I tried my best to help the people and help businesses, but I never accepted a single đồng from anyone. I did not take their money but still helped them wholeheartedly, so nobody hated me. And Heaven has eyes, or perhaps the guardians of that other realm are watching: the more incorruptible I was, the more customers came to your grandmother's noodle stall. Thanks to that, our family had enough to live on, your father had a proper education and did well, and your two uncles have also made their way.
  I took that result and taught your father to believe in goodness and in the fairness of heaven and earth. Now your father has a position, he must follow my example even more: serve the people wholeheartedly and never accept bribes, and only then will his children and grandchildren turn out well.
  Tiến asked:
• But Mum doesn't sell noodles, Grandpa.
  His grandfather burst out laughing:
• Well, your mum runs an agency selling plane tickets, and she gets by just fine 🌼

In truth, the responsibility of officials is very great, and they are always scrutinised by everyone; the slightest slip brings heavy criticism. From ancient times to today, few countries have paid their civil servants well. Meanwhile, the money passed under the table as "personal gratitude" is far too large. Yet not every gift of gratitude is wrong. Sometimes when an official helps the people get something done, they willingly repay the favour. That is also the fairness of cause and effect. Only when someone sets a condition, paying money in order to have their paperwork handled, is there fault.

The same goes even for clergy: if people offer donations of their own free will, that is fine. But to set a price for prayers is also contrary to the will of the divine.
However, if we sincerely help others, heaven and earth will not abandon us. A little money in one place will become much money in another. Fairness is real.
And the nature of money is blood, sweat and tears. Accepting a single đồng from anyone weighs on our heart, our life and our steps. Clean money raises good children and grandchildren; dirty money raises bad ones. However carefully we protect them, if they are raised on dirty money, our children will go bad from within, naturally, and we will not know where to turn.
Clean money will not be plentiful, but it will bring our family peace and joy for many generations in a row.