Long ago, there was a young boy named Han Xin. He was very poor and went to people’s houses to beg for food. But soon the people were annoyed with him. So, he tried his luck at fishing. But he could never catch anything. One day, an old woman who was washing clothes at the river saw him. She noticed his pale looks and felt sad for him. She fed him a bowl of rice every day. Han Xin felt guilty as he had nothing to give back to the old woman. One day, he said, “I am going to find some way to repay you for your good deeds.”
The woman smiled and went away. After many years, Han Xin became the King of Chu province in China. He sent his soldiers to search for the old woman. One day, she came to the palace. Han Xin gave her a 1000 gold ingots (bars). From here comes the idiom ‘A meal of gold’. It means to be grateful and repay those who have helped you.
