I recently learned with dismay that an elderly man has become an item of transaction between his two sons, between whom a contract was signed to clinch the deal.

The man surnamed Jia from Hunan Province made a modest living selling newspapers, maps of urban Guangzhou and the timetable of the trains at Guangzhou Railway Station. On average, he could earn as much as 60 yuan a day. As he scrimped on almost everything, he had made some money in recent years.

Eyeing his father's money with growing envy, his fourth son tried to and succeeded in insinuating himself into his father's favour.

The kind old man, not at all skeptical of his son's motives to snatch his swat-soaked savings by deceptive tricks, entrusted him with his entire deposit in the bank. To crown it all, he even handed his daily earnings over to his son, just to show his complete trust in him.

The son, once he got his father under his thumb, made an about-turn, from a "filial" son to a truculent and relentless master disposed to sponge off his slaves.

But it wasn't long before the old man's second son spotted the cat-and-mouse game. Sensing it was a lucrative deal, he offered his brother 11,000 yuan to buy over his slave, i.e. their father. Being an inveterate gambler, the fourth son was only too glad to accept the offer.

For fear that either party might renege on his promise, an agreement was signed. The old man, already reduced to a drudging slave, would only have another master to serve.

While people would justifiably inveigh against the bestial behaviour of the two young men, I would rather lament the reckless decision made by the old man. If he had defended his right, the tragedy might otherwise have been averted.

I'd think it advisable for retirees to guard their bank account; for once they are stripped of their only means of livelihood, they will most likely be at the mercy of other people, including their offspring and next of kin.

As for the paucity of respect for the elderly, I think there's a remedy available at hand, namely, the time-honoured Confucian doctrines. Since the late 1990s, Beijing has allowed hundreds of public schools to offer classes in Confucianism, which, embodying the essence of ancient teachings, will, I hope, help incorporate moral thinking and attitudes into our next generation.

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