Watching "Ming Dynasty 1566" and Thinking About KangAi Commune: Learn from Hu Zongxian, and from Hai Rui Too

I have just watched the legendary drama "Ming Dynasty 1566" for the first time, and it truly deserves its reputation — I felt a great deal as I watched. My two favorite characters are Hu Zongxian and Hai Rui, and on closer thought, both offer real inspiration for how we run KangAi Commune.

Hai Rui: judge only by right and wrong, never by gain or loss

His value lies in always holding the bottom line and in his compassion for the weak.

In the day-to-day governance of KangAi Commune, we do not need to imitate the bearing of sages; we only need to hold to one plain principle: before anything else, ask whether it is fair, and whether it is worthy of our members.

More than a hundred thousand ordinary families stand together in mutual aid, and every contribution is the goodwill and the trust of ordinary people. In enforcing rules, adjudicating cases and defining rights, the greatest danger is bending the rules for a particular person or compromising for a particular situation. We built the Community Adjudication Panel, we insist on public disclosure, and we hold strictly to the bottom line of the community covenant — not in pursuit of perfection, but to remind ourselves at every moment that fairness is the only foundation we have to stand on.

Ten years ago, I would have scorned Hu Zongxian for his hesitations and his lack of resolve. But perhaps because I am older now, I find I like Hu Zongxian a little more.

Hu Zongxian: burdened and forbearing in complicated times, mindful of the whole, never acting on impulse

What is admirable in him is that he understood reality, knew how hard things were, and kept a sense of proportion — under layer upon layer of constraint, doing his utmost to protect the larger situation, protect the people, and get things done.

This is exactly the discipline of running the Commune: ask a second question about everything — can it be done, and will it drag down the whole community?

The mutual aid industry operates in a complex position: compliance constraints, fund safety, stable cost-sharing and members' demands are all connected, and touching one point moves the whole body. Our moves toward non-profit restructuring, cleaning up the equity structure, custody of funds, strict cost control and steady iteration of the rules have never been bold, sweeping reforms; they are careful acts of safeguarding.

Passion is easy; completeness and durability are hard.

Insisting on right and wrong while ignoring reality easily sets off turmoil within the community; talking only of compromise with no bottom line will in the end erode fairness and lose our original purpose.

We are always clear-eyed: we are ordinary guardians, certainly not sages. We only need to learn one thing — to guard justice with Hai Rui's original heart, and to seek survival with Hu Zongxian's prudence.