Tien Hung-lin and Tien Hung-hsiang were two brothers with separate households living at Hulichow, Szechuan, Hung-hsiang being the younger of the two. Tien T hsing, Hung-lin's son, was in the habit of going over almost daily to his uncle's house to assist in any work there might be to do, and took advantage, of the opportunity thus afforded him to seduce his cousin Tien Heiao-chao, Hung-hsiang's daughter. In course of time the girl became pregnant and the matter came to Hung-lin's ears. Hereupon T'ai-hsing, wishing to shield himself, falsely asserted that his cousin's pregnancy was due to incestuous intercourse between Hung-hsiang and his daughter. Hung-lin took this statement to be true and at once resolved to wipe out the family disgrace by burying his brother and his niece alive. Tiai-hsing tried to dissuade him to the best of his ability but was unable to do so and was compelled by his father to assist him in carrying out his project. The two then went withanotherman, Li Lao-wu, to Hung-hsiang's house and upbraided him for his disgraceful conduct. Hung-hsiang naturally
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