Once I saw a man travelling on foot at Lvliang. He saw a boat, and offered the boat-owner fifty coins to take him to Pengmen.
”According to the usual rates,” said the boat-owner, “a passenger making a trip without cargo should pay a hundred coins. Now you’re offering half, that’s not enough. But since I have to pay fifty coins for a man to tow my boat, I’ll take you for fifty if you agree to tow my boat to Pengmen.”
Allegorical Meaning
This micro-fable by Su Shi critiques exploitative compromises and false equity in unequal power dynamics through a seemingly simple negotiation.
The Illusion of Fair Exchange
- Boatman’s “compromise”: “Work to cover half the fare”
- Reality: The passenger pays 50 coins plus exhausting physical labor – effectively paying more than full fare. The boatman profits doubly.
Weaponized Bargaining Power
The boatman exploits the passenger’s vulnerability (no alternatives) to enforce:
- Monopoly pricing (100 coins for solo passage)
- Labor extraction (towing as “payment”)
His framing masks coercion as fairness.
The Brutality of Pseudo-Meritocracy
“Work to offset debt” sounds virtuous but ignores:
- Physical toll: Towing a boat ≠ equitable labor
- Power asymmetry: Boatman sets terms unilaterally
Mirrors systems where disadvantaged groups “earn opportunities” through disproportionate sacrifice.
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