Night fell, and the vegetable patch lay in deep silence.
"Little Cowpea, I'm not sleepy yet. Let's chat for a while," said Little Lentil to Little Cowpea, who was still awake. So they began whispering to each other. Little Lentil sighed and said, "I really envy you—such a slender figure! I'm so short and chubby in comparison." Little Cowpea replied, "Everyone says I'm too skinny. It drives me crazy! I've decided to gain some weight." Delighted, Little Lentil said, "Then I'll lose weight!" "Shh!" warned Little Cowpea. "That's our secret." Little Lentil nodded knowingly.
In the morning, when the sun rose, all the other plants stretched toward the sunlight. But Little Cowpea quietly moved to the very bottom of the reed trellis, absorbing water and nutrients. Meanwhile, Little Lentil stood atop the fence, dancing in the wind like doing fitness exercises.
Half a month later, the gardener came to tidy up the plot, muttering in surprise: "Where are my cowpeas and lentils? They're gone!" Little Cowpea and Little Lentil shouted loudly, "We're here! We're here!"
The gardener looked at Little Cowpea and said, "You're so thick and sturdy—you're clearly a string bean!" Then he yanked Little Lentil's vine from the fence and snapped, "You're nothing but a kidney bean!" Immediately, Little Lentil collapsed on the ground like a dragon whose tendons had been ripped out by Nezha, groaning in pain. The gardener then pulled Little Cowpea's vine down from the reed trellis and said, "Since you're a string bean now, go grow on that pile of rubble!"
Every person is unique, with their own talents and strengths. If you blindly try to change yourself, you're bound to lose who you truly are.