Repaying kindness with kindness means remembering the kindness that others have given to you and doing your best to repay it when you are able. There is no greater kindness than such an action.

The picture of repaying kindness comes from:

"Shuoyuan·Repaying Favor". Duke Mu of Qin tasted it and killed his horse. He went to ask for it. When he saw that someone had killed his horse, he could only eat its flesh. Duke Mu said, "That's my fine horse." Everyone got up in fear. Duke Mu said: "I have heard that anyone who eats the flesh of a swift horse but does not drink alcohol kills someone."

That is, drink the wine. Anyone who kills a horse goes away in shame. After three years of residence, Jin attacked Duke Mu of Qin and surrounded him. In the past, those who ate horses said to each other: "You can go out of death to repay the favor of eating horses and getting wine." Then the siege was broken, and Duke Mu's soldiers were able to solve the problem, defeat Jin, and win Duke Hui back. --"Historical Records" The Fifth Book of the Qin Dynasty

Translation:

Qin Mugong once went out to the palace and lost his horse. He went out to look for it himself and saw that someone had killed his horse. Dropped and were eating horse meat together. Duke Mu of Qin said to them, "This is my horse." The men stood up in fear.

Qin Mugong said: "I heard that those who eat the flesh of a swift horse without drinking wine will die." So he gave them wine. The people who killed the horses left in shame.

Three years later, Jin attacked Duke Mu of Qin and besieged him. Those who used to kill horses and eat their meat said to each other, “It’s time for us to repay with our lives our kindness to Duke Mu for giving us horse meat to eat and wine to drink.” So they defeated the army that surrounded Duke Mu of Qin, and Duke Mu of Qin finally defeated him. Overcoming difficulties, he defeated Jin and captured Duke Hui of Jin.

Famous aphorisms about repaying kindness:

1. There is no greater good than knowing how to repay kindness.

2. Give him a peach and repay him with a plum.

3. Only when you are not arrogant can you be arrogant, and do not use favors to be authoritative.

4. Crows have the meaning of feeding back, and sheep know the kindness of kneeling to breastfeed.

5. God pities the grass, but late love is common in the world.

6. If the general refuses advice, the heroes will disperse; if the policy is not followed, the counselors will rebel.

7. Once a teacher, always a father.

8. Don’t forget the person who dug the well when drinking water. The people who came before planted trees for the people who came after them to enjoy the shade.

9. Caution is much more powerful than boldness.

10. A drop of kindness should be repaid by a spring.