During the Spring and Autumn period, there was a man in the State of Lu who shared the same name as the great philosopher Zeng Can. This namesake committed murder outside the city. A busybody rushed to Zeng Can's mother and exclaimed, "Zeng Can has killed someone!"

Zeng's mother calmly replied, "My son would never kill anyone," and continued weaving as usual.

Soon after, another person came, spreading the same false news that Zeng Can had committed murder. This time, Zeng's mother began to feel anxious and doubtful.

When a third person arrived with the identical accusation, she became terrified, immediately threw down her shuttle, climbed over the wall, and fled her home, convinced by the repeated rumors despite their lack of truth.