In life Among the Society of Beggars he stated that problems making ends meet combined with unfilial sons and grandchildren or unharmonious family relations forced many of the old and weak to beg. Shih described other beggars who pretended they were old and blind to support the opium habit of their wives.
他在「乞丐社會的生活」一書中指出，有些老弱的行乞人系因生活困難，加上子孫不孝，或家庭不和，而被逼著乞討的；也有人為養活吸食鴉片的妻子，而扮做老盲人來行乞。