He was going home to visit his parents, and I told him about the difficulties in his studies.

Vernacular translation: He is going home to meet his parents, and I specifically told him about my study difficulties.

This preface was written by Song Lian to fellow countryman Ma Junze. The author gave him this article to encourage him to study hard, but the meaning was not directly said, but extended from his own personal experience and understanding. It is tactfully implicit, cordial and friendly, and between the lines is full of a virtuous elder's ardent expectations for the younger generation, which is touching to read.

Excerpt from the original:

He was going home to visit his parents, and I told him about the difficulties in his studies. It is said that Yu Mian's fellow villagers are all scholars, and so is Yu. Those who despise me, brag about my wealth and prosperity, and be arrogant to my hometown know the rest!

Vernacular translation:

He was going home to meet his parents, so I specifically told him about my study difficulties. If I encourage fellow villagers to study hard, that is my ambition; If you slander me, brag about my experience and be proud in front of my hometown, do you know me?

Source: From Song Lian's Preface to Sending Ma Sheng to Dongyang.

Extended data:

Creative background:

Song Lian (1310-1381), whose real name is Jing Lian, whose real name is Qian Xi, and whose other names are Xuanzhenzi, Xuanzhendao and Xuanzhendun. Posthumous title Wenxian. Pujiang (now Pujiang, Zhejiang) is a native of Han nationality. A writer in the early Ming Dynasty was once praised by Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

His eldest grandson was involved in the Hu Dang case, and his family was demoted to Maozhou. His prose is either concise or graceful and elegant, each with its own characteristics. He admired Taige literature, and his style was honest and elegant, which provided a model for the literary creation of later "Taige style" writers.

In the 11th year of Hongwu in Ming Dynasty (1378), Song Lian retired from his hometown Pujiang (Pujiang County, Zhejiang Province) to Yingtian (now Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province) in the second year, and a small countryman Ma Jun came to visit.

The preface to seeing Ma Sheng off to Yang is a preface given by Song Lian, a writer in Ming Dynasty, to visit Ma Jun. In this preface, the author describes his early experience of seeking advice modestly and studying hard, and vividly and concretely describes the difficulty of borrowing books for advice and the pain of running around hungry and cold.

Compared with the superior conditions of Taiji students, it strongly shows that whether or not students can achieve academic achievements depends mainly on subjective efforts, rather than the level of talent and the advantages and disadvantages of conditions, so as to encourage young people to cherish a good reading environment and concentrate on their studies. The full text is rigorous in structure, meticulous and thoughtful, contrastive in reasoning, detailed in narration and vivid and touching to read.

Baidu Encyclopedia-Preface to Dongyang Ma Sheng