I recently visited Mr. Ji Xianlin’s "Peace of Mind Is Home". The ideas are clear and the writing is simple. Gentle and elegant, calm and composed, yet free and unrestrained. One of the essays is about his favorite books - one of which is "The Scholars" by Wu Jingzi.

I had an idea, randomly picked up my kindle, searched for it, and found that I actually had this book in my collection.

I don’t know if it has something to do with the years or my state of mind. I once read it before and found that I couldn’t read it, so I put it away. Admittedly, I read it today and it was very interesting.

The male protagonist of the first story is Wang Mian.

A child born into poverty began to herd cattle for Uncle Qin’s family when he was ten years old to earn living expenses. Study well, save all the money you save on weekdays, and buy all the books. While grazing cattle, I was moved by the beauty of blooming lotus flowers and began to practice painting. After three years, he became self-taught and learned without a teacher. The painting was so lifelike that it became a household name, and people happily came to buy it. He painted and recited poems every day, and his life gradually improved.

The local magistrate's trustee (an ancient gangster) bought his paintings and gave them to his superiors. My superior, Great Joy, would like to meet the painter for a while.

The magistrate asked someone to invite him, but he declined. The magistrate came to invite him in person, but he was not there, and actually hid him deliberately.

If according to modern thinking, if the city leaders come to visit in person, they must quickly find seven aunts and eight aunts to line up to welcome them. They will make tea and prepare meals at home, for fear that they will not be able to greet them.

However, Wang Mian did not.

Although he is knowledgeable and has high attainments, he has an arrogant personality, despises the powerful, despises fame and wealth, has no interest in becoming an official, sympathizes with the suffering of the people, and even has a disdain for rulers and social atmosphere. Disgusted attitude. So that Zhu Yuanzhang later issued an edict to ask him to be an official. But he lived in seclusion in Kuaiji Mountain, planting and painting plum blossoms, and refused to be an official throughout his life.

Quoting his most widely circulated poem "Mo Mei" is also a full reflection of his ideological realm.

"The trees at the head of the pond where I wash my inkstones all have flowers blooming with faint traces of ink.

Don't let anyone praise the color, just leave the pure air filling the universe."

Wang Mian was full of ink and talented. He was indifferent to fame and fortune all his life and despised it.

It is good to be unyielding and noble, but if you can make full use of your profound knowledge to assist a benevolent king, benefit the public, let the common people live and work in peace and contentment, improve people's living conditions and education levels, and change society Culture, truly turning knowledge into practice, why not do this?

Therefore, I admire Wang Mian's life, but I dare not agree with him.