1. Tao Yuanming - Don’t bend your back for five buckets of rice

The idiom “Don’t bend your waist for five buckets of rice” is used to describe having integrity and nobility. This idiom comes from "Jin Shu Tao Qian Zhuan", I can't bend my waist for five buckets of rice, and boxing will cause evil in the village. In order to support his family, he came to Pengze, not far from his hometown, to be the county magistrate. In the winter of this year, the prefect of the county sent a postal inspector to Pengze County to inspect. The postal governor has a low grade, but he is somewhat powerful. He can only speak in front of the prefect with his mouth. The postal supervisor sent this time was a vulgar and arrogant man. As soon as he arrived at Peng Ze's hotel, he sent the county official to ask the county magistrate to see him. Tao Yuanming usually despises fame and wealth, and refuses to follow the crowd. He despises people who give orders in the name of their superiors, but he had to go see him, so he set off immediately. Unexpectedly, the county official stopped Tao Yuanming and said, "Sir, when you see the postal supervisor, you must wear official uniforms and wear a belt. Otherwise, it will be unseemly. If the superintendent takes the opportunity to make a big fuss, it will be detrimental to you!" At this time, Tao Yuanming again I can't bear it anymore. He let out a long sigh and said, "I can't give in to the villagers for five measures of rice!" After that, he simply took out his official seal, sealed it, and immediately wrote a letter of resignation, and then left the county, where he had only worked for more than eighty days. Peng Ze of Ling.

2. Yanzi sent to Chu

Yanzi came to Chu State. The king of Chu invited Yanzi to drink. When he was enjoying himself, two servants tied up a man and went to Chu. Come to the king. The King of Chu asked: "What does the tied man do?" (Gongshi) replied: "(He) is from Qi State and has committed the crime of stealing." King Chu looked at Yan Zi and asked, "Are the people of Qi good at stealing to begin with?" "Yanzi left the seat and replied: "I heard this: Orange trees growing south of the Huaihe River are orange trees, and growing north of the Huaihe River are tangerine trees. It's just that the leaves are similar, but the taste of the fruits is different. different. Why is this happening? (Because) the water and soil conditions are different. Now this man did not steal things when he was growing up in Qi State, but started stealing as soon as he arrived in Chu State. Could it be that the soil and water of Chu State made him like stealing? The king of Chu smiled and said: "A saint cannot joke with him. Instead, I am asking for trouble." ”

3. Yan Zi’s resignation

Yan Zi was eating when Qi Jinggong sent an envoy to come. (Yan Zi) divided the food and gave it to the envoy. (As a result) the envoy He was not full, and Yan Zi was not full. After the envoy returned, he told Qi Jinggong (Yan Zi's poverty situation), and Qi Jinggong exclaimed: "Oh! Yan Zi’s family is really as poor as (you said)! I don't understand and it's my fault. "(So) he sent an official to send a thousand pieces of gold and taxes, and asked him to use the thousand pieces of gold and market rent to support the guests. Yan Zi did not accept. He sent them to each other many times, and finally (Yan Zi) bowed twice and said thank you: "My family is not poor. , because of your reward, your favor extends to my father’s family, my mother’s family, my wife’s family, and to my friends, and uses this to help the people. Your reward is rich enough. My family is not poor. I have heard people say that if you take generous rewards from the monarch and then distribute them to the people, this is a minister ruling the people on behalf of the monarch. Loyal ministers do not do this; if you take generous rewards from the monarch but do not distribute them to the people, this is using a basket. Collecting property in a box is your own, but a benevolent and righteous person does not do this; in the court, you receive generous rewards from the monarch, but outside the court, you cannot share the monarch's rewards with the scholars and offend them. After death, the property will be transferred to others. To own something for others is to accumulate wealth for retainers, and smart people will not do this. With clothes to wear and food to eat, (as long as) the mind is satisfied, one can be free from (all) worries.

Qi Jinggong said to Yanzi: "In the past, our previous monarch Huan Gong granted Guan Zhong five hundred miles of land and population. (He) accepted it without refusing. Why did you refuse to accept it?" Yanzi replied: "I heard people say that if a wise person thinks too much, he will inevitably make mistakes." Stupid people have merit after many considerations. I think it's Guan Zhong's fault, but mine, right? So thank you again and can't accept it. "

4. Hua Luogeng went to school

After graduating from middle school, Hua Luogeng was forced to drop out of school because he could not afford the tuition. Returning to his hometown, he continued to study and study tenaciously on his own while helping his father work. Soon, he contracted typhoid fever and was critically ill. He lay in bed for half a year. After recovering from the disease, he was left with a lifelong disability - the joint of his left leg was deformed and lame. At that time, he was only 19 years old and was confused. In days when he was confused, confused, and almost desperate, he thought of Sun Bin who was practicing the art of war with his legs behind his back. "The ancients could still be physically disabled but not mentally disabled. I am only 19 years old, and I have no reason to give up on myself. I want to use a sound mind to replace my incompetence." Sound legs! "The young Hua Luogeng fought against fate so tenaciously. During the day, he dragged his sick leg, endured the severe pain in the joints, and worked with a cane. At night, he studied by himself under an oil lamp late at night. In 1930, he The paper was published in the journal Science. This paper alarmed Professor Xiong Qinglai, the director of the Department of Mathematics at Tsinghua University. Later, Tsinghua University hired Hua Luogeng as an assistant in the Tsinghua Garden where famous scholars gathered. While auditing in the mathematics department, he also spent four years studying English, German, and French, and published ten papers. By the time he was 25, he was already an internationally renowned young scholar.

5. Xu Beihong. At the beginning of the 20th century, when Xu Beihong was studying in Europe, he encountered provocation from a foreigner.

The foreigner said: "The Chinese are ignorant and are born to be slaves. Even if they are sent to heaven for further study, they will not become talented!" Xu Beihong replied angrily: "Well, I represent my motherland, and you represent yours. When you graduate, you will see who is the talent and who is the idiot!" A year later, Xu Beihong's oil paintings were well received by French artists. After that, he won the first place in several competitions. His personal exhibition caused a sensation in Paris. Art world. Such an amazing achievement is far beyond the reach of that foreigner.

6. Food that has come

7. "Song of Righteousness" by Wen Tianxiang

In the Southern Song Dynasty, Wen Tianxiang was captured by the Yuan soldiers and escorted to the north. He withstood the threats and inducements and tasted enough. In spite of the suffering and torture, he would rather die than surrender, leaving behind an awe-inspiring and resounding "Song of Righteousness", which is a model of brilliance that will shine on future generations.