Pu Songling concentrated on his studies as a boy. In his youth, he was keen on career and hoped to gain fame. In order to motivate himself to study hard, he engraved this couplet on the copper ruler used for pressing paper:

If there is a will, things will come true, even if the cauldron sinks the boat, a hundred and two Qin passes will eventually belong to Chu;

Those who work hard, God will not let them down, and they will eat their courage by lying down, and three thousand Yue Jia can devour Wu.