Rise From the Humble

"Zihou's growth has exceeded my expectations. At that time, I thought you were a piece of jade that could be used to create talents, but now it seems that jade is not enough to describe you." Old Master Sun stroked his beard and looked at Zhu Ping'an with satisfaction. He nodded, and then continued, "Zihou wrote an inscription for this painting, which solved my worries. I don't have any gifts for you, so I will give you one last lesson."

Last lesson?

Zhu Pingan was very surprised when he heard this. Why did Master Sun say it was the last class? Could it be that he had done something wrong and Master was going to kick him out of the door? But his sentence of one hundred thousand dragons and grandchildren around the wind pool made Old Master Sun feel that he was too unrealistic?

"The last lesson? One day is a teacher, and all beings are fathers. Students have come to listen to the teacher's teachings from then on." Zhu Pingan hurried forward and bowed his hands in salute.

Seeing Zhu Ping'an's anxious look, Old Master Sun couldn't help stroking his beard and shaking his head with a smile, "Zi Hou, your growth has exceeded my expectations. I have nothing to teach you anymore; besides, the so-called master leads you to practice, and from now on Zihou, you have to walk the road yourself."

"The mentor is knowledgeable and talented, and he is far better than a student no matter in life or in learning," Zhu Pingan couldn't help explaining anxiously after hearing the words.

However, before he finished speaking, he was interrupted by Old Master Sun who shook his hand lightly, then looked at Zhu Pingan and continued:

"Zihou, you are talented, diligent, studious, and ambitious. Just like a sword, your future achievements will be limitless. However, the official career is dangerous and bumpy. Zihou, you need to remember what I said today."

After saying this, Old Master Sun paused for a moment, picked up the tea cup and put it down again. Looking at Zhu Ping'an who was listening carefully, he continued, "A man is like a sword. If you use its light lightly, it will cause damage if you move it. It is a murderous weapon; if you hide it deeply, you will be clumsy." , it is a sharp weapon that can be used when the opportunity arises.”

The meaning of this sentence by Master Sun is that being a human being is like a sword. You cannot use its sharp edge easily. If the sharp edge is revealed, it will cause harm, and then the sword will become a murder weapon. You must learn to hide your clumsiness and know how to hide the sharp edge, so that the sword will become a powerful weapon. A sharp weapon.

After listening to Old Master Sun's words, Zhu Ping'an understood Old Master Sun's good intentions. Old Master Sun wanted to tell him that when doing things for others, especially in the dangerous official career, he must learn to restrain his sharp edges and keep a low profile. He should not rely on how much he has. If you divide your talents, you don't know the east, west, south, north, and south. You will show off your talents casually and be proud of your talents. This will easily arouse the jealousy and hatred of others, and then bring disasters for yourself. Lest your talent become a murderous weapon.

As the saying goes: A gentleman hides his weapon in his body and waits for the time to move. Only by learning to hide one's weakness and bide one's strength and bide one's strength can one reveal one's strengths at critical moments and become a deterrent. Just as Sun Tzu said in The Art of War: Be as quiet as a virgin and move as fast as a rabbit. If you don't take action, you will hit. Once you take action, you will hit. Therefore, you must be good at hiding your clumsiness and recharging your energy in normal times, and be able to cut through the mess quickly at critical times.

"Thank you for your teacher's teaching. The students will remember it." Zhu Pingan stood upright, saluted Old Master Sun very formally, and thanked in a deep voice.

Um.

Old Master Sun nodded, and then said, "Be a human first and then be an official. To be an official, you must first learn how to be a human being. Of course, I can rest assured about your conduct, Zihou. However, there are too many temptations and setbacks outside. , peace of mind, you must remember that no matter what situation you are in, you must persist in doing good, "prepare for good, and leave for evil." This is especially true when you enter an official career. Good and evil are in one thought, but this is your one thought. It is related to the fate of thousands of people, it must be observed, and it must be held."

"I will obey my teacher's orders. Students should remember what their teachers said. No matter what situation they are in, students must insist on doing good." Zhu Ping'an nodded vigorously. Old Master Sun was afraid that he would lose his true nature in his official career. Just like Liu Bei taught Ah Dou back then, education takes doing good deeds as the standard for dealing with people.

"Zihou has this intention, I feel relieved." Old Master Sun nodded slightly, and then continued, "It is the most joyful to do good, and do not ask others to know, and have a clear conscience; to do evil is extremely painful, lest people know, and you can't live in fear all day long. .Do good and put an end to evil, and your heart will be invincible."

To be good and to be happy is a sentence in "Zhuangzi. Outer Chapter. Ultimate Joy", and Old Master Sun explained it further. Doing good deeds is the happiest, because you don’t ask others to know, and you have a clear conscience; doing bad deeds is the most painful, because you are afraid that others will know, and you will be in panic all day long.

What Old Master Sun said makes sense. If you do good things and don't do bad things, you won't leave any excuses for your political opponents. If you have a clear conscience in your heart, you will naturally be invincible.

"Thank you for your teacher's teaching." Zhu Pingan bowed his hands again and thanked Old Master Sun.

Old Master Sun stroked his beard and shook his hand gently, then went to the pen, ink, paper and inkstone, dipped in ink and wrote a couplet on the rice paper. After the ink dried a little, he gave it to Zhu Pingan.

The first couplet is: If you want to have a high family status, you must do good deeds.

The second line is: If you want good children and grandchildren, you must study.

The couplets are concise and memorable, and this can be regarded as the family motto given to Zhu Pingan by Mr. Sun, and it is also the expectation of Mr. Sun for Zhu Pingan. Throughout the ages, there have been champions from poor backgrounds, but they have rarely been able to lead a family. It is easy for a person to succeed, but it is difficult for a family to succeed. As the saying goes, one cannot be richer than three, which is an example of this.

Objectively speaking, wealthy aristocrats or gentry clans, their brilliance is much longer than the upstarts of poor families and peasant families.

In fact, in addition to the relationship between social systems, family culture is also a big factor. Culture is the life tree of a family, the soft power of the family, and the soul of the family.

Compared with the gentry, the nouveau riche lack foundation. In the final analysis, it is culture.

Zhu Ping'an was admitted to the top prize, but after all, he came from a poor family and his family background was not strong. Old Master Sun gave this couplet to Zhu Ping'an for this purpose.

If you want to have a high family status, you must do good deeds. The level of family status depends on people's hearts. If you don't have a kind heart and are domineering, even if you become a successful person, you won't be able to be called a noble family or a noble family. If you want to grow bigger and improve your family status, you must pay attention to doing good deeds. Throughout the ages, when famine and other natural and man-made disasters occurred, those families that could open warehouses to help the people were regarded as wealthy families in people's minds. After the famine is over, people will be grateful, business and relationships will develop smoothly, and the family will gradually become bigger and stronger. As time goes by, even if it is not a wealthy family, it will become a wealthy family.

"This couplet from my teacher is easy to understand, but has a profound aftertaste. The students have a lot of feelings, and I would like to thank my teacher for giving me the words. Students should pass it on as the family motto of the Zhu family and never forget their teacher's teachings."

Zhu Ping'an took the couplet and put it away very preciously.

Zhu Ping'an gained a lot from visiting his mentor, and learned a lot from Master Sun, which will be valuable assets in his future life.