Fables that Benefit a Child's Whole Life - Growth Bookshelf

Author: Duo Mi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: Ji Ya Qi Lin, a man from the Southern Dynasties named Lü Sengzhen, was a highly knowledgeable person with a kind heart and extremely strict upbringing. His family members were all gentle and upright in character, and the Lü family was renowned far and wide for its virtue. Ji Ya, the governor of Nankang Commandery, was incorruptible and administered justice fairly, earning the enmity of many high-ranking officials. Eventually, they found a pretext to dismiss him from office. After Ji Ya was removed from his position, the entire family had to move out of their mansion. Where could they settle down? Ji Ya sought advice everywhere, hoping to find a suitable place. Soon, he learned that Lü Sengzhen was a true gentleman with an excellent family tradition, and he was overjoyed. Ji Ya visited the Lü family and found that their children were all gentle and well-mannered, just as their reputation suggested. Coincidentally, the family next door to the Lü house was moving out and planned to sell their home. Ji Ya quickly approached them and offered a high price of eleven million to buy the house. The family was delighted and agreed. Ji Ya moved his family in. Lü Sengzhen came to visit the new neighbor. After some pleasantries, Lü Sengzhen asked, "How much did you pay for this house?" Ji Ya answered truthfully. Lü Sengzhen was surprised and said, "This house isn’t new, and it’s not very big. Why such a high price?" Ji Ya smiled and said, "Among the eleven million I paid, one million is for the house, and ten million is to buy you, a neighbor of noble character and excellent household management!" The moral of the story is to learn from good people and imitate the flight of swallows. It is important to absorb beneficial influences and avoid harmful ones.
Guan Ning Cuts the Mattress Guan Ning and Hua Xin were close friends. They studied together, ate together, and even slept in the same bed, inseparable. One day, they were weeding in the vegetable garden together, working hard. As they worked, Guan Ning’s hoe hit something hard. He overturned the soil and found a piece of gold buried beneath it. "Ah, it’s gold," he thought, but paid no attention and continued weeding. Hua Xin, however, heard about the gold and dropped his hoe to run over and pick up the gold piece. Guan Ning, while working, scolded Hua Xin: "One should earn money and wealth through hard work. A morally upright person should not covet unearned riches." Hua Xin, reproached by Guan Ning, reluctantly dropped the gold and went back to working, but he no longer had the same enthusiasm.
Another time, while studying together, they heard the sound of drums and music outside. Guan Ning and Hua Xin went to the window to see what was happening. It turned out that an important official was passing by in a grand procession, truly impressive. The carriage the official was riding in was particularly luxurious. Guan Ning paid it no mind and returned to his studies as if nothing had happened. Hua Xin, however, was so envious that he couldn’t even read his book anymore. He ran out and followed the crowd to watch the procession closely. Guan Ning was deeply disappointed in his friend. When Hua Xin returned, Guan Ning cut the mattress in half in front of him with a knife and announced their break in friendship: "Our interests and aspirations are too different. From now on, we are no longer friends, just like this split mattress." The moral of the story is that Hua Xin was envious of wealth and status, but Guan Ning remained unaffected. When people have different goals and paths, it’s better to part ways.
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