This sentence comes from Zhuge Liang's master, Mr. Shuijing. From The Story of Master Zhuge Liang, the original text is as follows:
Legend has it that Zhuge Liang was a disciple of Mr. Shuijing when he was a child. Mr. Shuijing lives in seclusion in Shuijing Village, Nanzhang, and keeps a cockerel in the yard. The rooster crows three times at noon every day. Mr. Shuijing left school as soon as he heard the rooster crowing. Zhuge Liang was fascinated by Mr. Wang's lectures on astronomy, geography and the art of war, and he was annoyed every time he heard a chicken crow.
Later, he sewed a pocket on his trousers and put a few handfuls of rice in his pocket to go to school every day. He noticed that the rooster was going to crow, so he quietly sprinkled a handful of rice out of the window and watched it sprinkle another handful when it was almost finished. When the rooster finished eating a bag of rice, he listened to Mr. Wang for another hour.
After a while, Teacher Niang waited for Mr. Shui Jing to have lunch on an empty stomach every day, and she could not help complaining: "You old gentleman have really become a fairy, and you don't know if you are hungry after noon every day!" Mr. Shuijing said, "Didn't you hear the cock crow?"
Teacher Niang is a delicate person. At noon the next day, she quietly walked into the yard. When she saw the cock with a flower neck craning its neck to crow, someone threw a handful of rice from the window of the study. She went forward and looked at it carefully, then quietly turned back.
Today, Mr. Shuijing feels a little hungry. As soon as she entered the door, she called the teacher's mother to make up the meal quickly. Teacher Niang waited for him to finish his meal, then smiled and told him the reason: "I didn't expect you, an old gentleman, to be worse than Zhuge!" " Hearing this, Mr. Shuijing became angry from embarrassment: "How dare this urchin play tricks on the teacher and let him go back tomorrow!" " ! "
When Zhuge Liang left, Jenny pleaded, "Little Zhuge feeds the chickens to study. I think I'd better spare him." Mr. Shuijing knows that Zhuge Liang is clever and studious. How could he really drive him away? But thinking of looking straight at trees, people and goods, wizards can become heroes of governing the country and securing the country, and they can also become adulterers who bring disaster to the country and people, so they sent extremely talented people to visit Zhuge Liang in Longzhong.
After an unannounced visit to Longzhong, the extremely young people talked with Mr. Shui Jing about three things: Zhuge Liang's mother was afraid of the cold in winter, so he cut crystal grass up the hill and laid her on the bed, let her go to bed to keep warm, and then let her sleep peacefully. Second, Zhuge Liang's house is only two vegetable beds away from the well platform. Others' houses are small and short, and they are afraid that the bucket will touch the hemp fence of others' houses, and every time they carry water, they turn around the foot of the mountain.
Third, when asking a young man nearby for advice, he called himself "Mr." and went there to clean the yard every morning; Now Zhuge Liang's talent exceeds that of the younger generation, and the younger generation will come to Zhuge Liang for advice when they have time. Zhuge Liang also called him "Mr." and cleaned the courtyard as usual every day. After listening to these three things, Mr. Shuijing nodded and said, "Little Zhuge must be a hero in the future!" "I personally went to Longzhong to pick Zhuge Liang up and come back to school.
Extended data
Si Mahui (173—208) was born in Yangzhai, Yingchuan (now Yuzhou, Henan). A hermit at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, he was well versed in Daoism, Qimen, Art of War and Confucian classics. Known as "Mr. Water Mirror". Si Mahui was personable, knowledgeable and well-informed. He recommended Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong to Liu Bei and was respected by the world.
Si Mahui never talks about other people's shortcomings. When talking to others, he never asks others' likes and dislikes and says good things. Someone in the village greeted him, and he replied "good". Once, when someone told Si Mahui about his son's death, Si Mahui replied, "Good." .
When Si Mahui's wife found out, she scolded him: "People think you have noble morality, so they tell you. How come I suddenly heard that someone else's son died and said yes to others! " Si Mahui replied, "Your words are also very good."
Therefore, in the Ming Dynasty, Si Mahui was called "Mr. Nice guy", from which the idiom "Mr. Nice guy" came. Later generations used the word "Mr. Nice guy" to refer to people who don't adhere to principles and who dare not or don't want to offend anyone.
References:
Baidu Encyclopedia-Si Mahui