1. Tao Yuanming "doesn't give in for five buckets of rice"
Tao Yuanming is a famous writer in ancient China. Not only is he very famous for his poems, but he also despises fame and wealth and refuses to follow the crowd. Also famous.
Tao Yuanming was born in 365 AD and was the earliest pastoral poet in China. Tao Yuanming lived in an era where dynasties were changing, society was in turmoil, and people's lives were very difficult. In the autumn of 405 AD, Tao Yuanming came to Pengze, not far from his hometown, to serve as a county magistrate in order to support his family. This winter, his boss sent an official to inspect. This official was a vulgar and arrogant man. As soon as he arrived at the boundary of Pengze County, he sent someone to call the county magistrate to see him.
When Tao Yuanming got the news, although he despised such people who gave orders in the name of their superiors, he had no choice but to leave immediately. Unexpectedly, his secretary stopped Tao Yuanming and said, "This official must pay great attention to details, dress neatly, and have a humble attitude. Otherwise, he will speak ill of you in front of his boss."
Tao Yuanming, who had always been upright and aloof, could no longer bear it. He sighed and said: "I would rather starve to death than give in to such a bad person just because of the official salary of five buckets of rice." He immediately wrote a letter of resignation and left. He only held the post of county magistrate for more than eighty days and never held an official position again.
There is one less bureaucrat in the officialdom and one more writer in the literary world. Tao Yuanming's story of "not giving up for five buckets of rice" has become a portrayal of Chinese intellectuals' uprightness and unwillingness to follow trends. In daily life, if a person is unwilling to sacrifice his integrity in exchange for some material benefit, he often says "don't bend your waist for five buckets of rice."
2. Yangxu hangs fish
During the Eastern Han Dynasty, Yangxu, the prefect of Nanyang, hated the corruption and extravagance of the bureaucrats and powerful officials at that time. He is modest and lives a simple life. He usually wears shabby clothes and a patched quilt, and rides in an old carriage. The tableware is crude earthenware and the food is simple. Fu Cheng Jiao Jian was his subordinate. He was a very decent man and had a good relationship with Yangxu. He thought that his superior's life was too poor. He heard that Yangxu liked to eat raw fish, so he bought a fish for Yangxu. . Jiao Jian was afraid that Yangxu would refuse, so he smiled and said, "Your Excellency, you have not been in Nanyang for a long time. You may not know that this is the famous 'March Salary Carp' here, so I specially bought one for you. You usually think of me as a carp." Brother, this fish is just a little tribute from the younger brother to his elder brother. You know, I am by no means a flatterer, so please accept it!" When Yang Xu saw Jiao Jian say this, he felt that it would be disrespectful not to accept it. , so he said with a smile: "In that case, it is better to obey orders than to be respectful." After Jiao Jian left, Yangxu hung the fish outside and never touched it again. In March of the next year, Jiao Jian bought another carp, thinking that it would be okay to give one as a gift, knowing that if he bought too much, Yang Xu would not want it. When they arrived at Yangxu's house, Jiao Jian just explained his intention. Yangxu pointed to the dried "March Carp" and said, "The one you gave last year is still here!" Jiao Jian was stunned, shook his head, sighed, and left with the live fish.
3. Bao Zheng's "Family Instructions on Integrity"
Bao Zheng of the Northern Song Dynasty was known to all women and children for his integrity and fairness as an official, and the common people called him "Bao Qingtian". Throughout his life, Bao Zheng held a high position, was honest and selfless, and hated corrupt officials. In his later years, he was worried that his descendants would be unscrupulous, so he erected a stone tablet at home with the famous "Family Instructions on Integrity" engraved on it to warn future generations. people. The general meaning is: "Any descendant of the Bao family who has committed corruption or bribery cannot be called a descendant of the Bao family, and even after death, they cannot be buried in the cemetery of their family. Those who do not obey this instruction are not descendants of Bao Gong." ”
4. Ma Yinchu refused bribery
Ma Yinchu, a famous modern economist and social activist in my country, served as the Director of Finance of Zhejiang Province before liberation. One day, a man in Deqing County who wanted to be the county magistrate asked someone to give a thousand oceans to Ma Yinchu, and asked Ma Yinchu to open the back door and let him become the magistrate of a certain county. Ma Yinchu became furious and cursed: "Shameless thing, this kind of person can use money to beat his joints today. If he really becomes the county magistrate, he must be a corrupt official. Based on this, he cannot be the county magistrate. Immediately order someone to come Return the money. Premier Zhou Enlai's clothes. One of Premier Zhou's pajamas has been worn for more than 20 years. It has been patched and worn, and it has become lint-free. One of the shirts is so old that the cuffs and collars have been replaced. , a piece of clothing has been repaired and the color is different. He is wearing it. When others ask him to change it, he always says: "The old one can be worn."
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5. Madame Curie’s views on money
Mrs. Curie, the inventor of radium and winner of two Nobel Prizes, was devoted to science throughout her life and hated money and honors. Most of the prize money was used for scientific experiments and given to poor students and friends in need. She gave up the huge amount of money from the "radium patent" and resolutely announced the technology of refining radium to the world, and brought the world worth 1 million francs. The first gram of radium was donated to the Institute for Cancer Treatment
6. Li Siguang “I want to return to China, and I don’t want U.S. dollars.”
In 1948, Li Siguang accepted the invitation of the International Geological Society. The United States published "The Birth of the New China Sea", which caused a sensation in Europe. One morning, Li Siguang saw a news in the newspaper: "... Shenyang was liberated on December 2,..." He was so excited that tears filled his eyes, a dream he had had for many years. It will come true, and New China will be born! At the annual meeting of Chinese students at Cambridge University, he said excitedly: "Although I am 60 years old and have been in poor health, I must return to my motherland and Dedicate the rest of your life to New China! "But this move angered the Kuomintang authorities. The secretary of the Kuomintang Embassy in the UK found Li Siguang, took out a check for five thousand US dollars, and said: "You make a public statement to the world denying the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China. "He also threatened: "If you refuse, I will take necessary measures to detain you abroad." After hearing this, Li Siguang was extremely angry and immediately scolded him severely: "Can my desire to return home be bought with money?" I want to go back to my country, and I don’t want US dollars! "After experiencing untold hardships, Li Siguang finally set foot on the soil of the motherland and realized his wish to serve China.