Practical sense is always shallow, and smart people are more likely to forget it.

Zeng Guofan highly praised his grandfather Xing Ganggong's eight-character ancestral motto in his family letters:

"Sweep the treasures early, read vegetables, fish and pigs."

the reason is simple, just take it literally.

Be diligent and get up early; Play "sweep" the residence, clean and upright; "Examination" is to worship ji ancestors and be sincere; What is more difficult to understand is this "treasure", which means "people treat others with priceless treasures" and refers to doing a good job in neighborhood relations around them.

"book" means reading, while "vegetables", "fish" and "pigs" mean getting rich through labor. The meaning here is that we should not only study hard, but also make a living by production. But before the word "book" goes, it shows the importance of wisdom, and other "vegetables", "fish" and "pigs" can be considered as the means and premise to maintain reading.

Zeng Xinggang, a common people, though not poor, is just an ordinary farmer. With these eight-character family precepts, Zeng Guofan has been cultivated step by step as a grandson of a glorious ancestor, and he has to be said to be a great grandfather.

This eight-character family motto looks elegant and a bit old-fashioned, but it's fine. In fact, modern people who make progress can borrow it.

for "scanning the exam treasure early". Getting up early is a rare and disposable time of the day, and you can do the most meaningful thing for yourself; Cleaning is a moral, which is equivalent to grooming and shaking the spirit; Worship ji ancestors means to be pious and stick to the original heart; Of course, it is also very important to improve interpersonal relationships.

for "books, vegetables, fish and pigs". It's easy to understand. We should not only improve our wisdom and skills, but also give consideration to economic survival. It's unrealistic to pursue everything perfectly. It's important to try to coordinate the ability with the actual conditions and improve yourself as much as possible.

Many practical truths always make people feel shallow, and it is easier for smart people to forget them. Only people like Mr. Zeng Wenzheng who are good at "fighting hard" will understand the great wisdom in the simple truths.

yes, the avenue is often the simplest.