It seems to be stubbornly lighting up one concrete star after another in the boundless abstract night. The light of each star may be weak, but they refuse to be swallowed up by darkness. The starry sky formed by them reflecting each other is defending the simplest truth.
"Jade to Make a Man" At the end of the Spring and Autumn Period, there was a scholar named Shiji in the State of Lu. He was born with beautiful features, but he was always filled with melancholy. He had read books about sages since he was a child, and wanted to serve the country by seeking an official position. However, he traveled to Qufu and Linzi for several years, and either met officials who only asked about family status, or met retainers who were only interested in personal gain, without even touching the threshold of the court. On this day, he was walking on the post road outside Qufu City with his homework in hand. He saw a small jade craftsman's shop beside the road. A faded wooden sign hung in front of the shop, which read, "If jade is not cut, it will not become a tool; if a person is not introduced, it will not establish the world." So he walked in. Sitting in the shop was an old craftsman with white hair, known as "White Man", who was rubbing a piece of green-white jade. Shi Ji bowed and said: "Old man, Shi Ji, the younger generation, has no way to find an official position and doesn't know where to go." Bai Weng looked up at him and handed over the uncut jade material: "This jade comes from Kungang. If no one carves it, it is just a stubborn stone. Take it and go find someone who can cut jade - remember, those who can cut jade may not be craftsmen; those who can seduce you may not be powerful people." Shiji held the cold jade material and went to Qufu City first. He heard that the doctor Meng Sun had a reputation as a virtuous man, so he came to see him. The Meng Sun family's mansion is not as ostentatious as other houses. There is only a simple wooden plaque hanging on the courtyard door. When the housekeeper led Shi Ji into the courtyard, he saw Meng Sun wearing coarse cloth and dark clothes, leading his retainers to practice archery in the courtyard. In the morning light, he drew the bow, aimed, and released the arrow. His movements were meticulous, and even the sound of the arrow feathers falling to the ground was regular. After finishing practicing archery, Meng Sun said to Shi Ji: "When you seek an official position, you should first ask yourself 'what you can do' rather than 'what you want to ask for'. I practice archery every morning before dawn, go to the ancestral temple in the afternoon to practice rituals, and read "Poems" and "Books" at night. It's a mistake. If you can't even do it, even if you enter the court, you will be just a puppet who follows the crowd." Shi Ji listened, touched the jade material in his arms, and suddenly understood: It turns out that the direction is not given by others, but made by himself. After leaving Qufu, Shi Ji went to Linzi. Linzi was the capital of Qi State and the market was bustling, but instead of looking for powerful people, he looked for retired general Tian Bo. Uncle Tian once led an army to resist the Jin Dynasty, fought hard battles, and suffered defeats. Now he lives in a farmhouse on the outskirts of the city, and goes for a walk on the ridge of the fields every morning. "Junior wants to know how to deal with defeat?" Shi Ji asked. Uncle Tian pointed to the wheat on the ridge of the field: "Last year there was a locust plague, and most of the wheat was withered. I didn't blame anyone, I just pulled out the dead seedlings and replanted new ones. Isn't there still a harvest this year? When I led the army to defeat the Jin army, half of the soldiers fled. I didn't scold them. I just gathered the remaining people to investigate the cause of the defeat and practice the formation. Three years later When we fight again, won't we win?" He paused and looked at the jade material in Shi Ji's arms, "If there are cracks in the jade material, the craftsman will not cut it hard, but will only change the carving method according to the texture. When a person encounters setbacks, he should not give up. He must learn to adjust his direction - the real skill is not to never fail, but to stand up and continue on the right path." Shi Ji went to Handan again. There were many merchants in Handan, and he met a squire named Ji. This man made a fortune by hoarding grain, but he was very stingy. Seeing Shiji coming, Mrs. Ji only brought out coarse tea and babbled: "My whole life, I have relied on the word "saving". I only buy coarse cloth, only eat old food, and even light a lamp with only one wick. If you want to be stable, follow me and learn. You are right to save more and spend less." Shi Ji looked at his warehouse full of grain, and then thought about Meng Sun's orderliness and Uncle Tian's tenacity, and suddenly felt something was wrong: only knowing how to reduce expenditure and not knowing how to increase revenue is like locking jade in a box, which will never become a weapon. He thanked Ji, turned and left. Finally, Shi Ji went to Daliang. There are many debaters in Daliang who specialize in lobbying other countries to seek officials. He met a debater named Zou Yan, who was spitting in the market and said that he would teach Shi Ji to "take advantage of other countries' opportunities": "You go to Wei and say that Zhao wants to attack it, and then go to Zhao and say that Wei wants to guard against it. Both sides are trying to please you, and you still worry about not getting a salary?" Shi Ji listened and touched the jade in his arms - although the jade was not carved, it was tender. How could it be allowed to be so opportunistic? He shook his head and said goodbye. After going around in circles, Shi Ji returned to Bai Weng's jade shop. He handed the jade material back to Bai Weng and told the four people he met one by one. Bai Weng took the jade material, picked up the carving knife, and lightly scratched a texture on the jade material: "Meng Sun's is the 'rules of carving jade', teaching you to keep yourself; Tian Bo is the 'method of carving jade', teaching you how to adapt; Ji's is the 'taboos of carving jade' ', I teach you not to be too small; Zou Yan is the 'disaster of carving jade', and I teach you not to go astray. But you have forgotten that in order for jade to become a tool, it is not enough for the craftsman to 'be willing to be cut' – this is 'self-cutting'." "What is self-editing?" Shi Ji asked. Bai Weng put down the carving knife and said slowly: "A capable person doesn't show off because he knows that 'jade will overflow' and there is no need to show off; a cultivated person is not high-profile because he understands that 'jade moisturizes within' and there is no need to show it externally; there is no need to show off." People with good qualities don't care because they understand that "no jade is perfect" and no one is perfect; people with good cultivation are not irritable because they stick to "the jade is strong and persevere" and remain calm when faced with problems. " Shi Ji suddenly became enlightened after hearing this. He stayed in Bai Weng's shop, helping to polish jade every day, and also cultivated his self-cultivation according to the "self-polished" method: he was never lazy in reading and writing, he only tried to persuade neighbors to make peace without causing trouble, he only thanked others when he was praised, and he was not impatient even if he was misunderstood. As time went by, although the jade material in his arms was not carved, it seemed to be stained with his breath and glowed with a warm light. Later, the king of Zhu State heard about Shi Ji's reputation and sent someone to ask him to be a doctor. When Shi Ji arrived in Zhu State, he was not in a hurry to implement the new policy. He first went to the fields to see the mulberry trees and the military camp to inspect the drills, doing things in a down-to-earth manner like the Meng Sun family. When encountering an invasion from a neighboring country, he was not in a hurry, and followed what Uncle Tian said, "Modulating forces is like mobilizing troops" and defended the city. But he never asked for credit; when someone slandered him in front of the king, he didn't care. Instead, he recommended that person to take charge of the granary, saying, "Although he is stingy, he knows how to manage things." Even if the argument in the court turned red, he remained calm and never yelled. Within a few years, the Zhu country gradually became stable, and the people all thought of Shiji's good deeds. Once, a down-and-out young man came to ask Shi Ji for guidance. Shi Ji took out an uncut piece of jade and said with a smile: "I was as confused as you back then, but later I realized that the noble person who can guide you is the one who teaches you the right path; what can make you successful is your own willingness to 'work on your own'." When the young man left with the jade piece in hand, Shi Ji looked at his back and suddenly remembered Bai Weng's words - jade is carved by others, and people are polished by themselves. There is never a natural "noble man" in this world, only those who are willing to listen to good advice and cultivate themselves; there is no natural "smooth road", only the road that is close to the beloved and walks in the right direction. Just like that piece of Kunggang jade, if it refuses to be carved and if it does not reveal its warmth, even if it encounters the best craftsman, it will be nothing more than a stubborn stone.
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