"Yuan Fang" is a young and energetic person, who has a clear sense of right and wrong, knows how to be a human being, understands the truth, and is generous. Yuanfang, also known as Chen Ji (129-199), with the courtesy name Yuanfang, is a character in Shishuoxinyu·Qixing, the son of Chen Taiqiu and Chen Shi.

Original text:

Chen Taiqiu and his friends were traveling on a scheduled date. On the scheduled date, they did not arrive during the schedule. Yuan Fang was seven years old and started playing outside his home. The guest asked Yuan Fang: "Is your Majesty here?" He replied: "I haven't seen you for a long time, and you have gone." The friend said angrily: "You are not a human being. You will go as expected and leave by agreement." Yuan Fang said: "If you and your family are in the middle of the day, if you don't arrive on the day, you have no faith; if you scold your son and your father, it is rude." The friend was ashamed and got out of the car to lead him. Yuan Fang didn't care about it.

Translation

Chen Taiqiu made an appointment with his friends for a trip, and they agreed at noon. After noon, before the guests came, Taiqiu left, and the guests did not arrive until after he left. Yuan Fang was seven years old at the time and was playing outside. The guest asked Yuan Fang: "Is your father at home?" Yuan Fang replied: "I have been waiting for you for a long time but you have not come. He has already left." People. You make an appointment to go out with others, but you leave them alone. "Yuan Fang said, "You made an appointment with my father to go out at noon. It's not polite to scold the father in front of his son. "My friend felt ashamed and got out of the car and pulled Yuan Fang. Yuan Fang walked in without looking back.

Related notes

This is a very educational story. Chen Taiciu acted in accordance with the appointment. When his friend broke the appointment, he gave it up without any mercy. Seven-year-old Yuan Fang also understands the importance of trust in making friends. What this father and son embody is the concept advocated by the ancients that a person should be based on integrity.

Guan Zhong, a statesman in the Spring and Autumn Period, said: "Honesty is the key to the world." Confucius also said: "If you are a person but don't talk about honesty, you don't know how you can do that. It's like a big cart without a plow to put crossbars on it. (Lí), how can a small car go without a crossbar (yuè)?" It is precisely because integrity is the foundation for a person's conduct and the key to success or failure in a career. Therefore, in ancient times, there were many "Don't value a thousand pieces of gold but value a promise." There are many beautiful stories about people fulfilling their promises with their lives, but they despise the conduct of dishonest people.

Like this friend of Chen Taiciu, he broke his word and did not reflect on himself when he broke the promise. Instead, he blamed others. He was abandoned by his friends and despised by children. It was really his own fault.

Another inspiration from this story is to have a sense of time. "Huainanzi·Yuan Dao Xun" writes: "The sage does not value the jade of an inch but the shade of an inch." Time is the measure of life. Wasting other people's time is tantamount to seeking wealth and killing; wasting one's own time is tantamount to chronic suicide. Time is one of the elements of speed and efficiency.

The article describes the conversation between Chen Yuanfang and the visitors. It shows Chen Yuanfang's intelligence, his understanding of how to behave, his sense of reason, and his magnanimity. People are warned to act with integrity and be upright, otherwise they will lose friends and friendship.

Reference for the above content: Baidu Encyclopedia-Yuanfang