"Standing up is based on learning, and learning is based on reading. Ouyang Xiu's words show that the foundation of self-cultivation is reading and learning.
Wang Li's family in Yuzhong County has always adhered to the family style of "loyalty and longevity, poetry and books for a long time", and the family takes reading as a habit of life. In 2022, Wang Li's family was named the "House of Scholars" in the province.
Wang Li was born in the ancient town of Qingcheng, which is known as "elegant Qingcheng, the hometown of benevolence and righteousness", and was influenced by the simple folk customs of advocating literature and virtue since he was a child. Today, he is a teacher at the No. 6 Middle School in Yuzhong County, Gansu Province.
Walking into Wang Li's home, there are books and classics everywhere, in the bookcase, on the balcony, and in the corner of the living room...... Even the backrest of the sofa is lined with books, so you can touch a book wherever you go, and every corner has a strong smell of books. He told reporters that there are currently nearly 5,000 books in his home.
A corner of Wang Li's house where books are placed. Photo by New Gansu Gansu Daily reporter Wang Cong
For decades, Wang Li has spent most of his time and energy on reading, literature, education, and valuable books.
"He gets up at four or five o'clock in the morning to read, and he is still reading at 12 o'clock in the evening. His wife, Ju Xiaoqi, told reporters, "Wang Li's book can be described as 'hungry'." ”
Wang Li's parents are not highly educated, but they respect teachers and education, and attach great importance to family education. "Hiding gold and jade is like collecting books and teaching children, how can you be more generous than treating people with generosity. Parents often used this sentence to teach Wang Li.
Although the level of education is not high, his father likes to study the history, couplets, poems, allusions, etc. of Qingcheng Ancient Town, and is known as a "scholar" and has a lot of prestige in the town. When he was in Qingcheng Ancient Town, my father often went to scenic spots to tell tourists about the history and folk culture of the ancient town, and on weekends or holidays, he also exchanged ideas with his old friends about reading for goodness, being a person and doing things, and shared his reading insights.
Wang Li flipped through the first dictionary his father bought for him and recalled the past. Photo by New Gansu Gansu Daily reporter Wang Cong
Influenced by his father, Wang Li has loved reading since he was a child. After entering the university, he was even more shocked by the huge collection of books in the library, so he soaked in the library every day. After work, he became a frequent visitor to the Provincial Library and the Northwest Book City, and still maintains an average frequency of borrowing books once a month.
Wang Li's wife, Ju Xiaoqi, is also a people's teacher, and the husband and wife have been training each other, traveling in the sea of books, and discussing ways to teach and educate people and establish morality. "His love and persistence in reading also had a profound impact on me. Ju Xiaoqi said.
In order to encourage students to study, Wang Li also applied for library cards for students who had suffered accidents in their families at his own expense. When he was teaching at Yuzhong No. 5 Middle School, he found that the students in his class did not have extra extracurricular books to read, so he proposed to create a book corner.
"The children in the class volunteered to donate a wooden box, which we pasted out of paper and made into a book box. Wang Li said that he brought some books suitable for students to read from home. This move has led many students to join the ranks of reading, and now, there are often students who call Wang Li to thank him for his teachings back then.
Wang Li showed reporters the speech notes he insisted on recording every day. Photo by New Gansu Gansu Daily reporter Wang Cong
The words and deeds of Wang Li and his family also deeply influenced her daughter Wang Mingyu, making her a girl who loves to read.
Every time his daughter has a birthday, Wang Li will give a classic book as a birthday gift, and will also write a family letter by hand, which is concise and to the point, and the family motto and Taoist style flow between the lines.
"The book given by my dad is a 'special gift' on my birthday, which is a unique way for our family to express our emotions, and it is also a special encouragement from my father, who loves books. Wang Mingyu said.
"Morning Flowers and Sunset", "Les Miserables", "Me and the Temple of Earth", "Baiyangdian Chronicle"...... These are all books I used to give her. Wang Li said.
Opening these books, the reporter saw that Wang Mingyu had sketched and marked some favorite words. In the book "Mirror Flowers", when she read the sentence "If you want to be high, you must be good, and if you want good children and grandchildren, you must read", she wrote "Good!" next to her.
"If one person reads, one person benefits, and when the whole family reads, the whole family benefits. Talking about the impact of reading on the family, Wang Li has deep feelings. In their spare time, Wang Li and his wife often take their daughter to participate in outdoor reading activities, and the family can often be seen reading and selecting books in libraries and bookstores.
Wang Li participated in the reading sharing activity. (Provided by the interviewee)
As the saying goes, a single flower is not spring, and a hundred flowers bloom in spring. In order to make more people aware of the significance of reading, Wang Li has participated in, organized or presided over various reading exchanges, speeches and education, and cultural assistance activities at all levels. In 2006, he and his friends initiated the Oasis Cultural Salon, which has now taken root and benefited more and more people.
"As long as my eyes can see and my body can move, I will continue to read. Wang Li, who loves to read, said.
New Gansu Gansu Daily reporter Wang Cong