Notes after reading the Biography of Master Chen of Song Shi
Yu Hui
Chen Shidao of the Song Dynasty, who was young and studious, held a text at the age of sixteen to pay homage to Zeng Gong and Zeng Gong Daqizhi. During the Xining period, Wang Anshi promulgated the Three Classics of New Righteousness, and Chen Shidao was determined to do so.
Later, he was recommended by Su Shi, Fu Yaoyu, and Sun Jue, as a professor in Xuzhou, and then recommended by Liang Tao as a doctor of Taixue. Soon after, he was accused of chen shidao's lack of meritorious name, so he was deposed and returned home. The imperial court transferred Chen Shidao to do Peng Zeling, but Chen Shidao did not go.
Due to the poor family, his wife was often angry, but Chen Shidao remained the same. Because Chen Shidao was very knowledgeable, much later, the imperial court granted Chen Shidao the official position of provincial orthography as secretary.
At this time, the imperial court was going to hold a suburban ceremony, and Chen Shidao had no cold things because his family was poor, so his wife borrowed a cotton coat from his sister's family. His wife's sister married Zhao Tingzhi, and Chen Shidao had always hated Zhao Tingzhi. When he learned that the cotton clothes were borrowed from the Zhao family, Chen Shidao resolutely refused to wear them, so he contracted a cold disease and died.
Now people often say that to adapt to society, we must first solve the problem of survival and then pursue ideals. However, no matter what, people now are better off than Master Chen. Now it is not that people have no conditions and no time to read books, but they do not want to read at all. A person like Chen Shidao, who is poor and happy, is the real gentleman of reading. Many of today's readers are just elegant in words and humble in action.
