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During the Tang Dynasty, Han Yu, a renowned literati, often lectured to the students of the Imperial College while serving as Libationer.
He exhorted them with the maxim, "Diligence makes one proficient in studies, while playfulness leads to neglect; conduct is perfected by deliberation, but ruined by impulsiveness."
He also stressed the importance of social practice, urging them to be inclusive. He pointed out that even "plantain and puffball, or the skin of a broken drum," all have their distinct uses.
He encouraged students to deepen their learning and apply their knowledge flexibly.

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Open the tool →马勃牛溲 (mǎ bó niú sōu) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Trivial or seemingly worthless things that may still have some use”.
马勃牛溲 is pronounced mǎ bó niú sōu in Mandarin Chinese.
Literally, 马勃牛溲 means “Puffball and plantain”. It is used to mean “Trivial or seemingly worthless things that may still have some use”.
马勃牛溲 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to the modern era. The full story is on this page.
马勃:马屁菌;牛溲:车前草。借指不值钱的东西。