孟母三迁 — “Mencius' mother three moves”

During the Warring States period, there was a great scholar named Mencius. When Mencius was young, he was very naughty, and his mother put a lot of effort into ensuring he received a good education. One time, they lived near a cemetery. Mencius and the neighborhood children imitated adults bowing and wailing, playing games of holding funerals. Mencius' mother saw this and frowned, saying, "No! I cannot let my child live here anymore!"

So, Mencius' mother took him and moved to live near a marketplace. At the marketplace, Mencius and the neighborhood children again imitated merchants doing business. They would bow to welcome customers, serve them, and haggle over prices, performing just like real merchants! When Mencius' mother found out, she frowned again, "This place is not suitable for my child to live either!"

So, they moved again. This time, they moved near a school. Mencius began to be orderly, polite, and fond of reading. At this point, Mencius' mother nodded with satisfaction and said, "This is truly where my son should live!"

Later, people used the idiom "Mencius' mother moved three times" to signify that one should associate with good people, things, and environments to cultivate good habits.