来处不易 — “It did not come easily”

Zhu Bailu was a native of Kunshan during the late Ming Dynasty. His father perished while resisting the Qing army, and Zhu Bailu, supporting his mother and leading his younger siblings, endured great hardship and wandering. After the Qing Dynasty unified the country, he had no desire to serve as an official. Instead, he taught students in his hometown and dedicated himself to scholarship, often saying, 'The purpose of studying is to become a sage.'

While his learning was profound, he placed even greater emphasis on cultivating people's moral character. He famously stated, 'For every bowl of porridge and every meal, one should remember that it did not come easily. For every half-thread and every strand, one should always recall the difficulty of procuring resources.'

He also taught, 'Those who envy wealth and nobility are the most shameful; those who act arrogantly when encountering poverty are the most despicable.'

And, 'Doing good deeds with the desire for others to see is not true goodness; doing bad deeds and fearing others will know is indeed true evil.'