Hanzi

General Ma Yuan, a famous general of the Eastern Han Dynasty, had great ambitions since childhood, planning to develop animal husbandry in the frontier regions. After growing up, Ma Yuan became a Du You (supervising official) in Fufeng County. Once, the county governor sent him to escort a prisoner to Chang'an. Halfway there, he felt pity for the prisoner, couldn't bear to send him for punishment, and thus released him. He then had to abandon his post and fled to Beichao County to hide.

It so happened that a general amnesty was declared, and his past actions were no longer investigated. He then settled down to engage in animal husbandry and agricultural production. In just a few years, Ma Yuan became a major livestock owner and landlord, owning thousands of cattle and sheep and tens of thousands of shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain.

However, he was not content with his prosperous life. He distributed all his accumulated wealth, cattle, and sheep to his brothers and friends, saying, "It's meaningless for a person to be a miser." He often told his friends, "To be a true man, one must always 'be more resolute when poor, and more vigorous when old'." This means, the poorer one is, the firmer one's ambition should be; the older one is, the stronger one's spirit should be.

Later, Ma Yuan became a famous general of the Eastern Han Dynasty, achieving many military successes for Emperor Guangwu.