As an old Chinese saying goes, "wealth and beauty can be gained through diligent study", and I think this is the poor literati looking for self comfort in books and finding a little psychological balance. "When it comes to talking about one’s poverty, one is angry blaming God for his mistakes". When one returns to reality in dilemma, there is only endless anger and trouble.

Official families and wealthy children live an extravagant life with groups of wives and concubines, which are beyond the reach of poor scholars. And the general purpose of scholars is to achieve a decent life like a rich man, with rich clothes and beautiful women. This is the sadness of scholars, but also the sadness of an era. The purpose of reading is to squeeze into the upper class society.

But how many people can achieve it? If it is realized, it is just having another rich man, and then he returns to his hometown in silken robes, bringing glory on his ancestors, and finally an official family is gradually formed. History is repeating stories one after another.

And most of the losers, depressed and frustrated, returned to the ranks of the poor, where they were mocked by the poor. They lingered on like Kong Yiji and ended their tragic lives.

If the society lacks fairness and cannot guarantee the smooth upward flow, it is doomed that the rich will always get richer and the poor will get poorer. Social injustice caused by class solidification is an ugly and stubborn disease that has remained in society for thousands of years, which is by no means eradicated easily.

Some people say that the sign of a strong country is whether the poor live a happy life. Although they are not rich, the poor have a sense of happiness, so they recognize and support this society and this country. The poor can also become rich and realize their dreams through their own efforts, so that the people in the country can live and work in peace and contentment and live happily.

Is it not a kind of happiness to exchange personal happiness for the happiness of millions of people?

When Premier Zhou Enlai was young, he made a great wish: To study for the rise of the Chinese school. For the country, for the nation and for the people, to overthrow an old era and establish a new era---How great it is!

A happy life is created by your efforts, at least not for a narrow goal. While realizing social value, you also realize your own value. This is a happy and meaningful thing.

Poverty is not terrible. What is terrible is that the poor strive to pursue a corrosive and distorted life. Even if they succeed, they are not happy.

古语言“书中自有黄金屋，书中自有颜如玉”，而我以为这是穷酸文人在书中寻找自我的安慰，找到一点心理的平衡。“论及囊中羞涩时，怒指乾坤错”，回到现实，回到自己的窘境之时，只有无尽的愤怒和烦恼。

官宦之家，富贵子弟，黄金充屋，妻妾成群，这是穷酸文人难以企及的。而一般的读书人的目的只是实现像富贵人那样的生活，锦衣玉食，美女如云。这是文人的悲哀，更是一个时代的悲哀，读书的目的是为了挤进上流社会。

可又有多少人能够实现呢？倘若实现了，只不过是多了一个富人，然后衣锦还乡，荣归故里，光宗耀祖，最后也成了一个官宦人家，历史在重复着一个又一个的故事。

而大多数的失败者，郁郁不得志，重新回到了穷人的行列，缺受到穷人的嘲弄，如孔乙己般苟延残喘，了却一生。

社会若是缺失了公平，不能保证向上流动的顺畅，注定永远只能是富人越来越富，穷人越来越穷。阶层固化引起的社会不公，这是社会几千年来残存下来的丑陋和顽疾，绝非毕其功于一役。

有人说，一个国家强盛的标志，就是看穷人是否生活得幸福。尽管并不富裕，但穷人有幸福感，他们对这个社会这个国家是认可的，也是支持的。穷人通过自身的努力也能够成为富人，实现自己的梦想，这样国家里的人民才会安居乐业，生活得幸福。

以个人的幸福换取千千万万人民大众的幸福，何尝不是一种幸福？

周恩来年轻时就立下宏愿：为中华之崛起而读书，为国家为民族为人民而读书，为了推翻一个旧的时代，建立一个新的时代，这是何等的伟大！

幸福的生活要靠自己创造，至少不是为了一个狭隘的目标，在实现社会价值的同时，也实现自身的价值，这才是幸福而有意义的事情。

穷不可怕，可怕的是穷人极力追求一种腐蚀而又扭曲的生活，即使成功了，也是不幸福的。

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