This is a story told by my college roommate, who is from Jiangxi province.There was a family of three: a father, a mother, and their son, Xiao Dong (a pseudonym). The mother was Xiao Dong's stepmother. When she first married into the family, she treated Xiao Dong fairly well—not with meticulous care, but at least with basic concern for his well-being. Life went on quietly and peacefully until Xiao Dong started elementary school, when the stepmother became pregnant and gave birth to another son.

This incident took place in a small village in Fengnan, Tangshan (or so it seems; it's been several years, and my memory is hazy. At the time, it caused quite a stir in our area).Two neighboring families, the Wangs and the Lis, had always lived in harmony.

In the United States, there was a collector named Norman Watt. Observing many collectors spending lavishly to acquire valuable items, he had an epiphany: why not collect some inferior paintings? Thus, he began acquiring two types of subpar artworks: one being the "off works" of famous artists, and the other being paintings by unknown individuals priced under $5. Before long, he had amassed over 200 such inferior paintings.

CCTV aired a dialogue program between Stanford University in the United States and Peking University, offering one fascinating moment after another.The host asked Stanford University President John Hennessy: "What exactly is Stanford's educational philosophy? What can it offer students? And what is its mission?" After a series of responses from President Hennessy, the host followed up: "In your opinion, which few words best capture everything you've just described?"

Big Bear loved eating fruit. He went to the market and bought a bag of strawberries, a bag of bananas, and a bag of apples. Carrying a basket full of fruit, Big Bear started walking home. Not far along the way, a hippopotamus beside the road was laying a foundation to build his house. He called out to Big Bear, "Hello, this stone is really heavy. Could you please come over and help me move it?"

Long, long ago, there was a terrible drought. The streams in the forest dried up, the springs ran dry, and the animals couldn't find any water to drink. They were suffering terribly.One day, Little Bear, Little Rabbit, Little Lion, and other animals gathered beneath a large tree, discussing how to find water. Suddenly, the big tree spoke: "Children, if you dig a well right beneath my roots, you'll find water to drink."

Grandma came back from the street and, as soon as she entered the door, called out, "My little darlings, I've bought you something wonderful!""What wonderful thing? Is it something delicious?" Little Calico Cat, Little Spotted Dog, and Little White Rabbit ran over to ask."Look!" Grandma said, holding up three toothbrushes. "From today on, you all must use these to brush your teeth!"

The old saying goes, "He who strikes first has the advantage; he who strikes later suffers the consequences." In military affairs, "seizing the initiative" is also an important principle. As early as in the "Zuo Zhuan," there is the expression "the first to act seizes the opponent's will." Later generations also often emphasized "speed is essential in war" and "I would rather attack others than be attacked," all meaning to strive for the advantage of striking first in battle.

One late autumn night in 204 BC, Han Xin's army of several tens of thousands arrived and camped in a mountain valley dozens of li from the Jingxing Pass in Hebei. They had reached this location after three days and nights of forced marching. While the soldiers were taking a brief rest, Han Xin summoned his deputy general Zhang Er to discuss their strategy for defeating Zhao.This campaign was part of a strategic plan Han Xin had proposed to Liu Bang: to launch a northern campaign against the states of Dai, Zhao, and Yan; attack Qi to the east; march southward to cut off Chu's supply lines; and ultimately outflank Xiang Yu.

In 506 BC, on the recommendation of Wu Zixu, King Helü of Wu appointed the great military strategist Sun Wu as his supreme commander, reorganized his troops, and prepared to attack the state of Chu.Sun Wu was a native of Qi, who described himself as a humble farmer from the eastern coast. He had come south to Wu at the invitation of Wu Guo, a minister of Wu. His passion lay in studying military strategy, and he held fame and wealth in low regard. The reason he agreed this time to take up the prestigious position of commander-in-chief was twofold. First, he wanted to help his old friend Wu Zixu achieve his goal of defeating Chu.