Ouyang Xiu was born into a family of bureaucratic officials, and his father, Ouyang Guan, was a minor government official. Four years after Ouyang Xiu's birth, his father passed away, leaving the entire burden of the family's livelihood on his mother, Zheng. Zheng was born into a prominent family in Jiangnan and was well-educated and sensible. When Ouyang Xiu was very young, Zheng constantly told him stories about how to be a good person, summarizing each story to help Ouyang Xiu understand many principles of conduct. The most important lesson she taught him was not to echo others blindly or to drift with the current. As Ouyang Xiu grew older, Zheng did everything she could to teach him to recognize and write characters, starting with teaching him to read the poems of Tang Dynasty poets Zhou Pu, Zheng Gu, and the nine monks of the time. Although Ouyang Xiu only had a superficial understanding of these poems, it increased his interest in reading.

 

Teaching with Reeds

 

As Ouyang Xiu approached school age, Zheng was determined to have her son study, but the family was too poor to afford paper and brushes. One day, she saw reed grass growing by the pond in front of the house and had a sudden inspiration: couldn't she use these reed stalks to write on the ground? So she used reed stalks as brushes and sand as paper, and began to teach Ouyang Xiu to practice writing. Following his mother's guidance, Ouyang Xiu practiced writing characters on the ground, stroke by stroke, practicing over and over again, writing again when wrong, until he wrote correctly and neatly, with meticulous attention to detail. This is the story later passed down as the "Teaching with Reeds."

 

Encouraging Filial Piety and Public Service

 

The mother was delighted with Ouyang Xiu's outstanding talent, but she hoped that her son would not only excel in literature but also act in accordance with his conscience. Ouyang Xiu's father had served as a minor official in charge of administrative and judicial affairs in Daozhou and Taizhou before his death. He cared about the suffering of the people, was upright and honest, and was loved by the common people. After Ouyang Xiu grew up and became an official, his mother often recounted his father's deeds in office. She said to her son: When your father was a judicial officer, he often dealt with cases at night, and for cases involving ordinary people, he was very cautious, reading them over and over again. Whenever possible, he would sentence leniently; and for those who really could not be sentenced leniently, he often expressed deep sympathy and sighed incessantly. She also said: Your father was an official who was honest and dedicated to public service, not seeking personal gain, and often helped others with his wealth, enjoying the company of friends. Although his official salary was not much, he often had no surplus. He often said that money should not become a burden. So when he passed away, he did not leave behind a single room or a piece of land. She warned her son: The support for your parents does not have to be very abundant, the important thing is to have a filial heart. Although your own wealth may not be given to the poor, it must be with a heart full of benevolence and righteousness. I may not be able to teach you, as long as you can remember your father's teachings, I will be at ease.