It means: everyone loves money, and a gentleman loves money, but a gentleman only earns what he can; A gentleman spends money and only does what is beneficial to society and himself, and he will do whatever he can.

From "Augmented Xianwen". Zengguang Xianwen, also known as Xianwen of the Past Dynasties and Xianwen of the Past Dynasties, is a collection of ancient teachings and folk proverbs, and an enlightening bibliography for ancient children in China. The title of the book was first seen in the drama Peony Pavilion in the Wanli period of Ming Dynasty, so it can be inferred that this book was written in the Wanli period at the latest.

Extended data:

"Xunzi Honor and Disgrace" article: "The great distinction between honor and disgrace is the constant body of peace interests. Those who are righteous before benefiting will be honored, and those who are righteous before benefiting will be humiliated; Honor is always ordinary, shame is always poor; The well-versed often control others, and the poor often control others: the difference between honor and disgrace. Simple people are often Amway, and arrogant people are often harmful; People in Amway are always happy and relaxed, and people who do harm are often worried about risks; Happy people live long, and those who worry about danger often die: this is the normal body of security and interests. "

This is human nature. How do others treat people who value profits? People who value profits lose trust even if they gain something. This is "poverty-no way to go", and I'm afraid the road ahead is impassable.

Because everyone is wary, such people will approach you, and you will doubt his purpose, worry about being used and prevent being abandoned. Therefore, it is not feasible to benefit before righteousness, so "poverty often governs others."