Yao Buying, the author of this couplet, is a scholar of Tongzhi in Qing Dynasty. He used to be the magistrate of Cili County, Hunan Province, and was an official. This is the couplet he wrote for the official department. The first part says that as long as people are as thin as chrysanthemums, they are not as thin as chrysanthemums. The second part uses plum blossom as a metaphor to motivate yourself to be honest and clean, and to be poor and happy.

Yao Buying, whose real name is Bo Xuan, is from Haifeng and Shangzhou, Shaanxi. Hanlin in Qing dynasty. In thirty-four years (1769), Yao Buying was the 11th Jinshi of dimethyl ester, a Chinese family. Jishi Shu, academician of the Hanlin Academy, was selected as the editor.

The story of this couplet:

When Yao Buying took office, he wrote a couplet: "It is particularly embarrassing to move, and he is often afraid of offending people in the court; Officials and people are separated, comfortable and generous, and they are like father and son. "It means that the county magistrate's every move should consider whether there is any fault. I'm worried that I won't hear my own mistakes and bring sin to the court and the people. Due to obstacles, the relationship between the government and the people is very stiff. How can we truly reflect the situation of the people and let the court carry forward kindness, and the officials and the people are like fathers and sons? And ordered people to stick them on the pillars on both sides of the lobby to motivate themselves to be honest and clean, and to do practical things for the people. Yao Buying visited San Lao, observed people's feelings, reduced taxes, developed production and set up schools.

After two years of governance, the people live and work in peace and contentment and are very grateful to him. On one occasion, a dozen villagers from Shili Baxiang came to the county government to thank them with local products. They saw a pair of couplets hanging in the living room, which read: "Only a hundred miles of diligence can make up for the officials' frugality and cleanliness." The fans admire Yao even more. They must meet him. But touts made excuses, so they had to lead everyone to the garden behind the county government and saw a thin man with patched clothes bending his head to work. This man was bought by Yao. The villagers insisted that Yao buy local products. Yao Buying said with a smile: "There is a saying in my hometown that' good people are rewarded'. It is a pleasure to go to the countryside in the county and listen to everyone's opinions on governing the place. It is a pleasure for everyone to take things back and share them with each other. " When someone saw Yao buying thin clothes, they said with distress, "My Lord, it's cold now. Don't wear such clothes! " Yao Buying pointed to the blooming chrysanthemums and several plum blossoms in the corner and said affectionately and humorously, "Thank you for your concern. As light as autumn chrysanthemum, why not thin? It is clear that plum blossoms are not afraid of cold. " Yao Buying often admonishes himself with couplets to regulate his political behavior, and people respectfully call him "an honest official with couplets".