Family is people's first classroom, and parents are children's first teachers.
Over the years, Xi Jinping's mother Qi Xin taught him three important lessons of life: pure and selfless devotion to the nation; honesty and self-discipline; and constant commitment to putting aside personal well-being for the good of the people.
"Parents and seniors should pass on good morals to their children when they are little, helping them build moral integrity and a sense of goodwill, so that they can grow into a person who can contribute to the country and the general public." —— Qi Xin
When Xi was around five or six years old, his mother taught him to "serve the country with the utmost loyalty." Qi had carried him on her back to a bookstore and bought a storybook about Yue Fei, a Chinese general.
After they got home, the mother told the boy how Yue Fei's mother tattooed four Chinese characters, which literally translate into "serve the country with the utmost loyalty," on the back of her son.
"I said it must have been a great pain to have those words tattooed on the back," Xi recalled. "But my mother said that although it was painful, he remembered it by heart."
Xi has since used those words as a goal to pursue in life.
"A person who fails to be incorruptible and self-disciplined will become a person with no guts. Keep in mind that honesty is a blessing and greed is a curse while establishing a correct view of power, status, and interests." —— Qi Xin
Qi led a simple life, which became a tradition for the family. Her lifestyle and the family atmosphere guided Xi's values.
In 2000, Qi spent 40 days visiting the CPC's old revolutionary base area of Shaanxi, Gansu and Ningxia. In Zhaojin, the center of the area, she saw shabby classrooms of a local primary school and mobilized her family to donate 150,000 yuan to rebuild the school.
"Whether you come back home is not that important, doing a good job is the best demonstration of your care for your father and me, as well as for our family, and yourself." —— Qi Xin
When Xi could not be with his parents because of work during Spring Festival in 2001. Qi called her son, saying that as long as he did his best on the job, he would be showing the greatest filial piety to her and his father.
Her words of support have greatly inspired Xi to serve the public with the goal of achieving a good life for Chinese families.
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