Do you know a saying about the swan feather (天鹅羽毛)?
This saying comes from a historic book called Lu Shi. According to the story, a Tang Dynasty official (唐朝官员) in Yunnan wanted to show his respect to the emperor. He sent a man named
Mian Bogao to bring some gifts to the emperor. One of the gifts was a beautiful swan, and it was a very valuable gift at the time.
Mian took good care of the swan on his way to the emperor. One day he passed by a lake and wanted to let the swan drink some water. But as soon as he set the swan free, the swan flew away, leaving only some feathers on the ground. Mian was very worried, but he didn't run away. He decided to tell the emperor what happened. He picked up a feather and kept going on his trip.
When Mian met the emperor, he told him what happened and said, "This swan feather is light, but it carries my deep respect for you. "The emperor was happy with Mian's honesty and sincerity (真诚). He forgave Mian. People now use the saying to show that a good gift doesn't have to be expensive. What matters is the sincerity it carries.
