The "Night Talks by the Stove" written by Qing person Wang Yongbin, together with "Caigen Tan" written by Hong Yingming of the Ming Dynasty and "Small Window Seclusion Records" written by Chen Jiru, are collectively known as the "Three Great Odd Books of Getting-by in the World." Wang Yongbin was a man from the Chengfeng period of the Qing Dynasty, but his specific whereabouts and actions are unknown. The "Night Talks by the Stove" he wrote is divided into 184 sections, with "establishing oneself and one's career" as the main topic. It discusses various aspects such as morality, self-cultivation, reading, contentment in poverty, teaching children, loyalty and filial piety, diligence and frugality, revealing the profound truth that "establishing virtue, establishing merit, and establishing words" all take "establishing a career" as the foundation. Since its publication, the book has had a significant impact. The 184 philosophical truths and behavioral standards about life are like a warm stove fire on a cold winter night, providing warmth and comfort.
"Night Talks by the Stove" is a collection of popular aphorisms. Regarding the purpose of compilation, Wang Yongbin wrote a brief preface before the start: "Night talks by the stove, enjoying the happiness of peasant women around a stove on cold nights. But sitting in silence or laughing and talking nonsense, both lack joy and waste the good night. I am just a literate farmer. In the quiet evenings when family gathers, we burn sweet potatoes together. Whenever I have insights, I express them orally and ask my children to write them down for preservation, titled 'Night Talks by the Stove'. However, these are all recorded as they come, with disordered words, shallow meanings, and many unworthy of firm belief. They are merely for the family to pass the long nights, not worth telling outsiders. If there are virtuous gentlemen who can kindly correct them, it would be very fortunate." Wang Yongbin lived in the turbulent late Qing Dynasty, facing declining social morals and moral decay. With a clear understanding of reality, he called for political reform and moral reconstruction, exploring ways to mend the world's values and hearts, striving to illuminate a path out of spiritual dilemmas with his own inner light. "Night Talks by the Stove" does not excel in rigorous reasoning, but rather in concise and refined aphorisms. A few words contain profound truths of life, not only awakening oneself but also others.