(1) From: Li Chuo of the Tang Dynasty, "Shangshu Gushi": "Zheng Guangwen (Qianzi) was studying calligraphy but was ill and had no paper. He knew that Ci'en Temple had several rooms with persimmon leaves, so he borrowed the monk's room to stay. I pick up red leaves every day to study books, and over time I have almost lost everything.
Translation: (Zheng Guangwen) So he borrowed a monk's room to live in, and fetched red leaves (persimmon leaves) every day to study calligraphy. Over time, he almost wrote on all the red leaves.
(2) From: "New Tang Book·Literary Biography·Zheng Qian": "(Zheng Qian) was very poor as an official, and he was as indifferent as ever. Du Fu once presented a poem to him and said: 'Talent name' For forty years, it was cold without a blanket." Later, "cold blanket" was used to describe the poor life of poor people.
As an official, I am very poor and indifferent.
Translation: Although he is in the officialdom, his family is extremely poor, but he does not take it to heart at all.