BEIJING, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese have long believed that the highest level of trust is not limited to pledges as "The Book of Rites," a Confucian classic dating back some 2,000 years ago, highlighted.

According to the classic, a man of high virtue will not be limited to working at one official position; a universal truth does not only apply to one thing; good faith does not require making pledges; changes of seasons do not follow the same pattern.

To act in good faith is a basic requirement in Confucianism for being a human. An agreement is merely an external representation of trust while the spirit of good faith or honesty makes such pledges practical and meaningful.

Followers of Mozi ethics also admired those who could keep their promises and whose actions were resolute. "Promises must be kept; actions must be resolute. They should fit together like the two parts of a tally stick; everything said must be put into practice," stated Mozi (470 B.C-391 B.C.), a Chinese philosopher during an ancient era of great cultural and intellectual expansion, in his book.

The values still hold true in the modern life of China. For Chen Wei, a bankrupt fruiterer in east China's Jiangsu Province, every payday is his day to pay back his former customers.

After roughly two years of running a fruit store in the provincial capital of Nanjing, the young man slipped into debt of about 80,000 yuan (about 12,600 U.S. dollars) as the sudden COVID-19 pandemic outbreak depressed the market.

Chen has lived an arduous life since then, working three part-time jobs. When the honest man receives his salary, he always puts the pre-paid customers in his unsuccessful fruit business ahead of himself.

Eight months of hard work helped Chen pay back all his debts and brought him priceless social recognition. Some fruit chain retailers even invited the young man to join them as their store manager.