State of Chen, Cai - Benevolence and Righteousness

Confucius and his disciples ran out of food during their besiegement. Zi Gong managed to find a little grain. When the food was ready, Zi Gong caught Yan Hui eating first and doubted his character. But the reality was, Confucius had requested to offer sacrifices when Yan Hui first served the food to him. Yan Hui replied that the food cannot be used for sacrifice due to the dust that had dropped into the pot. He found it a pity to throw the food away so he picked it out and ate it. Confucius esteemed Yan Hui very highly for his noble and humanistic behaviour.