Owning a flashy motorcycle would be a cool thing for any youngster.

In July 1975, 22-year-old Xi Jinping was awarded a motorcycle for his outstanding work.

In that era of material shortages, motorcycles were a rarity.

Everyone was happy for Xi, except him. He made a surprising decision: he would exchange the three-wheeled motorcycle for agricultural machinery.

Subsequently, the motorcycle was exchanged for a flour-milling machine, a winnowing machine, a rice mill, a submersible pump and a walk-behind tractor.

For the villagers, these things were much more practical than a motorcycle, and everyone could use them.

Xi could easily have kept the motorcycle, because it was a personal prize for him.

But he didn't do that. He didn't care about his own interests, but the production and lives of all ordinary people.