Here is the market place, where you may find very different activities that occur in public places, e.g. parks, 
gymnasiums or cafes.
For example, people may prepare for martial arts (see Current Events) — practice or demonstrations — by doing warm-up exercises:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/8lQcH3qFY64?feature=oembed
This warm-up exercise routine (created by Grand Master Su Zifang, animation by Brian Weaver) can be used to prepare for more strenuous exercises or martial arts routines. For people not used to vigorous exercise, this routine would be in itself a pretty good daily regimen, and you can even do it more than once a day.
Art and Entertainment
Chinese songs:
Art Song Based on Poem: “By Chance” by Xu Zhimo
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNv9f6bhQbY
陳秋霞 演唱 徐志摩 詩詞【偶然】Chelsia Chan sings Xu Zhimo’s poem “By Chance” click here for more[expand title=”click here for more“]The poem describes the relationship between two people as a meeting by chance in the night, like a cloud in the sky that cast its shadow on a wave. This must pass, even in the blink of an eye, and the two people would do well to forget their meeting and emotions. [/expand]
The same song sung by 馬浚偉 Ma Junwei, watch on YouTube:
***********
李後主【虞美人】
春花秋月何時了，往事知多少。 小樓昨夜又東風，故國不堪回首月明中。
雕欄玉砌應猶在，只是朱顏改。 問君能有幾多愁，恰似一江春水向東流。
How long will spring blossoms and the fall moon linger — what do we know of past events? The east wind again assailed the little tower; I cannot bear to look back on my old country in brightl moonlight. The carved balustrades and jade green inlays should still be there; only the bright countenances have changed. Pray tell, how much sorrow can there be — just like a river of spring torrents flowing to the east.
李後主【虞美人】How Much Sorrow” –Based on Poem by Li Yu, king held hostage in exile click here for more[expand title=”click here for more”]This poem was probably written after the exiled king’s beloved concubine was defiled by the king holding them hostage. She may have acquiesced to save her king’s life, but after this poem was written, the unhappy king was forced to take poison. The imagery of spring torrents rushing eastward to the sea, which evokes the inexorable course of Fate, serves also to express the immense and overwhelming sorrow of a man crushed by misfortune. This line of poetry is often quoted. In another poem, Li Yu referred to water flowing ever eastward to bemoan the immutable things that fill our lives with unending sorrow. The student or scholar is invited to check in the Academy section to find more extensive discussions of poetry. [/expand]
李後主【虞美人】《幾多愁》《How Much Sorrow》【古筝】guzheng (Chinese zither)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JyvfNxLX2Q
sung by Teresa Teng: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l25mcmK2NuQ
******************
Songs in Popular Culture: “When will you come again?” sung by Zhou Xuan
詞：貝林（黃嘉謨） 曲：晏如（劉雪庵）Lyrics by Huang Jia Mo, music by Liu Xue An: These are the lyrics of four verses sung by Zhou Xuan. The gist is that good times don’t last and parting will leave us bereft of those we love. The refrain is: “After parting this night, when will you come again? … after parting this night, when will you come again?” click here for more[expand title=”click here for more”] It was customary for men to spend time in drinking and to have the company of women who could sing and play musical instruments. Sometimes these women would sell their favors, but if they have attained a certain standing by reason of their skill and popularity, they may use only their art to make a living. But even paid companions may flatter their clients, e.g. magistrates, fathers and sons of well-to-do families, and even merchants and soldiers, by professing an emotional attachment to them such as expressed in this song.[/expand]
好花不常開 好景不常在 愁堆解笑眉 淚灑相思帶 今宵離別後 何日君再來 喝完了這杯 請進點小菜 人生難得幾回醉 不歡更何待 （來來來 喝完了這杯 再說吧） 今宵離別後 何日君再來
逍樂時中有 春宵飄吾裁 寒鴉依樹尖 明月照高台 （來來來 再敬你一杯）
玉漏頻相催 良辰去不回 一刻千金價 痛飲莫徘徊 （來來來 再敬你一杯）
停唱陽關疊 重擎白玉杯 殷勤頻致語 牢牢撫君懷 （嘿 最後一杯 乾了吧）
accordion: 杜甫 recorded: 1937年4月26日 released: 1937年7月
Here is a version by Teresa Teng with the first and last verses. Pinyin on the screen will help you sing along and learn some Mandarin: click here for more[expand title=”click here for more“] In case you noticed, Teresa sings with a standard accent, whereas Zhou Xuan sang it with a regional accent (which adds innocence and flavor) [/expand] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztRQ_Fn02vk
More light-hearted music 捉迷藏~（尤敏唱）”Hide and Seek”
Singing along is a very good way to learn another language, so if you find some songs you like, do the singalong. Maybe you can learn the meaning and learn some language also in the process.
****************
Children’s Games: In playgrounds or parks, you might see children playing games like the following:
- “Rock, paper, scissors” is called 猜情尋 in Cantonese (written according to how it sounds, it could mean “guess the situation and seek [the answer]” or it could just be onomatopoeia). We play it by bringing our fists down 3 times while reciting 情,尋 (situation, seek), and on the third time, ending with an open hand (包), making scissors with two fingers (剪), or making a fist (揼). The player must speak his choice as he forms it with his hand. The three options are wrap or cover, cut with scissors, and pound or smash.
- Children sometimes test their balance and coordination by seeing how many times they can “kick the little swallow” (踢燕子).
Songs, Ditties, Children’s Rhymes:
You may come across an older woman reciting these Cantonese ditties to a young child:
(1) 月光光、照地塘、年卅晚、摘檳榔, 檳榔香、娶二娘，二娘頭髮未曾長； 留得兩年梳大髻，di di da da 接返歸.
（2）雞公仔、 尾婆娑、三歲孩兒學唱歌， 唔使爹娘教導我， 自已精乖冇耐何.
（3）雞公仔、尾灣灣、做人心抱甚艱難，早早起身都话晏，眼淚唔乾去下间.
（4）唱隻歌仔甚新鮮：灶蝦曱甴契同年，又向蜘蛛借盒絡，又向蠄囉借盒添，舂米公公擔盒過，黃犬問佢擔去邊，塘咪姊姐開盒睇，一担魚鱗共飯黏，烏蠅拍掌哈哈笑，”哎呀唔見咗你十多年!”
Here is an audial rendition of the last song:
Here is a literal translation (to preserve the flavor):
— Sing a jingle fresh and new: the stove shrimp1 and cockroach celebrate placing in the magistrate exams the same year. They borrow box and string from the spider and went to daddy long legs to get another. Rice pounding grandpa2 passes by carrying the box; yellow dog3 asks him where he’s going. Sister4 dragonfly opens the box to see a load of fish scales with rice mush. The fly claps, laughs and exclaims, “Yo! I haven’t seen you for some ten odd years!” —
1A small grayish bug usually found on dirty stoves. 2An insect with a tail that moves up and down as if pounding rice. 3Some local parlance for earthworm. 4Instead of sister, the words might have just referred to the buzzing noise.
Like Grimm’s fairy tales, the source of this ditty was a woman of indeterminate age who looked after children.
- If you see a game of “catch me if you can,” the children might sing this:
我是一個小蝌蚪，兩隻眼睛一個頭；尾巴搖搖搖，常在水裡游，不要看我身體小， 你也把我捉不到 ! [NOTE: add audiofile with song]
— I am a tiny tadpole, I have two eyes and a head. Tail waves back and forth, I swim all about; don’t be fooled by my small size, even you can’t catch me out). After singing the song, a couple of children play the big fish trying to catch the tadpoles. —
Aphorisms, Jokes, Riddles and Anecdotes
Chinese gallows humor: attempts at irony after an unhappy event or harrowing experience:
老公潑扇 — 妻子涼爽（悽涼）– husband waves fan, wife cools off, pun for being miserable.
啊崩咬狗蝨 [唔死得場驚]
“啊崩” (Ah Beng) is a nickname for someone who has lost a tooth or part of a tooth. When Ah Beng snaps at a dog’s flea, he’s going to miss, so the result for the flea is not death, but just a pretty bad fright. Often, only the first part of these quips are stated, and the humorous conclusion is left to the audience.
Here’s a collection of sayings that leave the often humorous point in the second part which is unsaid:
Slang, flippant expressions:
When put on the spot with a question: 「你問我，我問邊個啊？」（You’re asking me?)
「事前豬一樣，事後諸葛亮。」
(Similar to “Hindsight is 20-20” — before the fact, just like a sow; after the fact, a Zhuge Liang — the sage in the Three Kingdoms.)
「哇，有冇搞錯呀？」
（Wow, no shit? or Hey, what were you thinking?)
More erudite jokes:
- 對對 (pairing up verses) Learning to write poetry:
一群鴻雁天邊叫 (a flock of geese are honking on the horizon).
半隻燒鵝地上行 (half a roast goose is walking on the ground). click here for more[expand title=”click here for more“] The lesson for the day was to learn to compose verses of poetry that would match up with each other in terms of syntax and tone (this practice is called 對對 — nouns with nouns, verbs with verbs, adverbs with adverbs &c. and to match level tones with oblique ones). So the teacher started the exercise with the first sentence.
The pupil asked the teacher if 地上(on the ground) could match up with 天邊 (on the horizon) in terms of tones, the teacher said yes, then if 半隻(half a) could match with一群 (a flock), and again if 燒鵝 (roast goose) could match up with 鴻雁(geese). After getting affirmative answers to previous questions, the pupil finally asked if 地上行 (walk on the ground) could match with 天邊叫 (honk on the horizon). Thus, the pupil arrived at the matching sentence “half a roast goose is walking on the ground.” [/expand]
2. 入錯了【法】門 (went through the wrong [dø] door click here for more[expand title=”click here for more“] Two mediocre scholars met on the way to the capital city to sit for the magistracy examinations. They came to a mountain with a beautiful waterfall; one was inspired to write a line of poetry: [高山流水響【dø dø】] and the other was similarly inspired to compose a second line: [高山流水響【dø dø】]. These lines mean “The water flowing down from the high mountain sounds out 【dø dø】. The only difference between the two versions is the high pitch of the【dø dø】sound in the first line and the low pitch in the second line. Based on this less than competent poetry, the two aspiring scholars were convinced of their own genius, and because gifted people are known to live short and glorious lives, they betook themselves to buy some coffins, all the while bemoaning their sad fate. A monk happened upon them as they wept and asked them the reason for their low spirits. They recounted how they had been led to discover their great poetic talent and their sad lot. The monk, hearing the line of poetry, asked the scholars how to write the words 【dø 】; the scholars replied that it must be written with the water radical plus the word 去 to show that it is the sound made by water going away: 法. The door to monasteries often have the word 法 written on it, to signify that the people who enter this door are dedicating themselves to a life regulated by strict rules of conduct. The monk, on hearing this, said, “I had better go with you to get a coffin as well. I mistakenly entered a【dø 】door.”[/expand]
Teahouses and Eateries
If you sit in on some friends at a teahouse or eating place, you might see and hear some amusing things, such as the following:
- The Generous Impulse: When it’s time to pay the bill, some people may be seen trying to get the check so they can treat the others. Sometimes, one of the people will have asked the waiter at the beginning of the meal (or even instructed the maitre d’ before being seated) that (s)he should be given the bill.
- Game of Chance: With close friends or family, the group may pass a piece of paper back and forth and take turns drawing and folding. This practice called “drawing ghost legs” (畫鬼腳) is sometimes used to determine what percentage of the bill (e.g. 75/25; 50/35/15; 40/30/20/10) will be paid by whom. The unequal amounts can be represented by symbols or letters at the top or bottom of the page, with the participants’ names on the other end. Vertical lines are drawn connecting the names to the symbols, and horizontal lines are drawn to connect two adjacent vertical lines at will. [Insert diagram.]
Boutiques & Exhibit Booths
Chez Shirley click here for more[expand title=”click here for more“]This is a bit of self-indulgence by the Director, who did not originally envision opening a club on the website when she conceived the Chinese civilization project, but past indiscretions have a way of surfacing sometimes in a way that seems not to brook denial. Old friends and family will soon recognize this boutique for the clubhouse that it is: a place of reunion for reminiscence. Others are forewarned that there may not be much Chinese culture here, except in the whimsical sense that something stewed in a Chinese person’s consciousness much like a culture in a petrie dish. [/expand]
- A very old Chinese soul: click here for more[expand title=”click here for more“]While I was attending Chinese grammar school, my teacher asked us for paintings to exhibit on parents’ night. I painted a scroll in water color — Chinese paintings were traditionally done with paint brushes on long scrolls — and asked my father to set down some words in his beautiful calligraphy. At the top of the scroll were some willow trees over a river and a faint moon in the sky. Down at the bottom of the scroll was a pavilion near the river, and some people on the shore next to a boat. The moon and the willows hanging from the riverbank were quite beautiful, but the pavilion, boat and people were not as well drawn. At the top of this painting my father had written: 楊柳岸 曉風殘月–willow lined shore, dawn breeze and faded moon. My teacher asked me if she could cut my picture in half and only put up the top half of the painting. I did not want to, but agreed because Chinese children did not refuse any teacher’s request. That picture, both halves, have since been lost, except to my memory. Years later, I learned of a very popular old poem (雨霖鈴by 柳永) which contained the words my father had written on my painting: I guess I must have been a very old Chinese soul to have painted the context of that poem when I did not know it at the time I painted the picture. My father apparently recognized it and wrote the most poignant lines on my picture. Here the poem is fully set out:[/expand]
雨霖鈴 柳永:
寒蟬淒切，對長亭晚，驟雨初歇。 都門帳飲無緒，留戀處、蘭舟催發。 執手相看淚眼，竟無語凝噎。念去去、千里煙波，暮靄沉沉楚天闊。 多情自古傷離別，更那堪、冷落清秋節！ 今宵酒醒何處？楊柳岸、曉風殘月。此去經年，應是良辰、好景虛設。 便縱有、千種風情，更與何人說
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFanUzigHl0
Rainfall Chime by Liu Yong: The chirping of the cicadas in the cold has a deeply sad feel; as we look at nightfall at the “long” pavilion [place of parting located farther away from the capital]; rain showers have just stopped. No mood to drink at city gate tents, boats of fine orchid wood bid us hasten from this place filled with longing. Clasping hands, we look mutually at tear-filled eyes and gasp out wordless sobs. To think of leaving, between us a thousand miles of waves and haze, where clouds hang low in this wide southern sky! Parting has ever wounded great sensibilities, how much more so when we must miss the times of reunion and remembrance! Where will I be in the morning when the wine wears off? Willow-lined shores, morning wind and fading moon [where I will be reminded of the sorrow of parting]. Years will pass after I leave: even when the time is propitious, it would be vain to prepare a scenic spot for a rendezvous. Should there be a multitude of memorable moments and feelings, with whom could I share them?
- A Collection of Short Stories: click here for more[expand title=”click here for more”]The introduction is an often utilized literary device, creating a framework for the collection of stories, much in the way of the Decameron or Canterbury Tales.[/expand]
Years ago, when I was a young man, I came to the capital to sit for examinations. But I had squandered my time in pursuit of what delighted me rather than in the study of that which would bring me recognition. Nevertheless, I had made note of the things that gave me pleasure, and in later years, as I sat warming myself by the fire of my long-suffering patron, I searched in my journals for something with which I could coax away the cares of the day.
I found there the record of a number of tales which were told on a long winter’s night. At the time I must have intended them for my own entertainment, to be re-read in later years when I should have forgotten their contents, for they were jotted down sketchily and somewhat carelessly. However, now that my life draws to its end and it appears that I shall leave nothing to benefit posterity, I have made some efforts to put this collection of stories in order, so that when it is properly edited, it might entertain some reader or other, even if it should be too simple or modest to serve any didactic purpose. click here for more[expand title=”click here for more”]
On that winter evening, I found myself at an inn some little distance from the capital, having arrived just ahead of a blizzard, which then continued to rage outside, keeping us prisoners at the inn for the duration. As a large number of people traveled to the capital for various reasons, many were driven by the storm to the same inn as myself. There were not enough rooms to accommodate all of us that night. Moreover, the night was so cold that most of the people, even those fortunate enough to have their own rooms, chose to pass the time in the common room, where hot soups, gruel, noodles, smoked and other cured meats as well as various tasty dishes were being served, along with wine and liquor.
The food and drinks and the warmth of many people crowded together made the room relatively comfortable and engendered a certain conviviality. People who normally would have little social contact with each other were thrown together by the inclemency of nature. Soon stories were being exchanged; some were vignettes or chapters from the lives of those gathered there, some were anecdotes of a more or less edifying nature, and some were tales of fantastical adventure but questionable veracity. [/expand]
The story-telling began when a rich merchant responded to a question from his neighbor, who had gone into business at the same time as the merchant, but who had remained poor while the other’s fortunes prospered greatly.
“Well you may wonder, good neighbor, for you work every bit as hard as I do, and I give credit where credit is due. But my fortunes are blessed, and I do not mind telling you the story, for a day does not pass, but I give thanks to the gods, my lucky stars and the special lady who must have been instrumental in my success.” So saying, the rich merchant told the following story:
The Wayfarer, or The Ornament (The Merchant’s Tale, recorded by: Prosper LeConte, III):click here for more[expand title=”click here for more”]
Most of these tales came from 聊齋 (a collection of tales for leisurely hours), but this tale did not, but is based upon a tale told by a friend who heard it from an acquaintance, who swore it really happened. Of course, just as I invented the person of Prosper LeConte, III, to add a touch of exoticism to my tales, I also embellished the merchant’s tale a bit and set it back a few centuries, using the guise of antiquity to excuse the implausible.[/expand]
“Now, neighbor,” thus began the merchant, “you remember when I was a poor clerk working for the shopkeeper of the big store in our village. When I had deliveries to make, sometimes there would be so many things to take to so many places that the shopkeeper would let me drive the cart and bring along one of the other clerks to help carry the sacks.
“One day, I again had many sacks of rice and other goods to deliver, so I drove the cart, and the clerk Chang went with me. In the late afternoon, we were near the edge of town and had just about finished making all our deliveries. We had one last large delivery to make to the Chen family that lived some miles out in the country. We were headed that way when we saw a young girl walking beside the road.
“It was getting on toward dusk, so I said to Chang, ‘That girl should not walk by herself so late. It may get dark before she gets to where she’s going, and she could come to harm.’ So Chang said, ‘You want to let her ride in the cart, the master is not here.’ So I stopped the cart beside her and asked where she was going. She pointed straight ahead in the same direction as I was driving. So I told her to get into the cart and I would take her part of the way. Without a word, she climbed into the back of the cart and sat on top of the boxes.
“We drove along, and when the road forked, I turned to her to tell her which fork we were taking. I asked if she wanted to go that way; she nodded her head. Chang whispered to me that she was a pretty girl. I said gruffly that she was, but that her looks would not protect her if she did not use some good sense. Then I thought maybe she heard me and felt bad about speaking my mind so bluntly. So I told her that if she wanted me to take a turn somewhere or to stop the cart to let her off, she just had to tell me. She nodded again, and I drove on.
“We must have driven several more miles. The road was deserted, and there were no houses nearby at all. I began to wonder if we had not missed a turn. It came to mind then that maybe she did not tell me what road to take, not because she was mute (which I thought she was), but because she did not know the way herself. So I thought to ask her if she really lived way out hereabouts and where was her house. But when I turned to put the question to her, she was no longer in the cart.
“Now I had not stopped the cart anywhere along the way after she climbed into it. So I asked Chang if he heard her jump out, and Chang said he had not. The horse was just walking along not very fast the whole time, and it was possible for her to jump out without harm to herself. But she must have been very light on her feet to do that without I heard some noise. I was just about to put the whole thing from my mind when I noticed that we were outside a graveyard. I tell you: I started to shiver then!
“I hurried the horse along and made our deliveries to Chen. As we were taking the load out of the cart, I saw a hair ornament of gold lying on top of one of the boxes where she had been sitting. I was going to put the ornament in my pocket when I realized that I did not even know who the girl was or where she lived. So I looked closely at the piece (it was a flower) under the light. There was a name engraved on the stem of the flower. I read the name aloud and asked Chen if he knew anyone by that name or any family with that surname living nearby. Chen said he did not. He asked me where the flower piece came from, and I told him about the girl walking alone by the wayside and how she went off without a word after riding out to the country in my cart.
“Chen, who was a wise man, thought the girl’s behavior odd, but advised me to return the ornament. ‘You have done a good deed today; do not cancel the merit you have earned by taking as payment something which may not have been willingly given.’ I agreed that the girl could not have meant to leave behind such a fine and expensive piece. (There was a pearl in the middle of the golden flower, and the leaves were of the finest green jade.) I thanked Chen for his advice and told him I would follow it.
“The next day, I asked every customer who came to the shop if he had ever heard of a family named Lu (that was the surname engraved on the ornament). Late in the day, one customer finally remembered an old family named Lu that lived in the village many years ago. I asked him what happened to the family. He replied that he thought they had moved to the next village after some misfortune, but more he could not remember.
“A few days later, my master had some business in the next village. Remembering that I still had to return the hair ornament, I asked my master to let me go there for him. I arrived at the next village by late morning. My master’s business did not take long, and soon I was able to get to my errand. The Lu family was well known in the village. As soon as I asked, I was directed to the house where they lived.
“At first, when I asked to speak to the master, a servant told me that they did not buy anything from peddlers. I assured him that I was not there to sell anything but to return something to the young mistress. The servant looked at me suspiciously and told me to be off. When I insisted that I had something belonging to his young mistress and produced the hair ornament with her name on it, he fetched another older servant, who looked at the piece and told me to wait while he went back into the house.
“After awhile, I was shown into a sitting room where an old man beckoned to me to come toward him. He looked vigorous in spite of his obvious old age, and his voice, when he addressed me, rang clear and strong. ‘So you have my daughter’s hair ornament. Did you purchase it or are you an extraordinarily bold grave robber who dare to sell back to the family the very ornaments which they had buried with their dead?’
“When I finally understood his words, I stammered in fear and confusion, ‘Is her ladyship, your daughter, dead? It must have just happened, for I saw her not five days ago.’ Now the old man gave me a long, piercing look. He seemed to be satisfied that my confusion and shock were genuine. In a lower voice, he asked me to tell him how I came by his daughter’s jewelry. I told him briefly what happened a few days past, and he listened closely to every word I said. He asked me to describe the girl I saw, which I did as best I could. She was about eighteen years old, very beautiful and slender, and she was dressed in a pale green flowing dress which was tied at the waist with a sash. I explained that I could not go into greater detail because it was getting dark and I only saw her briefly.
“The old man nodded, and as he did so, I thought that I had seen that same gesture before. ‘You have rendered me a great service,’ he said, ‘by bringing me this hair ornament. The girl who wore this ornament was indeed my daughter, and the dress you described was one which she was fond of wearing while she lived. Since she has seen fit to send you to me as her messenger, you deserve at least an explanation for your trouble.
“‘My daughter was lost to me many years ago, just as she blossomed into a young woman. Her death had brought a less bitter grief, had I not felt myself in part responsible. And yet I loved her more than any living being: she was my only child and my only joy after her mother’s early death left the two of us bereft. Though I hired a tutor for her, I saw to her education myself, for that gave me a reason to spend more time with her. She was said to be beautiful. I only knew that, whatever worries the day’s labors brought, she could always banish them from my thoughts with her delightful ways.
“‘It pained me to have to part with her, but as her father, I had to arrange for her to marry the son of a suitable family when the time came. Fortune seemed to smile upon us when the matchmaker came to me with a proposal from a family that was our equal in wealth and in standing. Bridal gifts were sent, and I gave my daughter away with a substantial dowry. O, that I had never parted from her a single day!
“‘She came home to visit after the nuptials, and I was pleased to see how glad she was to be home. She did not seem to want to go back to her husband’s family, but I thought she was only homesick. I encouraged her to go because she was now a member of their household. She wept, but she was an obedient child, so she went back to her husband’s house. Not long afterward, her maid came to say that she was ill. I went to visit her and was shocked to see how weak she was. She begged me to stay with her, but I told her that I would send a physician to tend to her and that she would soon be well. The next day, she was dead.
‘”My daughter was not frail or sickly, so I suspected that she had been ill-used. Her maid confirmed that she wept a great deal, but I could not obtain any proof of actual ill usage. In any case, the Zhou family, into which I had married her, was too well-connected for me to accuse, even if I had had some proof. Moreover, it is not unusual for husbands and mothers-in-law to discipline young wives, so they could always excuse their harshness as chastisement for some imagined trespass, and who could speak for my dead daughter? In despair, and because I could not bear to stay in a place where everything I saw would remind me of my daughter, I removed myself hither. At least here, I would not be likely to meet any members of the Zhou family by happenstance.
“‘I went frequently to visit my daughter’s grave and saw with renewed bitterness that mine was the only family that swept it and brought offerings. I have never been able to reconcile myself to my daughter’s death, not even when I heard how the fortunes of the Zhou family had greatly declined and how, despite a second wife and many concubines, the Zhou family had no male issue. Though that family may receive their just punishment from heaven, I am still visited by self-reproach and the dread that my daughter died believing that I had abandoned her.
“‘Then, just four nights ago, I saw my daughter in a dream. She was sitting in her old room reading poetry. I remembered even in my dream how proud I had been of her when as a child she memorized that long poem, “The Song of Lasting Sorrow.” I asked her what she was reading, and she recited several lines from that poem: “To show the depth of her feelings, she tendered only her old possessions, a hair ornament with the golden pin, … Teach thou only thy heart to be firm as the ornament of gold, and there will be a reunion in the heavenly world …” Now I see you have brought me her gold ornament, almost as promised.’
“The old man was finished with his explanation. I asked him if he would allow me to offer some incense at his daughter’s grave. He smiled for the first time, a smile of great serenity, and invited me to accompany him: he was about to go there himself in a few moments. He called for his servants to bring offerings, and we set off for the graveyard that I had driven past a few days earlier. When the father had finished making his offerings, I knelt before the monument and offered incense. Remembering my gruff manners, I begged her not to take offense at anything that I might have said or done that evening and offered a prayer that she might rest in peace. Then I accompanied the old man back to his house and took my leave of him.
“The old man presented me with a money belt filled with silver. At first I felt it wrong to accept the gift because I only returned what was rightfully his, but the old man would not let me leave without the gift. He said that my act of kindness to an unknown girl had brought peace to two troubled souls, and that I would henceforth be blessed. He pressed me to take the money and to set myself up in business. He assured me again that the merit I had earned would benefit myself and all my descendants. I thanked him and accepted his gift.
“And that was how I was able to set up my first shop. Since that time, everything I have undertaken has thrived, and I have been equally blessed at home.”
So ended the tale of the merchant.
As the merchant was telling the tale that accounted for his remarkable success in business, the people in the room gradually turned their attention to the story. When the tale was over, almost everyone had heard some part of it. Some exclaimed that it was indeed a wonderful tale, and someone suggested that it would be a good way to pass the night if everyone who would, told a story. The suggestion met with general approval, and one man, who was a chess aficionado, addressing the merchant first, told another story.
The Chess Master
Sir, I see by your garments that you are indeed prosperous yet unassuming, and by your upright actions I grant that you deserve your good fortune. But when supernatural beings intervene in our lives, wondrous things happen, and men sometimes prosper though they are not particularly deserving.
I heard tell of a chess player who became a master overnight, as it were, and he had been only somewhat better than mediocre. He had gone on a journey one day which took him into the mountains. And when he returned, he had become a chess master. He made moves that no master had ever been known to make, and he would win the game in a minimal number of moves. Even when he was pitted against masters, he would counter their brilliant moves with moves that they had never seen before. So he became known far and wide as the Chess Olympian.
Everyone wondered how the Chess Olympian came by his gift, and we never would have known his secret if he had not drunk too much one day and talked in his drunken state. Some of us had been playing chess with him, and we kept him company after his victories. He had little capacity for drink, and soon he was in a semi-stupor. But I did not notice his condition at first because he continued to respond to my comments and questions, so I continued to converse with him. He sank lower and lower in his chair and leaned his head ever more heavily on his hand until his head fell upon the table. By this time, we were so interested in what he had been telling us that we did not scruple to continue to question him. As luck would have it, he was one who talked in his sleep. From his ramblings we were able to piece together the story of how he came into possession of his remarkable chess strategies.
He was caught one evening in the mountains without any shelter while on his way to visit a distant relative. He finally came upon a lonely house and knocked on the door to beg for a night’s shelter. An old woman opened the door and on hearing the request turned the man away, saying that she and her daughter-in-law were alone in the house and could not entertain a male guest under these circumstances. The chess player implored her earnestly of her charity to grant his request, for where was he to go at that hour of the night? After promising by all that was holy that he would do nothing that was unseemly or compromising to the women’s good name and that he would abide by whatever restrictions the old woman chose to place upon him while he stayed under her roof, he finally prevailed upon the old woman to allow him to stay the one night. She led him to a room with a bed and imposed upon him the condition that he not leave the room during the night. He thankfully agreed and soon went to bed.
As he lay in the bed, he was unable to sleep. Soon, he heard the voices of the two women in the next room. He could hear them clearly in the silence and without effort he followed their conversation.
“My lady,” said the younger woman, “I am not sleepy at all, and the night is so long. Shall I set up the board for a game of chess?”
The older woman agreed, and the man could hear the click of stone against stone, the sound of chessmen being placed on a game board. The game soon began, and the chess player was delighted to hear the two players in the next room describe their moves as they made them. He found himself following every move of the game and marveling at the ingenuity of the strategies. It appeared that the younger woman was on the attack, and the older woman seemed content to defend. Yet, if the attack was unorthodox, the defense was inspired by genius. Without revealing her intent, she suddenly emerged the victor in the contest, and it was the younger woman who conceded.
“Oh, my lady, you have done it again. I almost did not even see it coming!”
The older woman chuckled in amusement and said, “But you played a good game. You are improving, and in ten or twenty more years, you will present problems for me.” The old woman said this with a tone of anticipation, but without any impatience, as if she were used to waiting ten or twenty years for things to happen.
Now the younger woman asked the other to give her another lesson, and the chess pieces were again set up on the board. The chess player then heard another brilliant game being played in the next room, then a third, and finally a fourth, and each game was as unique and clever as the last. But then the cock could be heard announcing the dawn, and the chess player rose from his bed.
He met the two ladies in the sitting room and thanked the older woman for her hospitality. Then with some hesitation, he confessed that he listened to them play the previous night and found their strategies most exciting. He then begged the old woman to help him improve his game. The old woman looked at him doubtfully. “Let’s see what kind of game you play.” So saying, she indicated that he should sit down to a game with her daughter-in-law. The woman defeated him in short order.
Now the old woman said bluntly, “You could not begin to grasp the lessons I would teach, but my daughter-in-law, if she will, can tell you some things that would make you a much better chess player.” The man’s pride was mortified, but he asked the young woman to be his teacher, and she agreed. They sat down to play a few games, and the man had to admit that she was by far the superior player.
After several games, the sun had moved to the other side of the meridian. The old woman, who had been watching the games without much interest, now said to the man, “You had best leave now. It is already past noon, and if you stay any longer, you will not be able to reach an inn before nightfall. And next you will be asking to stay another night, but I told you from the first that you would only be allowed to stay one night.”
The man saw that the old woman would stand firm, and though reluctant, he took leave of them, thanking them for their hospitality and, above all, for the chess lessons. Seeing the man’s regret at leaving, the old woman softened somewhat and told the man that even with these few lessons he would probably always be undefeated. He left the house then and walked to the road. From the road he turned back toward the house to make a last bow of farewell, but the house was already hidden from view.
It was a long way to the next inn, and he barely reached it by nightfall. At the inn, some people were playing chess, and he sat down to play with them. Before long, he defeated his opponents, and it cost him very little effort. Some of the bystanders commented on the unusual game played by the newcomer, and even the defeated players acknowledged in him a master.
He played with many opponents, and his fame spread. Those who had known him before were amazed to hear that he was now a great chess master. From being a master, he became a king, and finally the Chess Olympian.
The Chess Olympian did try once to go back to the deserted house where he had heard the old woman play with her daughter-in-law. Perhaps he hoped secretly to take some lessons from the old woman, even though, as she predicted, he remained undefeated. However, he was unable to retrace his steps to find that house.
So ended the chess lover’s story.
*****
click here for more[expand title=”click here for more“]
Calligraphy Exhibits: It is not uncommon to see booths where Chinese paintings and calligraphy are displayed. Sometimes the calligraphy may present poems relating to certain holidays:
去年元夜時，花市燈如晝。月上柳梢頭，人約黄昏後。 今年元夜時，月與燈依舊。不見去年人，淚濕春衫袖。
Last year on the evening of the fifteenth, the lights of the flower market were bright as day, the moon had risen to the willow tree top; we agreed to meet after sunset. This year on the same evening, the moon and the lights were as before. Not seeing the person from last year’s tryst, my tears soak the sleeve of my spring raiment.
Poem about the Festival of Lights (I/15), day of lovers.
雲母屏風燭影深，長河漸落曉星沉。
嫦娥應悔偷靈藥，碧海青天夜夜心The shadows thrown by the candles deepen on the mother-of-pearl windscreen, the Milky Way sets and the morning stars sink in the horizon. The lady in the moon must regret having stolen the magic herbs, her heart in the jade green sea and the azure sky night after night.
Poem about the Moon Festival
Or a place might evoke nostalgia for times gone by or people who passed from the earth:
大江東去，浪淘盡，千古風流人物。故壘西邊，人道是，三國周郎赤壁。亂石崩雲，驚濤拍岸，卷起千堆雪。江山如畫，一時多少豪傑。
遙想公瑾當年，小喬初嫁了，雄姿英發，羽扇綸巾，談笑間，檣櫓灰飛煙滅。故國神游，多情應笑我，早生華髮。人生如夢，一尊還酹江月。The great river flowed to the east, its waves and foam exhausted; thus also passed the merry people of yore into history. They say on the westerly side of the fortress of old stands Chibi, made famous by Zhou Yu of the Three Kingdoms.
Poem remembering Chibi