A
roasted chicken and a piece of coarse cloth soaked in Chinese rice wine(炙雞絮酒)
There was a famous scholar in China's Eastern
Han Dynasty. His name was Xu Zhi. There is a story about him in the history
books.
He
lived in Nanchang, in what is now China's Jiangxi Province. He is very knowledgeable
and skilled in many kinds of knowledge. He has a good moral character. Although
he is very poor, he lives a very contented and happy life.
The
Han Dynasty had a special system. The King of Han Dynasty would ask officials
from different places to recommend some talented people to him. After the king
had evaluated and approved these people, he would allow these talented people
to work in the central government.
An
official called Huang Qiong recommended Xu Zhi to work in the central
government several times, but Xu Zhi refused. He did not want to pursue power
and money, and preferred to live a self-sufficient life.
Huang
Qiong was later transferred to Wuhan City in today's Hubei Province, where he
died of illness a few years later.
When
Xu Zhi heard the news of Huang Qiong's death, he felt very sad and decided to
go to Huang Qiong's funeral hall to pay his respects.
He
soaked a piece of clean, coarse cloth in Chinese rice wine, then laid the cloth
in the sun to dry. He then roasted a chicken and wrapped it in the sun-dried
coarse cloth.
He
walked 370 kilometres in simple clothes with the chicken wrapped in the coarse
cloth. He arrived at Huang Qiong's funeral hall.
After
entering Huang Qiong's funeral hall, he put the chicken he had brought with him
on the white straw he had picked up along the way. Then he soaked the coarse
cloth in water, which after a few minutes gave off the aroma of Chinese rice
wine.
He
didn't say a word during the whole process. He used these items to pay tribute
to Huang Qiong and expressed his condolences with a very respectful attitude.
After
offering his condolences, he nodded to Huang Qiong's family and friends, then
turned and left.
This
idiom means to use a roasted chicken and a piece of coarse cloth soaked in Chinese
rice wine.
This
idiom is used to describe a person who misses his dead friend very much. The
things he uses to remember his friend are very simple, but others can feel the
person's sincere feelings from these simple things.
Dear
friends, what are your feelings or thoughts after listening to this story?
Do you
think there is anyone whose funeral you would definitely attend? How many
people do you think would come to your funeral when you die?
I hope
this story has given you some new insights.
炙雞絮酒(A roasted chicken and a piece of coarse cloth soaked in Chinese rice
wine)
中國的東漢王朝有一個著名的學者，他的名字叫做徐穉，歷史書上記載了一個他的故事。
他住在現在中國的江西省的南昌市。的學問非常的豐富，他精通多種的知識，他的品德也很好，他雖然很貧窮，但他過著非常知足與快樂的生活。
漢王朝有一項特殊的制度，漢王朝的國王會要求由各個地方的官員推薦推薦當地的一些有才能的人給他，國王針對這些人進行考核確認之後會讓這些有才能的人進入中央政府工作。
有一個名字叫做黃瓊的官員就好幾次推薦徐穉進入中央政府內工作，但是徐穉都拒絕了，他不想要追求權力與金錢，他喜歡過著自給自足的生活。
黃瓊後來被調任到現在的中國的湖北省的武漢市，黃瓊幾年後病逝在武漢市。
徐穉聽到黃瓊病逝的消息後，他的內心覺得非常的悲傷，他決定要去黃瓊的靈堂表達自己的哀悼。
他就把一塊乾淨的粗布浸泡在中國米酒內，然後他把這塊粗布放在太陽下曬乾。他接著烤了一隻雞，他把這隻雞用這塊曬乾的粗布包裹起來。
他帶著簡單的衣服與這隻用粗布包裹的雞走了370公里。他到了黃瓊的靈堂。
他走入黃瓊的靈堂後，他把他帶來的那隻雞放在他走在路上時採摘的白色的茅草上，他接著把那塊粗布浸泡在一些水裡面，這些水幾分鐘後就散發出中國米酒的香氣。
他全程沒有說話，他用這些物品來祭拜黃瓊，他用很恭敬的態度表達他的悼念。
他表達完他的悼念後他就跟黃瓊的家人與朋友們點頭致意，接著他轉頭離開。
親愛的朋友，你聽完這個故事有怎樣的感受或有怎樣的想法呢。
你認為有誰的喪禮是你一定會去參加的嗎?你認為你死後會有多少人來參加你的喪禮呢?
我希望這故事能讓你產生一些新的收穫。
出處為後漢書-徐穉傳
https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/%E5%BE%8C%E6%BC%A2%E6%9B%B8/%E5%8D%B753#%E5%BE%90%E7%A8%9A