Chapter 114 There is a new "tail" in my family
April was a truly busy month. I started work on my own house, then went to the provincial capital, came back to handle Old Zhou's funeral, and then, at the beginning of May, I went to Zimu Mountain for a meeting and looked at land for Director Ming's family. I was so exhausted I couldn't even stand on tiptoe.
Things were going well at home. My brother-in-law and Shi Ge worked well together, expanding their business from Dongcheng District to Xicheng District. My sister was expecting, so she was admitted to the hospital early.
My mother is in charge of household affairs, so everything is pretty organized. Xiaolin said the renovations would take more than three months, around August, so we'd probably have to move in around the National Day holiday.
All in all, life is pretty stable right now.
Life became regular again. I still arrived at Youranju early every day, wiped the tables and chairs, and boiled water for tea. After doing all this, I waited for the master to come out and sit in the hall.
As usual, when business came in, unless they specifically asked for him, I would usually handle it. If there was no business, we would just chat.
I actually really enjoy chatting with Master, because it broadens my horizons and helps me understand the truth. Our conversations don't have a specific theme, they're all just random thoughts, but Master always manages to bring out something profound.
That morning, with little business, the two chatted and the topic turned to naming. The master asked, "You've chosen a good name. What are your thoughts on it?"
I smiled. "Basically, there are three principles. The first is the balance of the five elements: gold, wood, water, fire, and earth. What's lacking should be supplemented, and what's in excess should be reduced. The second is harmonious tones. It should be easy to pronounce. The third is based on the first two, and has a profound meaning."
The master nodded and said, "A name is a kind of hope and expectation expressed by the elders for the younger generation. Therefore, many people choose names from the Analects of Confucius and the Book of Songs. For example, 'De Lin' and 'You You' both have great origins."
I smiled and said, "My sister is in the hospital, preparing to give birth. I calculated for her that it will be a boy. When the time comes, please ask the master to give him a name."
The master shook his head: "This name can only be chosen by you."
I didn't understand what he meant, so I didn't ask any more questions.
As they were talking, a middle-aged man came in. He said he had built a small villa in the countryside and asked the master to give him a name for the villa.
The master pursed his lips and signaled him to find me.
I looked at him and asked, "Well, that depends on what you think. Tell me what you think."
He said, "I don't know how to choose the first two characters, but I don't want to have the same character as others."
"What do other people's families usually choose?" I asked.
"Guangming Hall, Jinxiu Hall, Shude Hall... Anyway, they are all grand and elegant, but very rustic."
I laughed: "If you don't choose the hall, what are you going to choose?"
He gestured to me, saying that his villa was actually a mix of Chinese and Western styles, with a courtyard, a winding corridor, and a small bridge and flowing water. So, he planned to name it XX Garden.
I laughed out loud. "People have been using 'such and such hall' for thousands of years. Popularity doesn't guarantee truth, but it's at least close to the truth. It means 'hall' is a general term for a private residence. If you'd named it 'such and such garden', that would be ridiculous. 'Garden' refers to the imperial garden, where animals were kept."
The man explained, "Nowadays, many residential communities are called XX Garden, aren't they? For example, Xingfu Garden and Guotai Garden."
"Did they choose the right neighborhood? Does the fact that real estate bosses are rich mean they are educated?"
"Wentan Yiyuan, how do you explain it?"
"In ancient times, art was considered the lowest class. To the nobles, actors were just like animals they kept for their entertainment."
The man waved his hand and said, "Forget it, I'll go get someone else." Then he turned and left.
The master smiled and said, "It's better not to make this kind of money."
I said, "Originally, the character 'Yuan' doesn't have a good meaning. The top part is the root of the character 'Hua', and the bottom part is the character 'Si', which is missing a horizontal line. It looks like a withered flower or a fallen willow."
The master pondered for a moment and said, "Naming the community 'Xuanmou Yuan' is acceptable, as the word 'Yuan' also represents lush flowers and trees. But it's not suitable for a personal residence."
I was startled, realizing that I was so focused on showing off my knowledge that I had forgotten that some of Mr. Deng's residential complexes were also named "Spring Breeze Garden" and "Hibiscus Garden." I quickly said, "You're right."
After a while, I added, "My emotional intelligence is still a little low."
The master smiled and said, "When you have some time in the future, read some books about Zeng Guofan. He was a man with high emotional intelligence and high IQ."
I said, "Give me one or two examples to open my eyes."
The master was looking for a cigarette, so I quickly went to the study to get it and lit it for him. He took a puff, exhaling a long string of bubbles, and then began to narrate.
Zeng Guofan had long been serving under the then Prime Minister Mu Zhang'a in the capital, but he never mentioned how close he was to Mu Zhang'a in his letters home. In fact, his promotion was all due to Mu Zhang'a's appreciation.
In the end, Mu Zhang'a was removed from office and dismissed by the emperor. Many people wrote letters of loyalty to Mu Zhang'a, but no one could find any contact between Zeng Guofan and Mu Zhang'a. This shows his high IQ.
I said, "It's really amazing. He was able to stay calm even in such a proud moment. He even paid close attention to something as private as a letter home."
Master said, "Let me give you another example of his high emotional intelligence. Zeng Guofan was in Anqing, the Governor-General of Liangjiang at the time. Many of the great scholars and literati from nearby came to visit Zeng Guofan. Each of them acted like a scholar, yet also seemed indifferent to fame and fortune, and had no desire to be an official.
Once, a famous scholar came to see him and talked about how he didn't care about money, fame, or officialdom. Zeng Guofan's staff, listening nearby, laughed. "If you don't care about this, you don't care about that. Why did you come to join us?" So, they repeatedly wrote a single word on the table with tea: "Fake."
After the guests left, Zeng Guofan criticized his staff, saying: "This scholar relies on flaunting his "three unlovables" to gain world fame. This is his livelihood. And you, you are even trying to take away his job. Won't he bear a grudge against you for the rest of his life?"
I laughed and said, "You do have a high EQ. Does that mean we should emulate Zeng Guofan in our lives?"
While we were chatting, my brother-in-law called to announce the birth of a baby boy weighing 8.5 jin (2.5 kg). I immediately informed Master and rushed home.
I prepared firecrackers for the wedding at the store entrance. I bought the "red all over the ground" kind to avoid startling my nephew. When their car was about a hundred meters away, I lit the firecrackers.
After a burst of noise, the front yard was covered in red. My brother-in-law held the baby, my mother supported my sister, and the whole family went up to the second floor.
I went upstairs and happily went to see my nephew. He had a round face and his eyes couldn't open. I said to my sister, "Congratulations on having a big fat baby." Then I gave him a red envelope of 6,800 yuan.
After dinner, my brother-in-law said, "You'll have to come up with a name."
I thought about it and decided a name should be easy to choose, with all five elements complete. I didn't need to worry about what was missing or what needed to be supplemented. I found paper and pen and wrote the character "高" (Gao). Then I started thinking of a name. After writing several characters, I chose "鼐" (Nai).
My brother-in-law asked, "Gao Nai?"
I said, "Yes, he was born at noon, when the sun is at its strongest and the yang energy reaches its limit. This kind of name must be grand. Chiang Kai-shek was also born at noon, so he was named "Zhengzhong."
I then said, "People with all five elements in harmony will have a smooth life. They won't be extremely rich or famous, but they won't experience any major ups and downs."
My brother-in-law said with relief: "As long as they live better than us, that's enough."
I explained to him, "It's mainly because this hour is auspicious. The five elements have already determined the pattern, and the name complements it. The name is 'Nai', which means big tripod."
My brother-in-law said, "I understand. 'Nai' means 'big tripod' or 'head tripod'. In the past, the emperor used nine tripods, princes used seven at most, officials used five at most, and scholars used three at most. Scholars could use one, and common people had no right to use tripods."
I nodded and said, "Yes. That's what I mean. I hope he can achieve the throne. We are all ordinary people, and he can become a cadre. A high-ranking official, high and stable."
My brother-in-law said, "We need a nickname. Nai Nai doesn't sound nice."
I said, "A nickname should be something cheap so it's easier to raise. What kind of animal do you like?"
My brother-in-law thought for a moment and said, "Just name him Tail. I hope that when he is little, he will be like my tail, always following me around."
I clapped my hands and laughed: "This is great, the father-son relationship is vividly portrayed on the page."
As soon as he finished speaking, the rain began to fall heavily. The sound of the rain grew heavier and heavier. Soon the wind picked up, making the trees on the sidewalk rustle and rustle, and the sharp sound swept through the street.
What is this phenomenon?
My brother-in-law looked at me and I couldn't answer.
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