Chapter 451: Solving Two Words
I said, "Zhou was first seen in oracle bone inscriptions from the Shang Dynasty. Its most basic meaning is a field densely planted with crops.
The crops are not necessarily rice or wheat, but could be vegetables. This is like putting up a fence around the edges, leaving only one opening for people to get in. Therefore, the character "周" is a semi-enclosed structure.
Rice fields don't need to be fenced off these days. Of course, vegetable gardens can be fenced off. Therefore, it can be inferred that Lao Zhou was working in a room.
The character for "Zhou" contains the character for "口," which further narrows the scope. Only animals have mouths, and Zhou was not engaged in farming, but in animal husbandry. The fact that the mouth is underground suggests that this animal can burrow.
In addition, "zhou" means length, and the circumference is calculated by wrapping a rope around a circular object.
The image of a rope appeared. Once bitten by a snake, one will be afraid of ropes for ten years. In summary, Lao Zhou raised a snake.
Everyone nodded in agreement. Teacher Zhang said, "It progresses step by step and has strong logic."
Doctor Wang asked, "How do you know he made a fortune raising snakes?"
"There is a 'ji' character in the word Zhou."
Doctor Wang said, "Your reasoning still has flaws. According to some experts, the character for Zhou doesn't have the character for auspiciousness inside it, and the character for scholar above it isn't earth. Many calligraphers write it that way."
I laughed out loud. "How did Chinese characters come about? I don't think it was created by the wisdom of the masses, but by a master. Its stroke structure determines its meaning."
Crops could only be planted in the soil. The character "士" (Shi) refers to a social class below the nobility, known as the "Shizu." This character appeared later than the character "土" (Tu), first seen in bronze inscriptions.
There are indeed experts, but many can only be expressed with a "haha." As for calligraphers, no one cares if they write "tu" or "shi."
Ling Yun said, "Shan Hong's words make sense."
I knew that Doctor Wang was deliberately making things difficult for me. This was part of the exam, testing my ability to understand the text.
Mr. Dong became interested and asked, "Mr. Zhou, how did you choose to raise snakes?"
Lao Zhou began to tell his life story.
Born in 1978, he failed to get into university and, through connections, landed a temporary job in the town, helping out in the town cafeteria. One day, he saw a man selling snakes on the street: a 1.2-pound king cobra for 140 yuan. So, he decided to quit his job and start raising snakes.
I won't go into detail about the process of starting this business, but I lost everything I invested, my wife and children left me, and in a fit of rage, I ran away to relax.
In fact, I was looking for a new opportunity. After traveling through several places, I finally arrived in Dali. Too poor to afford a hotel, I slept in the square in front of Chongsheng Temple.
A man passing by told him to get up and sleep somewhere else. He told him about his predicament, and the man told him his fortune and told him to continue raising snakes, because he had a noble person who would help him.
He went back home and borrowed money from everywhere. A woman was willing to lend him the money, saying that if he lost money, it would be hers. This woman later became his wife.
Since his wife came into the family, the two have been researching why snakes become sick and developing a method to treat them. The snakes are no longer dying, and his income has gradually increased. Now his annual income exceeds 10 million yuan, and the entire village follows his lead in raising snakes.
Finally, he said, "I come to Dali once a year, hoping to meet that fortune teller. I've been to Chongsheng Temple dozens of times, but I never meet him again."
Doctor Wang said, "We asked Master Shi to be our guide. Teacher Wan predicted the character Zhou correctly. Why don't you predict another character to see if you can find one?"
Lao Zhou glanced at Ling Yun. Ling Yun said, "It doesn't matter. We are all friends. We get together to discuss these things anyway."
Lao Zhou looked at me again.
I nodded.
He said, "The word xi means sunset. The sun is about to set when I tell the fortune."
I said to Lingyun, "Could you please find some paper and pen? A larger one."
Lingyun found a pen and paper. I wrote on the paper: Xi. Everyone gathered around to look.
I said, "Xi is related to the moon. The tides are caused by the moon. The original meaning of Xi is the new moon, the crescent moon."
I drew a crescent moon, and Lao Zhou nodded and said, "It does look like one."
Xi means the moon buds.
More means two moon buds, which means an increase in quantity.
Night is when the crescent moon appears under the sky.
Wai means there is something next to the crescent moon, which is called Wai.
Dance is an activity held on the night when the moon is full.
"Su" means the bird above the crescent moon is about to fly, which means morning. For example, "Suyuan" means a wish that has been held for a long time.
Enough means two moon buds, which means more.
"All of the above characters contain the character 'xi'. Don't they?"
Everyone nodded.
You can find antonyms for each of the above words. I will continue writing:
Sunset - Morning
Night (li) - Day (day)
Outside - Inside
Dance (movement) - Stillness (stillness)
Morning (morning) - night (night)
Enough – Lack
More (amount) - Less (amount)
Words containing "夕" (xixi) generally have antonyms. The meanings they convey are all complementary and corresponding. Like the Tai Chi diagram, half is white, half is black, so you will definitely meet again in the future. You don't have to look for it.
Lao Zhou was trying hard to understand what was written on the paper.
Mr. Dong, Ling Yun, Teacher Zhang, and Doctor Wang naturally understood it immediately.
Lao Zhou said, "There should be antonyms. Can't you justify your argument?"
I said, "Towel, please help me find an antonym. Pencil, please help me find one too."
He smiled awkwardly: "I still haven't read enough books."
After a while, he folded the paper and put it in his trouser pocket, then stood up and said:
"Whether we can find them or not is another matter. Come on, I'll treat you at noon. I'm lucky to meet so many teachers. Boss Ling, I'll treat you at your restaurant. Bring out the best food and wine."
Ling Yun said, "Please don't refuse, Lao Zhou is a sincere man. This is not a polite gesture. Please go to box number one downstairs."
During the meal, I said I couldn't drink because I was afraid of being checked.
Ling Yun said, "Oh, haven't you seen the people in front of every restaurant with little signs hanging on their chests, with the words 'Designated Driver' scrolling on them?"
Teacher Zhang said, "It's worth drinking. You explained these two words very well today."
Doctor Wang said, "Our research group has added some new blood, so we must drink it."
When the food arrived, Ling Yun opened a bottle of Moutai and said, "Drink to your heart's content."
During the meal, everyone was chatting and having a great time.
I sat down with Dr. Wang and asked, "Do you run your own clinic or work in a hospital?"
He said, “Open a Chinese medicine clinic.”
"What does he treat?"
"Pediatrics. I treat other illnesses as well, but I specialize in treating children's coughs, asthma, diaper rash, mouth sores, malnutrition, water ulcers, and worm infestations. In short, I'm pretty good at this."
I said, “I’ll add you on WeChat.”
After adding him, he sent me a WeChat message: Wang Yong, mobile number 138XXXXXXX.
Lao Zhou said, "I'm from Yongzhou, Hunan, and Yongzhou is known for its exotic snakes. Welcome everyone to Yongzhou. I'm adding you on WeChat now."
After a satisfying meal and drinks, we said our goodbyes. Lingyun found a designated driver for me. Everyone, including Lao Zhou, came to see Mr. Dong and me off.
We shook hands and said goodbye one by one. When I said goodbye to Dr. Wang, I shook his hand tightly.
In the car, I asked Mr. Dong, "How good is Dr. Wang Yong?"
Before Mr. Dong could answer, the designated driver asked, "You mean Dr. Wang, who specializes in pediatrics?"
I said, "He's fat and has a beard."
The designated driver said: "The door was squeezed open."
I was in a good mood all the way. At this moment, the phone rang...
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