Chapter 39 From "watching theater is also reading" to "governing a big country is like cooking small fish"

I even read the notes of the Qing Dynasty, and there is a discussion about reading and watching theaters: An old man has four sons, all of whom are theater fans. They go to and from theaters all day long.One day, the old man called his four sons to him and asked them, "Would it be better to watch a theater or study?" It was insincere, so he shook his head and remained silent.The second child said again: "Of course it's better to go to the theater. I don't like reading books in my life!" After hearing this, the old man shook his head again, thinking that although he was telling the truth, he was almost naughty.The third child went on to say: "I said reading is good, and watching a theater is also good." The old man listened to his answer too tactfully, so he ignored it.The fourth son replied calmly: "Reading is like watching a play, and watching a play is also reading." So the old man was overjoyed and thought that the child could be taught.In fact, the fourth child's understanding of the relationship between the two can only be regarded as partly correct. Books are the carrier of knowledge, and dramas are the artistic reproduction of life.In ancient society, opera as a high-level education can indeed make people understand some inaccurate historical knowledge and superficial principles of life.There is a Taiwan couplet in the same paradise in the Yuanmingyuan: "Yao Shunsheng, Tang Wujing, Huan Chou Wendan, how many characters from ancient to modern times; sun and moon lights, clouds and clouds, wind and thunder drum boards, a big theater in the universe." Appropriate, but history is history after all, and operas are operas after all. In any case, it is impossible to "compose 24 historical views and read 300 articles".If the value of opera is only to educate, it will lose the beauty and charm of art.Conversely, it would be cynical to regard history and human ethics as a whole play.Therefore, the saying: "Reading a book is like watching a play, and watching a play is also reading a book" can only be understood as a kind of understanding.

Chinese language arts are very rich.Therefore, the Chinese also like to play some word games within the scope of their own language.So there is a saying that "governing a big country is like cooking small fish, and cooking small fish is like governing a big country". "Governing a big country" and "cooking small fish" are not the same concept at all, and they are not the same. In fact, it is also a question of "enlightenment".Not to mention the principle of "governing a big country", but in terms of "cooking small delicacies", one is to use appropriate materials, the other is to use them freely, and the third is to have harmonious seasoning, appropriate thickness, uniform color, and orderly primary and secondary.It’s like arranging a banquet, there must always be meat and vegetables, thick and light, hot and cold, hot and cold, main and second, salty, sweet, sour, hot and spicy.Just like a boat passing through the Three Gorges, sometimes the strange peaks are abrupt, and sometimes it is vast, so that you can feel the changing scenery and the charm of the moon and the breeze.As for those all-duck banquets and all-chicken banquets, they are also off-putting.Another example is an ink painting, always leave some blank space, if one side feels a little empty, it can be used as a place for inscriptions and postscripts.If the bell is decorated with red seals, it will appear that the layout is dense and appropriate, balanced and orderly.Arranging a table banquet can be said to be a manifestation of art and culture. The accumulation of delicacies from mountains and seas can only be a failure, just like a painting with improper layout.And six or seven main dishes, three or four small dishes, as long as they are prepared properly, the meat and vegetables are scattered in between, but it will make people feel fresh and bright, and the meaning is still endless.

As for the cooking of a dish, he is also very knowledgeable.In order to achieve good color, fragrance and taste, first of all, we must use techniques according to their aptitude, and secondly, we must consider the compatibility of condiments and the mastery of heat.In addition, season, environment, etc. are also factors to be taken into account.Southerners often joke that northerners don’t know how to eat fish, thinking that braised in soy sauce, sweet and sour, etc. spoil the deliciousness of the fish itself.The water network in the south of the Yangtze River is dense, the rivers and lakes are everywhere, fresh fish is easy to get, steamed and sliced, the natural quality is rich and delicious, it can be authentic and the original color is outstanding.In the old days, it was not easy to get live fish in the north, and the water quality was hard. Even if the fish was live, the meat was not as fine and delicious as in the south. Therefore, cooking skills and seasonings were often used to make up for this shortcoming.As for the use of condiments, it must be just right.Light is tasteless, too much is too much, the use of sweet, salty, sour and hot is like the monarch and his ministers assisting the compatibility of traditional Chinese medicine. Only when they are properly reconciled can they play their respective roles and produce a palatable taste.The mastery of the fire should be determined according to the quality of the raw materials, and at the same time, it should also be based on the purpose of the pursuit. If it is solid and dull, it should be cooked slowly; if it is tender and brittle, it should be attacked with rapid fire.Cantonese like raw and crispy vegetables, so vegetables are mostly broken raw. In the north, bear's paw hump is eaten, and pure soup is often simmered over low heat.

Whether it is cooking a dish or arranging a feast, a balance and harmony must be achieved in the end. Perhaps this is what Confucianism calls the golden mean.The mean is the highest moral standard of Confucianism, with impartiality as the degree and invariance as the law, so as to achieve relative balance and harmony.As for Lao Tzu's comparison of "governing a big country" with "cooking small fish", what he is talking about is actually a principle of "enlightenment".Wouldn't it be absurd to think that anyone who can "cook small fish" can "govern a big country".