Chapter 87 on things

on things Chinese scholars have never cared much about things. "Family with nothing but four walls" is the true nature of a scholar, and a good official is only a good official if he has "clean breeze in his sleeves". Those who love to accumulate things are only ordinary people and corrupt officials, and everyone looks down on them.This kind of indifference can be called Qingde.As for what it says: Wang Gong returned from Kuaiji. Wang Da looked at him and saw him sitting on a six-foot mat. He said to Gong, "Qing is from the east, so I should have this thing. You can take it to me." Gong said nothing.After the party is gone, those who are seated will be lifted and given away.Since there are no seats left, I sit on the recommended table.When I heard about it later, I was very surprised and said, "I originally said that there are many Qings, so I asked for my ears."

He said to him, "my father-in-law doesn't know how to be respectful, and there is nothing good about being a respectful man." "Being a man has nothing to grow" also doesn't care about things, but this is philosophical.Later people often said things like "what's outside the body, don't care about it!" It's also a manifestation of this kind of pessimism, but from another angle.Only those who are not burdened by things are free people. "Qing" is viewed from the moral aspect, and "reached" is viewed from the philosophical aspect. Purity means not turbid, and Da means not vulgar and elegant.

Scholars also care about things sometimes, and some of them are collectors.The collections are just books, calligraphy and paintings, antiques, stamps and the like.These people like to visit bookstores, thrift stores, and street stalls, and they can make a lot of money with little accumulation, but they cannot become big collectors.A great collector must be a bit official or commercial.Great collectors can seriously care about things, while collectors who love beauty are more or less playful. ——They make their collections public at any time, and sometimes they also give them to those who know them well.These things are not practical items, and these collectors who love beauty are also elegant.Scholars have never cared or bothered about daily practical items.In fact, they are not short of anything. Generally speaking, they always have food and clothing.With food and clothing, there is nothing short of anything else.These people are always reluctant to buy daily necessities, so they often quarrel with the wives.And when moving or going on the road, wives always have to bring more things, they always have to lose more things, and they will spend a lot of time talking-although in fact the wives are more successful.

Scholars now care about things seriously, and even practical things are treated equally.Things have risen so fast in the past two years that the electric rabbits can't keep up, and ordinary scholars are gradually not sure about what to eat and wear; although they are still trying to maintain their morality, their philosophism has to be put aside for the time being.So we talked about cigarettes, wine, and more began to talk about firewood, rice, oil, salt and cloth.Here is the first time that the gentlemen and ladies talked about going on the way.I stopped drinking, and the cigarettes got worse and worse, and I smoked less and less, and I decided to quit-in the future, I will keep the pipes and mouthpieces as antiques.Diesel, rice, oil, salt and cloth are always trying to find ways to collect more and consume less.Cherish everything, and really achieve "a porridge and a meal when thinking about where it came from is not easy".Not only are these people no longer the deaf A Jiaweng, but they have almost become the sons of the Ke family.Needless to say, the aesthetic obsession had to be put aside for the time being.Apart from their professional efforts, these people only go around in circles, which seems pitiful.Not really.They have a clear bone, which is enough to be proud of.Besides, rice, oil, salt and brie are also interesting, especially at this time.For example, today I suddenly learned that there is a communal store for oil and salt, which is so much cheaper; today I learned that Boss Wang’s peanut oil is 50 cents less per catty than Boss Zhang’s;These messages can all teach a person to go home with a triumphant smile.It's a struggle, but it's also a pastime, isn't it?Blessed are those who can find entertainment in the daily necessities.From another perspective, this is also philosophical or elegant.

Scholars are probably unwilling or unable to change their careers, and they seldom turn into hoarders.Although they also cherish things now, they cherish themselves even more; when they cherish things, they can only cherish their own.Needless to say, they cherish the food, rice, oil, salt and cloth they need, and there are some old things in their boxes and cages, such as books, clothes, and so on.These things have been with them in many places in their own China for several years, but they themselves may not have paid much attention to these old things, let alone make out with them for a while.But things are getting more and more expensive, and some are getting less and less, so they opened their cages and took a closer look, hey!How cute, there are so many things left!So I picked up everything and looked at it, the more interesting and energetic it was, like an old friend I haven't seen for many years, I don't know how to make out.With these, I can go to caress them when I have time, which is worth visiting second-hand goods stores and street stalls, and also worth drinking a good wine and smoking a few good cigarettes.Besides, I see myself in the same way that others see me, and I am a poor man at all. In this way, regardless of what other people think, I really feel rich.Look, consignment houses, auction houses, there are plenty, upstart buyers have plenty, sell some today and sell some tomorrow, and they should be able to supplement food and clothing.When they are sold out, the day of the victory of the Anti-Japanese War will come. At that time, these scholars will be old-tempered. At that time, they will think like this, "What are some things outside the body? They are all rags! Let's wait for the bookstore. Thrift stores, street stalls."

(Originally published in "Anti-Japanese War Literature and Art" in 1942)