Melon Fields and Li Xia comes from the ancient Yuefu "Junzi Xing", which means don't do things that are easy to misunderstand. The original sentence is "A gentleman is on guard against danger, and is not under suspicion. The melon fields will not accept shoes, and the plum blossoms will not be trimmed." The original sentence means that as a gentleman, you should think about the bad things you may encounter in advance, and do not bend down when passing by the melon fields. Carry your shoes; don't raise your hands to straighten your hat when passing under a plum tree. This is a metaphor to avoid arousing unwarranted suspicion.
It is a metaphor for a place that easily arouses suspicion, or refers to a situation that is more likely to arouse suspicion, make people misunderstand, and is difficult to justify. It is easily misused to describe pastoral life. The ancients emphasized that a gentleman should take into account his speech, behavior, demeanor and etiquette. In addition, it is also important to actively avoid suspicion, stay away from controversial people and things, and not do things that may cause misunderstanding.
The Story of Plum in the Melon Field
During the reign of Emperor Wenzong of the Tang Dynasty, Liu Gongquan, a great calligrapher, was loyal and upright, good at speaking and admonishing, and served as Minister of Industry. At that time, an official named Guo Ning sent his two daughters to the palace, so the emperor sent Guo Ning to be an official in Youning (now Youxian County, Shaanxi Province). People talked about this matter a lot.
The emperor asked Liu Gongquan about this matter: "Guo Ning is the stepfather of the Empress Dowager. He is a general. He has done nothing wrong since he became an official. Now he is only allowed to serve in the small post of Youning." What's wrong with him?"
Liu Gongquan said: "Based on Guo Ning's contribution and achievements, it was reasonable and reasonable to send him to Youning as the chief officer. It's controversial, but people who discuss it all think that Guo Ning got this official position because he donated his two daughters to the palace. "Tang Wenzong said: "Guo Ning's two daughters came to the palace to accompany the queen mother, not as a sacrifice. "Give it to me." Liu Gongquan replied: "How can people distinguish the suspicions of Guatian Lixia?"