It means: To cultivate the land, you should ask the farmers who grow crops, and to weave cloth, you should ask the maids who spin yarn and weave cloth.
Source: "Shu Daisong Paints Cows" - Song Dynasty: Su Shi
There was Du Chushi in Shu, who was good at calligraphy and painting and had hundreds of treasures. There is a scroll called "Ox" by Dai Song, which I particularly like. It is a jade scroll with a brocade bag and I often keep it with me. One day, a calligraphy and painting was exposed, and a shepherd boy saw it, raised his palms and laughed, saying: "This painting is a bullfight. The bull's fighting power is in its horns, and its tail twitches between its two legs. Now it is fighting with its tail turned off, which is ridiculous!" The scholar laughed. An old saying goes: "You should ask your slaves for plowing, and your maids for weaving." This cannot be changed.
There was a hermit named Du in Sichuan who loved calligraphy and painting. He collected hundreds of calligraphy and painting works, including a cow painted by Dai Song. He particularly liked it and kept it in a brocade bag. I often carry the jade painting scroll with me, and one day I will dry the calligraphy and painting.
A shepherd boy saw this painting, clapped his hands and laughed and said: "This painting depicts fighting cows. When the cows are fighting, their power is concentrated on their horns, and their tails are sandwiched between their two hind legs." But this painting shows cows wagging their tails and fighting, which is wrong!" The hermit laughed, thinking that the shepherd boy was right. There is an old saying: "For plowing, you should ask the farmers who grow crops; for weaving, you should ask the maids who spin yarn and weave." This sentence is unchangeable.
Extended information
1. The creative background of "Shu Daisong Paints Cows"
"Shu Daisong Paints Cows" is an article written by the Northern Song Dynasty writer Su Shi prose. It narrates an incident in a simple way and satirizes the layman's imagination. This article tells us: we must observe things seriously and carefully and seek truth from facts. Don't rely on imagination, and don't be superstitious about authority. You must start from objective facts and ask for help based on the situation.
2. Introduction to the author of "Shu Dai Song Painting Cows"
Su Shi (January 8, 1037 - August 24, 1101), courtesy name Zizhan, He Zhong, pseudonym Tieguan Taoist and Dongpo layman, known as Su Dongpo and Su Xian in the world, Han nationality, native of Meishan, Meizhou (Meishan City, Sichuan Province), ancestral home in Luancheng, Hebei Province, famous writer, calligrapher, painter in the Northern Song Dynasty, and famous figure in historical water control.
Su Shi made extraordinary achievements in the creation of Ci. In terms of the development of a literary style itself, Su Shi’s historical contribution exceeds that of Su Wen and Su Shi. Following Liu Yong, Su Shi carried out a comprehensive reform of the style of Ci, finally breaking through the traditional pattern of Ci being "Yanke", improving the literary status of Ci, and transforming Ci from an accessory to music into an independent lyric poem. Style, fundamentally changed the development direction of Ci history.