When it comes to his love for geese, the one who stands out is Wang Xizhi, the great calligrapher of the Jin Dynasty. Here is a story:
It is said that Wang Xizhi, a noble man, had little interest in being an official, so he left the noisy and boring capital and came to the pleasant scenery of Jiangnan. When he lived in Shaoxing, he often walked In the water town of Zeguo, observe a group of geese. One geese after another, their feathers are neat and beautiful, and their postures are graceful and luxurious. Some of them float, some sing, and some play. ...·He watched and watched in fascination, sometimes forgetting to go home for dinner.
One day, he was pleasantly surprised to find that there was a goose that looked unusual. Its feathers were as white as snow and its crown was as red as gems. Its cry was especially sweet and sweet, and he loved it very much. , immediately sent people to inquire nearby, and wanted to buy the goose, even if it cost twice as much, they would not hesitate. As soon as I found out, it turned out that the owner of the goose was a gray-haired old woman. The old woman had no relatives around her and only had this white goose for company. Although her family was very poor, she couldn't bear to part with the goose. After Wang Xizhi learned about this situation, he fully understood the old man's mood and expressed that he would not buy this precious goose. In order to observe further, he decided to pay a visit. As for the old woman, when she heard that the calligrapher Wang Xizhi was coming to visit her home, she was very happy, but what should she do to entertain the distinguished guests? The old man was feeling worried, and suddenly a cry of "Oh - ah -" sounded in the yard. Oh, yes, in order to entertain the guests, the old man killed his beloved white goose and made a delicious dish, waiting for Wang Xizhi's arrival. After a while, Wang Xizhi walked into this simple hut with hurried steps. When he learned that the warm and generous host brought his only beloved goose to entertain guests, his eyes became moist: he felt sorry for the death of the goose, and was even more moved by the host's kindness... So he wanted to The man found an ink pen and wrote on the hexagonal bamboo fan he brought with him. He handed it to the old woman and said, "Old man, I have nothing to thank you for. Please take this fan to the market and sell it for a hundred dollars." , Use it to supplement your livelihood." The old man refused, and Xizhi said affectionately: This is my way of honoring you! Wang Xizhi, a great calligrapher in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, loved to visit mountains and rivers and walk into natural scenery. That spring, he went to Hangzhou to visit friends. He walked to the ground in Suzhou, stepped on a stone bridge, and looked around. He saw a small village in front of him. The fluttering wine flags shone in the afterglow of the setting sun, and the smoke from the kitchen smoke curled up from the thatched roofs. Slowly rising, farmers in twos and threes walked towards the village. What a beautiful picture it was. He was a little reluctant to leave, and stopped by the bridge. When the moon rose, the village was hazy, and it was even more beautiful. I bought a pot of sake, bought a few plates of side dishes, and started drinking by myself. In the middle of the night, I gradually fell asleep with a bit of drunkenness.
When I woke up the next day, I suddenly felt my head was heavy. When I returned to the library and lay down, I fell ill. The scholar invited a famous doctor from Suzhou to diagnose and treat Wang Xizhi. Wang Xizhi was ill for a whole month. The money I brought with me when I went out was all used up, and I couldn’t go to Hangzhou to see my friends. What to do? He thought about it and suddenly remembered that there was a pawn shop opposite the hotel where he was staying. He remembered that the word "dang" was already dilapidated. Why don't I write the word "pawn" and go pawn it? This was a good idea, so he asked the bookboy to spread paper and polish ink. He wrote the word "pawn" and asked the book boy to pawn it. The price was 30 taels of silver, and even a penny less was not pawn. The book boy came to the pawn shop and unfolded Wang Xizhi's calligraphy. The boss saw that it was indeed a good calligraphy and asked how much it would cost. The book boy said 30 taels of silver, not even one penny less. The boss looked at it carefully and said: "The word "good" is a good word, but it just has a sick look, so it is not worth it."
The book boy came back and told Wang Xizhi what the boss said. Wang Xizhi said: "Hey, I think highly of you. I'm getting mad, okay! I'll write another one." Wang Xizhi wrote another word and asked the boy to take it. The boss looked at it and said, "This word is much more powerful than that one, but it is full of loneliness and anger. That's it, I want it." Give the boy 30 taels of silver. Wang Xizhi had money and could go on the road again.
He came to Hangzhou and met a friend. The friend set up a table of fine wine to entertain Wang Xizhi. There was a relative of his friend who opened a pawn shop and wanted Wang Xizhi to write the word "pawn" as a sign. Wang Xizhi said: "I have already written It's a pawn, just go and get it back." Wang Xizhi took out the pawn ticket and handed it to the man. The man took the silver and left for Suzhou. When I arrived in Suzhou, I met the pawnshop owner and decided to return the pawn. The boss thought he was a lunatic when he heard that he was not a local and wanted to cheat him after traveling so far. When he saw that the pawned ticket was genuine, the boss wanted to trick him. He pulled the abacus and asked him for 40 taels with interest. The man took out 40 taels and gave it to the boss. The boss was a little puzzled. He was obviously trying to trick him, but he happily took out 40 taels of silver to redeem the pawn. So I asked him: "Excuse me, what's so precious about this calligraphy?" The man said: "This is an authentic work by Wang Xizhi, a great contemporary calligrapher. You old man has eyes for gold and jade, huh! Goodbye!" The boss was anxious. He shouted: "Come back, I'll take 50 taels of silver and ask for your pawn, or 100 taels, 100 taels!" The man didn't even listen. He returned to Hangzhou, met Wang Xizhi, and handed over the pawn. Wang Xizhi took it without even looking at it. He tore the word into pieces with two "chacha" sounds. It was a pity that the man was too late to save the character. Wang Xizhi smiled and said: "The most important thing for a businessman is the word 'harmony'. Does harmony bring wealth? This word was written when I was in a bad mood and lost my temper after recovering from illness. It was with a bit of anger, no OK, I will write another one for you now, and I guarantee that you will get rich if you hang it out." So, the friend in Hangzhou spread his paper and ink, and Wang Xizhi worked hard and wrote a big word "dang". All the friends present were amazed, and everyone praised this word as being very good. This inscription was carved by a senior craftsman and hung on the thoroughfare of Hangzhou City. It is very conspicuous and the business is very busy. Since then, the pawnshop in Hangzhou has become the most famous pawnshop in the country.