Chapter 22 "Wanqiu" Book of Songs.country style

How should life be spent to be meaningful?This is a question that is often asked, and going a step further, how should we spend our later years?Confucius once asked his disciples this question. If you were to arrange it yourself, what choice would you make? Since the question was only asked during a chat, the disciples obviously had no scruples and boldly expressed their thoughts and ambitions. Several famous disciples such as Zilu, Ran Qiu, Gong Xihua, etc. Thinking of something to do, and hearing the ambitions of his disciples, Confucius smiled without saying a word.Finally, Zeng expressed his thoughts to the teacher respectfully:

In the future, I only hope to be able to wear neat spring clothes in the late spring, and go to the Yishui River with five or six people who are crowned, or six or seven boys, to beg for rain. Take a nap on the stage, swim and play in the river, and then go home together! After hearing Zeng's words, Confucius couldn't help nodding his head again and again. I don't know whether Zeng Dian spent his later years in this way, but at least the kind of life he mentioned is the answer Confucius wanted.In ancient China, there was such a life as Zeng Dian said. Lu Jia of the Han Dynasty resigned from office in his later years and took a group of musicians and dancers to travel around the mountains and rivers of various countries. For those who have gained status and reputation, it is undoubtedly the most ideal life in old age. There are poems describing this kind of life in "Guofeng" in "Book of Songs", such as "Wanqiu", which describes the beautiful dancing posture of dancers, is one of them.Wanqiu is a small hill in the country of Chen.

Take the ridge as a drum, and hit it in Wanqiu, regardless of winter or summer, planting egret feathers everywhere. The graceful dancer with heron feathers on her head dances lightly in front of Wanqiu no matter in season, summer, autumn or winter.For literati living in seclusion in the mountains and forests, after finishing their homework every day, they can still enjoy the graceful dance. How comfortable is this kind of life!