Chapter 442 - Where Did You Guys Come From?
Su Ming asked with a smile, “Alright, Young Master Jin, I have a few questions for you. Why is one end of the chopsticks round and the other square?”
Caught off guard, Young Master Jin's eyes darted about before he replied, “The round end makes it easier to pick things up, that's why one end is round and the other square!”
Su Ming pressed on, “I see. Young Master Jin, you're quite impressive. Now, another question: why do people use their thumb and index finger on top, ring and little finger below, with the middle finger in between when holding chopsticks?”
Young Master Jin was taken aback once more. He didn't fully grasp Su Ming's point, but felt compelled to answer since he had been asked.
Furrowing his brow, Young Master Jin responded, “What kind of question is that? Isn't that how everyone holds chopsticks?”
“You've answered well, Young Master Jin. You're truly remarkable.”
Su Ming then inquired slowly, “Now, why are there two chopsticks?”
“Who could possibly use just one chopstick? A single chopstick can't pick anything up!” Young Master Jin retorted, his brow creased in confusion.
He was puzzled by Su Ming's line of questioning. Weren't the answers obvious?
Su Ming burst into laughter at this, startling Young Master Jin.
With a cold chuckle, Su Ming slowly stated, “Your country copies others' creations and even claims them as your national cultural heritage. That's laughable. Chopsticks first appeared during our Zhou Dynasty, and they have a history spanning three to four thousand years. Back then, H Country didn't even exist. Furthermore, the square and round ends of the chopsticks reflect the ancient civilization of the imperial court. When people hold chopsticks, the placement of their fingers—thumb and index on top, ring and little below, middle in between—represents heaven, earth, and humanity. This symbolizes the crystallization of the imperial court's ancient philosophical thought and the ancient understanding of people and the world. Additionally, the use of two chopsticks adheres to the imperial court's adherence to the principle of Taiji, with the two chopsticks embodying the Yin and Yang central to the ancient literary thought of the imperial court.”
“You're merely imitating the superficial aspects of our nation.”
“The imperial court is an ancient civilization with a history spanning five thousand years, one of the only four great ancient civilizations still existing in the world.”
“Your country isn't fit to plagiarize the imperial court's heritage.”
Su Ming spoke with conviction.
“Right on!”
“Mr. Su is formidable!”
“Mr. Su is correct. You've only scratched the surface of the imperial court. You have no grasp of the deeper significance behind these things!”
Upon hearing Su Ming's words, the crowd erupted in applause and cheers.
Su Ming himself was somewhat moved.
Unlike the middle-aged woman, who was a devoted follower of Young Master Jin, they were not. For them, self-preservation was the priority, so they had simply taken off.
Young Master Jin was utterly terrified this time.
As he was encircled by the crowd, he couldn't help but shake. Truth be told, if these people charged at him in a fit of impulse, he would be flattened.
With a quivering voice, Young Master Jin protested, “This is unfair, you're ganging up on me! If you're so tough, take me on one-on-one!”
Just then, a man stepped forward from the crowd and said, “Fine by me.”
The onlookers took a closer look at him and gasped.
He was incredibly muscular, with a waist as wide as a barrel and muscles that stood out like rugged boulders.
The epitome of masculinity!
The man thumped his chest and declared, “Mr. Su, I've got this. I'm on the provincial weightlifting team!”
“Not so fast.”
Another man emerged from the throng.
His physique was balanced, his upper body bare. His well-defined muscles clearly indicated formidable explosive power.
With a look of thrill, he boasted, “Weightlifters may have strength, but they lack fighting skills. I'm your man. With twenty years of Muay Thai under my belt, I can assure you he'll get more than he bargained for!”
Yet another man stepped forward, objecting, “That won't do. Muay Thai is from abroad. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing bad about learning it. But I believe we should use our own martial arts to take him down. I've been training since childhood and have mastered the Form-Intention Fist, Eight-trigram Stick Art, and Wing Chun Fist Art. This chance should be mine.”
Before he could finish, a woman cut in, “Hold on! Women first. I'll handle this.”
She appeared robust and adept at combat.
“I hail from the grasslands, where I've wrestled since childhood. I can take down a bull, so this skinny guy from H Country will be no issue.”
She extended her large hands, assuming a wrestler's stance.
Witnessing this, Young Master Jin was on the verge of tears. He thought they were being excessively harsh. He had never anticipated encountering several individuals proficient in weightlifting, wrestling, and Muay Thai all at once. He couldn't fathom why they were all so antagonistic toward him.
He had heard tales of everyone at the imperial court being skilled in martial arts, but he never imagined that such a collection of masters would be found on this barbecue street.
He had assumed that hiring those bodyguards would suffice. It turns out he was far too naive. This single woman from the grasslands alone was capable of taking down all of those bodyguards!