Gorgeous Female Tenants

Flies are always coming in droves; seeing a few people in front of them keep falling flat, those in the back who were tempted to try also lost interest.

At the dining table, Xu Xiangbei felt like he was flanked by beauties. He could feast on the sight alone; he felt full even without eating. Occasionally, he took some liberties and joked around, feeling life was wonderful.

Some people were planning to go to Mandarin Duck Lake, a national-level artificial lake in Jiangcheng, a 3A level scenic area!

The tickets were extremely expensive, costing over a thousand per person. You could say it was famous far and wide, one of the major highlights of Jiangcheng, not only boasting beautiful scenery but also fresh air. There were all kinds of animals; it reportedly had a large zoo where you could see traces of endangered species like the brown-eared pheasant, Yangtze alligator, black-necked crane, and white-flag dolphin.

There was also an amusement park with various facilities, even a KTV, making it look less like a scenic spot and more like a luxurious community for all sorts of entertainment. There was nothing you couldn’t think of or buy there.

After eating and drinking their fill, Xu Xiangbei led the group straight to Mandarin Duck Lake, bought tickets, and once inside, they began to play around, eventually arriving at the most famous lake tour boats.

An elderly man called Zhang Yide was paddling the boat. He wasn’t rugged but rather slim, slightly hunched, with a complexion somewhat yellow tinged with black, sporting a tuft of white goatee, with graying hair, around 60 years old.

He claimed Zhuge Liang was his ancestor, speaking eloquently, almost bringing out his ancestor’s likeness and genealogy for validation, and immediately began humorously recounting Zhuge Liang’s deeds to Xu Xiangbei.

"Uncle Zhang, isn’t your name the same as your ancestor’s?" Xu Xiangbei and his group originally wanted to call him Elder Zhang, but he said Uncle Zhang was fine, which surprisingly made him seem younger.

"Young man, my ancestor’s surname was Zhang, given name Fei, style name Yide. His ’Yi’ in Yide is the ’Yi’ in ’mutually beneficial,’ while my ’Yi’ in Yide is from ’wing.’ They’re not the same," Zhang Yide painstakingly explained, fearing he would offend his ancestor’s name, a responsibility he couldn’t bear.

Back when his father named him, he hoped he would be like Zhang Fei, so he used Zhang Fei’s style name but dared not use it entirely and altered it slightly, hoping he would soar like a Kunpeng, with wings growing strong, soaring through the skies.

"So that’s how it is!" Xu Xiangbei laughed heartily after hearing the explanation.

"Also, this style name and given name in ancient times were different. Don’t get them mixed up. In ancient times, the wise had styled names, given names, pseudonyms, and surnames, all rich with profound knowledge!" Elder Zhang explained volubly.

"What’s the difference?" Xu Xiangbei grew interested, as did the women beside him, enjoying the conversation amid beautiful scenery.

Moreover, Huaxia culture spans 5,000 years and is rich and profound. We cannot let it be lost in this generation. Nowadays, it’s all about soft power, cultural infiltration. We must keep our traditions; otherwise, in a few years, we’ll be celebrating Christmas during Spring Festival.

"Nowadays, we only have surnames and given names. In ancient times, there was a Hundred Family Surnames, covering most Huaxia names, besides some ethnic minorities."

It seemed Elder Zhang was a devoted enthusiast of national essence, with considerable research into ancient Huaxia.

"I know this! Zhao, Qian, Sun, Li; Zhou, Wu, Zheng, Wang," said Xiao Ailing with a smile, her face flushed like a shy schoolgirl answering a question.

"Not bad, little girl, can you go on?" Elder Zhang gave her an encouraging look, urging her to finish.

The next second, Xiao Ailing hesitated. She had read the Hundred Family Surnames before but hadn’t memorized it. She could only recite the first few lines, not knowing any further. Xu Xiangbei could also say one or two lines, but no one among them could finish it; saying three or four lines was already good enough.

Seeing them like this, Elder Zhang laughed and didn’t make it difficult for them, reciting the entire Hundred Family Surnames fluently, its unique rhythm captivating them.

A gentle breeze blew over the lake. Looking at the pleasant scenery on both sides, with mandarin ducks and dolphins swimming freely, Xu Xiangbei’s group seemed to blend into this wonderful picture, forgetting all their troubles.

In roughly five minutes, Elder Zhang completed the recitation.

"Wow, Uncle Zhang, that was amazing! So impressive!" Xiao Ailing was the first to applaud, followed by thumbs up from Xu Xiangbei and the others.

"It’s nothing; many primary school students could do it in the past, but now many have forgotten. There’s also the ’Disciple Gauge,’ once a must-memorize, now abandoned. These, I can recite backwards; back in the day..."

As the saying goes, an old person at home is like a treasure. The elderly have crossed countless bridges and paths, experienced much in life, and although some stories and experiences may appear outdated, they possess a special flavor, the crystallized wisdom of countless predecessors.

Xu Xiangbei listened earnestly to Elder Zhang recounting stories from his life, his ups and downs. It was sometimes boring but sometimes thrilling, composing a person’s life story.

"I’ve rambled on; let’s go back to discussing style names, given names, and pseudonyms."

It was apparent that Elder Zhang loved chatting. He had talked with Xu Xiangbei’s group for a long time, none showing signs of boredom, and it was still early, just past two in the afternoon.

Xu Xiangbei felt fortunate to have met such an interesting old man, kind and rich in experience and knowledge.

"Uncle Zhang, please continue; we’re all ears!" said the rather shy Gu Xinyan proactively.

"As for the given names in ancient times, they’re quite similar to now, generally given by elders, holding expectations for the child. Of course, names often include generational characters, passed down through generations, like our Zhang family’s generational sequence: De, Kuan, Li, Yuan, Gong, Jing, Yi, Zhi, Wen, Jian, Lian, Gang, Yi, Chang, Ji, but in my generation, we’ve mostly stopped following it. As long as there’s a genealogy!" Elder Zhang said, his old face slightly blushing, admitting his name didn’t follow the generational sequence.

"Wow, there’s so much culture in this! I remember our Gu family also has character genealogies, but my sister and I don’t have generation characters." Gu Xiangyi spoke after contemplating her name and her sister’s name.

"Yes, parents usually hope their children succeed, to be dragons and phoenixes, so names generally have special meanings!" Xu Xiangbei chimed in, deeply agreeing.

When he mentioned parents’ hopes for their children, Xiao Qiulian’s eyes grew hazy, as if tears were about to fall. Only she knew the amount of effort and sweat she had expended for her beautiful daughter.

Xiao Ailing tightly held her mother’s hand, feeling the deep love and hardships.

"Pity the hearts of all parents. That’s why you should respect and love your parents and elders in the future!" Elder Zhang, having been through it himself, immediately saw their expressions and was filled with emotion. He had children, but they had passed away, luckily still having a grandson.

"When it comes to style names, they’re usually associated with the meaning of the given name, like Zhuge Liang, style name Kongming; Yue Fei, style name Pengju, and others, sometimes having opposite meanings."

"Who knew style names could be so interesting? Why don’t we come up with some style names for fun?" Gu Xinyan suddenly suggested playfully.

"Sure, I think Xu Xiangbei should have the style name Chaonan!" Inspired by her sister’s suggestion, Gu Xiangyi began thinking and said unceremoniously.

"Why would it be Chaonan?" Xu Xiangbei felt puzzled.

"Isn’t your name Xu Xiangbei? The antonym of ’Xiangbei’ is ’Chaonan.’ It also has a synonym: ’Chao Nan!’"

"Aren’t style names usually synonyms? Why is mine an antonym!" Xu Xiangbei protested incessantly.

"Because you’re not an ordinary person! An ordinary person not being human!" Gu Xiangyi quipped unceremoniously, making everyone around laugh.

"Then you should be called Moyu!" Xu Xiangbei wasn’t the type to take it lying down.

"Why?"

"I’ve heard it’s the smelliest flower in the world. Isn’t your name Xiangyi, meaning fragrant and pleasant? Its antonym is ’smelly,’ so Moyu is a perfect match!"

Everyone used their personal names to exchange jokes and play around to lift their spirits. After all, just watching the scenery could get boring.

After a while, Elder Zhang began explaining what pseudonyms were, intent on spreading his knowledge of Huaxia culture.

"Pseudonyms were often scholars’ modest appellations or self-titles, expressing lofty ideals or a serene state of mind. For instance, Li Bai, also known as the Hermit of Blue Lotus; Blue Lotus signifies elegance and purity, rising unstained from mud. Of course, pseudonyms were also called alternate appellations, and some emperors or officials received posthumous titles..."

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