A pot of wine among the flowers

Author: Li Ling
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: I study the four great vices—wine, beauty, wealth, and ambition—not to lower human standards. Humans have many biological instincts; studying instincts allows us to understand human nature, and that’s how I see it. Animals are like mirrors, reflecting human flaws. In the face of animals, we feel utterly ashamed. Chinese history has always been torn between two forces, pulling in opposite directions, like a tug-of-war rope. One force is the gift of the West, called the "dream of a strong nation"; the other is our own foundation—poor mountains give rise to harsh waters, harsh waters give rise to tough people, and tough people give rise to cruel officials. "Tugging and tugging, and we end up in the sorghum field," I don’t know how to describe it. I call it "the people’s big boss." In poor health but with great wine intoxication.
In the essay "The Genesis of Traitors," I want to point out that the historical tragedy embodied by the betrayal of Wu Sangui does not lie in China having too few people who took their own lives, but rather in a country treating its own people worse than enemies. What will you use to make them love their country?
The loudest sound is the quietest; the best speech is the one that avoids argument. Reform cannot be self-centered. People are not numbers; they are not items purchased with money. We cannot lightly speak of sacrifice, even for long-term interests. We cannot say that for international affairs, China should sacrifice itself; for science, the humanities should be sacrificed; for efficiency, safety should be sacrificed; for the pot, the bowl should be sacrificed; and for lack of firewood, even the doorframe should be chopped.
School is not a chicken coop. The essays included in this collection are and I wrote in recent years, all belonging to "Minor Histories of Ordinary People." That is, as an ordinary citizen, I observe history around me and the history in books with a detached perspective, sharing my personal views. These views, though also drawing on a bit of my professional knowledge and occasional reflections from reading, have no place in the professional academic world like an industrial assembly line. I can only find another outlet to speak in an amateur manner. The content of this book can be roughly divided into five parts.
The first group has only two articles, serving as an introduction. The second group has six articles, discussing war or war-related topics, belonging to the "martial" theme. The third group has seven articles, discussing matters related to scholars, which fall under the "literary" theme. The fourth group has eight articles, all on refined topics—not playing the qin, chess, calligraphy, or painting, but wine, beauty, wealth, and ambition.