One-minute pocket story: Wisdom of survival

Author: Xiaoping
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features:
119. Wisdom Like Salt There is a story about an old tribal leader who led his villagers day and night to transport salt to a certain place in exchange for barley for winter. One night, they camped in the wilderness under a brilliant starry sky. The elder still used the method passed down from his ancestors, taking out three pieces of salt and throwing them into the campfire to predict the weather in the mountains. Everyone was waiting for the elder's "weather forecast": if they heard the salt pieces crackling in the fire, it was a sign of good weather; if there was no sound, it meant the weather was about to worsen, and storms could come at any moment. The tribal leader's expression was serious because the salt pieces made no sound in the fire. He thought it was inauspicious and advocated setting off immediately after dawn. However, another young man in the tribe believed that "divining the weather with salt" was superstition and opposed leaving in a hurry. The next afternoon, the weather indeed turned severe, with wind and snow, and only the young man who insisted on waiting later realized the elder's wisdom. In fact, explained by today's science, the elder was also right. Whether the salt pieces make a sound in the fire depends on the humidity in the air. In other words, when storms are approaching, the humidity is high, the salt pieces become damp, and when thrown into the fire, they naturally remain silent.
Insight from Lin: The philosophy of the elder is like salt in a dish.
120. Pet Red Humans began using natural ochre very early, especially in funerals. The deceased were often coated with a reddish-brown hue, symbolically blending with the color of life. This custom spread worldwide during the Neolithic Age, but it was not a period of red glory. Red only showed its charming allure when the nobles in southern Italy of the Roman Empire used it to extensively decorate the walls of their mansions, then known as Pet Red. This color came from yellow ochre that turned red after firing, and it was used sporadically in the Middle Ages before quickly disappearing. In 1929, an architect built a circular house in Macon, France, with walls decorated in Pet Red, contrasting the red with winter snow and summer green grass. This building, which revered Pet Red, was later listed as a historical relic.
Insight from Lin: Understanding anything requires a process.
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