Brothers in Difficulty#
There was a time when I was still a naive young man who liked to buy books. I would often hold the mentality of "buy first, read later, there's always time to read" and would buy many books at once (mainly to meet the minimum for discounts^_^). As a result, I still have many "new books" around me, some of which are still unopened, and some that have been opened and glanced at. Recently, I picked up a book called "A New Expression of the World" to read. The title is naturally familiar, as I had heard of it in high school, but I haven't read much of it yet, though I plan to give it a try.
The preface of the book claims that it is an encyclopedia of medieval culture and a representative work of Chinese ancient vernacular fiction. It seems to be a work of high historical significance and should be worth exploring.
The first volume of the book is called "Virtue" and tells many stories of virtuous people, showcasing the moral standards of the characters during the Eastern Han Dynasty. Among them, there is a chapter called "Brothers in Difficulty," with the following content:
Chen Yuanfang's son, Chen Changwen, and Ji Fang's son, Chen Xiaoxian, each discussed the merits of their fathers and argued about it without reaching a conclusion. They sought advice from their grandfather, Taiqiu.
Taiqiu said, "It is difficult for Yuanfang to be an older brother, and it is difficult for Ji Fang to be a younger brother."
The general meaning here is that Chen Yuanfang's son, Chen Changwen, is exceptionally talented, and he and Ji Fang's son, Chen Xiaoxian, argued about the merits of their fathers. Unable to determine who was superior, they sought advice from their grandfather, Taiqiu, who believed that both of them were equally talented and virtuous, making it difficult to distinguish between them. This story roughly depicts the importance that noble families placed on reputation and their conscious efforts to promote their fame.
The phrase "Brothers in Difficulty" should be pronounced with the second tone, indicating the meaning of "not easy." It can be seen that the idiom "Brothers in Difficulty" has multiple meanings. Through research, it is found that the meaning of this idiom in current usage (i.e., with the fourth tone) comes from a Yuan dynasty poem:
"Drinking Farewell on the Lake"
by Zhang Kejiu
Strolling on a painted boat by the willow trees.
A piece of autumn sentiment. A vast expanse of clear light.
Fine grass, leisurely seagulls. Long clouds, small wild geese. Rustling reeds in the cold.
Brothers in difficulty, both with white hair, meet in a foreign land.
No wind, no rain, not yet chrysanthemum, not like the Double Ninth Festival.
After the song, the waves of the Canglang River. Further, I raise my wine cup. Farewell to the riverbank.
This idiom was originally used by ancient people to praise noble virtues. Through historical development, it has acquired an additional layer of derogatory or ironic meaning, which is quite interesting.