Hey everyone, welcome back to the ancient Chinese stories blog. So this tale which today I shall translate is a story about a dinner party, and really what happens when you have poor etiquette. This story is from my Chinese language textbook, so I am not so sure about its history, judging by its writing, this Chinese story was written sometime in the last 100 years, so it is more of a modern Chinese story or tale. One thing I will say now however is that this story is told by someone, in a more first and second person point of view. Today’s Chinese Story is called, “inviting guests.”
——-
Speaking is a form of art. Some people speak and people who hear them feel happy, some people speak and make people angry. I have a friend, and he can’t speak. When he speaks, people he speak to become very unpleased.
One time, he invited some friends to treat to dinner at a restaurant. That day he invited altogether four people, three people had come and there was still one who still had not arrived. As he was waiting he began to get alittle anxious, and said, “There should be one more guest but he still hasn’t come!” One of the guests sitting next to him heard this and got upset. He thought, “If he was the one who was supposed to come and hasn’t arrived yet; am I the one that shouldn’t have come?” The guest then stood up and said, “I’m sorry, I have to go do some things. As he was leaving the restaurant, he said to the waiter at the door, “You can tell them they don’t have to wait for me.”
A little time had passed and the waiter came and asked my friend, “Sir, the dishes you ordered are all ready, shall I bring them out now for you?”
“Don’t Forget, we are still waiting for someone.” My friend looked around and saw that he was short of one guest, and then asked, “Where did he go?” The waiter answered, “That guest has already left.” Once my friend heard this, got more anxious and said, “He shouldn’t of have been the one to have left!”
At this time, there were two guests waiting. One of my friend’s guest hear what he said and got very upset, he thought, “He shouldn’t have been the one to left, so he means the one who should of left still hasn’t left, very well, I am the who should have left, I’ll leave now!” He stood up and without saying even a sentence he left the restaurant.
Only one guest was now sitting there. My friend then said to himself, “Why did they all leave? This guest then said, “Didn’t you say that the one who should of came didn’t come and the one who left shouldn’t have been the one to leave? Those to thought to themselves they are the ones that should not be here. Therefore they all left. For the future you really must pay attention to what you say a little more.”
“Yes, next time I will certainly pay attention to what I say.” My friend then said, “But, it was not them which I meant when I was talking!” “What?” The guest angrily asked; “When you spoke you meant me!” This guess also then left.
—————–
So this is more a tale about speaking and proper etiquette. While it is ok to want to wait for one friend in Chinese culture, you do not say so (in any culture for that matter). I guess this particular Chinese story especially shows that speaking really is a form of art.
I could not find a picture that would have fit todays Chinese story and I do apologize for that, hopefully next Time I will have an image for anyone reading the story. Till the next Ancient Chinese story post everyone.
