#BitcoinKeyZone Hoàng Tuấn Công: Ruining the entire legacy of our ancestors' proverbs

In the Vietnamese King program on November 1, 2024, program advisor, poet Hữu Việt explained:

"People say to balance the rice and the fish sauce, besides the fact that if we take too much, it becomes salty, losing its taste, but it has a deeper meaning, which is that we must measure the moderation in our work or behavior to make it reasonable..."

This explanation is a form of "False Transmission of Falsehood," ruining the entire legacy of our ancestors' proverbs (*).

1- INCORRECT LITERAL EXPLANATION

In the past, farmers were so poor that they could hardly afford a grain of salt. With food, they were even more deprived and scarce. Fish sauce and salty seasoning had to be consumed sparingly throughout the year (Meat and fish are fragrant, ketchup is an essential condiment – Proverbs). The proverb "If there is ketchup, then just take the fish sauce," "If there are cucumbers, then leave the vegetables," "Balance the rice and fish sauce," advises people to be frugal, to be clever, if you have this to eat, then you must save the other; you must calculate and spend wisely to avoid waste. Therefore, Mr. Lê Văn Bài (Thanh Hóa) had a couplet:

- Save grain for emergencies, do not be extravagant, remember natural disasters are still severe.

- Balance the rice and fish sauce, do not waste, do not forget that our country is still not rich.

And the court official of the Lê dynasty, Nguyễn Minh Triết (1578 – 1673) in his humble beginnings had a poem "Frugality," in which "Remind your wife to not take fish sauce when there is ketchup":

"...Remind your wife to not take fish sauce when there is ketchup,

Tell your children to reduce rice and add more sweet potatoes.

The world may laugh at frugality,

I am not bothered by anyone and do not trouble anyone."

Specifically with fish sauce, during each meal, one had to plan how to "take out" just enough for the whole family. If too much is taken, the excess fish sauce (having touched the chopsticks) is not...