#MarketRebound Hoàng Tuấn Công: Ruining the entire heritage of our ancestors' proverbs

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

"They say it's about being mindful of what you have, besides the idea that if you take too much, it will be salty and lose its flavor, there's a deeper meaning, that we must be mindful of moderation in our work or actions to make them reasonable…"

The explanation above is a form of 'Using false teachings to transmit falsehoods', ruining the entire heritage of our ancestors' proverbs (*).

1- INCORRECT INTERPRETATION OF LITERAL MEANING

In the past, farmers lacked even a grain of white salt. With food, they were even more deprived and scarce. Tomato sauce and salty fish sauce had to be rationed throughout the year (Fish and meat are delicacies, tomato sauce is the household staple – A proverb). The proverb "If there's tomato, then leave the fish sauce", "If there's cucumber, then save the vegetables", "Mindful of rice, take the fish sauce", advises people to be frugal, to manage wisely, if you have this to eat, then that must be saved; you must calculate and spend so that it is economical, just enough, and avoid waste. Therefore, Mr. Lê Văn Bài (Thanh Hóa) had a couplet:

- Save grains for emergencies, do not be extravagant, remember that natural disasters are still severe;

- Mindful of rice, take fish sauce, do not waste, do not forget that the country is still not rich.

And the official of the Lê dynasty, Nguyễn Minh Triết (1578 – 1673), in his humble beginnings had a poem "Hà tiện", in which he advised his wife "If there are tomatoes, don’t take the fish sauce":

"…I advise my wife if there are tomatoes, don’t take the fish sauce,

Tell the children to reduce rice and add more potatoes.

Let the world laugh at frugality,

I am not troubled by anyone, nor do I burden anyone."

As for fish sauce, each meal, people had to plan to 'take r,