卖辣椒的人,恐怕都会经常碰到这样一个众所周知又非常经典的问题,那就是不断会有买主问:你这辣椒辣吗?不好回答。答辣吧,也许买辣椒的人是个不怕辣的立 马走人；答不辣吧，也许买辣椒的人是个喜欢吃辣的，生意还是不成。当然解决的办法也众所周知并且非常经典的，那就是把辣椒分成两堆，吃辣的各选所需，这是 书上说的。
这一天没事，就站在这个卖辣椒妇女的三轮车旁，看她是怎样解决这个二律背反难题的。趁着眼前没有买主，我自作聪明地对她说；你把辣椒分成两堆吧，有人要辣的你就给他说这堆是；有人要不辣的你就给他说那堆是。
没想到卖辣椒的妇女却只是对我笑了笑，轻声说；用不着！
说 着就来了一个买东主，问的果然是那句老话：辣椒辣吗？卖辣椒的妇女很肯定地告诉他：颜色深的辣，颜色浅的不辣！买主信以为真，挑好辣椒付过钱，满意地走 了。也不知今天是怎么回事，大部分人都是买不辣的，不一会儿，颜色浅的辣椒就所剩无几了。我于是又说：把剩下的辣椒分成两堆吧？不然就不好卖了！
然而，卖辣椒的妇女仍是笑着摇摇头，说：用不着！
又有个买主来了，问的还是那句话：辣椒辣吗？卖辣椒的妇女看了一自己的辣椒，信口答道：长的辣，短的不辣！果然，买主就按照她的分类标准开始挑起来。这轮结果是，长辣椒很快告罄。
看着剩下的都是深颜色的短辣椒，我没有再说话，心里想：这回看你还有什么说法？
没想到，当又一个买主问“辣椒辣吗”的时候，卖辣椒的妇女信心十足地回答：“硬皮的辣，软皮的不辣！”我暗暗佩服，可不是嘛，被太阳晒了半天，确实有很多辣椒因失水变得软绵绵了。
卖辣椒的妇女卖完辣椒，临走时对我说：你说的那个办法卖辣椒的人都不能知道，而我的办法只有我自己知道！
我忽然有所顿悟：生活中的智慧可以被写成书，但你却不能简单地照着书上写的智慧去生活，因为生活只是鲜活的。
译文:
The wisdom of pepper seller
There is a well-known and classical question for pepper seller who was constantly asked :"Is it hot?" It is not easy to answer. If you say yes, the buyer may don't like too much spice and go away; if you say no, the buyer maybe a spice lover. That is the dilemma. Of course, there is also a well-known and classical solution. The book says to divided peppers into two piles to meet the buyer's need.
One day, I stood by the woman who was selling hot pepper and wandered how did she do. While there was no client, I tought her:"To divide the peppers into two piles. Give the buyer who want hot pepper this pile, and the buyer who don't want hot pepper that one."
It was suprised to me that the woman just smile to me and say quietly:"No necessary!"
Here came a buyer, who asked the right question:"Is it hot?" The woman who was selling pepper told him for sure:"The dark peppers are hot, The light aren't!" The buyer believed, took the pepper and left with satisfaction. Somehow or other, most buyers today bought less hotter pepper. Within a short time, the light peppers have been sold rapidly. So I said:"To divided the rest into two piles, or it hardly to sell!"
However, the woman still smiled, shook her heads and said:"No necessary!"
Here came another buyer, and asked the same question:"Is it hot?" The woman looked though her own peppers and spoke at radom:"The longer were hot, the shorter weren't." The buyer took it for sure and picked peppers according to her words. Well, the long peppers were sold out in a short time.
Having Looked at the rest dark short peppers, I thought to myself:"What would you do next?"
It was surprised to me that the woman answered with confidently:"The crusty is hot, the soft crust isn't!" when other buyer asked the same question. I admired her in my mind. As she said, many peppers had became soft because the pepper were sunburned and dehydrated.
The woman sold out her peppers and told me when she ready to leave:"Every the pepper seller don't know the way you said, but I know my own way!"
I understand suddenly: Wisdom in life can be written in a book, but you can't simply live with the wisdom written in the book. As the life is active.