The ancients often said,” If you own five carts of books, you must be knowledgeable and have read many books.” But how many books can the five carts carry?
It must be pointed out that the carts are carriages and oxcarts, not trucks. The sentence is used to describe how industrious Shihui was, a master in Warring States Period. He always took the five carts of Bamboo Slips for reading as he went out. No one knows that whether he can read comfortably in a bumpy road or not. But it was so impressible. There were not many books in the carts, even the whole hard-cover edition of Guwenguanzhi can’t be carried out. Therefore, nowadays, everyone can carry many books, not to mention dozens or hundreds of carts.
How many times did the ancients take a shower? What did they use for shampoo?
The ancients paid more attention hygiene than what we can imagine. In the Pre-Qin Period, the ancients liked to shampoo every three days and bath every five days. Until Han Dynasty, the officials could take a day off to bath after working 5 days. But it is impossible for a civil servant to be treated like that. Emperor Wendi in Nan Dynasty wrote a book——Bath bible ——, who liked to bath very much. The ancients likes to shampoo more often, with clean water and natural cleaning agent.
Without toilet paper, what did the ancients used for clearing up a messy situation to settle an impasse?
The ancients might have practiced as a ninjia. Before the invention of paper, the ancients used the spills instead of toilet paper. Although people had invented the paper, using toilet paper is such a luxury behavior, for Chinese people like to cherish paper and paper is very expensive. So, the ancient people still continued to be ninjias. Until Yuan Dynasty, Menggu People began to ues toilet paper, without thinking of cherishing paper.
Without refrigerators, how can the ancients keep food?
How did you know the ancients don’t have refrigerators? In the Sui County of Hubei province, people found a “Tongbing Jian” which is the earliest refrigerator in the world from the tomb of Chu Dynasty, Zeng Chuyi. As early as in Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the slaves broke the ice in winter, storing for the nobles to drink in summer. In a word, the refrigerator in old times was just a box, with ice block in it. They put the food in the middle of the box to keep well. But, the icebox’s function is single. And now, the refrigerator can even be used as a murder’s container in a thrilling film.
How can the ancients forecast the weather?
In Shang Dynasty, it was great that using the sense organs to predict astronomical phenomena, such as eyes, ears. It was not difficult to be a high officer in government. But in Zhou Dynasty, people could predict weather from the animals’ behavior. Until Qin and Han Dynasties, the ancients had finished working out the twenty-four solar terms. Besides, the foundation of the lunar calendar is our ancestors’ great intellectual achievements. Without any precise instrument, the ancients could predict weather more correct than the so called weathermen.
How did women make up in old times?
Making up is a kind of thing women can’t give up throughout history. There were “three magic weapons” women used for make-up——Dai Power, Zhuang Power and Yanzhi. Dai is a kind of black mineral, which was used to darken the eyebrows. Zhuang Powder is pressed powder. And Yanyin is lipstick, whose raw material is a kind of flowers called “Red and Blue”. Mixed with Zhuang Powder, it could be used as make-up remover.
Without condom, how did the ancients attempt to control conception?
If the emperor didn’t expect his wife pregnant, he would order the eunuch suspend his wife, using saffron to clean her body. The prostitute in old time would use a kind of medicine contained muskiness to control conception. Actually, most ancients wouldn’t control conception on purpose.
How did the ancients deal with the garbage?
The ancients paid more attention to environmental protection. It was an uncivil act to leave litter everywhere. As early as 8000 years ago, the litter would be centrally treated. The quickest way is to burn up all the rubbish directly, or bur. In the relics of ancient dumps, there were many cracked porcelain. Therefore, if you want to be a millionaire, you can look for the ancients’ garbage.
What did the ancients drink, unboiled water or boiling water?
Only modern people would worry about that problem. In old times, there were not environmental pollution, no matter what kind of water was; even rain could be drunk directly. The ancients would drink boiling water when winter came. But the ancients needed to prevent the water recourses from polluting, for the plague mostly related to the drinking water. Those evil persons always poisoned the water to kill people in swordsmen film.
Were there any maps in the ancient times? How did it made?
When Da YU controlled the flood, there was already existed map. The most oldest maps in China was 3 ancient maps in Han Dynasty. The geographer Pei Xiu created 《Zhi Tu Six Ti》, which make the maps more exact. Those people, who made maps, needed to work much harder. So, to make a national map, it needed 10 years, which would be a tremendous and formidable task.
How did the ancients correct misprint?
The simplest way is using brush to wipe out. And that was the way Wang Xizhi and Yan Zhenqin did. Usually, they used brush add point beside the wrong word, and continued to write. Another way was using the material called “Ci Huang” to wipe out the wrong words.
Without insecticides, how did the ancients kill off the pest?
There were many ways to kill off pest in ancient times, including plants, animals and materials. As early as in autumn and Warring States periods, the government sent officials to engage in killing off pest. When the pest invaded in great numbers, all the people would take action to kill pest.
How long did the ancients work in a day? Did they punch the time clock?
Don’t regard the time clock as the modern abnormal invention. Look at the ancients’ working record, and then you will feel more human now. The time that the ancient officials worked: 6 a.m. in spring and winter; 5 a.m. in summer and autumn. If someone took a day without notice or was late, he must be punish according to how serious did he made. So, Being late would be punish by hurting yourselves.
Did the ancient students have winter or summer holidays?
The modern students always complain that the holidays are too short. If the situation had happened in ancient times, those students must be punished severally. They didn’t have specialized holidays, excluding the national holidays, such as New Year’s Day, the Dragon Boat Festival. What the students did everyday was working hard, especially before taking exams. In old times, only officials could have holidays. Therefore, one could have holidays easily as passed the exam.
Did the ancient babies drink milk from goat or cow, or only drink breast milk?
If the babies could drink the milk from goat or cow, there would not have so many babies died early. Usually, the ancients were allowed drinking animals’ milk in a certain age. Because there did not have the technology of pasteurization, the baby was mainly drunk breast milk. If the mother couldn’t produce milk, she needed to “borrow” milk. So, “milk mother” had come into being. But for the poor, they could only buy cheaper food instead.
How did the ancients make fire?
Originally, the ancients would worship when they saw volcanic explosion or lightening. And finally, Sui Ren invented it to make fire by rubbing wood. It was easy to use fire when people knew how to make fire by hitting stone. So, “fire stone” was a must-have in house. But, they needed to warn up the kids not to take, for it was dangerous.
How can an iron pestle become needle? If not, how to make a needle?
In ancient times, metals were regarded as valuables. If the story was true, the grandma in the story must be very rich at that time. But, to make a needle, one need to pay much more patience. Firstly, make the red-hot metal into pieces; and then, cut in several sections; finally, sharpen one end and make a hole on the other end. It is much more difficult to make the acupuncture needles. You should insert the needle in the bacon to make the oil and grease fill up the hole. And the end needs to be round and sharp in case of piercing blood vessel.
Without sanitary napkin, did the women use the menstruation tower only once or again and again?
Besides hair and foot-binding tower, menstruation tower was the longest thing women have in ancient times. The menstruation tower was very long, which women used during the periods of menstruation. But, because women often did physical works, it was easy to see red stains in their clothes. Chinese believe that frugality is the mother of virtue, so women would use the tower again and again. Thanks to the invention of sanitary napkin, women can live in a more comfortable way.
Are they civil servants, who shouted to notice people that the weather is day and be careful in candle and fire?
Geng Fu, liked those patrols, mainly took charge of patrolling and announced the correct time at midnight. They were much more likely to meet ghost than ordinary person. In Hong Kong horrible films, Geng Fu always died suddenly. But, it was still a serious job. Most lower level soldiers were asked to be Geng Fu, just like body guards and policemen. It was sure that they could not earn more than the modern civil servants.
Besides watching Chinese opera, how did the ancients celebrate their birthdays?
The Chinese nation has a fine tradition of respecting elderly people. Only the elderly people can hold big birthday party. When the baby is one year old, his parents will hold big party for him. And, parents would hold small party for children during their birthday. Only getting 60 years old, people were allowed holding big birthday party. At that time, relatives and friends would send presents and give their best wishes. So, if you want to hold big party in ancient times, you need to live long.
Did the ancients brush teeth?
The ancients also paid attention to oral health. Our ancestors had begun to brush teeth by using the middle finger of right hand. And then, “Yang Zhi Brush”, also called “Mu Chi”, was brought into China by monks. The way to use was very simple: biting the branch to make soft and dip some medicine power. The simplest way is to chew. When the modern people live in the open, if you forget take brush, maybe you can try.
What did the ancients do with myopia?
There was not environmental pollution, TV and computer, very few people affected by myopia in old times. Most of them were hard-working students. The ancients thought that one can’t see clearly for lack of concentration. They used massage and acupuncture to cure eyes. In Ming Dynasty, glasses were introduced in China from West. And because of that, people did not care about eyesight as important as before.
Did the ancients have exchequers or safes? How did they hide money?
In the early ages, the ancients would dig holes for saving food, and put stones to board up. Later, they began to use hides to wipe their valuables. With the development of vessel and lock, people began to put money in boxes and cabinets. But, there were still many thieves. The money shop emerged as the times require, and was regarded as the more professional agent to give shelter for illicit money.
Did the ancients wear false teeth?
In Han Dynasty, Zhang Zhongjing invented the method that using amalgam to fill in the cavity. In Song Dynasty, there had professional doctor to insert false teeth. There were much martial to make false teeth, such as ivory, ox bone, and sandalwood. Besides that false teeth could solve your teeth’s problems, they could be decorative. Ya Qiao, was that binding teeth with soft gold thread, and then put into one’s mouth to use as a decoration. It makes people think that parvenu always had lots of gold false teeth in the Hong Kong movie in early times.
Did the ancients smoke?
Tobacco was firstly introduced to China in Ming Dynasty. At the beginning, few people planted tobacco, and few people smoked. As we all know, tobacco did harm to us from the Opium War. And, it was the signal to change Chinese history. During the Guang Xu periods, Englishmen brought cigarette into the mainland. They sent it to people for free, but sold it when people were addicted to.
What did the ancients use to make ornaments, such as gem and jade?
Gold was hot and jade was not. The ancients had known how precious jade was. There is an old saying, “By other's fault, wise men correct their own.” People had known something about rigidity, and took use of harder material to grind stone. The material was always reduced to gravel. Later, people found that corundum was the hardest material. So, no matter how hard it is, people have way to deal with.
Did the ancients only use cock as clock?
If cock was killed, what would people do? Of course, there was another way to deal with. Except clepsydra and sundial, the ancients invented “incense clock”. They used special mold to make round incense of same thickness. They conjectured the time according to the scale. Later, the ancients made improvement of the “incense clock”. When the incense was burned to a certain extent, a hanging weight would fall down, and hit the metal vessel. That could achieve a clock effect.