Chapter 6: The Wang Clan (Part 1)

  When he said this, Wang Yan let out a deep sigh and continued: "Your grandfather had three sons and two daughters. The eldest brother was Wang Hao, also known as Yuehe!"

  "Father, I've always wondered why everyone has to take a word. And what is this word based on anyway?" This was also a question that Wang Xu had been wanting to figure out since his previous life, and now he wouldn't let go of such a good opportunity.

  "Haha! That's a good question." Although he was interrupted, Wang Yan didn't show any dissatisfaction. He patted Wang Xu's head and patiently explained again.

  "Characters and names are actually for the convenience of others to call. However, people with knowledge and status must have courtesy in their titles. Therefore, characters are what we use after adulthood for others to call us, it's a sign of respect from others. Generally, only elders can directly address you by your name, but there are exceptions at times. For example, on the battlefield, commanding generals may also directly address each other by name to establish absolute authority."

  "In addition, another function of the word is to be complementary to the name, interpreting and supplementing your name. From ancient times to the present, there has been a saying that 'men are capped at 20 and given a style name', 'women are pinned up at 15 and given a style name'. The Book of Rites also has clear records about this aspect. This sentence means that men will take a style name after the weak coronation ceremony at the age of 20, while women will take a style name when they are 15 years old and can get married! However, ordinary people rarely take a style name, and women even less so. Even if it is an official family's daughter, she will not be given a style name unless she is particularly outstanding. This is also the reason why taking a style name is very particular!"

  As he spoke, Wang Yan stroked his beard, his affectionate gaze fixed on Wang Xu. "One is synonymous repetition, for example, my name is Wang Yan, and my courtesy name is Gongzheng. 'Yan' means straightforward language, so it's similar to my courtesy name. Your grandfather chose this name hoping I would be open-minded and upright. And you, Xu Bo, originally named Xu Rui, with the courtesy name Zhaoxiang. 'Rui' and 'Xiang' are both auspicious signs. The Warring States scholar Qu Ping had the courtesy name Yuan, isn't 'Ping' the same as 'Yuan'? This is called synonymous repetition."

  "And another is the antithetical method, that is to say, the meaning of the word and your name are just opposite, in order to balance. For example, your third uncle Wang Qian's son Wang Fei, because he was alone and flying high, so your uncle prepared to give him a character 'zi qian' when he grew up."

  "As for the last one, it's called associative thinking method. For example, your uncle Wang Hao, whose courtesy name is Yuehe. This is derived from an association, Taihao Yuehe, which means "thunder sounds forth". Another example is your elder brother Wang Kai, whose courtesy name is Changsheng. It's also associated with the idea of "triumphant return" and "constant victory", which will be used when he grows up."

  Having explained so much in one breath, Wang Yan couldn't help but ask lovingly: "Do you understand what I'm getting at with all this?"

  "The child understood, actually the child had secretly looked at books and recognized words, so the father explained it in such detail that he could barely understand!" He casually found an excuse, but Wang Xu's heart was still thinking about his father's explanation just now.

  So it is, Zhao Yun, styled Zilong, is associated with clouds following the dragon! Guan Yu, styled Yunchang, also has a connection to feathers and the floating clouds in the sky! Huang Zhong, styled Hansheng, being loyal and righteous, and living during the Han dynasty, taking the name Hansheng is quite reasonable! These should all belong to associative thinking. As for Zhuge Liang, styled Kongming, liang and ming have the same meaning! This is an example of synonymous repetition, used to supplement explanation. As for antonymous opposition, Song dynasty scholar Zhu Xi, styled Yuanhui, hui means bright fire, while yuan refers to darkness, exactly opposite in meaning.

  Thinking of this, Wang Xu found the words of the ancients more interesting, and now he has also become one of the interesting ancients.

  Wang Yan was unaware of Wang Xu's thoughts, and upon hearing that he had secretly learned to read and write, his eyes widened in surprise. "Oh? My son has secretly learned to read?"

  But seeing Wang Xu still in a daze, she furrowed her brow and asked: "Xu Er, what are you spacing out about?"

  "Huh? Oh! Not that, Father! I just thought the word was interesting, so I was thinking about it!" After finishing, Wang Xu looked at Wang Yan with a mysterious gaze and whispered: "Let me tell you! I not only recognize words, but I've already recognized over 10,000 characters! Nobody else knows this."

  "What? You've already known over 10,000 characters? How is that possible? Why didn't you ever tell Father?" At this moment, Wang Yan was frightened by Wang Xu.

  But Wang Xu, who had long been prepared, immediately put on a confused look, staring at Wang Yan with a tiger-like gaze, blinking his big eyes fiercely. Then he touched his own head again, pretending to be infinitely troubled and complaining: "I don't know either! Usually I like to ask Xu Bo to read books for me, after he finishes reading, I just need to take a glance and I can remember everything. But Xu Bo always says that I have to wait until I grow up to learn how to read, and I need a teacher to teach me too. So I never dare to say! Father, do you think I'm a monster?"

  Seeing his son's worried appearance, Wang Yan comforted him: "How can you be a monster? You're just too smart, not comparable to ordinary people. Don't think wildly!"

  King Yan was actually delighted to the extreme, usually thinking that his son just liked listening to Zhao Xiang reading books. But he didn't expect such a shocking talent, and when he thought back to the unusual phenomenon in the sky when Wang Xu was born, his expectations suddenly rose to an extreme.

  "Really? I'm really not a monster?"

  "No!" Wang Yan looked at Wang Xu firmly and said loudly: "My son is a heavenly genius, how can he be compared to an ordinary person?"

  Wang Xu secretly smiled to himself, pretending to be cute was just to make his father acknowledge the fact that he was still a child, while also accepting his inhuman talent! He just didn't expect it to be so easy to pass this test.

  With a sigh of relief, Wang Xu pretended to be shy and twisted his words: "Father, I just have a slightly better memory than others! How can it be as good as you said? Our family's culture is vast and profound, and the tens of thousands of characters are just a scratch on the surface!" In fact, when he said this, Wang Xu felt very embarrassed...

  "Good! What a profound and subtle article, what a superficial one! My son will surely be the best writer of his generation in the future."

  Wang Xu Ke wasn't seeking praise from his father. Besides, he himself was very clear that this so-called genius was actually a fake. "Father, don't mention this again, just introduce me to the people in our family instead!"

  "Alright, alright! Your father will tell you all about it!"

  She doted on Wang Xu with a glance, and then Wang Yan continued to say: "Just mentioned your uncle Wang Hao! Hmm... Your uncle has two children, the eldest son is Wang Kai, who is also your older brother, five years older than you. The eldest daughter is Wang Yue, one year older than you. They are the two who always pull you together to play every time they come. You even teased your sister last time."