Definitions:
“Fu Xin (“薪”) Du Shu,” also known as “Fu Qiao (“樵”) Du Shu,” means studying diligently while bearing firewood on one’s shoulder. The implication is that one studies hard despite living in hardship. The phrase is also used to describe someone’s impoverished life before achieving success.
“Ma Qian Po Shui” denotes “splashing water in front of a horse,” while “Fu Shui Nan Shou” (literally “spilled water cannot be gathered up”) means “it is no use crying over spilled milk.” They both serve as a metaphor for a situation that is irreversible or a decision that cannot be undone.
Origins: In Han Shu (The Book of Han), there is such a description: “Zhu Maichen, whose courtesy name was Wengzi, was a native of the Wu region (in the present-day southern Jiangsu Province). He came from a poor family, but loved learning. Zhu had no property to manage, and often cut and gathered firewood to sell for food. Usually, the man carried bundles of fuel on his shoulders while walking and chanting texts aloud.
Historical figures: Zhu Maichen, courtesy name Wengzi, served as a Palace Councilor (“Zhong Dafu”) during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. He later rose to the posts of Governor of Kuaiji Commandery and Commander of the Nobility, attaining a position among the Nine Ministers.
In the Western Han Dynasty, Zhu Maichen came from a very poor background in his early years. His home was empty and bare, with virtually no family property. He remained an impoverished and struggling scholar even in his forties. Zhu had to make a hand-to-mouth living by cutting and selling firewood in exchange for grain to survive.
Though being a famous official of the Western Han Dynasty, Zhu Maichen was actually a late bloomer. Legend has it that he made a living by gathering firewood in his early years, but the young man had a great passion for reading. He took every spare moment to read. At first, Zhu Maichen and his wife Cui-shi (a woman whose surname was Cui) shared a loving relationship, and endured hardships in life together. They would go to the mountains to cut firewood and then carry the bundles to the market at the foot of the hill to sell. The couple could barely make ends meet. Zhu Maichen was a diligent student, who even recited his favorite passages while taking firewood to the market. This practice later became known as “studying while bearing firewood.” However, those who overheard him reciting and chanting would mock him behind his back for his obsession with books. They even spread word about his peculiar learning habit. As time went by, his practice made Cui-shi, who often accompanied him to gather firewood, feel very much embarrassed. She repeatedly urged him to stop chanting aloud in the public, but Zhu Maichen not only ignored her pleas but even raised his voice. Cui-shi found her husband’s behavior shameful. Seeing that her husband was merely a firewood gatherer, she believed that Zhu had no future and complained that he was just wasting too much of his time on books. Gradually, the woman began to mock her husband, just as their neighbors did. She sometimes even scolded him harshly. However, when confronted with his wife’s rebukes, Zhu Maichen would smile and reassure her, “I am destined to achieve success by the age of fifty. I am already in my forties now. You have endured so many hardships with me for so long. When I become wealthy and prominent, I shall repay you.” Instead of feeling relieved, Cui-shi was enraged and retorted, “A person like you will only end up starving to death in a ditch. How could you ever attain wealth and honor?”
To avoid further ridicule from his wife, Zhu Maichen began going to gather firewood by himself. Every time he went to the mountains, Zhu secretly brought his books with him. Once in the mountain, he would find a relatively large flat rock and used it as a makeshift table to study. He would not stop reading and return home until dusk. Before going home, Zhu Maichen would hide his books under the rock. To this day, that large rock in the mountain is called “Zhu Maichen’s Reading Platform.” The nearby town is thus referred to as Cangshu Town, which means “the town where books are hidden.” However, at that time, Cui-shi looked down on her husband with his impoverished and seemingly unrefined appearance. Her temper grew increasingly irritable. When talking with Zhu, her remarks became harsh and sarcastic. Zhu Maichen had no choice but to endure them all in silence. Later, Cui-shi even demanded that Zhu Maichen divorce her so she could regain her “freedom.” Left with no other choice, Zhu Maichen divorced his wife under duress. He continued his practice of chanting while walking. One day, as Zhu Maichen was walking and chanting along a path between graves with a bundle of firewood on his shoulder, he ran into his former wife Cui-shi and her new husband. The couple were visiting a gravesite. Seeing Zhu Maichen in the state of extreme deprivation, Cui-shi recalled those days when they were still married. She and her husband immediately offered him some food and water.
Eventually, Zhu Maichen’s efforts got rewarded. At the age of fifty, he met with his fellow townsman Yan Zhu, who recommended him to Emperor Wu of Han. The emperor summoned Zhu Maichen. During the interview, he expounded on classics such as Chunqiu (The Spring and Autumn Annals) and Chuci (Songs of Chu). Emperor Wu was so pleased that he appointed Zhu Maichen as Grand Master of the Palace, a position equal to that of Yan Zhu as Palace Attendant. It was during this time that a serious rebellion arose. Zhu Maichen offered Emperor Wu strategies to quell the uprising, which proved very effective. The uprising was successfully implemented. As a result, he won the emperor’s trust and was appointed as the Governor of Kuaiji Commandery. Later, he was promoted to Commander of the Nobility, one of the Nine Ministers. It was a real pity that Cui-shi had not taken Zhu Maichen’s earlier assurances seriously. She was not far-sighted enough to recognize Zhu Maichen as a man with great potential and was too eager to put an end to their marriage during his years of poverty. Word has it that when Zhu Maichen later returned to his hometown in glory, Cui-shi wished to rekindle their past relationship. In response, Zhu Maichen poured a basin of water onto the ground and asked, “Do you think you can gather this spilled water?” Cui-shi was overwhelmed with shame and left. This incident serves as the origins of idioms such as “Ma Qian Po Shui” (“splashing water in front of a horse”) and “Fu Shui Nan Shou” (“spilled water cannot be gathered up” or “it is no use crying over spilled milk”). Both phrases are used to describe irreversible actions or decisions.
It is said that after Zhu Maichen rose to prominence, he encountered his former wife Cui-shi and her husband while traveling back home in his carriage. They were working on road maintenance. Remembering what had happened to them, Zhu Maichen immediately ordered his attendants to stop the carriage. He invited Cui-shi and her husband to join him to his Governor’s residence. Upon arrival, Zhu Maichen made arrangement for the couple to settle down in a back court of his estate, providing them with food and clothing. After living at Zhu’s place for a month, quite unexpectedly Cui-shi hanged herself. Zhu Maichen then gave her husband some money to arrange a proper funeral and burial for her. Moreover, he gathered all his former friends and anyone who had ever shown him kindness, inviting them to his residence to personally express his gratitude and repay their past generosity.
