The grandfather of Sherlock Holmes's detectives——
During the Northern Song Dynasty, there was a Mr. Diao who gave people a living in the broken temple.
On this day, a young descendant braved the torrential rain and ran in panic.
He put away the umbrella and put down the bamboo basket, which contained two pears and a medicine bag—
The gentleman pinched his fingers: "You are here to ask about the disease," the person who came nodded--"The person who got the fever thirst disease," the person nodded again.
The gentleman's eyes widened: "Your surname is Wang," -- the visitor was surprised--"It is your wife who is sick!" ”
Hou Sheng secretly thought, "Sir is really a god and a man!" He bowed down and asked with tears in his voice, "According to the master, can it be cured?" ”
Mr. Diao suddenly shouted, "Go back!" Madame Zun's illness has been cured! ”
Later life is like a fairy, and he goes away with a heavy amount of money and thanks——
The apprentice's son, his eyes were full of doubts 🤔️
Mr. Diao: "He has a medicine bag in the bamboo basket, naturally he asks for illness; the pear 🍐 indicates illness and thirst, and the umbrella handle is carved with the word 'king'——"
Son: "I've noticed all this, but how can I conclude that his wife is sick?!" ”
Mr. Diao laughed triumphantly: "Braving such a big rain, coming out to buy medicine, and rushing in to calculate the gua, so eager to care, even if his parents are sick, can this future life do it?!" ”
The meticulous observation of details, the precise grasp of human nature, and the textbook deductive reasoning are enough to be the predecessors of Holmes.
The above selection is from the Xianfang Appendix of the Liaozhai Zhiyi.
