Jing Sho (brightly woven / ornately embroidered)

A sheet full of a variety of happiness,
Years past of hard work were not in vain.
Growing old, accept honor from your children and grandchildren,
Understand: to harvest one must till.

Eyefuls of glitz, dazzle, and shine:
Children and grandchildren dressed in bright embroidery, together for feasting.
A pair of stars enjoy such consolation,
On earth, such wild heavenly bliss.


New section: Pongyiji

After working in Taiwan for a while, the Taiwanese government sent him to Japan to make a commerce treaty. At that time, Japan was still under American authorities. Typically, when you win a war, you're the boss and the losers are the peons. But these Americans were rude and treated the Taiwanese like the Japanese, even though China was an Allied power. My boss had a hard time forging a treaty and their conferences go nowhere. They cancelled meetings for a month. There's a lot of time, there's nothing to do but to tour Japan while they waited. Until the Korean war started, then the US changed their attitude towards Taiwan, knowing they needed their cooperation. Then the treaty progressed. It benefited Taiwan to trade with Japan as they were the majority trading country.

This visit to Japan, he went to places he had gone during his college days, many drastically changed by WWII.

Shanggun Fuji Imperial Resort

This resort used to be for the royal family only.
Now here comes new masters who build closing doors.
A huge building decorated everywhere with shiny silks.
Painted screens and jewels on display.

Yellow-clothes* dancing, even the flower smile.
Waitresses** in delicate sleeves, pouring drinks, wear gleaming jade.
Unlike the revenging of the Wus, there remains regret,
And no partridges will fly in this estate.

*the occupying US wore yellow uniforms
**the waitstaff were all Japanese women

Now a hotel for ordinary citizens.

My mom told me about the famous story of the Wu and Yue families. They feuded and Wu won, and Yue swore revenge. Yue knew that it took a long time to fight back and the weaknesses of human nature: at first, one might be zealous, but as time goes on, one loses motivation. In order so he wouldn't forget: everyday he slept on fireplace logs, ate animals gall bladders, and hired a person to stand the doorway of his house and remind him about his oath upon every entrance and exit. Eventually, he did revenge his family and successfully killed off the Wus. 

Many poets have written about this vendetta. One poem says that after all the activity and liveliness of the palaces during the Wu-Yue vendetta, now only partridges (Francolinus chinensis) fly there.