大腹便便 — “Pot-bellied”

During the reign of Emperor Huan of the Eastern Han Dynasty, there was a scholar named Bian Shao, courtesy name Xiaoxian, from Chenliu Commandery. He possessed great literary talent and taught hundreds of students before he took up an official post.

Bian Shao was very eloquent and articulate in his speech and lectures, never failing to answer a question. However, he had a flaw: he loved to doze off. Because he was corpulent and had a large belly, his students found his appearance quite amusing when he fell asleep.

One day, he dozed off again while still dressed. His students then secretly composed a jingle to mock him: 'Bian Xiaoxian, with a big belly; lazy to read, only wants to sleep.' This meant: 'Bian Xiaoxian is a big-bellied man, too lazy to study, only wanting to sleep.'

Unexpectedly, after Bian Shao woke up, he quickly learned of the jingle. He immediately composed a few lines in response: 'Bian is my surname, Xiao is my courtesy name. My big belly is a bamboo chest containing the Five Classics. When I desire to sleep, I am contemplating the matters of the Classics. In dreams, I converse with Duke Zhou; when quiet, my mind aligns with Confucius. If a teacher can be mocked, from what classic text does this rule originate?' He meant: 'Bian is my surname, Xiao is my courtesy name; my large belly is like a bamboo chest filled with the Five Classics. My desire to sleep is actually to ponder the Classics. In slumber, I meet Duke Zhou in my dreams, and in quiet contemplation, I share the same insights as Confucius. If a teacher can be ridiculed, from which classic does such a rule derive?'