河东狮吼 — “Describes a wife's fierce and domineering scolding or outburst”

During the Northern Song Dynasty, there was a literati named Chen Jichang, who called himself Master Longqiu. He enjoyed entertaining guests and kept courtesans. However, his wife, Liu Shi, was extremely jealous and fierce. So, his good friend, the poet Su Dongpo, wrote a satirical poem for Chen Jichang: "The Longqiu layman is indeed pitiable, talking of emptiness and existence, sleepless through the night; suddenly, he hears the Hedong lion's roar, and his staff drops from his hand, leaving him bewildered." Liu Shi was from Hedong, thus the "Hedong lion" referred to her. Later, the idiom "Hedong Lion's Roar" came to describe a fierce and domineering wife.

"Kneeling by the Pond" is an act from the play "The Lion's Roar," which tells Liu Shi's story. One day, Su Dongpo invited Chen Jichang for a spring outing. Liu Shi, fearing he would flirt with courtesans, forbade him to go. Chen promised that if any courtesans were present, he would accept a beating as punishment, and only then did Liu Shi agree. Later, Liu Shi discovered that courtesans indeed accompanied them on their outing. Upon his return, she intended to beat him. Chen, afraid of being beaten, pleaded extensively until he was instead made to kneel by the pond. Su Dongpo visited and, seeing Chen Jichang in such a state, considered it a disgrace for a man. He chastised Liu Shi with grand principles, leading to an argument between the two. Liu Shi, feeling that Su Dongpo had encouraged her husband to go out with courtesans and was now meddling in her family affairs, promptly drove him out.

Why was Chen Jichang so obedient? When Chen Jichang lied to her, Liu Shi, crying, uttered these words: "If you ever disobey again, heavens! I will either cut my throat or hang myself!" This was her ultimate weapon. Compared to such threats, Chen Jichang had no choice but to meekly obey. In fact, if, according to ancient customs, Liu Shi had acted as a perfectly submissive wife, allowing Chen Jichang to indulge in dissipation, the outcome might not have been good. It was far better for him to be under a "strict wife" who made him earnestly pursue his studies, which could then lead to achievements.