Many families have to put red double happiness stickers on their windows when they get married, which means they hope for double happiness. So where did double happiness come from? It's a very interesting story.
It is said that in the Song Dynasty, Wang Anshi went to the capital to take the exam and passed by his uncle's house. In the evening, he took a walk on the road and came to the door of a large manor. He found a large lantern hanging above the door, with half a couplet on the lantern: " revolving lantern lantern, horse, lantern, stop." Wang Anshi read the couplet again, and couldn't help but exclaimed: "so right, so right!" which means the couplet is well done. The family members waiting outside the gate heard Wang Anshi's words and said, "You said yes, yes, wait a moment." Then they went in to report the news.
It turns out that Ma Yuanwai has a daughter who is very smart and handsome. She is proficient in the four books and five classics, plays piano, chess, calligraphy and painting. She has reached the age of marriage. Ma Yuanwai wants to find a well-matched man with both talent and appearance to marry his daughter off. However, the daughter insisted on marrying a learned and talented man and used couplets to find a spouse. The horseman followed his daughter's wishes and made a large lantern. A horse was drawn on the outside of the lantern. When the candle inside was lit, the lantern rotated, and the horse on the lantern ran. As soon as the candle in the lantern extinguished, the lantern stopped rotating and the horse stopped.
After the lanterns are hung up, Ma Yuanwai specially arranges for a family member to watch under the lanterns. If anyone encounters a problem, please go in and oppose them.
After the lanterns were hung up, many talented and educated young people came over to eat the swan meat and shook their heads after reading the couplet. Why? As the saying goes, "It's easy to get right, it's hard to get right, but it's hard to get right. Miss Ma's got a lower pair, and it's not easy to get it right! As a result, everyone came in joy and returned disappointed. For a long time, no one came to deal with it.
The family waited for a long time, and finally a scholar who shouted "good right" came. He was so happy that he reported it to the member of staff with joy. The member of the committee said quickly: "Please come in. "But when the family went out to invite them in, the person who shouted "Hao Right" had disappeared.
That day, Wang Anshi was called back for dinner by his uncle. The next day, Ma Yuanwai's family found out that his uncle was visiting. At home, Wang Anshi was already on his way to the capital. When he arrived in the capital, Wang Anshi entered the examination room and finished the test papers. He then went to the examiner to take an oral examination.
The examiner pointed to a flag in front of the examination room. The flag was called "Flying Tiger Flag" with a picture on it. Holding a big tiger, if the flag flutters in the wind, it seems to be flying. When it flutters, the tiger above will fly with it. When the flag is rolled up, the tiger disappears.
At that time, the examiner pointed out the right flag: "Flying Tiger Flag, Tiger Flying Flag, Rolling Flag, Tiger Hiding".王安石听了，心里一惊，莫不是有神相助，踏破铁鞋无觅处，得来全不费功夫，马府灯笼上的半副对联仿佛就是为他准备的，于是想都不想，脱口而出：“走马灯灯马走灯息马停步”。 “What an eloquent person! "The examiner praised. Wang Anshi left the examination room and returned the next day to his uncle's house. He remembered the couplets on the lantern of Ma's Mansion and wanted to meet Miss Ma to match the couplets. When he came to the door of Ma's Mansion, the family members waiting under the lantern saw that this was not the young man who shouted "good right" that day. He stepped forward and grabbed Wang Anshi and said: "You said the couplet is 'good right' and come with me to see Miss Ma. "The family brought Wang Anshi to Ma Yuanwai. Ma Yuanwai was overjoyed to see Wang Anshi's talent. He asked Wang Anshi's name, age, place of origin, family situation, and if Wang Anshi could match the couplet. Wang Anshi said he could try. Ma Yuanwai asked Wang Anshi to come over, and Wang Anshi blurted out: "Flying Tiger Flag, Tiger Flying Flag, Rolling Flag, Tiger Hiding." "What a great eloquence! "The Ma Yuanwai praised, and then asked the lady to come out to meet Wang Anshi. The lady listened to the conversation between Wang Anshi and his father in the boudoir, and heard Wang Anshi's correct answer. Her heart skipped a beat. When she heard her father's call, she hurriedly came out to meet Wang Anshi. Miss Ma has a beautiful face, and Wang Anshi is a white-faced scholar. They exchanged greetings with each other. See, you are what I want, and I am what you want, everyone is secretly happy. Miss Ma opened her red lips and said good luck to Wang Anshi, and Wang Anshi said hello to the lady.
Yuan Ma chose an auspicious day for Wang Anshi and the lady to get married.On the day of the wedding, good news came from the capital, and Wang Anshi was named on the gold medal list. Miss Ma said happily: "The prince is getting married to his slave, and he is the top candidate in high school. It can be said that he is a happy couple." After hearing this, Wang Anshi wrote a couplet: "The clever couplets form a double happy song, the lantern flies, the tiger knots the silk thread." He also wrote a red double happiness and posted it on the door.
It is said that this interesting comedy was directed by Taibai Jinxing and 月下老. Wang Anshi’s match in front of the examiner was Miss Ma.
This is the origin of "double happiness". This kind of getting married and winning the lottery on the same day is a rare good thing for thousands of people. People hope to get it like Wang Anshi, so when they get married, they put "Double Happiness" on the door or window. Later, people regarded posting "Double Happiness" as a wish to get married and have children that year.
Wu Dezhu, a native of Sheyang, Yancheng, has a college degree and is a member of the Municipal Writers Association. He has farmed, served as a soldier, taught, and written news in his spare time. He has written teaching papers , short novels , poems and prose, etc., published on radio stations, newspapers, and journals. He has edited a book called "Dudu Weird Things".
Editor-in-Chief Introduction: Yin Xiangqiu (net name Mengsuo Qingqiu) is from Mudanjiang City, Heilongjiang Province, majoring in Chinese language and literature , and a senior middle school Chinese teacher. Deputy editor-in-chief of China Lian Mo Shuang Xiu; editor-in-chief of "Qingqiu Wenxuan"; certified editor of "Metropolitan Headlines"; certified editor of "Today's Toutiao". Won the Excellence Award in the first China Internet Reading Competition in 2020. In October 2022, he won the third prize of the International Chinese Recitation "Golden Plum Blossom Award" and has more than a hundred essays published on online platforms. He has recited more than 3,000 works; he is a master of dubbing show.
