The pre-Qin period is the axis of China culture, and Zhuangzi is one of the main figures in this axis. Many idioms that we blurt out at ordinary times are actually from Zhuangzi, such as "chop and change, be unreasonable, be the black sheep of my family, be alone and kill each other" and so on. As for the number of idioms from Zhuangzi, few people have looked them up and counted them carefully. When I wrote Biography of Zhuangzi for Zhejiang Children's Publishing House this year, I began to pay attention to it because I wanted to attach a chapter on the idiom of Zhuangzi. I finished reading a book called Zhuangzi, with more than 200 books. Then I checked one by one and found that the Dictionary of Ancient and Modern Idioms by Zhonghua Book Company included as many as 170! I'm afraid only Confucius can compare with what a mere individual can leave behind.

Zhuangzi is a poor philosopher. He has never enjoyed splendor in his life, and he never disdained such a life. According to historical records, he lived in a shabby house. He once made a living mainly by weaving straw sandals in a humble alley, so he was ridiculed by Cao Shang, a rich farmer. On one occasion, when there was no food at home, Zhuangzi borrowed food from Jianhe Hou all the way, but he was ridiculed that he would lend it to him after the autumn harvest. Thankfully, when Cao Shang's car and Sugu of Jianhe Hou's family were gone, Zhuangzi's words engraved on the thin bamboo slips were still emitting charming fragrance. Zhuangzi's idioms faithfully reflect every aspect of Zhuangzi's daily life. Although some of them have different meanings from the original works, we can still feel his daily life from them. For example, he often goes to see Wang Wei in rags, and his shoes are tied with straps. However, in his works, there are some bad aspects, such as "leaking from the top and getting wet from the bottom", "cooking by meter" and "lack of money". Moreover, when he goes out, he is not like Hui Shi, an old friend of the prime minister, who has hundreds of followers, but "covered in wind and rain" and "heavy cocoon".

Besides the idioms related to poverty, there are many idioms related to water and fish in Zhuangzi, which are quite consistent with the Zhuangzi we know today. Zhuangzi often fishes, but he fishes to improve his life. According to Records of the Historian, one day Zhuangzi was fishing by the river, and two messengers of the king of Chu invited him to be the prime minister of Chu. He refused without hesitation, saying that he would rather be a turtle crawling in the mud than a turtle of Chu. Although he is dead, he is regarded as a sacred object, wrapped in a brocade towel and stored in a box for the temple to use. For Zhuangzi, this is a shame. For a thoughtful person who often goes fishing, it is not difficult to understand that there are many metaphors related to fish and water in his works, such as "wandering in the dry", "sinking fish and falling geese", "sighing at the ocean", "indifferent as water" and "opportunistic", among which "caring for each other" is one of them.

The most common idioms in Zhuangzi are about trees, birds and animals on the mountain. Besides fishing, Zhuangzi often catches birds to improve his life. The famous "mantis catching cicada" was discovered when he was shooting birds. In addition, he worked as a forest sumac tree manager for a while and stayed in the forest for a long time. There must be many idioms related to it, such as "the mountain tree is self-defeating", "the gladiator is the car", "the talent is hard to use", "a nest in the forest", "the valley is full of pits", "ringing", "playing with pearls", "drinking and pecking" and "dying". It is lonely to manage the mountain alone, so I hope to hear someone coming, so I am right.

Bribery has existed since ancient times. As early as the Warring States Period, Zhuangzi wrote the word "Bao Zhumao", which means that the giver attached a letter asking for something. This phenomenon is becoming more and more serious today. Philosophers' wisdom can often see through people's weaknesses, which is why most philosophers lived in pain before their death. Fortunately, although Zhuangzi was poor and miserable before his death, his thoughts and idioms were widely circulated and became an indispensable part of the national language and culture. Mr. Lu Xun once commented on Zhuangzi, saying that "Wang Yang is magnificent and elegant, and the works of the late Zhou philosophers should not be the first". Today, no one can be the first. This is the charm of Zhuangzi.