‘惜落顺势’

‘惜落顺势’ is a Teochew proverb,which means that while caring for younger generations is perfectly natural, respecting older generations is rarely practiced.

‘惜’ means care for.’落‘ means elders to juniors.’顺势’ means automatically.

To practice speaking this proverb in Teochew dialect follow the audio below:

Behind this proverb,there is a story.

The Old Man Selling Bean Kueh Because His Son Was Unfilial

Legend has it that there once lived an old man selling bean kueh by the Han River (the mother river of Teochew). His bean kueh was incredibly delicious and renowned, attracting people from far and wide.

Many, after finishing their meal, were still craving more. They would pay for another plate, muttering, “It’s really delicious! I’ll buy some more to take home for my children.”

The old man felt deeply distressed upon hearing this. He, too, had to toil day and night because of his unfilial son.

He wondered if anyone was buying bean kueh for their parents, but he never encountered one.

Free Meals for Filial Men

One day, a starving man visited an old man’s bean kueh stall. After eating one plate, he bought another, saying, “Delicious! I’ll buy one for my mother.”

The old man’s heart warmed, and he asked, “Brother, do you have any children?” The passerby replied, “My son is still young, and we have a long life ahead of us. We’ll have plenty of opportunities to eat here. My mother has worked hard all her life, so I’m buying her a little snack to show my filial piety. It’s not too much.”

Upon hearing this, the old man immediately declared that he would not take a penny from the passerby. The passerby was quite confused.

The old man said, “I’ve been selling bean kueh here for half my life. Everyone who buys it says they’re buying it for their children. I’ve never seen anyone buy it for their parents. I’m giving this plate away for free.”

The passerby suddenly realized what was happening and said to the old man, “‘惜落顺势(caring for younger generations is perfectly natural)’”