How much history and culture can be "weighed" by one steelyard?

In modern society, scales (floor scales, ordinary scales, etc.) are commonly used for weighing relatively heavy bulk materials. Electronic scales and spring scales are used for slightly lighter weights. Balances are commonly used for precious and trace items or in laboratories.

The steelyard, which has a long historical tradition in China and once played the leading role in weighing, is increasingly withdrawing from the stage of history.

Nowadays, its use is even prohibited in most supermarkets and markets, and it is only occasionally used by itinerant vendors.

There is a folk saying called "half a catty and eight taels", which means that two things are the same and comparable. The origin is because the steelyard used in ancient times was sixteen taels per catty, so half a catty and eight taels are two parts of the same thing.

Different expressions are actually equivalent.

It is said that this type of steelyard was invented by Lu Ban (also known as Gongshu Pan) from the Lu state during the Spring and Autumn Period; there is another theory that the inventor of the steelyard was Fan Li, a Chu State person who had assisted King Gou Jian of Yue for more than 20 years at about the same time.

No matter who it is, it at least shows that steelyards have existed as a weighing instrument in our country for a long time.

Install a hanging rope on a wooden lever as a fulcrum, hang a heavy object on one end, and hang a scale hammer on the other end to weigh the object. A steelyard consists of a scale hammer, a scale beam, and a scale pan (some weigh heavier items)

The steelyard is composed of a "scale hook" instead of a "scale pan").

The scale hammer was called "Quan" in ancient times, and it was made according to the meaning of the Xuanyuan constellation (the fairy constellation that controls thunderstorms); the scale beam was called "Heng", representing another constellation - the crape myrtle constellation; from this, "weighing the importance",

Common expressions such as "weighing off" and "contingency" are also derived from the so-called "weighting" and "weight" in mathematical sciences.

The scale hammer is also called "weighing weight". As the saying goes, "eat the scale weight and you will become iron-hearted" or "the bastard eats the scale weight - you will become iron-hearted".

This sentence comes from the characteristics of a tortoise, because once it bites something, it will not let go. It is often used to say that those who do not know how to "contingency" do things like a tortoise who bites something and does not know how to let it go.

Of course, this sentence has the connotation of swearing!

There are many other folk proverbs and slang about weights in life, which are very interesting, such as "A weight is hung on the nose - you can't lift your head", "A weight falls into the sea - you can't get rich (float)", "A weight hits an iron egg -

- Head-to-head confrontation", "The rat stole the weighing weight - tipped it over (stealing iron)", "The weighing weight in the pickle jar - one word (salt) is difficult to put (into)", "Although the urine bubble is big, it weighs less than a kilogram, but although the scale is small, it weighs a thousand kilograms."

etc.

To a certain extent, these reflect the close relationship between steelyards and the daily lives of the working people in the past.

The basic principle of the steelyard is actually the lever principle in physics: when the lever is balanced, power X power arm = resistance X resistance arm.

The so-called power and resistance are respectively acted by the weight and the gravity of the object being weighed (generally reflected as weight).

When doing business, vendors hold the rope button (sling), which is the scale. The power arm and the resistance arm are the distances between the weight and the object being weighed and the scale when the scale beam is balanced.

Everyone who has used a steel scale or a balance has experienced that when the scale beam is balanced (the pole or beam is in a horizontal position), if it is slightly tilted to one side or a slight increase or decrease in weight at one end, the balance of the scale beam will be destroyed immediately, causing the weight to fall off.

One end drops sharply and the other end rises rapidly.

Some people say that the name of the component of the steelyard "scale" is based on the word "clearly aware of everything", that is, when making an appointment to weigh, you must be aware of everything and never be careless.

We must "weigh" our conscience, and we must not be short of one's weight.

Otherwise, if the scale beam, which is extremely sensitive to balance, deviates slightly under the amplification effect of the unequal arm lever, "a slight deviation can be a thousand miles away".

The small dot-shaped flower star inlaid with metal on the scale beam is used as a symbol (scale) for measurement and weighing, which is called a scale star.

According to legend, the scale stars engraved on the scale beam correspond to the stars in the sky. It is said that the earliest scale invented by Lu Ban originally had 13 scale stars carved on the scale according to the Big Dipper and the South Dipper, which was determined to be 13 taels per catty.

The first seven stars on the scale beam are the Big Dipper, which warns those who use the scale to stand between heaven and earth, and to be as sure as the Big Dipper indicates the direction, and not to be biased due to greed, or even not distinguish right from wrong; the last six stars are

The six stars of the South Dipper represent the six directions of east, west, south, north, up and down, reminding people to keep their minds centered and not skewed when using scales.

Traditional Chinese physiognomy emphasizes that "the six stars of the South Dipper govern life and the seven stars of the Big Dipper govern death." Life and death are marked on a steel scale. There is a god three feet above the head. Can the person using the scale still take it lightly?

Sima Qian recorded in "Historical Records: The Chronicles of the First Emperor of Qin": The First Emperor of Qin "had the same method to measure a stone and a foot. The chariots were on the same track, and the books were in the same text." In order to strengthen the situation of the world being united, the First Emperor vigorously unified the weights and measures system of China, so he added "福"

The three stars ", Lu, Shou" were changed to 16 taels per pound, and each of the 16 stars on the scale represents a constellation.

Therefore, the 16 Liang Scales began in the Qin Dynasty after Qin Shihuang unified China.

The three stars of fortune, wealth, and longevity added to the end of the weighing rod in the Qin Dynasty were also very particular. It is said that they were used to warn traders to operate with integrity and not to cheat.

If you are short of jin or liang in business activities, it will harm your moral character: missing 1 liang is called "harming blessings", that is, it reduces the blessings and blessings brought by previous lives and rebirths; missing 2 liang is called "hurting wealth", which will reduce the family fortune.

Or one's original official salary; less than three or two is called "short life", which will definitely reduce the life span of oneself or other close relatives.