During the Qing Dynasty, Zhou Yuhuang was from Qingyan, Guizhou. He was very knowledgeable and was widely recognized as a talented person at that time.
One year, during the warm spring season when flowers were blooming, Zhou Yuhuang visited the Ten Buddhist Temples and stayed there at night. Not long after falling asleep, he suddenly heard a faint voice coming from the neighboring room. Upon closer inspection, it turned out that someone was reciting the couplet repeatedly: “Ten thousand tiles, one thousand bricks, and one hundred craftsmen have made ten Buddhist temples.”
Zhou Yuhuang became interested and stood up to ask the monk in the temple, “Who lives next door?”
The monk replied, “It was a scholar surnamed Huang who came up with this couplet while visiting our temple a few days ago. However, he couldn’t think of the couplet anymore. A few days later, he forgot to eat and sleep, pondered hard, and now his life is in danger!”
Zhou Yuhuang asked, “Isn’t there anyone who can help him get out of the lower league?”
The monk replied, “There are four numbers in this upper couplet: ten thousand, one thousand, one hundred, and ten, and these four numbers decrease by ten times. It is very difficult to match the lower couplet. Many people have tried it, but currently no one can match it.”
After returning from the monk, Zhou Yuhuang thought for a long time but couldn’t come up with the second couplet.
The next day, Zhou Yuhuang left the Ten Buddha Temple by boat with a regretful mood. Along the way, he passed a bridge with the three characters “Eight Immortals Bridge” engraved on it. This scene made him suddenly clear in his heart, and he ordered the boatman to quickly turn the bow of the boat and return to the Ten Buddha Temple.
Although Huang Shusheng has been bedridden for several days in the temple, he is still weakly and intermittently reciting the couplet: “Ten thousand tiles — a thousand bricks — made by a hundred craftsmen — ten Buddhist temples.”
Zhou Yuhuang stood outside the door and responded loudly and rhythmically, “A boat with two oars and four people shaking over the Eight Immortals Bridge.”
Upon hearing this, Huang Shusheng’s eyes lit up and his spirit was greatly boosted. He exclaimed, “Wonderful couplet! There are also four numbers in this couplet: one, two, four, eight, increasing by two times. Wonderful! It’s really amazing!”
Huang Shusheng’s “mental illness” was eliminated, and after his body recovered, he traveled with Zhou Yuhuang to enjoy the beautiful scenery together!
