Strange Exam Questions chapter 2

Just when I was starting to lose hope, a young man who looked ordinary and honest launched a passionate love offensive towards me. His name was Tim. His family had no special background, but he had a smooth career in politics. It was said that he was very capable. He was gentle, considerate, and attentive. He was very patient with me. Under his gentle pursuit, I was moved and decided to bring him home.

One day, Tim came to my house with a briefcase as promised. Sure enough, Dad asked him to go and buy a kitchen knife. Tim nodded gently and didn’t ask me to go with him. Before long, he came back with a very ordinary – looking kitchen knife, even without a package. I was immediately disappointed and kept shaking my head. Dad also asked coldly, “You bought it so quickly. Is this kitchen knife sharp?” “It’s not very sharp, but it’s not dull either.” Dad frowned and asked unhappily, “I asked you to buy a kitchen knife. Why did you buy one that’s neither sharp nor dull?”

I could tell something was wrong and sat there anxiously. But Tim didn’t seem to care about Dad’s attitude. He patiently explained, “I’ve always liked using this kind of kitchen knife. If you’re willing to listen, I’d like to tell you a story from my own experience, which is also related to kitchen knives.”

Dad nodded, indicating for him to go ahead.

Tim began to tell his story slowly –

When I was a kid living in a rural area, one spring, a group of blacksmiths came to the village to make farm tools and ironware for the farmers. They stayed at my house. There was an old master named Mr. Brown with silver hair. He was very good at his craft. He worked silently during the day and told me all kinds of stories at night. Mr. Brown had traveled a lot and had seen a lot. His stories fascinated me. I always liked to ask some strange questions, and I was very popular with Mr. Brown. Before he left, Mr. Brown specially made three kitchen knives for me and said, ‘You’re a smart kid and may achieve great things in the future. I’m giving you three kitchen knives. One can cut meat like mud, one can cut vegetables like twigs, and one is neither sharp nor dull. You should think carefully about them. If you can understand the meaning, you’ll have a bright future and benefit from it all your life!’ At that time, I was just a kid. How could I understand? Adults just took them for good luck, so I accepted them.

Later, everyone in the village knew that my family had a very sharp kitchen knife. Whenever there were weddings or funerals, they would come to borrow it. That big kitchen knife could cut meat and bones easily. It took on all the difficult tasks. At first, it was very popular. But soon, its blade became curled and it lost its sharpness. The chefs threw it aside, and no one cared about it anymore. As for the dull knife, no one ever used it. It was left in the corner and gradually rusted and rotted, becoming scrap iron. However, the neither – sharp – nor – dull knife, which was not very sharp but still usable, could be sharpened and used again. It always looked shiny. The chefs found it very handy and used it for a long time…

After listening to the story, Dad opened his eyes slightly, suddenly stopped smiling, and said seriously, “I asked you to buy a knife, but you’re talking about the doctrine of the mean. It may not be appropriate to have such an attitude at work, right?”

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became tense. I knew something was wrong and quickly winked at Tim not to contradict Dad. But Tim ignored me and said calmly, “I don’t think this is the doctrine of the mean. I think whether it’s a knife or a person, our abilities and energy are limited. Besides having the drive to fight, we also need endurance and tenacity. What do you think?”

Dad didn’t comment on his words. He just said indifferently, “One should be proactive at work, understand the principles, but not be vulgar.” As soon as I heard this, I knew it was over again. But Tim didn’t feel embarrassed at all. He smiled憨厚ly and said, “Thank you! I’ll definitely keep your teachings in mind!”

After Tim left, I went into my bedroom and didn’t come out. At that time, I really regretted asking Dad to be my advisor. What kind of person could be considered to have a bright future in his eyes?

But unexpectedly, the next noon, Tim came to me happily and said, “Let’s go to the movies tonight!” I cursed this guy for being stupid. He didn’t even know he had been rejected! So I said unhappily, “Do you think you’ve passed my dad’s test?” Tim said happily, “Of course. If you don’t believe it, call home and say you’re going to the movies with me tonight and see what your dad says.” Of course, I didn’t believe it. I immediately called my dad and said Tim wanted to invite me to the movies tonight. To my surprise, Dad readily said, “Tim is a nice guy. If you want to go, I have no objection.” I couldn’t help shouting, “Strange! I didn’t hear you say you agreed yesterday!” Dad laughed on the phone and said, “Tim knows my attitude. You’re just a girl with a childish temper. You need a more mature person like him to take care of you!”

That night, I went to the movies with Tim happily. With Dad’s approval, we got along much more casually. When I got home, I chased after Dad and asked what was so good about the kitchen knife Tim bought. Dad nodded and said, “Tim is really something. He has good perception and is a good candidate! Don’t underestimate this kitchen knife. There’s a lot of knowledge in it! Your dad has no backers and no special talents, but he started from being a small village official and now has become the mayor of a city with five million people. It’s all because I’ve understood the principles of being a person and an official. Tim is only in his twenties and can understand these things. He’s calm and has no vulgarity. He’s passed my test!”

Although I still couldn’t fully understand the mystery of the kitchen knife, seeing Dad’s positive attitude towards Tim, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, someone had passed this strange test.