Chinese Folktale: Hou Ji, God of Agriculture

Preface: Hou Ji, a descendant of the Huang Di and the founder of the Zhou Dynasty, with the surname Ji and the name Abraham, was honoured as the King of Jik, the God of Agriculture, the God of Tilling and the God of Grain, the originator of farming and the God of the five grains. Houji was the first to establish grain reserves and the field drains method, released grain to save the people from hunger, and gave the people seeds, and was considered one of the three princes Yu relied on the most.

后Hòu稷jì的de母mǔ亲qīn叫jiào姜jiāng嫄yuán ， 是shì炎yán帝dì后hòu裔yì有yǒu邰tái氏shì的de女nǚ儿ér ， 也yě是shì帝dì喾kù的de妻qī子zi 。
The mother of Hou Ji was named Jiang Yuan, the daughter of You Tai, a descendant of Yan Di, and also the wife of Di Ku.

有Yǒu一yī天tiān ， 姜jiāng嫄yuán在zài郊jiāo外wài散sàn步bù ， 看kàn到dào一yī个gè巨jù大dà的de脚jiǎo印yìn 。
One day, Jiang Yuan was walking in the countryside and saw a huge footprint.

这Zhè个gè脚jiǎo印yìn比bǐ普pǔ通tōng人rén的de大dà很hěn多duō 。
This footprint was much larger than ordinary people’s.

姜Jiāng嫄yuán很hěn好hào奇qí ， 突tū然rán感gǎn觉jué身shēn体tǐ里lǐ有yǒu一yī股gǔ暖nuǎn流liú 。
Jiang Yuan felt curious and suddenly sensed a warm current in her body.

她Tā很hěn想xiǎng踩cǎi一yī踩cǎi这zhè个gè巨jù人rén脚jiǎo印yìn 。
She had a strong desire to step on the giant footprint.

于Yú是shì ， 她tā把bǎ脚jiǎo放fàng在zài脚jiǎo印yìn的de大dà拇mǔ指zhǐ上shàng 。
So, she placed her foot on the big toe of the footprint.

不Bù一yī会huì儿ér ， 她tā感gǎn觉jué肚dù子zi里lǐ好hǎo像xiàng在zài动dòng 。
Soon, she felt something moving in her belly.

十Shí个gè月yuè后hòu ， 她tā生shēng下xià了le一yī个gè孩hái子zi 。
Ten months later, she gave birth to a child.

姜Jiāng嫄yuán以yǐ为wéi孩hái子zi是shì妖yāo怪guài ， 把bǎ他tā扔rēng在zài了le小xiǎo巷xiàng里lǐ 。
Jiang Yuan thought the child was a monster and threw him into a narrow alley.

但Dàn过guò往wǎng的de牛niú马mǎ都dōu绕rào开kāi孩hái子zi走zǒu 。
But the passing cattle and horses all walked around the child.

她Tā又yòu派pài人rén把bǎ孩hái子zi扔rēng到dào山shān林lín里lǐ ， 但dàn人rén多duō没méi扔rēng成chéng 。
She then sent someone to throw the child into the mountains, but there were too many people and it failed.

最Zuì后hòu ， 她tā把bǎ孩hái子zi放fàng在zài河hé冰bīng上shàng ， 一yī只zhī大dà鸟niǎo飞fēi来lái用yòng翅chì膀bǎng盖gài住zhù了le孩hái子zi 。
Finally, she put the child on the river ice, and a big bird flew over and covered the child with its wings.

姜Jiāng嫄yuán觉jué得de这zhè是shì神shén的de旨zhǐ意yì ， 于yú是shì抱bào回huí了le孩hái子zi ， 给gěi他tā起qǐ名míng叫jiào “ 弃qì ”。
Jiang Yuan felt this was a divine will, so she took the child back and named him “Qi”.

弃Qì是shì个gè有yǒu志zhì气qì的de孩hái子zi ， 从cóng小xiǎo喜xǐ欢huān农nóng业yè 。
Qi was an ambitious child who loved agriculture from a young age.

他Tā跟gēn着zhe妈mā妈mā学xué习xí农nóng业yè知zhī识shí ， 觉jué得de打dǎ猎liè的de生shēng活huó太tài单dān调diào了le 。
He learned agricultural knowledge from his mother and felt that the life of hunting was too monotonous.

他Tā决jué定dìng找zhǎo更gèng多duō食shí物wù来lái保bǎo证zhèng人rén类lèi生shēng存cún 。
He decided to find more food to ensure human survival.

他Tā尝cháng遍biàn了le各gè种zhǒng植zhí物wù ， 找zhǎo到dào了le很hěn多duō能néng吃chī的de食shí物wù 。
He tasted all kinds of plants and found many edible foods.

人Rén们men称chēng他tā为wéi “ 农nóng业yè始shǐ祖zǔ后hòu稷jì ”。
People called him “Hou Ji, the Ancestor of Agriculture”.

后Hòu稷jì发fā现xiàn ， 人rén们men为wèi了le找zhǎo好hǎo吃chī的de植zhí物wù要yào走zǒu很hěn远yuǎn 。
Hou Ji discovered that people had to travel far to find delicious plants.

他Tā思sī考kǎo后hòu ， 发fā现xiàn种zhǒng子zi落luò在zài地dì里lǐ能néng发fā芽yá 。
After thinking, he found that seeds could sprout when they fell to the ground.

他Tā又yòu发fā现xiàn植zhí物wù生shēng长zhǎng和hé天tiān气qì 、 土tǔ壤rǎng有yǒu关guān 。
He also found that plant growth was related to weather and soil.

他Tā决jué定dìng教jiāo人rén们men选xuǎn育yù良liáng种zhǒng ， 有yǒu计jì划huà地de农nóng耕gēng 。
He decided to teach people how to select good seeds and farm in a planned way.

天Tiān帝dì被bèi后hòu稷jì感gǎn动dòng了le ， 派pài神shén仙xiān送sòng来lái了le百bǎi谷gǔ种zhǒng子zi 。
The Heavenly Emperor was moved by Hou Ji and sent immortals to bring him seeds of various grains.

后Hòu稷jì开kāi始shǐ教jiāo人rén们men种zhòng庄zhuāng稼jià ， 大dà家jiā都dōu来lái听tīng他tā的de课kè 。
Hou Ji began to teach people how to grow crops, and everyone came to listen to his lessons.

他Tā亲qīn自zì示shì范fàn ， 教jiāo大dà家jiā农nóng耕gēng新xīn法fǎ 。
He demonstrated personally and taught everyone new farming methods.

他Tā还hái教jiāo人rén们men改gǎi进jìn农nóng具jù ， 开kāi渠qú修xiū堰yàn ， 排pái水shuǐ灌guàn溉gài 。
He also taught people to improve farming tools, dig canals, and build irrigation systems.

人Rén们men种zhòng的de庄zhuāng稼jià穗suì儿ér大dà 、 颗kē粒lì饱bǎo 、 产chǎn量liàng高gāo 。
The crops grown by the people were large, full, and high-yielding.

舜Shùn帝dì表biǎo彰zhāng后hòu稷jì ， 把bǎ有yǒu邰tái地dì赐cì给gěi了le他tā 。
Emperor Shun honored Hou Ji and granted him the land of You Tai.

通过阅读中国神话、民间故事、历史典故、人物传记学汉语，简单易学，中英对照，适合初学者！
Learning Chinese through reading Chinese mythology, folk stories, historical allusions, and biographies is easy to learn and bilingual, suitable for beginners!