1, allusion

In the past, many people mistakenly thought that "Wang Po" refers to a mother-in-law surnamed Wang, but actually refers to a man, whose original name was Wang Po. He is a womanizer and talkative, and people nicknamed him "Wang Po".

Wang Po's hometown was Xixia in the Song Dynasty, and he came to Kaifeng to avoid the war. He carried cucurbits (today's cantaloupes) with him, and he still kept the original sweetness, but his appearance was not pretty. The locals had not yet known the "treasure" and no one patronized him.

Wang Po (Poe) used his talkative sales promotion technique to boast to passers-by, telling them how fragrant and sweet the melon was when he cut it open. Hey-not bad! Sweet! Sweet!

Song Shenzong once went out to visit the palace, and he also saw Wang Po introducing himself to pedestrians. And Wang Po knew that the emperor was in front of him, and he boasted more vigorously, asking the emperor to try. Song Shenzong spat, feeling sweet and fragrant, and immediately said, "What's wrong with a businessman who praises himself, like an old woman who sells melons?" In this way, "Wang Po sells melons and boasts herself" has spread. This two-part allegorical saying has been used to derogate.

2. Extended meaning

The two-part allegorical saying that "an old woman sells melons and boasts herself" is almost a household name. Nowadays, when quoting this two-part allegorical saying in economic life, many people comment on the self-promotion and promotion practices of someone or a business with a little derogatory meaning.