The original text and translation annotations of "The Old Man Selling Garlic" are as follows:

Original text:

There was Mr. Yang Erxiang in Nanyang County, who was good at boxing and bravery. He can carry two boats on his shoulders and lift them up. Hundreds of flags are stabbed with poles, and the poles will break every inch they touch. After taking this name for a while, he led his disciples to teach in Changzhou. Every time he goes to the martial arts arena to teach spears and clubs, he is always crowded with spectators. Suddenly one day, there was a man selling garlic, his bell was hunched over, he kept coughing, and he looked at him and teased him. The crowd was horrified and reported to Yang. Yang was furious and called the old man forward. He punched the brick wall until it was about a foot deep. Ao Zhi said, "Can the old man do this?"

The old man said, "You can punch the wall, but you cannot hit people. Yang Yu scolded angrily, "Can I beat you? Don't complain if I beat you to death!" The old man laughed and said, "If you can die in the name of becoming a king, why should you complain?" Write a pledge. After letting the Yang rest for three days, the old man tied himself to a tree, took off his clothes and exposed his belly. Yang Gu took the advantage ten steps away and punched hard. The old man was silent. But he saw Yang kneeling on the ground, kowtowing and saying, "I know my sin in my late life." He pulled out his fist and it was stuck in the old man's belly, unable to come out. After begging for a long time, the old man bulged his belly and let go, and he fell out of a stone bridge.

The old man slowly returned home carrying the garlic, but he refused to reveal his surname.

Translation notes:

There was a man named Yang Er in Nanyang County who was proficient in boxing. He could stand up with two boats on his two shoulders, and hundreds of boatmen used wormwood to stab them. Wherever Artemisia touched him, it would break inch by inch. This made him famous for a while. Yang Er took his students to practice martial arts in the Changzhou area. Whenever he taught gun and stick in the martial arts field, there were as many people watching as a wall. One day, there was an old man selling garlic. He kept coughing, squinted his eyes, and even laughed at him.

Everyone was horrified and ran to tell Yang Er. When Yang Er heard about it, he was furious. He called the old man over and punched the brick wall in front of him. His fist sank into the brick wall for more than a foot. Then he said to the old man contemptuously: "Old man, can you be like me?" The old man said: "You can hit the wall, but you can't hit people." Yang Er became even more angry and shouted angrily: "Old guy, can you let me punch you? Don't resent me if you get beaten to death."

The old man smiled and said: "I am an old man who is about to die. If I can use my death to fulfill your reputation, what is there to hate about my death?" So the two of them called many people and stood in public. receipt. The old man asked Yang Er to rest for three days. After three days, the old man tied himself to a tree, took off his clothes and exposed his belly. Yang Er deliberately positioned himself ten steps away, raised his fist and hit the old man with all his strength. The old man didn't make any sound. He only saw Yang Er suddenly kneeling on the ground, kowtow to the old man and said, "I know I was wrong."

When Yang Er wanted to pull out his fist, he found that he had already made a mistake. He was trapped in the old man's belly and could not move. After Yang Er begged the old man for a long time, the old man pushed his stomach and let go of Yang Er. He saw that Yang Er had already fallen over a bridge. The old man slowly returned home carrying the garlic, but he refused to reveal his surname.

A brief introduction to the author of "The Old Man Selling Garlic"

Yuan Mei, male, was born on March 25, 1716, with the courtesy name Zicai and the nickname Jianzhai. In his later years, he was named Cangshan Jushi and Suiyuan. The owner is the old man Suiyuan. A native of Qiantang (now Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province), he was a Qing Dynasty poet, essayist, literary critic and gourmet.

Yuan Mei is a rare talent and is good at writing poetry. In the fourth year of Qianlong's reign (1739), he was born as a Jinshi and was awarded the title of Shujishi by the Hanlin Academy. In the seventh year of Qianlong's reign (1742), he was transferred to Jiangsu and served as county magistrate in Lishui, Jiangning, Jiangpu and Shuyang for seven years. As an official, he was well-known for his political diligence, but his official career was not smooth and he had no intention of getting a salary. In the fourteenth year of Qianlong's reign (1749), he resigned from office and lived in seclusion in Suiyuan, Xiaocangshan, Nanjing, where he chanted poetry and gained many poetry disciples, especially female disciples.