Chapter 78: Washing Hands In A Golden Basin

"Washing his hands off this matter and retiring isn't that simple!"

Inside the teahouse, an old man in a sheepskin jacket took several pulls from his long tobacco pipe. He shook his head amid drifting smoke and said leisurely, "The phrase 'washing hands in a golden basin' originally referred to the boatmen who transported grain to the royal palace in Chang'an during the Han Dynasty. After docking at the Wei River crossing, they would perform a ceremony signifying that their work for the imperial court was complete.

"This basin wasn't actually made of gold, but bronze. Later, the custom spread to all walks of life, and every trade adopted the tradition."