"Greeting the Guests" in Hunan

Folk songs and Ballads all reflect social life to some extent. Ballads of daily life are those ballads that reflect social or household life directly. Some ballads reflect the social inequality such as the lines of "Brickie living in a bothie, weavergirl wearing rags...", "Under the same moonlight over this land, some households are happy while some are in agony" and "Three knives hang over the head of the poor: heavy land rent, high interests, and countless taxes". Some ballads reflect the misery of the working people such as "Misery of Long-Term Hired Hand" and "Misery of the Poor". Some reflect unfair marriages such as "Child Bride", "Boy Husband", "Suffering of a Widow". Some impart knowledge about etiquettes and ways of the world; some are admonitions against smoking, alcohol, gambling, lewdness, and advocates for filial piety. There are also ballads describing local lifestyles and produces, and some funny witty songs. All these ballads have a high folklore value in them and are priceless resources for sociological research.