During the Northern Song Dynasty, the great literary master Su Shi, also known as Su Dongpo, was renowned for his exceptional poetry and prose, and many of his famous works are still read today.
Su Dongpo once wrote many poems for his friends. When a friend surnamed Ouyang went to serve as an official in Weicheng, Su Dongpo composed four poems titled "Seeing Off Magistrate Ouyang to Weicheng," which included these two lines:
Having read through thirty thousand volumes of ivory-tagged books,
When Confucius visited a small town governed by his disciple Ziyou, he heard the sound of stringed instruments and singing, and smiled, saying, "Why use an ox-cleaver to kill a chicken?" Ziyou replied, "Master, you once taught me that when a gentleman studies the Way, he loves others; when a commoner studies the Way, he becomes easier to manage." Confucius then said to his other disciples, "My words were in jest, but Ziyou's point is well taken." This story illustrates using great talent for a small task, reminding us that even in modest roles, one can apply profound wisdom. Source: *The Analects*, "Yang Huo"
These words describe a friend who had read countless books (with "toothpick" referring to scrolls and "thirty thousand rolls" being an exaggerated number indicating vast knowledge), possessed extraordinary talent, and was merely making a small trial of his skills—like using a butcher's cleaver to carve a chicken—by taking up a minor official post in the small town of Weicheng.
Here, the term "ox knife" is a metaphor for outstanding talent, and there is a story behind it:
Confucius had a disciple named Ziyou who served as an official in Wucheng (southwest of present-day Feixian County, Shandong) during the Spring and Autumn period. A firm believer in his teacher's philosophy of governing through ritual and music, Ziyou actively promoted these practices throughout his jurisdiction.
Once, Confucius passed through Wucheng and visited Ziyou. Hearing the sounds of music and singing everywhere in the city, he smiled and said to Ziyou, "Governing such a small place as Wucheng doesn't require the use of rites and music for education. It's like killing a chicken—why use a butcher's knife meant for an ox?"
Ziyou knew his teacher was deliberately testing him, so he cleverly replied, "I once heard you say that a gentleman who learns rites and music can love others, and common people who learn them become easy to govern. I am following your teachings, so why are you mocking me?"
Confucius quickly corrected himself, saying, "Right! You're right. I was just joking with you!" Later, people used the idiom "A Small Test of a Master's Skill" to describe someone showing great talent in their first assignment.
Source: Su Shi (Song Dynasty), "Seeing Ouyang Magistrate Off to Weicheng"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "牛刀小试" came to describe how someone showing great talent in their first assignment.