Si Collection, Upper Volume Radical: Water (shuǐ) 滫 Kangxi strokes: 15 Page 643, Entry 25 Pronounced sou (rising tone). According to the Explaining and Analyzing Characters (Shuowen Jiezi), it refers to long-stored rice water. It is the water used for washing rice. Book of Rites (Liji), Inner Chapters: With rice water and fat to make it smooth. Annotation: Rice water is liquid from washing rice. It is also called sou. The people of the Qin state referred to urination as sou. Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji), Hereditary House of the Three Kings: Soaked the roots of orchids and angelica in rice water. Also pronounced xiu. Also pronounced sou. Also pronounced xiu (falling tone). The meaning is the same. Textual research: Xunzi, Encouragement of Learning: Soaked the roots of orchids and angelica in rice water. I respectfully note that this passage appears in the Records of the Grand Historian, Hereditary House of the Three Kings, and not in the Encouragement of Learning chapter of the Xunzi. I have now changed the citation from the Encouragement of Learning chapter of the Xunzi to the Hereditary House of the Three Kings in the Records of the Grand Historian.