You Collection, Middle Volume Radical: Cowrie (bèi) Zi Kangxi stroke count: 12 Page 1206, Entry 03 Pronounced zi. According to the Explaining and Analyzing Characters (Shuowen Jiezi), this refers to small monetary penalties used for self-redemption. Laws of the Han dynasty stipulated that commoners who failed to perform forced labor were required to pay a fine of twenty-two coins. Xu states that this is equivalent to modern hiring fees for substitute labor. Also, according to the Jade Chapters (Yupian), it refers to property or goods. In the Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji), Biography of Confucius' Disciples: Zigong enjoyed hoarding and selling goods, converting between merchandise and currency depending on the timing. Also, same as the character zi. In the Book of Han (Hanshu), Annals of Emperor Jing: Now, one must possess assets reaching a certain amount to be eligible for official service. The commentary by Shigu states: Zi is pronounced the same as zi. According to the Six Categories of Writing (Liushu Gu), the character zi (resources) is also written as zi.