Chenglong 乘龍 [riding on a dragon], coming from the idiom chenglong kuaisu 乘龍快婿 [a good son-in-law riding on a dragon], refers to a good son-in-law. This term originates from an anecdote from Liu Xiang’s 劉向 (77 BCE–6 BCE) Biographies of the Immortals, where a man very good at playing flute, Xiao Shi 蕭史, was loved by Duke Mu of Qin’s daughter Nongyu 弄玉. Duke Mu then married Nongyu to Xiao Shi, and built a pavilion for them to learn and practice flute. Later, they both became immortals and went to the heavens riding phoenix.
Similar sayings of outstanding sons-in-law include dongchuang 東床 [eastern bed] and jiaoke 嬌客 [precious guest].
