Red Mansion, Second Master Lian is too despicable

Chapter 129 Miscellaneous Talk: Although this body is of the opposite sex, it will last forever

Zhen Shiyin gave 50 taels of silver and two sets of winter clothes. How much would Jia Yucun get back?

[Text: On the next day, someone from Yucun had already sent two envelopes of silver and four pieces of brocade to thank Mrs. Zhen’s family]

[Jiaxu side comment: Yucun is already a low-class person. Looking at this, there is no one like Yucun today. 】

When Jia Yucun came to Beijing to take the exam, Zhen Shiyin gave him 50 taels of silver and two sets of winter clothes.Now Jia Yucun has sent back "two envelopes of silver and four bolts of brocade." So how many taels is a envelope of silver?It is very complicated. In actual pragmatics and other novels, the amount referred to by "a piece of silver" is not the same.

Let's give a few examples. In the condemnation novel "Negative Exposure Chat" in the late Qing Dynasty, it was said that a letter of silver was opened and counted, and it was a full 100 taels.

The first volume of a novel "The Words of the Wild Old Man" written during the Qianlong period has a description: "I took out a letter of silver in my arms and said: 'This is 60 taels of silver, given to my husband for money.'" "The Words of the Wild Old Man" "There is also a description of a letter containing 100 taels or ten taels of silver.

There are many descriptions in "Embroidered Image of Jin Ping Mei Ci", "The Scholars", "Strange Current Situation Witnessed in 20 Years", "Heroes of Sons and Daughters" and "Rebirth", and each letter costs 50 taels.In addition, there is a description of a letter worth 30 taels of silver in "Xiu Xiang Jin Ping Mei Ci Hua", and a description of a letter worth [-] taels or one tael of silver in "The Scholars".

In the collection of short vernacular stories "The World Cup", a letter of silver is eighty taels.In the novel "Gu Huanyan" written in the early years of Yongzheng's reign, a letter of silver is five taels.In "The Surprise at the First Moment", a letter of silver is three taels.

It can be seen that "a letter of silver" is a "package of silver", which is wrapped in paper or cloth for easy portability.This "bag" can be large or small, and the weight is not fixed. It is completely decided by the "packer" based on needs.How much a piece of silver is, needs to be calculated based on the context.

There were also "four pieces of brocade" sent back by Jia Yucun. There is a fixed amount of cloth, so we started from here and used the cloth to calculate how much silver Jia Yucun sent back.

In the Qing Dynasty, silk and satin cloths were available in three lengths: five feet, three feet and seven feet.Generally speaking, one set of adult clothes can be made from a [-]-foot-long piece, two adult clothes can be made from a [-]-foot-long piece, and three and a half-adult clothes can be made from a [-]-foot piece.For winter clothes, there are two layers, inside and outside, and the fabric used is twice that of spring and summer clothes. So a three-foot-long piece of cloth can only make one set of winter clothes.

When people with material resources repay things, they like to use double the amount, which means repaying twice as much. It also shows the sincerity and generosity of the repayer.Zhen Shiyin gave Jia Yucun "50 taels of silver and two sets of winter clothes", so he had to return four sets of winter clothes, that is, four pieces of brocade.Those two envelopes of silver should be 100 taels each, 50 taels each.

The reviewer said that he had never seen such a disgusting repayer of kindness as Jia Yucun, because Jia Yucun's repayment of kindness was false, but his desire to beg Jiao Xing was real.

Xue Tao is not only beautiful, but also has talents, diction and knowledge, which are her strengths. She also has experience living in the capital.Now, in a Chengdu entertainment venue, she was quickly spotted by senior officials from the central government, which made her have contacts with many celebrities at that time. Literary leaders such as Bai Juyi, Zhang Ji, Liu Yuxi, Du Mu, etc. all had a taste of Xue Tao's style.

Xue Tao is as talented as Cai Wenji, and his personality is more like Zhuo Wenjun. The main theme of "A Dream of Red Mansions" is about love, and I will also talk about Xue Tao's sister-brother relationship.

In March of the fourth year of Yuanhe (809), Yuan Zhen, a scholar who was at the height of his power at that time, was ordered to work in Sichuan as a supervisory censor.We mentioned Yuan Zhen in the sixth episode. He was the same Yuan Zhen who wrote for his wife, "Once upon a time, everything was difficult to overcome, but Wushan is not a cloud." He also wrote the legendary novel "The Legend of Yingying".In the Jin Dynasty, "The Legend of Yingying" was adapted into the drama "The Romance of the West Chamber" by Zhugongdiao, and Wang Shifu of the Yuan Dynasty adapted it into "The Romance of the Western Chamber with Cui Yingying Waiting for the Moon".

Yuan Zhen had heard of Xue Tao for a long time, so he wrote to Xue Tao to meet him when he left the capital. As soon as he arrived in Sichuan, Xue Tao was waiting there. As soon as he met Yuan Zhen, Xue Tao was attracted by Yuan Zhen's handsome appearance and outstanding literary talent. The 31-year-old Yuan Zhen brought unprecedented shock and passion. The 41-year-old Xue Tao decided that this man was the man of her dreams, so she did not hesitate to offend senior officials, turned down all social activities, and devoted herself to Yuan Zhen's arms.

From the time they met until Yuan Zhen was transferred from Sichuan and returned to Luoyang to take up a post, they had been together for at most three months.This meeting with netizens changed the rest of Xue Tao's life. Late love made Xue Tao feel happiness like never before.During those days, the two of them lingered under the sunset and held hands by the river. This was the happiest time in Xue Tao's life.

After going to Luoyang, Yuan Zhen never came back even though Hongyan passed on the letter, Xue Tao could understand.For the rest of her life, she took off her red dress and put on a Taoist robe, avoiding the hustle and bustle of the world.It's a pity that I don't know how to compose music. This section should be paired with Lu Guanting's song: "The lover never comes again after leaving. I sit alone and speechless and look outside the world. The flowers will always wither but will bloom again. The love of my life is looming outside the white clouds. The sea of ​​bitterness is rising. Love and hate cannot escape fate in this world, but blind dates are inaccessible, or I should believe it is fate."

27. Chaoyun

Because of his poor family, Wang Chaoyun was adopted into a singing and dancing class since he was a child. He is naturally beautiful, smart and dexterous, and can sing and dance well.Su Dongpo was demoted to the general magistrate of Hangzhou for opposing Wang Anshi's reform. One day, he and several friends traveled to the West Lake. During the banquet, they entertained with songs and dances. Amidst the melodious sound of silk and bamboo, several dancers appeared on stage wearing heavy makeup. Wang Chaoyun appeared with gorgeous appearance and Superb dancing skills, eye-catching.

What is shown in movies and TV dramas is not very realistic. After the singers sing and the dancers finish dancing, they cannot come out. In fact, they have to change their clothes and then sit down to drink.Wang Chaoyun stepped down and changed her attire. She washed off her heavy makeup and put on light paint. "My eyebrows were lightly brushed with powder, and my red lips were a little bit crazy." She was dressed in a simple dress, fresh and elegant, and charming. The 12-year-old Wang Chaoyun looked like this. The lotus in the sharp corner and the orchid in the empty valley accompany Su Dongpo.

The bright sunshine, sparkling West Lake, sudden changes in weather, misty drizzle, fragrant wine, beautiful food, and beautiful people eliminated Su Dongpo's worries about officialdom. He wrote, "The clear water is beautiful, and the mountains are empty and rainy. . If you want to compare the West Lake to the West, light makeup and heavy makeup are always suitable." This is also the way of writing "The plank road is built in the open and Chencang is covered in the dark". It expresses the beautiful scenery of the West Lake and implicitly expresses Su Dongpo's heartbeat when he first met Wang Chaoyun.Chaoyun admired Su Shi's talent very much and was treated well by Su Shi and his wife. He was very lucky to meet Su Shi and was redeemed by Su Shi. He entered the Su family as a maid and became a concubine when he was 16-18 years old. He decided to follow Su Shi. lifelong.Because Wang Chaoyun was still young when she followed Su Shi, she often received guidance and guidance from Su Shi. Su Shi had a profound influence on her in terms of literary and artistic cultivation.She knew her husband's intentions in every move of her hands and feet. The poems written by Dongpo, even if they mentioned the past lightly, would arouse Zhaoyun's joy and sadness.

The most typical one is "Butterflies in Love with Flowers" "The flowers have faded and are red and green, and the apricots are small. When the swallows fly, the green water is surrounded by people. There are few willows blowing on the branches. Where is there no grass in the world? There are swings in the wall and roads outside the wall, and pedestrians outside the wall. The beautiful woman smiles. The laughter gradually disappears and becomes quieter. She is passionate but is annoyed by ruthlessness."

When Su Shi was demoted to Huizhou, he was in his sixties. Seeing that there was a rare opportunity for promotion, all the maids and concubines around him dispersed one after another. Only Wang Chaoyun stayed the same and followed Su Dongpo on a long journey across the mountains and ridges to Huizhou.

Su Shi often asked Chaoyun to sing this song "Butterfly Loves Flowers" to relieve his depression.Whenever Chaoyun sang "There are few willows blowing on the branches", he cried and couldn't sing anymore.Dongpo would hug her and ask why, and Chaoyun said: "I can't sing because there is no grass anywhere in the world!" This sentence, in today's terms, means "Don't hang yourself on a tree." !It is to persuade infatuated people to have a chance to face their relationship, and it is also to persuade Su Dongpo to have a chance to face his political future.

Unfortunately, Wang Chaoyun encountered the plague in Huizhou and was very weak. He was only 34 years old when he died. Su Shi never listened to this song "Butterfly Loves Flowers" throughout his life.

The author of "A Dream of Red Mansions" classified the benevolent and the evil through Jia Yucun's words, and then wrote about people who were born with both good and evil qualities.The fate of these people is affected by their innate good and evil dispositions, as well as their acquired educational environment. The educational environment is divided into three categories, one is "the family of a wealthy prince", the other is "the family of poor poets and writers", The third is "Bozuohanmen".

One thing, we have to understand, "For example, Xu You, Tao Qian, Ruan Ji, Ji Kang, Liu Ling, Wang Xie, Gu Hutou, Chen Houzhu, Tang Minghuang, Song Huizong, Liu Tingzhi, Wen Feiqing, Minangong, Shi Manqing, Liu Qiqing, Qin Shaoyou, and more recently Ni Yunlin, Tang Bohu, and Zhu Zhishan", these people are all free people, and the lowest social status is also common people.

Zhuo Wenjun eloped with Sima Xiangru when he returned to his natal family and became a widow, which was obscene.Hong Fu, a character in the novel, whose authenticity is difficult to tell, has a free love affair with Li Jing, and is obscene.Xue Tao, a singer, is a low-level singer.Cui Yingying, a character in the novel and drama, has a free love affair with Zhang Sheng, which is obscene.According to Wang Chaoyun, the singing girl turned into a concubine and became a low-ranking concubine.

Tang Bohu, Liu Qilang and others sleeping in flowers and willows are not considered obscene. Cui Ying, Hongfu and Zhuo Wenjun, women who secretly date and have free love, are despised and classified as actors. This is a display of the limitations of the author's feudal thinking.This kind of feudal thought is often reflected in the text of "Dream of Red Mansions". For example, the twelve beauties in Jinling are all listed in the official list, and Qin Keqing is also in the official list. Concubines and maids cannot be included in the official list.

We cannot ask the author to completely oppose the era in which he lived. He has already made a huge breakthrough in "Dream of Red Mansions". Just as we ourselves cannot completely oppose the era in which we live. We believe that the era in which we live is already very Progress has been made. The author of "Dream of Red Mansions" certainly believes that his thoughts have made great progress.Let’s quote the great man’s saying of “crossing the river by feeling for the stones” and keep making progress!
What is a person born with both good and evil talents?The author summarizes it as, "You cannot be a benevolent gentleman at the top, nor can you be a great evil at the bottom." They are somewhere between benevolence and great evil, and they are not the most popular people in the world. Each has his or her own story. advantages and disadvantages.

Of course, if a person is perfect and has no shortcomings, he is a saint, and he will even become a god in people's hearts, and he will be the object of worship.Ordinary people will not make friends with saints, because saints only do the right things and have no feelings.Furthermore, saints are so perfect that they make ordinary people feel ashamed. If a person has no merit and only does bad things, he must be a devil. Who would want to be a neighbor with a devil?

It is difficult to see a perfect saint or a complete devil. After reading "A Dream of Red Mansions", let alone benevolent and evil, there are very few pure and evil characters. It seems that Jia Huan has no righteousness at all.There are both good and evil in the majority. The author breaks the idea that a gentleman is a villain. Baoyu's naughtiness, Sister Feng's viciousness, Baochai's power, and Daiyu's petty temper can all be regarded as the evil side.Of course, they all have a beautiful side.

In grief, Li Yuan bathed and changed Yuanze's clothes. After that, Yuanze died and the woman gave birth to the child successfully.The death of a monk should be called "Nirvana" or "Nirvana". It is said that when a monk who has cultivated to a very high level dies, his body will turn into a rainbow and enter the Infinite Palace, which is the Pure Land of Dakini and the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss in Buddhism.

Many monks regard "ascension to heaven after death" as the ultimate goal of Buddhist practice. Of course Yuanze also wants to escape from the "six paths of reincarnation" and is unwilling to enter the world of mortals again.This time he chose to go by water with Li Yuan. It can be said that he came to help the pregnant woman. I think Zen Master Yuanze should also count this time - the merits of practice are complete, and the troubles and evils are eliminated.

Three days later, Li Yuan went to see the baby. The baby had just taken a bath and saw that Li Yuan really smiled. Li Yuan told the truth, and the family paid for Yuanze's burial.Li Yuan no longer had the intention to go to Emei in Qingcheng, so he returned to Huilin Temple in Luoyang, and the young monk told him that Zen Master Yuanze actually wrote his suicide note when he left this time.

Thirteen years later, Li Yuan went from Luoyang to Hangzhou West Lake Tianzhu Temple for a date with Yuanze. When he arrived outside the temple, he suddenly heard a shepherd boy singing:
Sansheng stone on the old spirit,
Don't worry about admiring the moon and chanting the wind.

Ashamed that my lover visits from afar,
Although this body is of the opposite sex, it will last forever.

After hearing this, Li Yuan knew that he was Yuan Ze, so he couldn't help asking: "Master, are you okay?" , there will be a chance to meet in the Pure Land of Paradise in the future."

The reviewer used the allusion of "the old soul on the three-life stone" and combined it with the text of "A Dream of Red Mansions", which made me feel deeply.Lin Daiyu's three lives are very clear and can be briefly summarized as follows: "One life" is a crimson grass "on the bank of the Three Lives Stone on the bank of the Western Ling River"; "two lives" is "receiving the essence of heaven and earth, nourished by rain and dew, and shedding the wood of the grass body" , the Jiangzhu Fairy who had to change her human form and swim outside the world of Lihen all day long. "Three Lives" is Lin Daiyu who wants to return "all the tears in her life" to Jia Baoyu.

Jia Baoyu's "life" was "Waiter of Shenying in Chixia Palace", and his "second life" was Jia Baoyu.So I think that the "three-born" Lin Daiyu met the "second-born" Jia Baoyu, just like Li Yuan and Zen Master Yuanze in the allusion. It was Li Yuan who led Zen Master Yuanze to see the pregnant woman. , Li Yuan originally wanted to achieve enlightenment together with Zen Master Yuanze, but unfortunately the fate of Zen Master Yuanze was not over.

Lin Daiyu also wanted to lead Baoyu and lead Baoyu. Lin Daiyu originally wanted to lead Baoyu to achieve Zhengguo. Unfortunately, Jia Baoyu's mortal fate was not over. Lin Daiyu died and returned to Taixu Illusion. Jia Baoyu had to be a monk twice before the mortal fate was over.

(End of this chapter)