In traditional Chinese society, clan organizations linked by blood have always occupied an important position. With the change of dynasties, clan organizations have become more and more institutionalized, large-scale and regionalized. Especially since the Ming and Qing dynasties, clan organizations have flourished, and Huizhou, which is located in the southern Anhui Mountains, is even more so. The reduction of the clan linked by blood relations is a flesh-and-blood family individual, and these families are social individuals who are based on a certain form of marriage and combined with blood relations to form a "cohabitation, co-production, and co-creation", and these social individuals of the common ancestors are gathered together to form a clan, so the study of clans must be inseparable from the study of the family. Studying ordinary families allows us to better grasp and understand the daily life and ethical relationships of a family.
Parent-child relationship
In the vast and sweaty Huizhou family tree, all genealogies with family rules and family training must involve the relationship between parents and children. Huizhou society, which has a strong sense of clan, particularly emphasizes the virtue of fatherly kindness and filial piety, requiring that "fathers cherish their children and daughters-in-law, and must teach their children and daughters-in-law to learn well; children and daughters-in-law must be filial piety and learn well on their own." Fathers should be loving fathers, not cruel fathers; sons and daughters-in-law should be filial pieties and filial wives, and should not be contrarian sons and rebellious women" ("Jixi County Nanguan Xu Clan Genealogy Shutang Genealogy", vol. VIII, "Family Training", Guangxu fifteen years engraved). At the same time, "the father to the son, when the righteousness of the teaching, Fang Duqi litigation, so that the family will not be martyred; the son to the father, when du wu filial piety, repair my words and deeds, will not lose the body and insult relatives" ("Zhou Clan Re-cultivation Genealogy Authentic Sect" Volume 1, "ZongXun", Kangxi Years Repair). In the five luns, although the monarch is the head, for ordinary people, the father and son are more important, closer to life and closer to reality. In the traditional society of Huizhou, although the emphasis is on fatherly kindness and filial piety, more emphasis is placed on filial piety, and the words and deeds of children are extremely strict. Under the guidance of this concept, Huizhou society requires that children must "do whatever their parents are, and after consulting everything, they must not go straight to the point." When ordered, Pebby was repulsed. Parents have had, they must politely resign a few advices, change and then stop, and must not speak bluntly to show their relatives and cause them to be angry" (Cao Clan Genealogy, vol. 1, "Ten Rules of Wangchuan Family Training", a woodcut movable type print of Wangchuan Dunshutang in the 16th year of the Republic of China). Children must first know their parents in everything, and only after they have permission can they act, and they must not act arbitrarily, and vice versa is filial piety. Even if the parents are at fault, the children cannot say it directly, but politely say a few words so as not to anger the parents. On the surface, the relationship between parents and children is extremely unequal, but it is understandable for Huizhou families. The parents are at the heart of the family and have supreme authority. If there are "the grace of the parents, who want to repay the extreme, but have games, indulgence, good goods, and private wives, born of night and night, regardless of their relatives and children, and even the wives and sisters are displeased, and the lips are opposed, such perverse sons and women, once they are thrown into the temple, they are deposed" ("Jixi County Zhaitan Longjing Hu Clan Genealogy", vol. Of course, authority is relative, and there must be certain restrictions on the authority given to parents, "If the son is filial piety, it is also appropriate to be kind, to produce more women, to be poor and men, is it not a left plan?" Whoever is a parent, if there is such a thing, he will be humiliated by all." It can be seen from this that although Huizhou society has made a common punishment for parents drowning women and men, compared with the punishment of perverted sons and women, it can be described as light and light. In family life, parents have power and also bear corresponding obligations. Parents have the obligation to treat their children and grandchildren "from the early childhood education to the mingren, the training to the righteous, the entrance and exit of the portal and the impromptu diet, will be long" (Reprinting the Genealogy of the Lü Clan of Xin'an Dafu, vol. 5, "Mulberry Garden Sacrifice Rules", the Republic of China 24 years of Demutang wooden movable type reprint). Parents teach their children to be wise and respectful. In addition, Huizhou families also pay special attention to the words and deeds of their parents, believing that "parents must abide by the etiquette and law and set an example for their families." Do not be too rigid, not too soft, but must be forgiven and tolerated, and regard the family as one body" ("The Genealogy of the Huang Clan of Tandu Kaoli in Shexian County", vol. 4, "Family Training", Yongzheng Nine Years Inscribed). At the same time, parents must also be "honest in governing the family, selfless in public, not to be arrogant in a word, not to act arbitrarily." This requires parents to be strict with themselves in the daily life of the family, to lead by example and set an example for their children. In the process of handling family affairs, we must pay attention to tolerance, not too tough, not too soft. Parents must be sincere and fair in handling family relations, be faithful in their words and deeds, and not let their children and grandchildren suffer from temporary favoritism.
Although the traditional Huizhou family regulates the words and deeds of parents, it is more focused on the filial piety requirements for children. As an important part of the family, the requirements for children are nothing more than "the way of the wife as a son, no more than the treasure of the whole body, in order to show the parents." In Huizhou, known as the "Southeast Zoulu", filial piety to parents can be said to be something that every clan will strictly require its children and grandchildren to do. Of course, "the son of man is related, born, raised, buried, and the two are also big-ended." As children, we should always think about where we came from and the hardships of our parents' upbringing. Children "shall be devoted to their relatives, and their clothes for all seasons shall be prepared; and they shall be kept clean at three o'clock." In daily life, children must "do all things in accordance with the heart of their parents, and parents may not want to make it clear, and the Son of Man shall first undertake his will." To think of oneself as filial piety is to be unfilial. Knowing that he is not filial, he should do his best to fulfill his filial piety" ("Genealogy of the Jiang Clan of Jiyang, Wuyuan County", vol. 10, "Family Training", 4 years of the Republic of China). In the process of parents and children's interaction, it is inevitable that there will be times when mistakes will be made, and children should not point out the faults of their parents bluntly, but "parents have had, can not give a few advices, so that parents are trapped in injustice, but also filial piety", through strict requirements for children's filial piety to achieve the absolute authority of patrilineal parents in the family. If a child commits "disobedience and filial piety, his sin is the greatest, and his parents are present, and he cannot be expelled, and the sister is lenient, and the chief and the patriarch are tied into the ancestral hall to be responsible, and repentance is already there." If in the lifetime of his parents, he did not repent, and after his parents were gone, he expelled the son from the country, removed him from the ancestral temple, and never returned to the ancestors after his death" ("Genealogy of Liang Angao Clan of Jixi County", vol. XI, "Family Law", Qing Guangxu Edition). Although Huizhou society's requirements for filial piety for children are extremely strict, but it also reveals a trace of humanity, for those who disobey their parents, if their parents are alive, they will be treated leniently, although they are also severely punished in the ancestral hall, but after all, it is not serious enough to be expelled from the country and removed from the shrine, but gives the opportunity to repent. If the parents pass away, there is still no remorse, and they will be dealt with strictly and have no mercy to talk about. As another great end of filial piety, death and burial, children also have an unshirkable obligation. The concept of entering the earth for safety after death has long been deeply rooted in the minds of Huizhou people, and after the death of their parents, children must carefully choose a treasure with excellent feng shui for them, "build a tomb long, so hide their bodies" ("Gu Sheyi Cheng Zhu Clan Genealogy" Volume, "Ancestral Training", Xuanun Second Year Edition). Not only that, but children must also "admire the main hall, meet their parents and uncle Yin Shou, the male admires the hall, and the female pursues the room" ("The Genealogy of the Huang Clan of Tandu Xiaoli in Shexian County", vol. 4, "Family Training").
In the relationship between parents and children, the most difficult is the relationship between stepmother and child, stepfather and child. In the traditional society of Huizhou, the emergence of stepmothers and the occurrence of succession phenomena are very common things, but when the stepmother or stepfather appears in a family, the original simple family relationship becomes complicated, and it becomes extra cautious when dealing with mutual relations. As far as the relationship between the stepmother and the child is concerned, the child will be more or less uncomfortable in the face of the stepmother, and then say that "the stepmother is difficult to give birth to the mother, because her hair is not belonging, the love is poor, etc." ("Wuyuan County Jiyang Jiang Clan Genealogy" Volume 10, "Family Training", 4 years of the Republic of China). From the standpoint of a child, it is a bit embarrassing to see a strange woman in family life and still be a mother. It is far more difficult to serve the stepmother with filial piety than to serve the birth mother, and if you are not careful, you will provoke right and wrong, but in the fertile land of Huizhou, where the sense of humanity is strong, in the face of such difficulties, the children only need to treat the stepmother with good deeds, and there will be "no indelible relatives". However, in family life, stepmothers may not be able to understand and care for their children, even if "although the mother is pregnant with poison, although the father is partial, it is especially wronged and obedient, and must not be disrespectful." Although the parents are not kind, the son cannot be unfilial. Violators shall be punished according to the severity of their circumstances" ("Genealogy of the Yu Clan of Huanshan Huanshan in Shexian County", vol. 1, "Family Rules", revised in the 6th year of the Republic of China). It can be seen that Huizhou attaches great importance to filial piety, and it also reflects the strict restrictions on filial piety of family children in Huizhou society.
In traditional society, having no queen is a difficult thing for families to accept. In Huizhou, when a family has a situation of extinction, they will take some measures to remedy it, the purpose of which is to inherit the ancestral inheritance and continue to produce future generations. It is precisely because of this need that the way that the huizhou people can accept came into being. The so-called succession is that in the case of a family branch that is broken and there is no successor, look for a man from a close relative or his surname to inherit the branch lineage, inherit the family business and continue the incense of the branch, so that there will be successors. Huizhou's requirements for succession are particularly strict, and succession often cannot be dominated by the will of this family, but rises to the level of the clan, and the candidate for the succession male is almost monopolized by the clan, and must comply with the rules of the clan in order to proceed smoothly. There is a distinction between "succession" and "love succession", "as usual, the successor is established, and the relatives of the relatives are selected first, which is called the succession." If the relatives do not have their own people, or if they have their own people, they will choose the talents of the distant houses, which is called the love of the successor" ("Jian Zhou Xu Clan Genealogy" volume 10, "Ancestral Rules", the Republic of China 3 years to chase the Yuantang wooden movable script). The succession is followed by the rights and obligations of the stepdaughter. The male heirs have the right to inherit the family's property. However, for the treatment of inheritance, there is also a clear difference between the inheritance and the love inheritance, for the corresponding succession, regardless of whether the property is there or not, it should be inherited; but the love inheritance is different, it must be based on the thickness of the property, according to the number of biological fathers. After the posting, the biological father is not allowed to interfere with the inheritance. However, while enjoying rights, there must be corresponding obligations. The male who has passed on must regard the step-parents as their biological parents, support the step-parents like their own sons, and undertake the obligation of "living, raising, dying, burying, and scattering leaves".
The relationship between husband and wife
"On the occasion of husband and wife, the beginning of humanity. Husbands are handsome women with righteousness, women are obedient to husbands with courtesy, and they are the basis of the five luns. "As important founders and organizers of the family, the husband and wife have a very important position in the family, and how the relationship between the husband and wife affects the success or failure of a family. In the daily life of the family, the husband should have benevolence and righteousness for the wife, and the wife should treat the husband with courtesy and respect each other to create an atmosphere of family harmony. Due to the influence of the unique geographical environment, the traditional small farmer economy of male farming and female weaving is difficult to implement in Huizhou. The reality of the small number of people in Huizhou forces Huizhou men to go out to do business, so that all the burdens of the family fall on the shoulders of the women who stay in their hometowns, who not only have to engage in production, but also bear the responsibility of filial piety to their uncles and aunts and educating their children. Huizhou housewives, "diligent family planning, sparing no effort, rising from the third day of the sun, night class female workers, and even Da Dan" ("The Family Tree of the Emperor Of Xu Clan in Shebei", vol. XIII, Qianlong three years of cultivation). Through hard work, they improve their living conditions and enhance the economic strength of their families. In the six counties of Huizhou, women are almost the main force of field labor, such as in Shexian County, "women are also things japonica hoes ... The fruits of hard work, talk about food" ("Shexian Chronicle", vol. 1, "Customs", Jiangsu Ancient Books Publishing House, 1998).
Even though Huizhou housewives are bound by family rules, it is inevitable that there will be shrews and humpties. The appearance of shrews and humps seriously affects the harmony of a family. "The bread of the house will arise from the woman, and therefore the woman's words shall not be taken lightly." If you listen to a woman's words lightly, but do not pay attention to right and wrong, you will quarrel and quarrel, and you will regard your loved ones as strangers. (Jixi Jiqingfang Geshi Re-cultivation Genealogy, Vol. III, "Family Training", Jiajing Forty-four Years Inscribed) Of course, the responsibility of the woman's fierceness is not entirely on the woman alone, the key lies in the husband as the head of the family, "the woman is jealous, the husband has a deep sense of confusion, and the corruption of the family lineage begins with the woman's long tongue, and lan from the husband's confusion" ("Xiuning Shangshan Wu Clan Ordinances", volume 1, Ming code). In response to this phenomenon, Huizhou families adopt the method of "criminal wife" to regulate women's words and deeds. The Huizhou family attaches special importance to the discipline of women, requiring husbands to strictly restrain their wives, "Whoever says and does not take care of it, does not indulge in the selfishness of the pillow, in order to cultivate arrogance and jealousy, and must teach filial piety to uncles, and to treat concubines and relatives" (Jingzhou Mingjing Hu Clan Sincere Cultivation Genealogy, Vol. 1, "Thirteen Ancestral Trainings", Guangxu years of cultivation). In a family, the husband should not only treat his wife with righteousness, but also discipline his wife with lilly, teaching his wife to be filial to her parents, treat her neighbors, and be kind to her relatives.
In traditional family life, men have always been dominant. Husbands are also always in the ascendancy when dealing with the relationship between husband and wife. "The responsibility of the righteous family lies with men, and the training of the four virtues and three obediences must also be explained roughly." ("Xiuning Fan Clan Genealogy and Family Rules", Wanli Twenty-eight Years Inscribed) In the family life dominated by husband power, women have always been in a weak position, and their social circles are strictly restricted. Fornication of the Ancestral Hall, women should not go lightly" (Jixi Jiqingfang Ge Clan Re-cultivation Genealogy, vol. 3, "Family Training", Jiajing Forty-four Years Inscribed). By narrowing the social circle of housewives and avoiding their contacts with the three sisters and six wives, it will affect their value judgments. Nevertheless, as an indispensable part of family life, the influence of women on family life is extremely important, "the beginning of all generations, the origin of the hundred blessings, is a woman, and must not be careless" ("Fuxi Chengshi Zhongshu Zhongshu Ancestral Training Family Rules Seal Qiu Yuanyuan Examination", Xuantong Three-Year Codex). If a woman can speak carefully and cultivate morality, make a facelift, stay at home with chastity and tranquility, and treat others with courtesy, her home will be prosperous; on the contrary, if she competes with the right and wrong with jealousy and arrogance, and competes for the right and wrong, then the family will decline. A good family environment must benefit from the righteousness of the husband and the courtesy of the wife.
There is also a special situation in traditional families, that is, the husband dies prematurely, and the wife should go where to go. Faced with such a situation, whether the wife should go or stay is a difficult choice. In Huizhou, widows are more likely to choose to stay. The choice to stay means that they have to undergo great physical and psychological torture, face the responsibilities and obligations of filial piety to their parents, raising children, and abiding by women's morality, and support their broken families alone. Huizhou families cultivate women's sense of chastity in the way of three from four virtues, so after the death of their husbands, the phenomenon of wives observing the festival is very common, and it is not uncommon for women to observe festivals, and various chastity arches are even more endless. The deeds of these martyr women were recorded by the imperial court and local officials, such as "Wang Shi, Ming Tai'e, Da Fa Ren, Shi Jiang Wan Jiang Zhenfan, Fu Bing, Wang Xiang Yue Gong, and Gong, Fu Ji Shou Jie, Two Successors, Sexual Filial Piety, Embroidered Weng Aunt Parents Portrait, Chao Xi Li Zhi Zhi, Zhang Ling Jing Yan" (Zhao Jishi: Huizhou Fu Zhi, volume 16, "Lienu", Kangxi Thirty-eight Years Inscribed). Huizhou women can be so fierce, on the one hand, they were educated from three to four virtues from an early age, and on the other hand, they were affected by the general environment of Huizhou society at that time.
The relationship between brothers
The idea of having many children and many blessings has always been deeply rooted in the minds of Huizhou people, so in family life, special attention is paid to the birth of males, and if there are many males, there must be brothers. In the land of Huizhou, where there is a special emphasis on the order of the elderly and the young, many family rules require brothers and brothers to be respectful. It is not difficult to see from the family rules and family law that Huizhou families pay special attention to brotherly relations, especially emphasizing that when there is a conflict of interests, there are certain standards for how brothers should choose. "A brother must love his brother, and a brother must respect his brother." Don't hurt this flesh and blood with a delicate edge. (Huayang Shao Clan Genealogy, vol. XVIII, "Five Lun Xun Zhen", Xuan Tong Nian Xiu) Brothers can not hurt the flesh and blood because of the slightest interest, in the face of interests is more to think of family affection, put family affection first. It is not difficult to find in the family tree that everything involving brotherhood must be two-way, and while asking for the elder brother, it also regulates the younger brother's behavior. In the family law, the punishment of brothers who are not friends and brothers who are not respectful is completely unequal, and is more biased towards the side of the brothers, "Where there are brothers who do not respect the brothers, the parents should repeatedly warn them to wake up." If they do not, they will rule according to the family law, and even if they are not, they will be known to the officials. If the brother is not a friend of the brother, he should also be persuaded to the end" (Wuyuan County Jiyang Jiang Clan Genealogy, vol. 1, "Family Training"). When the younger brother does not respect the elder brother, he is repeatedly warned by the parents to make him wake up, and if he does not, he will be dealt with according to the family law, and even handed over to the government to punish him for his crimes. However, the elder brother does not love the younger brother, and there is a "persuasion" word in the family tree, as long as he is persuaded to do his best, there is no mention of punishment. From this point of view, the punishment for the younger brother is far more serious than that of the elder brother, which shows that the Huizhou family vigorously upholds the principle of orderly growth and childhood.
Clan society is formed by the aggregation of several small families, which are the cells of clan society. Combing through the internal relations of small families makes it easier to dissect clan society. The relaxation of family relations always affects the centripetal force and cohesion of the clan, and the grasp of the relationship between members of the family is conducive to clarifying the small family
Large clan relations. The family structure is constantly changing with the development of society, and the Huizhou family maintains unique stability, largely due to the family rules and family laws that regulate the daily behavior of family members.
