Why did the retired Mamma Lai come forward to celebrate Wang Xifeng's birthday? Cao Xueqin: Slaves are hard to be
Although the book does not directly write about the object of Lai Mama's work and service, from the perspective of Jia Mu's kindness and respect for Mamma Lai, it is speculated that Mamma Lai should have served Jia Baoyu's grandfather in her early years, and Jia Mu should be a generation, and Jia Mu should also be on an equal footing in terms of generational division.
Grandma Lai has a high emotional intelligence, is very good at being a person, and her words are also very pleasing to her master. Although she was a slave of Jia Fu, she was also the best among the slaves, and she was also the most qualified. Although Mamma Lai was not as kind to Jia Fu as Jiao Da, who had once saved her master's son, Mamma Lai had served the second generation of Rong Guogong, and she could also be regarded as an old qualified slave.
Jia Fu has a rule that the slaves who have served the elders are more decent than the young masters, and Grandma Lai is no exception. Grandma Lai had retired when she officially appeared in the Dream of the Red Chamber, and there were slaves in the family to serve and enjoy her old age in peace, which was regarded as an old feudal lord among the slaves in the Dream of the Red Chamber. But even so, she still has to participate in some important activities in Jia Fuli, such as Wang Xifeng's birthday.
So why did the retired Aunt Lai come forward to celebrate Wang Xifeng's birthday? Cao Xueqin: Slaves are hard to be.
First, Grandma Lai has high emotional intelligence.
Lai Da's mother stood up and smiled and said, "This is the opposite! I was angry for the two wives. Over there is the son and daughter-in-law, and here is the nephew and daughter, but not to the mother-in-law, the girl, but to others. The son and daughter-in-law became strangers, and the inner niece became a nephew. Jia Mu and everyone laughed. Lai Da's mother asked again, "Young grandmothers, we should naturally be shorter." Jia Mu heard this and said, "This is not possible." Although you should be short, I know that you are all rich men, and although your position is low, you have more money than them. You and they are the same example. The grandmothers listened and quickly agreed.
From the dialogue between Grandma Lai and Mother Jia, it can be seen that Grandma Lai's emotional intelligence is extremely high, although she is a slave in Jia Province, she is the most qualified slave head, relying on the master has already purchased family property, has an independent family business, has a slave talent to serve her, and is the rich man in Jia Mu's eyes.
On Wang Xifeng's birthday, she lowered herself to the example and knew the way of slavery very well, but Jia Mu felt that she could not, with the status of Grandma Lai, she should be like Li Feng and others to pay twelve or two pieces of silver.
It can be seen that Grandma Lai's family is indeed the richest among the slaves in Jia Province, and Jia Mu calls Grandma Lai a rich man, which seems to be a joke, but in fact, it is not exaggerated at all. Grandma Lai's family has a house and a garden, and the area of the garden is not small, equivalent to half of the pro-villa in Jia Province. It is reasonable to say that a slave family has such a garden, which is indeed very rare, and it is enough to show that Grandma Lai's family has money. In fact, Grandma Lai is not only rich, but also has a very high emotional intelligence. Although she has long retired, she will often participate in the activities of Jia Fu, Wang Xifeng is the housekeeper grandmother of Jia Fu, even if she is not notified, Grandma Lai will not be absent from Wang Xifeng's birthday party.
Second, Grandma Lai is well versed in the way of slavery.
Mamma Lai sighed, "I'll take care of them there, let them go!" I said, 'Brother, don't say you're an official, you're an official, you're overbearing!' You have lived for thirty years this year, although you are a slave of others, once you fall into the womb, the master's grace, let you out, support the master's Hong Fu, the lower support of your old man's mother, but also the prince's brother-in-law like reading and reading, but also the bride, wife, and tits holding the phoenix, growing so big. You know where the word 'slave' is written! I only know how to enjoy happiness, and I don't know that your grandfather and your old son suffered from the suffering, and they survived for two or three lifetimes, so it was easy to earn something like you. From a young age, the silver spent still hit such a silver person as you. At the age of twenty, by the grace of the Lord, you are allowed to donate a future to you. How many do you want to see that the hungry one who is in the right place is starving? You are a slave seedling, carefully folded the blessing! Now that I have been happy for ten years, I don't know how to make a ghost, I asked the master, and I chose it again. Although the state and county officials are small, the matter is big, and the state officials of that state are the parents of that party. You are restless and keep to yourself, loyal to the country, filial to the master, but you are afraid that the heavens will not allow you. ”
In this passage, the author Cao Xueqin wrote the bitterness and difficulty of being a slave through the mouth of Grandma Lai, of course, with the protection of the master, the son Lai Da became the housekeeper of the RongGuo Mansion, and Lai Grandma's grandson Lai Shangrong was elected as the parent official of one side, which can also be regarded as the glory of the Lai family.
It can also be seen from this that Grandma Lai, an old feudal lord, is well versed in the way of slavery, and after her grandson was elected, she deliberately went to Jia Mansion to invite her masters to eat a feast at home. On the one hand, he thanked the masters for their help and said that he would not be ungrateful, and on the other hand, he also showed off that his grandson Lai Shangrong was elected as a parent official.
In addition, Cao Xueqin borrowed the words of Wang Xifeng and Li Feng to once again point out the identity of Lai Mama's old feudal lord. Although Grandma Lai is a slave of Jia Province, after three generations, the Lai family already has its own independent industry, and After Grandma Lai's grandson Lai Shangrong was born, he was also like the young master of Jia Province, eating and dressing with slaves to serve, going to school, and finally relying on the protection of his master to donate a future.
Back to the topic, with Grandma Lai's way of enslavement, a young grandmother like Wang Xifeng celebrates her birthday, even if Wang Xifeng does not inform her, she will take the initiative to participate to show her gratitude and respect for Wang Xifeng, the housekeeper grandmother. She will not refuse to attend Wang Xifeng's birthday under the pretext of retiring herself.
On the contrary, if Grandma Lai did not understand the principle of being a slave, after her family developed, she did not know how to be grateful to her master, and perhaps she would not have the Fuzhongfu of the Lai family.
It can be seen that Grandma Lai is not only extremely emotionally intelligent, but also well versed in the way of slavery. In front of the master, he taught his children and grandchildren and praised the master, and deeply liked and trusted the master of The Jia Family headed by Jia Mu. The origin of the Lai family also has a great credit to Grandma Lai, which shows that this old woman is not simple.
I am Xiao Meng, telling you the story of "Dream of the Red Chamber".
Reference works: Cao Xueqin, Fat Yanzhai commentary on "Dream of the Red Chamber" Fat Collection