Xue Baochao
"Dream of the Red Chamber" is a famous work with high literary achievements, the book is good at using symbols and metaphors, and often the details of the characters' behavior symbolize their final fate.
In "Dream of the Red Chamber", Lin Daiyu is a sick beauty, suffering from congenital deficiency, weak physique, the so-called "heart is more than dry, the disease is like Xizi wins three points." ”
Cao Xueqin spent a lot of pen and ink to portray Lin Daiyu's sick and weak image, on the one hand, she wanted to show her weak beauty and swaying posture, on the other hand, she was ill-fated, losing her mother since childhood, sending people to the fence, depressed, and laying the groundwork for the final tragic ending.
Lin Daiyu
Compared with Lin Daiyu, Xue Baochao looks much healthier and more cheerful, and his physique is more plump, but in fact, Xue Baochao has also been ill since childhood and needs to take medicine for many years to suppress it.
Xue Baochao's illness is very strange to say, and the book only says that Xue Baochao's disease is "a hot poison brought out of the womb of the mother," and the symptoms of this kind of illness are constant coughing.
The prescription for treating this heat poison also sounds very mysterious, and Xue Baochao's hot poison needs to be suppressed with cold incense pills.
The process of making cold incense pills can be described as very complicated, and it is said that this folk remedy was given by a monk who traveled all over the world, and this folk remedy came from a fairyland place outside the four seas.
Cold incense pills need to use the white peony flower buds that bloom in the spring, the white lotus flower buds that bloom in the summer, the white hibiscus flower buds that bloom in the autumn, and the white plum blossom buds that bloom in the winter.
Just to collect the four kinds of flower buds that bloom in this spring, summer, autumn and winter, it will take a whole year, and the flower buds that have just been collected need to be placed in the ice store to preserve freshness, and they cannot be dried up at once, otherwise they will lose the spirituality of the drug.
Wait until the spring equinox of the following year, then dry the four flower buds together, mix them in a mortar and grind them together into a delicate powder, and sift them several times to ensure adequate grinding.
It is also necessary to collect the twelve dollars for the first rain on the day of the rain festival, the twelve dollars for the white dew condensed on the morning of the white dew festival, the twelve dollars for the white frost on the day of the frost festival, and the twelve dollars for the first snow on the day of the light snow festival.
Collecting these four types of water also takes a year. Then the four kinds of water are mixed evenly, added to the ground flower bud powder, and then added twelve dollars of honey, twelve dollars of sugar, stirred evenly, kneaded into longan-sized balls, and packed in a porcelain altar.
Finally, this altar pill is buried under the root of the old pear tree, and if you are sick, you will take it out and eat the next pill, and the heat poison can be suppressed.
The whole production process of cold incense pills is really cumbersome to the extreme, and according to modern people, it is inevitable that it is a bit mysterious, after all, this rain and dew frost and snow are essentially water, and it must also take a lot of effort to obtain the rain and dew frost and snow of the four solar terms.
Cao Xueqin's writing is very rigorous, and he himself is also very proficient in pharmacology, so the prescriptions recorded in the book can be considered, and even posterity can restore many of the drugs according to the descriptions in the book.
For example, the ginseng Yangrong pills that Lin Daiyu eats are ginseng, baishu, poria, angelica, cooked ground yellow, white peony, tangerine peel, cinnamon, schisandra and so on.
Compared with the prescription of ginseng Yangrong pill and cold incense pills, it feels a lot more reliable. And the illness that Lin Daiyu committed is also described in many pens and inks in the book, which is more real and perceptible.
Cao Xueqin wrote that Daiyu's illness was "Every spring equinox and autumn equinox, there will be old diseases, coughing more, coughing up phlegm, and occasionally coughing up blood." ”
From these detailed descriptions, it can be analyzed that Lin Daiyu's disease should be tuberculosis, the cause is liver loss, heart failure, and the ginseng Yangrong pills she eats also have the effect of tonifying the spleen and strengthening the qi.
Correspondingly, the description of Xue Baochao's disease in the whole book "Dream of the Red Chamber" is vague and confusing, making people a little confused.
And Xue Baochao is in Jia Province, good at making good relations with people up and down, and he accompanies Jia Mu to listen to plays, chats with his sisters, occasionally idles and comes, and also goes to the garden to throw a butterfly.
In short, Xue Baochao behaved energetically every day, not at all like a sick Xi Shi, so why did Cao Xueqin add such a mysterious illness to her? What is the significance of this?
In the seventh time of "Dream of the Red Chamber", after the Zhou Rui family sent away Grandma Liu, who had just come to Jia Province to "fight the autumn wind", they came to talk back to Madame Wang. At this time, Madame Wang was in Lixiangyuan and Aunt Xue.
As soon as Zhou Rui's family came in, she did not dare to easily disturb the conversation between the two people, so she silently walked to Xue Baochao's room and saw Xue Baochao, and her tone became warm: "The girl has not seen other girls to play these two days, is it that Second Master Bao has collided with the girl?" ”
Xue Baochao listened, put down the embroidery in his hand, and said, "What can I do?" It's just that I've been sick again in the past few days, and my body is uncomfortable and tight, and I don't want to go out. ”
Xue Baochao only pointed out that he had a hidden disease at this time, and Zhou Rui's family then asked her about her condition, and she continued to explain that this disease had been eaten since childhood to adulthood, and the prescriptions had been eaten, but it was not good until he found the cold incense pill, and there was a way to suppress it a little.
Aunt Xue
Zhou Rui's family continued to ask what the root cause of this disease was, and Xue Baochao couldn't say it clearly, only saying that it was a hot poison brought out of the mother's womb.
And how exactly is this hot poison caused? Cao Xueqin did not say it explicitly, but in Li Yanzhai's comments, she pointed out the answer: "Whoever has a heart that is even blazing is attacked with evil fire." ”
In "Dream of the Red Chamber", this fan heart refers to both the yearning for the lust of red dust and the pursuit of the prosperity of the world. Li Yanzhai's comments were intended to point out that it was Xue Baochao's mortal heart that triggered her hot poison.
However, the men and women in "Dream of the Red Chamber" rarely have unmoving hearts, Jia Baoyu, Lin Daiyu, Shi Xiangyun, these people are deeply troubled by mortal lust.
In fact, the whole "Dream of the Red Chamber" is about a group of idiot men and women in the too illusory realm who have gone through the red dust, finally seen through the world, and realized that the red dust fame and fortune are all empty stories in the end.
The first on the left is Xue Baochao
So why would Xue Baochao alone be disturbed by heat poison because of his heart? This is because Xue Baochao's mortal heart and her values of adhering to feudal etiquette are fundamentally contrary.
Xue Baochao's sentence was: "Poor stop, pity Yong Cai." The jade belt is hung in the forest, and the gold is buried in the snow. ”
"Poor downtime" comes from the allusion to the fact that the wife of the sheep is willing to cut the hard-knit cloth for her husband to understand the importance of schooling. Xue Baochao undoubtedly agreed with this feudal female moral value from the bottom of his heart.
Although Xue Baochao was born into a large family, but his father unfortunately died early, although the family still has millions of wealth, helpless his brother is not angry, can not revive the family, and Xue Baochao is a woman's body, can not go to the examination like a man to obtain a meritorious name.
But Xue Baochao has a strong ambition, she is different from Lin Daiyu, she lives a pure life, full of poetry, she wants to be a famous lady, but also wants to become a commandment lady.
The second from the right is Xue Baochao
Xue Baochao once wrote "Linjiang Immortal" can show her ambition: "Good wind, with strength, send me to Qingyun." The theme of the poem is to describe the willow silk, and Bao Chao obviously brings himself into the fluttering willow silk.
In that era, the only way for a woman like Xue Baochao to achieve the heart of fame and fortune was to marry a good family, seek a good east wind, and send herself to the clouds. She had previously entered the palace to choose a princess to accompany her, and she also wanted to increase her own value.
However, after Xue Baochao failed to be selected as a princess to accompany the reading, she came to Jia Province, and through the observation of people up and down Jia Province, her goal naturally fell on Jia Baoyu.
She had advised Jia Baoyu to study well and take the meritorious name in the future, but Jia Baoyu was born with a stubborn nature, and reprimanded all the words that persuaded him to take the meritorious name as words.
Xue Baochao and Lin Daiyu
Although Xue Baochao had such ambitions for fame and fortune in his heart, he had to hide this ambition in Jia Province, because in the feudal era, an ambitious woman was often considered to be unruly.
Cao Xueqin said that Xue Baochao was "the crystal snow of Gaoshi in the mountains" and that "Ren is ruthless and moving." If the thirst for fame and fortune is like a fire in her heart, then the cold snow is her shell, the cloak she uses to deliberately create to hide her true thoughts.
In "Dream of the Red Chamber", Xue Baochao's external image is also plain and conservative, and the original text writes that she "has red lips without dots, eyebrows without painting but green, her face is like a silver basin, and her eyes are like water apricots." Rare words, people are said to be foolish, punctual in peace, and clumsy in the clouds. ”
And the clothes she wore were mostly not luxurious, more conservative dark colors, and there were no extra decorations in the boudoir, only a chessboard, a few scrolls, and a bunch of embroidery work.
Her personality traits also seem to be stable and impartial at first glance, and the original text describes her as "not close to people and things, not close, but the disgusting person fails to see the cold state, and the loveable person fails to see the flattery." ”
She created a completely elegant, indisputable, well-bred image of a feudal lady, but her interior is not exactly consistent with the image created from the outside, so when she can't help but show her mortal heart, it is actually the time of the heat poison attack.
Xue Baochao and Jia Baoyu
For example, she seems to be silent and silent, and her attitude toward the world seems to be always neutral and impartial, but she is particularly good at speculating and pandering to the mentality of the rulers of Jia Province in order to win their favor.
For example, Jia Mu's birthday, asked her what drama she likes to listen to, what food she loves to eat, she knows that the elderly love to listen to lively dramas, love to eat sweet and greasy food, so she answered according to Jia Mu's daily preferences.
She also flattered Jia Mu in person: "I have come these days, it seems that no matter how clever Feng Yatou is, it is not an old lady," and as a result, she won Jia Mu's continuous praise.
And after Jin Jun'er committed suicide by throwing herself into the well, Madame Wang has been worried and uneasy, and Xue Baochao comforted Madame Wang: "Jin Jun'er will not commit suicide, if she really committed suicide, it means that she is a stupid person, and there is no pity when she dies, and it is better to reward a few silver or two." ”
Jhafuli
Xue Baochao usually treats the girls very kindly, and the girls like to be next to her, and even think that she is much better than Lin Daiyu, who speaks with thorns, but Lin Daiyu is good and evil and teaches Xiangling to compose poetry, but Xue Baochao is a little too impersonal in the face of Jin Jun'er's life.
The most revealing of Xue Baochao's mortal heart was in the eighth time in "Dream of the Red Chamber": Baoyu went to Lixiangyuan to visit Baochao, Baochao offered to see his psychic treasure jade, Baoyu took the jade and handed it to Xue Baochao, Xue Baochao looked at the jade and read out two sentences on the jade: Don't forget, Xianshou Yongchang.
After hearing this, the maid warbler on the side mentioned in passing: "When I listen to this poem, it seems to be a pair on the collar of the girl." ”
As soon as Bao Yu heard it, he was very curious, and he shouted to see Bao Chao's collar, and Bao Chao undressed and took out the collar in front of him, and the collar was indeed engraved with several big words: "Don't leave and don't give up, Fang Ling yong ji." ”
Jammu
There is also a detail in this, that is, when Baochao took out the collar, he accidentally revealed the underwear inside, which is different from the plain coat, the underwear is big red, and there are gold thread trims, there are many embroidery decorations, and the red underwear is equipped with a gold collar, which looks much more luxurious.
This may also show that Xue Baochao does not love luxury as much on the surface, but just likes to create a generous and elegant image.
The second noteworthy detail is why the warbler would say that the words on the psychic treasure jade and the words on the golden lock are like a pair? Ying'er was illiterate, and it was estimated that Baochao always chanted in her ear, so she wrote down the two sentences on Baochao's golden lock.
The words engraved on the psychic treasure jade and the golden lock are like a pair, and since ancient times, there is a saying of "golden jade good luck", Aunt Xue once told Lady Wang that Bao Chao would marry someone in the future and find someone with jade.
In this way, isn't Jia Baoyu the true son of Xue Baochao? But Bao Chao only explained to Bao Yu that this sentence was said by a monk, and felt auspicious, and it was engraved on the golden lock.
Xue Baochao's mind was delicate, since he had already let Baoyu see her golden lock, of course, it was to hint at Baoyu and connect herself with Baoyu.
But in this way, her thoughts will inevitably be revealed, and her mortal heart will also move, so she has made several illnesses and needs to be suppressed by cold incense pills.
Xue Baochao's mind is very deep, but whenever the so-called "evil fire attacks together", it is inevitable to expose his true ambitions and do things that are out of line with his own dignified image.
For example, yuanchun gave gifts for the Dragon Boat Festival, Xue Baochao learned that only she and Jia Baoyu were the same gift, both precious red musk bead bracelets, she could not help but get overwhelmed, feeling that she had been loved by the noble concubine.
So Xue Baochao took a string of musk beads and swung through Jia Fuli, which was contrary to the person she had set up before that she did not love jewelry.
Later, Xue Baochao also went to Jia Baoyu's residence at noon, when Jia Baoyu was asleep, she sat in front of Jia Baoyu's bed to embroider flowers.
Although Lin Daiyu also came to Jia Baoyu to play, Baoyu regarded Dai Yu as a closer and better sister, and Bao Chao's doing so was indeed not in line with her image of being a bridesmaid.
In fact, Xue Baochao did not necessarily really like Jia Baoyu, after all, Jia Baoyu was stubborn, a difficult demon king of the mixed world, and did not love to read, and he hated what merit was even more, which was estimated to be different from the ideal husband in Baochao's heart.
However, Baoyu's identity is undoubtedly precious, and Xue Baochao's goal of marrying into Jia Fu is becoming more and more intense in getting along bit by bit, and his expression is becoming more and more obvious.
However, Jia Baoyu always valued Lin Daiyu more in his heart, and the two people were intentional and close to each other, but they were too close and easy to quarrel.
Once after Lin Daiyu and Jia Baoyu got into an argument, Jia Baoyu couldn't help but bow his head and apologize first, and Lin Daiyu reluctantly accepted Baoyu's apology.
Wang Xifeng was not too big to watch the hilarity on the side, and she laughed and quipped to the two: "It's really a pair of small wrongdoers, buckled the ring, can't be untied and can't be separated." ”
Baoyu and Daiyu
However, hearing this ridicule, Xue Baochao on the side was uncomfortable, and she was even a little annoyed and angry, and sneered at Jia Baoyu, which seemed to be a manifestation of jealousy.
These are all Xue Baochao can't resist, and she has a mortal heart, but every time she moves a mortal heart, she happens to be sick and needs to take cold incense pills.
In fact, this cold incense pill is mostly used to treat heart disease. Leng Xiang Pill gave Xue Baochao psychological hints, telling her to remain calm and not forget her own image.
Xue Baochao has very complex characteristics, first of all, she does have some inconsistencies in appearance, the appearance is indisputable, noble and elegant, simple and simple lady, but inside there is a strong city government.
However, Cao Xueqin did not directly point out Xue Baochao's hypocrisy, but only vaguely implied, which reflected Cao Xueqin's pity for the role of Xue Baochao.
Bao Chao and Dai Yu
Xue Baochao is undoubtedly tragic, the family is in the middle of the road, the brother is not a tool, he has empty ambitions, and he is powerless.
She has a clever heart, but she can't control her own destiny, and marrying Baoyu is not only her choice, but also a hope for their family.
Her hints, jealousy, and approach to Jia Baoyu are all aimed at achieving her goals, but she is also pathetic and cannot see through Jia Baoyu's heart, and later after Baoyu left home, she was forced to accept the fate of widowhood.
The sentence on her golden lock, "Do not leave and do not abandon", is like a saying, and finally becomes "both away and abandoned", which makes people sigh, it is really a creation and a trick.