Writer Yan Hong
"Reading "Dream of the Red Chamber", the first thing we have to solve is, what does "Dream of the Red Chamber" say? The difference in perception is too great. You'll find that people seem to be reading the same book, and in fact they're not looking at the same book. Yan Hong said.
On April 16th, writer Yan Hong brought her new book "Reading China in It" to the second online event of "Nandu Reading Month", bringing readers of Nandu Book Club a lecture on "The Permanence and Impermanence in "Dream of the Red Chamber", in an enlightening way, talking about "Dream of the Red Chamber" and the workplace, emotions, humanity and life reflected in it.
Yan Hong pointed out that the core problem of "Dream of the Red Chamber" is actually to explore "how do we face impermanence". Jia Baoyu was born in the "prosperous, gentle and rich township of flowers and willows", he did not have to run for his livelihood, but he was troubled by an ultimate thought: "All this he loves, all these beautiful, gentle, rich, and generous things in front of him, will become nothing in the future." ”
For example, in the book, it is written that when he saw Daiyu burying flowers, he felt heartbroken when he thought of Daiyu's flower appearance and moon appearance, and there would be no way to find it in the future. Not only is There no dai yu to find, but others such as Bao Chao, Raider, and Xiang Ling are also untraceable. And where are you? If you don't know where you are going, then these gardens and willow trees don't know who owns them. The sense of nothingness about life made Baoyu feel very frightened. He needs to find a way to relieve himself of his pain and to address his fear of impermanence. Yan Hong said.
She believes that the reason why Jia Baoyu lingered between the fat powder was because "he wanted to solve a kind of trouble in his life, and he wanted to use this way to alleviate the pain of the inevitable nothingness of life." It is as if someone reads a book and forgets his worries, and someone is obsessed with collecting and does not know that old age is coming, "The fears in our lives are often solved by being with the things we love." ”
Prior to this event, the Nandu Book Club had solicited questions from readers, and eventually received dozens of red fans. In the lecture, Yan Hong selected ten readers' questions to answer in detail. Her speaking style is lively and grounded, often with unexpected views. For example, she said that Daguanyuan is essentially a "workplace" and defended the attackers, "Some people think that she is very thin," but I think that thin affection is actually a necessary quality in the workplace"; she questioned Li Yanzhai, "I feel that this person's temperament is particularly bad, she wants to show that I am very familiar with the author everywhere, I can order him"; she talks about Jia Mu's indifference to Daiyu in the sequel and the decisive denial of the last forty times, "The author of the last forty times has no way to imagine Jia Mu's attitude", "The tragedy caused by fate, Its sense of power is no less than that of a bad person who is obstructing inside"; and said that Ping'er broke Ping'er's way of survival in the Grand View Garden, "Ping'er echoed Wang Xifeng's inner kindness, making Wang Xifeng look at her differently." ”
"Understanding China in the Dream of the Red Chamber" published by the People's Literature Publishing House is Yan Hong's latest book to interpret the Dream of the Red Chamber. The whole book is divided into four series: "Living Color", "Winter is Coming", "The Black Hole of Mystery" and "Understanding Sadness", the author interprets the world and human feelings inside and outside the Grand View Garden with a pair of sharp eyes and vivid and spicy words, and the topics in the book involve social experience, workplace experience, class differences, female status, children's education, and gender feelings, directly hitting the focus and pain points of the current society.
The transcript of the lecture is the essence
Little Immortal: I think that although the attacker is a handmaiden, she is very wise and thinks very much about Baoyu, why do many people say that she is for her own future?
Yan Hong: Why people don't like to attack people, I think there may be several reasons. The first is that in the last forty times of "Dream of the Red Chamber", the raiders played a so-called betrayer role. I personally don't think that the attacker is a betrayer, I wrote an article, I think it is very likely that the betrayer of Qingwen is Qiutong.
The second reason is that the attacker is more or less Qingwen's right home. The two seem to be always against each other. And it is easier for us to substitute for Qingwen, rather than attacking people.
Raiders live very tired. And Qingwen is a wronged person. In our culture, it is easier for everyone to resonate with wronged people, such as Qu Yuan, Li Bai, Lin Chong, Lin Daiyu, Ling Huchong, Xiao Feng and so on.
Qingwen is beautiful and capable, although a little lazy, hot tempered, and sometimes take advantage of a little, but her heart is not bad, only the open gun and no dark arrow, it is easy for us to substitute ourselves. However, the superior always had no eyes and promoted the attacker who was a little dark. This can easily remind us of ourselves in the workplace and our green tea colleagues. So it's hard to feel good about the attacker.
But in fact, the attacker's step-by-step ascension to the throne did not rely on the so-called betrayal or her relationship with Baoyu. She comes from diligence, caution, and concentration. She is very focused, and there is only one person in her heart who serves. Some people think that she is very thin, but I think that thin feelings are actually a necessary quality in the workplace. If you put too many personal emotions in the workplace, it is likely to affect your ability to work. Qingwen seems to be very willing to do what she wants to do, and what she doesn't want to do is very lazy, and you will feel that she lacks a little workplace literacy.
In fact, whether it is Rongguo Mansion or Daguan garden, its essence is the workplace.
Jodie: If you can cross, who does Teacher Yan Hong want to be in "Dream of the Red Chamber", and what will she do after crossing?
Yan Hong: It may be easy for everyone to substitute lin daiyu and Shi Xiangyun, but it is generally unlikely to substitute for Baochao, because she is too tired to live. I feel that I am looking at everything in front of me with Baoyu's eyes: these beautiful women, the beautiful Grand View Garden, and this prosperity and passing.
Of course, it is impossible to cross, but "Dream of the Red Chamber" itself has a bit of a sense of crossing the novel. The author actually has dissipated the prosperity at the beginning, and he is looking back at the past. He travels back in time by writing novels.
If we can go back in time and tear down what we don't like like like building blocks, we can't be who we are now. For example, Jia Baoyu can go back to the past and persuade Lady Wang or Wang Xifeng to do something, such as adopting Qin Keqing's suggestions on how to buy more land and recuperate after the decline of the family. If Wang Xifeng listened to her words, maybe even if the family road fell, it would not be particularly miserable. But in this way, the author will not be so sad when he thinks back on the past, and he will not write "Dream of the Red Chamber". So, even if we cross we can't do anything. It is precisely because we can't do anything, we will have a special feeling when we watch this bustling old dream in "Dream of the Red Chamber".
Joyce: I personally think that Shi Xiangyun's personality in "Dream of the Red Chamber" is very cheerful and cute, is she based on Fat Yanzhai ?
Yan Hong: There has always been a saying that Shi Xiangyun is a fat Yan Zhai, but I personally don't believe it. Because I read the annotations of Li Yanzhai and felt that this person's temperament was not good, I wanted to show that I was very familiar with the author, and I could command him. I think Shi Xiangyun should not be this kind of temperament. And a person everywhere shows that I have a good relationship with this person, I think it is very suspicious, I think if it is really a close friend, really a relative and friend, there will be some very rough, no head and no tail, but this kind of thing is not in the annotation of Li Yanzhai.
But there has always been a saying that Shi Xiangyun was the last person to accompany Jia Baoyu. I think it's possible. There is an interesting treatment in the novel. We are also very clear about the appearance of Dai Yu and Bao Chao, but how Shi Xiangyun appeared, everyone did not seem to notice. It seemed that Shi Xiangyun came out at once. I think the author deliberately wants to leave an impression on the reader, that is, Baoyu and Shi Xiangyun are very familiar.
There is also a very interesting place. Bao Yu has admiration and pity for Shi Xiangyun, but there is no love between men and women. For example, he once saw Xiangyun sleeping in Daiyu's room, Dai Yu slept very gently, and Shi Xiangyun was dragged by a green silk on the pillow, and was only chest-aligned, a curved snow-white arm was thrown outside the quilt, and he wore two gold bracelets. The scene is very beautiful. But Baoyu will not be like Baochao, "unconsciously moved by envy", "only hate is not blessed to touch". He was very indifferent, just said, "Sleep is not honest, come back to the wind and shout shoulder socket pain", reached out and covered the quilt for her. He seems to be a very frank brother and sister love for Xiangyun, and he can play to a piece and go crazy to a piece. But it's interesting to know who's with whom, sometimes it may have nothing to do with love. Two people who do not love each other at all may also be brought together by fate and become a kind of warming together. Xiang Yun's husband eventually died, and Bao Chao may have died as well as suggested in the book. Two people who have suffered a lot, because of their own difficulties and together, they have a common memory, a common destiny, and need to live together. They did not love each other, but they were able to give each other the strength to live. I think such a feeling may be more meaningful than love.
Infinitely similar to transparent blue: After reading forty times, you can find that Gao Yan's style of writing has made Jia Mu and Feng Jie's words and styles have changed significantly, and Cao Gong's Spring and Autumn brushwork has not been continued, although I admit that Bao Dai's ending is in line with Cao Gong's intentions, but I can never accept the reversal of Jia Mu's attitude...
Yan Hong: You will feel troubled because you are more receptive to the last forty times. People like me who don't accept the last forty times at all don't have this bother.
Jia Mu couldn't have that attitude towards Daiyu. Dai Yu is the granddaughter of Jia Mu, Bao Chao is an outsider, we use the common ideal to think, no one can like the children of relatives more than their own granddaughters. Moreover, according to Jia Mu, Daiyu's mother is still her most beloved daughter. So, I think the author of the last forty times he has no way to imagine Jia Mu's attitude.
I also don't really accept such an ending from Bao Dai. Although Daiyu and Baoyu's "heart matter will eventually fade", I don't think I need to make such a dog bloody, like a farce. The tragedy of Bao Dai's love affair does not necessarily have to make Jia Mu obstruct, and Wang Xifeng plays a clown in it. I think the tragedy caused by fate is no less powerful than having a bad guy in it.
Therefore, although I have seen the last forty times, I do not feel that it has anything to do with the first eighty times, and it is not easy to be troubled by it.
Mu Mu: When I watched "Dream of the Red Chamber" when I was a child, my attention was on the girls such as Lin Sister Bao's sister, and after reaching a certain age, I noticed the characters such as Ping'er and Mandarin Duck, and saw the shining points on them. I would like to ask, how did the clever and handsome Ping'er, her kindness and propriety, her sobriety and rationality, come about?
Yan Hong: I like Ping'er this person very much, I think she is the kindest one in "Dream of the Red Chamber". For her kindness, propriety, sobriety and rationality, I think it is a kind of nature to a certain extent. She and Wang Xifeng may also be the result of a two-way choice. Wang Xifeng originally brought a few squirrels, walked away, died, and finally only Ping'er was left. Why can Ping'er survive in such an environment? Precisely because she has a kind of kindness.
Wang Xifeng is actually quite contradictory, she is sometimes fierce and wants to kill people. But she had an intermittent kindness. For example, she is more typical of Xing Xiuyan. I think she is kind by nature, but living in a complex environment, she has a strong personality, so she often needs to use some unkind means. And Ping'er echoed Wang Xifeng's inner kindness, making Wang Xifeng look at her differently. Let's not watch the palace fight drama, as if the bad guys can get the bad guys to reuse. In fact, I think kindness can summon goodness.
Written by: Nandu reporter Huang Qian