Preface
In ancient wealthy families, maids would live in the same room with the master and his wife, and even watch from the sidelines when the master was intimate. Isn't that embarrassing and uncomfortable?
What kind of social environment will create this strange phenomenon? and what kind of character stories are hidden in the fate of these maids?
1. The hierarchy of maids: from rough girls to "people in the house"
In ancient wealthy families, maids were an indispensable labor force. However, not all maids have the same status and responsibilities, and they are often divided into different levels according to their skills, appearance, and other factors.
At the bottom are rough girls, most of whom come from humble backgrounds and can only undertake some simple heavy labor, such as chopping wood and carrying water, washing clothes, etc. These maids usually have little contact with their owners and rarely have access to their bedrooms.
In the middle level, the maid is responsible for some more decent work, such as serving tea and water, sorting clothes, and being a female celebrity. Although these maids have access to their masters, it is difficult for them to enter their masters' bedrooms due to their mediocre appearances.
The ones who can really enter the master bedroom are the personal maids. They tend to be good-looking, highly skilled and able to see all the needs of their owners. Among these personal maids, there is also a special type of existence called "people in the house".
What are the "people in the house" and what kind of responsibilities do they have? Let's explore the secrets of this ancient rich family.
2. "The Man in the House": From "Sexual Enlightenment Teacher" to "Victim"
The so-called "people in the house" refer to those special maids who live in the same room as the host and his wife. Their status and responsibilities are vastly different from ordinary maids.
Taking two typical characters in Dream of Red Mansions as examples, we can better understand the fate of the "people in the house".
1. Attack: Jia Baoyu's "Sexual Enlightenment Teacher"
In "Dream of Red Mansions", Jia Baoyu's personal maid attacks people, which is a typical "man in the house".
Before Jia Baoyu got married, he had an intimate relationship with the attacker. In the fifth episode, we can see that Jia Baoyu slept with the attacker when he was sleepwalking in the too illusory realm. This can be said to be Jia Baoyu's "sexual enlightenment" process, and the attacker is his "teacher".
As a minor young master, Jia Baoyu's desires naturally need to be vented. And as a maid bought by the master's family, the attacker couldn't refuse this arrangement. She could only let Jia Baoyu slaughter and become his "sexual enlightenment teacher" in adolescence.
2. Ping'er: Wang Xifeng and Jia Lian's "victims"
Another typical "house person" is Wang Xifeng's maid Ping'er.
Ping'er was originally Wang Xifeng's dowry girl, but later Jia Lian took a fancy to her and became the "girl in the room" of the two. Although Wang Xifeng was very dissatisfied with this, in order to maintain her position, she still acquiesced to this arrangement.
This means that Ping'er not only has to serve Wang Xifeng, but also takes on the task of satisfying Jia Lian's desires. It can be said that she became a "victim" between the two.
Not only that, when Wang Xifeng was physically inconvenient, Ping'er also needed to replace her and accompany Jia Lian. This kind of behavior of "making promises with oneself" is undoubtedly another exploitation and oppression of Ping'er.
From the stories of these two characters, we can see how tragic the fate of the "man in the house" is. Not only do they have to bear the various needs of their masters, but they also have no control over their own bodies and love. This situation of being completely deprived of autonomy is undoubtedly a cruel torture of human nature.
3. "Inspection" and "Sacrifice": The Double Fate of the Girl in the Room
In addition to the above two typical characters, in ancient wealthy families, there was also a special type of "rooming girl". Their fate is even more heart-wrenching.
1. "Inspection": the "test product" before the bride gets married
In some famous families, the young lady in the family will be directly equipped with a roommate. This roommate often has a deeper understanding of the affairs of men and women.
The day before the young lady's wedding, the girl would go to the man's house first and have "intimate contact" with the groom. The purpose is to "inspect the goods" and see if this man is "good". After all, if you marry a man with poor sexual function, it is a huge shame for both families.
Therefore, the girl in the room has become the "test product" of this kind of "inspection". They must "try" the groom before the bride gets married to ensure that the man can meet the bride's needs. This is undoubtedly another exploitation and humiliation of the intercourse girl.
2. "Sacrifice": A "substitute" for a young lady when she is physically incapacitated
In addition to the task of "inspecting the goods", the girl also bears another more cruel duty, that is, when the young lady is inconvenient, she replaces the young lady to satisfy her husband's desires.
Just like Ping'er mentioned above, when Wang Xifeng was not feeling well, she had to accompany Jia Lian. This kind of behavior of "promising each other" is undoubtedly another "sacrifice" for the girl who has a room.
Not only do they have to bear the various needs of their masters, but they also have no control over their own bodies. This situation of being completely deprived of autonomy is undoubtedly a cruel torture of human nature.
Fourth, the "openness" of feudal society: based on the exploitation of women
Through the above stories and analysis, it is not difficult for us to find that in ancient wealthy families, the fate of maids can be described as extremely tragic. Not only do they have to bear all kinds of heavy labor, but they can't even control their own bodies and love.
But what is interesting is that in this feudal society, there is a peculiar phenomenon of "openness". For example, the young master can have an intimate relationship with the maid, and sometimes even ask his wife to "have fun" with the maid.
This practice is undoubtedly very "incest" and "immoral" in today's view. But in the social environment at the time, this was a phenomenon that was considered "normal".
The reason for this may be based on the complete exploitation of women. In this society, the status of women is far lower than that of men, and their bodies and destiny are in the hands of men. And the maids are at the bottom of the existence, they can only be slaughtered by their masters, and they cannot change their fate.
Therefore, behind this "openness", there is actually a cruel reality. It is based on the oppression and exploitation of women, a distorted "rationalization".
epilogue
Through the above discussion, it is not difficult for us to find that in ancient wealthy families, the fate of maids can be described as extremely tragic. Not only do they have to bear all kinds of heavy labor, but they can't even control their own bodies and love.
And in this feudal society, there is a peculiar phenomenon of "openness". For example, the young master can have an intimate relationship with the maid, and sometimes even ask his wife to "have fun" with the maid.
This practice is undoubtedly very "incest" and "immoral" in today's view. But in the social environment at the time, this was a phenomenon that was considered "normal".
The reason for this may be based on the complete exploitation of women. In this society, the status of women is far lower than that of men, and their bodies and destiny are in the hands of men. And the maids are at the bottom of the existence, they can only be slaughtered by their masters, and they cannot change their fate.
Therefore, behind this "openness", there is actually a cruel reality. It is based on the oppression and exploitation of women, a distorted "rationalization".
This is the fate of the rich maids in ancient times, from "sexual enlightenment teachers" to "victims", their tragic experiences are undoubtedly a cruel torture of human nature. Let's reflect on this history and think about how to build a more fair and just society.