In "Dream of Red Mansions", a work that has been handed down through the ages, Lin Daiyu's delicate and soft beauty is like a weak willow supporting the wind, which has aroused the love of countless readers. However, when our eyes turned to the gentle and virtuous heroine Xue Baochai, we found a little-known experience of illness hidden behind her.
Xue Baochai, a model of women in feudal society who is deeply influenced by secular concepts, her image has attracted our attention when she first appeared in the seventh chapter of the book. However, this seemingly flawless woman suffers from an indescribable illness. In a conversation with Zhou Rui's family, she revealed her condition: "Recently, my old illness has recurred, and I haven't stepped out of the house for several days. ”
What exactly is Xue Baochai's illness? Cao Xueqin did not clearly reveal it in the original book, but only mentioned that her condition was indescribable, and no matter what kind of medicine or skilled doctors could make her recover as before. It wasn't until a mysterious bald monk appeared that the truth about the cause was finally revealed. It turned out that this was a congenital toxin that had been hidden in Xue Baochai's body since the fetal period. Ordinary medicines are not effective, so they have to rely on unique prescriptions imported from overseas.
This unique medicinal convenience is cold incense pills. The method of concocting cold incense pills is extremely exquisite, and it is necessary to carefully select four stamens, such as white peony flowers, white lotus flowers, white hibiscus flowers and white plum blossoms, each stamen, which is twelve taels, and then carefully ground into powder. After carefully grinding into powder, it is necessary to follow the ancient "24 solar terms", and take the rain of the same year as the flowers, the dew of the white dew season, the frost flowers of the frost season, and the snowflakes of the light snow season, and take 12 yuan for each of them. Afterwards, honey and sugar are cleverly blended to shape the balls into a round shape and carefully buried under the tree. Once the disease recurs, simply boiling the cork into a decoction and then taking a pill of medicine can effectively relieve the pain of the body.
From today's perspective, the production method of cold incense pills does not seem to conform to conventional pharmacological logic, and even has a slightly casual meaning. However, when this formula came out of Xue Baochai's mouth, it was given the magical status of a "panacea". This can't help but make us more curious and speculative about Xue Baochai's condition.
In Jia Baoyu's eyes, Xue Baochai seems to be favored by the gods and Buddhas. It is rumored that when Jia Baoyu was born, a magical psychic jade was actually held in his mouth, this jade is crystal clear, like a foreign object, indicating that he has been blessed and favored by God. And Xue Baochai's illness and the appearance of this mysterious monk also seem to imply that she has some kind of special fate between her and Jia Baoyu.
Yan Zhai once said: "If the human heart is occasionally too hot, it will invade mercilessly like a fire." Xue Baochai's heart occasionally surged with an irrepressible enthusiasm, which was so blazing that it made her liver fire rise and her heart fluctuated. Perhaps, it was this enthusiasm that made her persist in finding a cure in the midst of her illness, and finally she was able to hold hands with Jia Baoyu and walk to the palace of marriage.
Dream of the Red Chamber has not only left a deep and strong imprint on the history of Chinese literature, but has also become a research hotspot in the field of red studies. As a famous literary critic of the Qing Dynasty, Yan Zhai provided a valuable reference for the interpretation of "Dream of Red Mansions" with his unique insights and sharp strokes. His criticism has been hailed as a "lipid review" or "lipid criticism" in the red academic circles, revealing for us many subtle and obscure statements in the original work.
Through the revelation of Yan Zhai, we are able to understand Xue Baochai's condition and the meaning behind it more deeply. Her illness was not only a physical torture, but also a mental struggle. She is seeking a cure in her illness, and she is also looking for a golden and jade relationship with Jia Baoyu. In the end, with her persistence and faith, she overcame her illness and won happiness.
Xue Baochai's story allows us to see the various dilemmas and challenges faced by women in feudal society. When we open this masterpiece again, we may be attracted by Xue Baochai's story and moved by her persistence and belief.