In ancient times, there was a difference between the concubines, not to mention the gap between the master and the subordinates in the house, it was simply a chasm. However, in "Dream of Red Mansions", there are two special cases, from a maid to a young lady in the house, who are they? How did you complete this seemingly impossible transformation in the torrent of fate?
Let's walk into this legendary story together, explore the extraordinary experiences of the two maids, Ruizhu and Baozhu, and at the same time, let us feel the twists and turns of their fate more deeply with the delicate description of the original text of "Dream of Red Mansions".
Ruizhu, a maid who was Qin Keqing's personal servant
Her daily routine is to follow her master and follow her husband like a shadow. The book once described their intimate relationship as follows: "Ruizhu went out with the Qin family, and when he went outside, he saw that Baoyu was still standing, so he came up to beat two thousand children. Baoyu was also busy returning the courtesy, because she asked, 'Why doesn't my sister go into the house to rest?' Ruizhu said: "The day before yesterday, the slave heard Miss Feng and the mandarin duck quietly discussing that they should send the slave out and ask the slave to follow his wife." Now that the wife is gone, the servants should follow. When Baoyu heard this, she felt uncomfortable. This conversation, although brief, reveals the deep relationship between Ruizhu and Qin Keqing, as well as Ruizhu's loyalty to his master.
However, when Qin Keqing died suddenly, Ruizhu's world seemed to collapse in an instant. Faced with this sudden change, Ruizhu chose to express her loyalty in an extreme way - touching the pillar and dying, following her master. The book reads: "Ruizhu saw that the Qin clan was dead, and he also touched the pillar and died. This matter is rare, and the people of the He tribe also sigh. Jia Zhen, the head of the Ning Guo Mansion, was deeply moved by Ruizhu's loyalty and courage, and decided to bury her with the gift of her granddaughter, and parked her coffin in the Dengxian Pavilion in Huifang Garden. This move undoubtedly promoted Ruizhu to the status of Miss Jiafu, and her funeral was almost the same as Qin Keqing's, grand and solemn.
Let's ask, if Ruizhu is in the spirit of the sky, if he can perceive all this, will he feel gratified? She was a humble maid in Jiafu in the first half of her life, but she was remembered by the world as Miss Jiafu in the second half of her life. Is this change fortunate or unfortunate?
Let's look at Baozhu again, Qin Keqing's other maid
After Qin Keqing's death, Baozhu made an astonishing decision - she was willing to become Qin Keqing's righteous daughter and take on the heavy responsibility of falling and losing her soul. The book describes Baozhu's determination as follows: "Baozhu gave her own gift of not marrying her daughter, and fell to her soul, and was very sad. When Jia Zhen heard this, she was overjoyed, and immediately passed down the order, and from then on, she called Baozhu Miss. Baozhu, the former maid, became the sixth generation of Miss Ning Guofu in this way.
However, the road to Baozhu's "Miss" was not all smooth sailing. Although she nominally became the young lady of Jiafu, she resolutely did not return to Ningguo Mansion, and was only willing to accompany Qin Keqing's coffin in Tiejian Temple. The book reads: "Baozhu insisted on refusing to go home, as long as he guarded the spirit of the Qin clan and accompanied the spirit there. Although the people of Jiafu are helpless, they can only send women to accompany them because of her temperament. Baozhu, the former maid, is now accompanied by the Green Lantern Ancient Buddha, silently guarding the spirits of Qin Keqing and Ruizhu. Her youth passed quietly in endless vigil and loneliness.
Is Baozhu's choice out of deep friendship for Qin Keqing, or is it a helpless move to protect himself? Although she nominally became the young lady of Jiafu, behind this glory, there is endless bitterness and loneliness. After all, she is still the poor person who can't get rid of the identity of a maid.
Ruizhu and Baozhu, these two were originally lowly maids in Jiafu, and in the end they both became the young ladies of Jiafu in different ways. Is their fate fortunate or unfortunate?
From a secular point of view, these two maids are undoubtedly lucky. They have completed the gorgeous transformation from humble to noble and realized the leap of identity. However, the truth behind this is far from being as glamorous as it seems. Ruizhu, because she knew a secret that she shouldn't know, chose to commit suicide to save herself. Baozhu, in order to protect herself, voluntarily became Qin Keqing's righteous daughter, and resolutely did not return to Ningguofu, so as to make her ambition clear.
They are all girls in the flower season, and they should be like other maids, get married, have children, and enjoy the happiness that women deserve. However, their youth passed quietly in endless vigils and loneliness. Ruizhu died, and her life was forever frozen in that moment. Although Baozhu is alive, her heart has already died with Qin Keqing's death. She's just a living dead person.
The so-called Miss Jiafu is just an honor for them. What can this reputation bring them? Is it happiness or pain? Is it glory or humiliation? Perhaps, only they know best in their hearts.
So, is the fate of Ruizhu and Baozhu fortunate or unlucky? I am afraid that no one can give a definite answer to this question. Because luck and misfortune have different definitions for different people. For Ruizhu and Baozhu, their fate is full of too many variables and helplessness. They may have longed for happiness and freedom, but in the end they were firmly bound by the shackles of fate.
However, despite this, we still cannot deny their bravery and perseverance. Rui Zhu used her life to interpret loyalty and determination; Baozhu uses her youth and loneliness to interpret the deep love of master and servant and sisterhood. Although their stories are full of tragedy, they are still worth remembering and pondering.