Chapter 44 Circumference to Baochai and Daiyu

Wang Xifeng asks sick, Qin Keqing sees Xifeng and Jia Rui becomes lustful This book describes the women with Daiyu as the center and Baochai as the enemy. Although Daiyu is the first person, the book does not use positive praise for Daiyu.In the past, I had a copy of Yunxiang Pavilion in the 9th year of Jiaqing (1804), and there was a comment on it: "Hui Zhen Ji" wears a set of plain clothes [21], and the gold commentary is fine and solid, but it still speaks plain.But from Baoyu's mind, he used Chaoyi characters, but he didn't realize that Daiyu's whole body was plain, and he jumped on the paper. This is often the case with the spirit of the pen in "Red Mansion". (The sixteenth chapter "Baoyu's heart tastes Daiyu, and she becomes more and more elegant and elegant" is added next to it)

He said it very well, which is often the case when describing Daiyu in this book. ——Let’s make a point here. There are some positive descriptions in this book, but it’s not Daiyu. Please see Sister Feng: I saw plain silverware on the head, a moon-white satin jacket, a blue satin cape, and a white silk skirt on the body.The eyebrows are curved with willow leaves, and the two ends are hung high; (Chapter 68, page 758) How about Bi Daiyu?It may not be necessary to say that there will be praise and blame here, but one is pitiful and the other is full of evil spirits, is there any difference between immortals and ordinary people?There is no need to spend too much ink on these places, they are just full of emotion and text, and we can't help but be fascinated by them.

Writing about Daiyu not only positively says that she is not very beautiful, but also sometimes does not seem to say that she is beautiful, and it seems that she is not as beautiful as Baochai.Here are three examples: I don't want to think that Xue Baochai suddenly came here. Although he is not very old, he has a good character and a plump appearance. Many people say that Daiyu can't match her. (Chapter five, pages four and five) This is what everyone thinks.Another example: Xiren laughed and said, "They say Miss Xue's younger sister is better. How does the third girl look?" Tanchun said, "It's true. As far as I can see, even his sister and these people are not as good as him." (No. Chapter 49, page 523)

According to Tanchun, even Baochai is inferior to her, but in fact Baochai is the leader of the group.Look again at Wen Baoyu’s words: It's even more strange that in your Chengri family, you only said that Sister Bao is a stunning figure, but now you look at his sister and sister-in-law, I can't describe it.God, God, how many essences and talents do you have to give birth to these superior people!It can be seen that I am a frog at the bottom of a well, Cheng Ri's family only says that these few people are unique, but who knows that there is no need to search far, it is the local scenery, one is like the other. (page 522)

Baoyu said that everyone thinks so.As far as the narration in the following article is concerned, there are people who use flowers to describe others: for example, in the sixty-third chapter "Shouyi Hongqunfang held a night banquet", the lottery drawn by Baochai is a peony, inscribed with the four characters "Beautiful Crown and Qunfang". Everyone said: "Coincidentally, you are also the original match for peony flowers." When it was Daiyu's turn, she thought: "I don't know what else is good for me to hold on to." Then she set off hibiscus flowers.This article is written lightly, and it implies that their ending is more detailed than that contained in the fifth chapter, those aside.As far as real flowers are concerned, peony is far better than hibiscus in terms of color, fragrance, and variety. This is something that everyone has seen. It is unavoidable that we are surprised by this way of writing.Even Zhiyanzhai’s criticism of Chai and Dai’s appearance seems to be like this:

According to Daiyu and Baochai, they are like beautiful flowers and willows, each of which is extremely wonderful... Just like a beautiful flower, like a delicate willow, who is a beautiful flower and who is a delicate willow?Lin Daiyu could have been compared to Jiaohua, but Baochai could not compare to Xianliu; since Daiyu had to be Xianliu, Baochai was better than Jiaohua.Flowers are more beautiful, or willows are more beautiful?Zhiyanzhai's commentary is similar to the sixty-three chapters of the article. The author may have deep meaning, Zhiping may be imitating the author, but on the surface, generally speaking, Baochai is more beautiful than Daiyu.As for character, there are many people in the book who say that Baochai is better than Daiyu. Here I can only quote two.

Moreover, Baochai's behavior is open-minded, and when she obeys her duties, she is no more arrogant than Daiyu, and her eyes have no dust, so she is more humble than Daiyu. (four or five pages) The second paragraph can be found in Chapter 35: Baoyu laughed and said: "That's it. I said that the elder sister-in-law doesn't talk much, and the old lady treats her the same way as Sister Feng. If it's just the one who can talk, it's painful, and among these sisters, it's only Sister Feng and Sister Lin who are painful." Yes." Jia Mu said: "When I mention sisters, it's not that I flatter my aunt in front of my wife. It's true. Counting from the four girls in our family, they are not as good as Bao girl." Aunt Xue heard that and said with a smile: " This is what the old lady said." Mrs. Wang hurriedly laughed again: "The old lady often tells me that Bao girl is good to me behind her back, which is not a lie." When he praised Baochai, he was surprised, so he looked at Baochai and smiled.Baochai turned her head away early and went to talk to the attacker. (Chapter 35, page 365)

The writing in these places is really too flexible. For example, here it is easy to think that Jia Mu likes Baochai and not so much like Daiyu. Readers generally have such an impression, but I think there is also a relationship between worldly and human relationships. Here and Can't talk anymore. When writing about Baochai, her personality, appearance, speech, manners, knowledge, and talents are all good, which is in line with the standards of "morality, appearance, speech, and workmanship" for women in established families in the past.Although this book affirms that Daiyu is the number one among the hermits, it first writes about Baochai with first-class pen and ink, so what kind of pen and ink is used to write about Daiyu?

The author uses a two-pronged method to write Chai Dai, but the two pens can be different, showing the author's tendency.The two-pronged approach does not hinder his "one-sidedness", but makes this "one-sidedness" more artistic, and more complicated and profound.In some places, Daiyu is not as good as Baochai, but he wants to make us feel that Baochai is not as good as Daiyu. What method does he use?First, it comes directly from the author's writing; second, it also comes from the author's writing, but indirectly through Baoyu's heart and eyes.Let's talk about the second first.

Please go back to the fifth and forty-ninth chapters cited above: one is "many people talk about it", the other is "exploring the way of spring", and the third is "you always talk about it"; "you" are like this, so what about me ?Baoyu never answered this question.You might as well look specifically at Chai Dai in Baoyu's eyes.Yu Daiyu said: Two curved eyebrows that seem to be frowning but not frowning, and a pair of eyes that seem to be happy but not happy. (Chapter Three, Page 32) Yu Baochai said: Lips are red without spots, eyebrows are green without painting, face is like a silver basin, and eyes are like water apricots. (Chapter Eight, Page 83)

It is clear which of the two is the most beautiful in appearance, and which of the two sentences of the article is better, without waiting for annotations. Look at the thirty-fifth chapter of the quotation again. Although Jiamu praised Baochai, Baoyu's original intention was to make Jiamu praise Daiyu.There are more than one reasons why Baozhi and Dai have a special liking and favoritism. Some of them come from the aspect of thinking, such as Chapter 36: "Only Lin Daiyu never persuaded him to become famous since she was a child, so she deeply admires her. "Respecting Daiyu" is true; some come from the friendship of Zongjiao, such as the fifth chapter: "Because she and Daiyu sit and lie with Jia Mu, they are a little more familiar than other sisters; once they are familiar, then It is also true that it is more intimate; the main reason is love. According to the book, the love has an antecedent cause, which comes from the illusory realm, which is also the so-called "wood and stone alliance" and "department of tears".Apart from some ideological factors, Baoyu's views on Chai and Dai may not be criticized here.Let's look at the author's pen again, because the scope of the book is too wide, we can only talk about a little bit here, starting from the idea of ​​the book. As far as the meaning of this book is concerned, the women in the Grand View Garden are all smart and beautiful, so they have a feeling of nostalgia and the meaning of passing on to others, otherwise he would not have to write "The Twelve Beauties of Jinling".Not to mention Baochai and Daiyu as the leaders.But although Chai and Dai are beautiful, their personalities are significantly different: for example, Daiyu is straight while Baochai is curved, Daiyu is rigid but Baochai is soft, Daiyu is hot but Baochai is cold, Daiyu is sharp but Baochai is round, Daiyu is innocent and innocent. Baochai is so sophisticated. ...Comprehensive of these character characteristics, they are not only two types but also opposites; therefore, their reactions to the environment they live in are different from pros and cons, one is the lonely son of a feudal family, the other It is its darling.Faced with such a reality, the author has to criticize them separately in the double mention.This is one of the tendencies of this book.In the book, there are praises and criticisms for the characters in Daguanyuan, headed by Chai Dai, but not limited to Chai Dai. The author criticizes Chai Dai with circumflex, praise and derogation.Its Yang Dai suppresses hairpin, his meaning is clear; because it is a novel, which is different from general essays and biographies, so there are various artistic techniques, using less direct comments and more indirect hints, from subtle hints to subtle hints. Narrative but not discussion, so that it changes and seems to be reversed, like suppressing Daiyu, rebelling against Baochai, and so on.Despite such tortuous performances, using the so-called "reverse and hidden pen" in the second general commentary, he has never lost his way, and has reached the level of being close to Daiyu and far away in terms of readers over the past two hundred years; I don't like the expected effect of Baochai, it's like a lion rolling a hydrangea ball, showing all its skills.And these solutions are revolving around a center, not departing from the front, back, left, and right sides of the "ball". Having said that, I think it is inevitable that readers may misunderstand the author's meaning.His flower-making brush follows the shape of the object, "it is formed because of the square, and it is also formed when it meets the circle", such as Daiyu's straightness, so the writing method is more straight because of it; Baochai's song, the writing method is also more curved.Readers misunderstand Baochai more than Daiyu.And there seem to be two kinds of misunderstandings.One of them regards the author's irony as the truth, and really thinks Baochai is good, as some critics in the past did.At the other extreme, irony is taken too seriously and too rigidly, which exceeds the proper limit of praise and criticism.Of these two situations, the second one is more likely to happen. Although many pens and inks in the book seem plain, they are about the heat and the size.The author's writing style has really reached the point of perfection, and it is also like the saying in ancient Fu: "An increase of one point is too long, and a decrease of one point is too short".It is not difficult to praise, criticize or praise, but the difficulty lies in how to praise and criticize, how to praise and criticize. If the current biography and sequels are correct, they are actually quite wrong, because they have not grasped the heat and size. There is still a lot to talk about about Chai and Dai. I will mention them again when I talk about Qingwen and Xiren below.