Red Mansions Become Baochai

The boudoir daughters who are hiding in the house have a broader vision, a more open mind, a cheerful and lovable temperament, and are talented.Although she was not included in the Jinling Twelve Beauties, her talent and appearance are indeed above all others.Later, Xue's family fell into decline, and she lived well after marrying into Mei Hanlin's family.Among the women in the Red Chamber, and outside of the "Bo Ming Si", she is a perfect and lucky existence.

Baochai thought that the saying that character determines destiny also makes sense in the book Dream of the Red Chamber.Regardless of women's past and present, no matter what their backgrounds are, only those who can face adversity positively and calmly take the initiative can have a chance to obtain happiness.

Sacrificing the truth to parents and brothers

At this time, worshiping ancestors is a major event. Three days before the winter solstice, Baochai's family took a bath and fasted according to the ritual.During these three days, it is forbidden to drink alcohol or eat meat, and all obscene things are prohibited, even singing and laughing at children's homes are not allowed.

The winter solstice finally arrived on this day, and it was still dark outside, so Baochai was woken up by Cao Mama.She rubbed her eyes, unwilling to get out of bed.As a modern person, she really has a headache for the ancient red tape.It is right to protect and inherit traditional culture.But if you really follow the ancient rituals, you will be exhausted and only have half your life left.

Baochai once read an angry youth’s point of view on the Internet: Modern China was bullied by foreign powers because it was burdened by Confucian red tape.At the time, I thought it was extreme, but later I read some historical materials. During the Sino-Japanese War of [-]-[-], the Beiyang Navy fought fiercely with the Japanese combined fleet at sea.But on the Chinese fleet, after loading the shells, the gunners had to kowtow to the pipe to salute, and wait for the pipe to give the order before firing the cannon.The Chinese navy has not finished knocking its head, and the shells of Little Japan have already hit it.Now that I have traveled to ancient times and experienced it myself, it is not entirely unreasonable to think about it.

As a woman, Baochai is very dissatisfied with the ancient patriarchal society.But today I feel a little lucky.At this time, women are not eligible to participate in family sacrifices, they only need to participate in family sacrifices.

Because Xue Gong's lineage is the head of the direct branch, although there are patriarchs to officiate the sacrifices in the clan, most of the sacrifices must be prepared by Baochai's family, but they are pigs and sheep, chickens, ducks, geese, fish and other meat foods, birthday peaches, red dates, etc. , pastries, candy and other vegetarian dishes, the selected ones were sent over.In addition, there are 220 small gold and silver zizi in the styles of pen blooming Ruyi and Babao Lianchun.

The most terrible thing is the family sacrifice. According to the rules, all the things used for sacrificing ancestors must be prepared by the descendants and daughter-in-law in order to show piety.The population of Xue's family was small in the first place, but now that the whole family is mobilized, only two little girls, Baochai and Baoqin, can be idlers and idlers.

As the head of the family, Xue Ke is the most respectful of rules and etiquette, and every clause must be in accordance with Zhu Zi's family etiquette. After bathing in fragrant soup, he took his younger brother, son and nephew, and changed into deep sacrificial clothes. Because Xue Gong and his wife have passed away. , so Xue Ke brothers wear plain dark clothes, Xue Pan and Xue Biao wear blue dark clothes.

The four men had to clean the ancestral hall, wash the tables and chairs, and wipe the ancient sacrificial vessels with straw.Those sacrificial utensils are all made of copper, and they are not used a few times a year. They are rusted and must be polished to be shiny before passing the test.

Fortunately, Xue Biao, he went out with his father and developed the habit of doing it himself.Xue Pan was spoiled and spoiled since he was a child. He is a young master who can only wear his clothes if he has to be served by a maid. If he is asked to do this, he has to do it for two days. So he gave up and ran to Mrs. Xue to complain.

Mrs. Xue and her second aunt Liu basically stayed in the big kitchen for the first two days, steaming ruyi cakes, fried auspicious fruits, and cooking acacia soup.The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law can only fight on the sidelines, not on the stove.

The sacrificial wine had been prepared long ago, and each altar had to be sealed with a red cloth.Except for the two largest whole pigs and whole sheep, the other fruits are only six kinds of jujube, pear and peanuts, three kinds of vegetables and preserved wine, one plate of meat and fish, steamed buns, cakes, one bowl of rice, one skewer of liver, and one variety of meat. two strings.

Because Aunt He is a foreigner, she does not need to participate in the family sacrifice.His mother and son were also in the small Buddhist hall of Ruihe Hall, placing the spiritual seats of Mrs. Xue, his parents and his deceased husband. Although the etiquette is simpler, their intentions are the same as those of Xue's family.

Before dawn, Xue Ke brothers prepared an incense table in the inner courtyard, placed a copper tripod incense burner and an incense holder on it, and sprinkled moss in front of the incense table and on the ground.Then, under the northwestern wall of the main hall of the inner courtyard, facing south, hung the remains of Xue Gong and his wife, the ancestors of the Xue family.Xue Gong is in the west for Xian Kao, and Xian Concubine is in the east.

At dawn, Xue Ke invited the god master, followed by Xue Shen, Xue Pan and Xue Biao.Mrs. Xue, Mrs. Liu, Baochai and Baoqin all put on their backs according to the ceremony, with solemn makeup.According to Zhaomu stand left and right.The other hundred servants of the Xue family, led by Xue Quan'an, knelt in the outer courtyard of the main hall.

Baochai wanted to see what his grandfather and grandmother looked like, but incense candles were lit inside, and the smoke filled the air. He could only see that his grandfather was wearing a court dress with a jade belt around his waist, and his grandmother was also adorned by a married woman, but she couldn't see her face clearly.

Xue Ke presided over the sacrifice, Xue Shen accompanied the sacrifice, Xue Pan held the incense, and Xue Biao presented the silk. Because there were too few men, Baochai guarded the burning pool, and Baoqin followed his mother to spread the worship mat.The invited monks played rites and music, and Xue Ke led all the people to offer sacrifices, pay homage, burn silk and drink wine.

During the entire family sacrifice process, more than 100 people from inside and outside Xue's family filled the main hall and inner courtyard, but everyone held their breaths and held their breaths in a dignified manner. Except for the sound of clothes and jewelry in the wind, they didn't even hear a cough.

The entire time and space seemed to be frozen, except for the sound of the wind, only the sound of monks chanting and praying echoed.So sacred and ethereal, cleansing the hearts of the people.

Baochai experienced an inexplicable time-travel, and even though she had received an atheist education, she felt reverence for the ancestors of the gods and spirits of heaven and earth at this moment. She quickly knelt down, folded her hands in front of her chest, closed her eyes and prayed silently, begging God to bless her relatives in the two generations. Joy, no disaster, no disaster.

In just one stick of incense, the officiant ceremony was completed.The rest of the etiquette are numerous and will not be described.Except for Brother Xue Ke who wants to stay and pray to the gods of their parents, everyone else has completed the task.

Xue Pan came out of the courtyard and heard that Mr. Xue's family had a play today, so he invited them to come and play.Asked if it was the most famous opera troupe in Jinling City, Dujia Troupe, who was an official of Taizhuer Rongguan, to perform "Wu Song Fights the Tiger". want to go.Because Mrs. Xue was detained at home for the past two days, it can be considered that she has suffered and suffered. At this time, she took it as a release for him and asked her servants to take him there.

Xue Pan also wanted to join Baochai and Xue Biao to follow, because he said to them: "The honorable official not only sings loudly and loudly, but also plays very vigorously. He can dazzle people with knives, flowers, guns and flowers, and he can turn over and over again. Twelve somersaults, the somersaults turned are high and beautiful, and they are as light as swallows when they land." The mouth was frothing, but Baochai didn't even want to move at this time, Xue Biao was persuaded and followed.

At this time, Xue Ke and Xue Shen were speaking in front of their parents' spirits.As usual, Xue Ke told his parents about the family affairs one by one, as if his parents were still alive.

I only heard Xue Ke weeping and said: "Father, my lord, my father used to say that even if I meet a wise king, I will accompany you like a tiger. After more than ten years in the cold window, even the talented man who moved the world may not be able to enter the imperial examination. Going into that bloody official career, every step of the way is frightening. Now I have been an official for decades, and now there is only one room of books left. I can’t cook when I’m hungry, and I can’t wear clothes when I’m cold. My son can learn from Tao Zhugong. Xue Ke’s words are here, and there will be no day or day. forget."

Xue Shen also knelt down and sobbed: "My brother obeys his father's legacy and must not become an official. Over the years, elder brother has accumulated wealth with profit, used wealth with righteousness, and managed business with Confucianism. My Xue family shop started from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and now it has spread across all provinces. There are trading bureaus, hundreds of shops, and a family of millions, which does not disgrace my father's famous name."

The two brothers talked about the big and small affairs of the year, picking up joy and joy. After crying for a long time, they got up and arrived at the Fenxi Pavilion.The two brothers chose to speak here whenever they had confidential and important matters.The pavilion is in the center of the lake, surrounded by water, not afraid that the walls have ears.

Although it was winter, Xue Ke asked the servant girl to bring in the stove and warm a pot of tea, leaving only one side to let in the light, and hung thick curtains on the other three sides to keep out the wind.After the pavilion is arranged like this, it doesn't feel cold.The servant girl wanted to stay and serve, Xue Shen waved her to leave.The two brothers continued to talk.

Xue Ke sat on a bamboo chair with a big wolf fur quilt under it, and said with a serious face: "This year our store has a total book profit of 47 taels, and 400 taels have been handed over to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Nearly 4 taels were used at home, and 6 taels were used to manage the government. In fact, we have been busy for a year and only earned less than 4 taels of silver. In business, if we do not advance, we will retreat. It should continue to expand, but my Xue family's stall is too large, which has attracted the attention of all colleagues in the industry. Although there are relatives to take care of it, our family does not have a big backer. I am afraid that the two of us will not be able to do what we want, so I still need to listen to your opinion. "

Xue Shen sat at the table, propped his arms, and did not speak for a while.After a while Fang said: "Although Daddy is knowledgeable and knowledgeable, he did not expect that it would be so difficult for us to do business. As the saying goes: what officials ask, businessmen can't return. Our family's money is enough for the children even if we don't do anything. It has been used for several lifetimes. But having money but no power is like a child with a daughter in the middle of a bustling city, who will not be envious when seeing it, how can it last for a long time?"

After taking a sip of hot tea, he said, "There is one more thing. I did it without discussing it with my brother first. Please forgive me."

Xue Ke shook his head and said: "You have done everything, and now I can't blame you, what have you done, let's talk quickly."

Xue Shen said in a low voice: "I met Prince Yizhong's nanny Zongling at Luo's house this year, and I plan to use him to get acquainted with the prince."

After hearing this, Xue Ke raised his head suddenly, as if he didn't know his brother, and said angrily: "Father didn't want to get involved in the matter of the royal family taking the heir apparent at that time.