Mid-Autumn Festival Jia Zhen gave Jia Mu moon cakes and watermelons. After eating, Jia Mu was full of praise for the moon cake, but said that the watermelon was not very good. This detail seems to be a daily family gossip, and it is often said today. But combined with the context and the moon's metaphor in " A Dream of Red Mansions ", you will find that it is unusual.
(the seventy-fifth episode) Jia's mother said again: "The moon cake you sent yesterday was good, the watermelon looked good, but it's okay to open it." Jia Zhen smiled: "The moon cake is a new cook who specializes in dim sum. , I tried it and it turned out good, so I dared to do filial piety. Watermelons were okay in previous years, but I don’t know why this year is not good.” Jia Zheng said: “It’s probably because of the heavy rain this year.” Mother Jia said with a smile: "The moon is already on at this time, let's go to the incense." After speaking, he got up and supported Baoyu 's shoulders and led everyone to the garden.
The moon cakes and watermelons of the Mid-Autumn Festival were the protagonists of the reunion feast at that time, commonly known as melon cake wine, and they were also the main offerings to worship the moon.
Before the Mid-Autumn Festival, each family will give each other moon cakes and watermelons.
Jia Mu mentioned that the moon cakes sent by Jia Zhen are good, but the watermelons are not good, so we need to consider from several aspects.
First, the moon cakes are good, because Jia Zhen's newly hired dim sum cook at that time is very skilled. He and the children of various families played gambling and cooking at home, and he spent a lot of money for this.
The moon cakes made by dim sum chefs can make Jia mother say good, the craftsmanship must be superb, and the price must be extraordinary. Jia Zhen spends her money on the enjoyment of the game, but ignores her family budget, how can the Jia family not fail.
Watermelons are not good. As Jia Zheng said, the frequent rain caused them to be neither red nor sweet.
But this little detail mentioned by mother Jia, Cao Xueqin wrote it vividly, and it doesn't seem to affect anything if she doesn't write it. If you don't think about it, it's nothing, just think about it a little, and you will find that there is a saying.
Therefore, why did Cao Xueqin write, and scholars need to pay attention.
Second, moon cakes and watermelons are all round.
moon cakes are "nosy things" done by "good cooks" invited by Jia Zhen. Waste of money is useless and detrimental to the family.
It can be seen that moon cakes are good, but they are not good for Jia's family.
watermelon means reunion, prosperity, and many children.
The reunion of watermelon and moon cakes is the main meaning of melon cake wine.
Nowadays, watermelons are not well affected by the overcast and rainy seasons. It alludes to the troubled autumn of Jia's family, which is precarious, and the "children" and grandchildren are even worse. It implies that children and grandchildren below Jia's mother are not successful.
only said that Jia Zhen, in the name of archery, gathered and gambled in filial piety during the period of filial piety. Like many children of wealthy families, like Lintong Doubao, they were wanton extravagant and wasteful.
"moon cakes are good, watermelons are not good" reflects the reality of "rhetoric is unremarkable, and provocation is really peaceful at the beginning" .
But these are superficial phenomena, and the influence of "month" cannot be ignored at a deeper level.
Three, The rise and fall of Zhen Shiyin 's family started with the Mid-Autumn Festival in August, when the disaster came from the loss of the daughter Zhen Yinglian on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
Jia's family 's side kicked off the Jia family's downfall on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Yuanchun Province, and laid the foreshadowing of the raid. The Jia family in the Mid-Autumn Festival in August is already at the end of the fight, and the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month of the new year will definitely change the Jia family. The target is Jia Tanchun and Lin Daiyu .
"Dream of Red Mansions" has been highlighting the two important time points of August Mid-Autumn Festival and the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. All because the focus is on the "month".
In the court at that time, the Emperor Taishang abdicated and the new emperor ascended the throne soon. The coexistence of two emperors has always been described as "the sun and the moon are in the same sky", which most caused the courtiers to be in a dilemma. Li Bai has an image metaphor called "double suspension of the sun and the moon to illuminate the universe".
That year Tang Xuanzong because of Anshi RebellionAfter entering Shu, he was taken back, and the throne was succeeded by Tang Suzong. The father and son, the two emperors standing side by side, were described as "double hanging from the sun and the moon to illuminate the universe".
The Emperor is "Sun" and the Emperor is "Moon".
"Dream of Red Mansions" is also "Double Suspended Sun and Moon Shine on the Universe". The Jia family, as an old minister of the Supreme Emperor, is now the emperor's minister.
But from the relationship between the Jia family and the emperor, it is like Jiao Da and Jia Zhen, they don't like each other.
Qin Keqing's funeral, Jia Yuanchun provincial relatives, Jia family and King Beijing party, emperor suppresses Jia family to promote Prince Teng... All can clearly perceive the disharmony between the ruler and the ministers, the discord of the Jia family towards the new emperor Loyalty.
Jia Yuanchun's time to visit relatives is set on the night of the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, when there is no sunlight on both ends, that is when the full moon is full. The emperor
clearly expressed his dissatisfaction with Jia's family's active response to the will of the Supreme Emperor and handled Jia Yuanchun's relatives.
Now that the Mid-Autumn Festival is here, and it is the night of the full moon and the full moon, the Jia family is already in trouble at home and abroad.
Fourth, when Jia's mother mentioned "moon cake" at this time, it was good, but "watermelon" was not good. The author vaguely insinuated the emperor's prosperity through the Mid-Autumn Festival.
The power of monarchs and ministers is changing one by one. Jiangnan Zhen's house raided and censored Grand View Garden gave a preview of the irreversible ending of Jia's family, and they will eventually be raided by the emperor.
"Mooncake" is good, it means the emperor is good. If the Jia family was loyal to the emperor, why would their home be raided in the end?
Looking back, Jia Yuanchun's promotion to a concubine of virtuous virtue was an olive branch thrown by the emperor to the Jia family. Prince Zhongshun came to make things difficult, which was also a warning from the emperor to the Jia family. However, they didn't wake up at all. The root of
lies in the incompetence of descendants represented by "watermelon". The poor descendants caused the Jia family to be unable to assess the situation and actively change their positions, and the incompetent corpse was abandoned by the emperor.
Five, this is not enough, then Jia Mu led the crowd to worship the moon on the platform of Jiayintang in Daguanyuan, and admired the moon in Convex Hall , which also hinted at the influence of the "emperor" on Jia's family.
Jiayintang represented the courtier Zhongshun and was commended by the emperor , and only the Jia family was rich for several generations.
The convex bitang represents the top of the mountain, which is close to the sky and the moon. Bi is the blue sky, and is loyal to the Bixue courtiers.
are all implying that the Jia family should be close to the emperor's loyal and obedient position, so as to be safe.
It's a pity that Jia's family was hard to return at that time, and it was difficult for the ship to turn around. The Mid-Autumn Festival is also destined to be the last reunion festival of the Jia family.
The above opinions are organized and deduced based on the story clues of "A Dream of Red Mansions" before the 80 episodes.
Text｜Jun Jian Yakan Red Mansions Illustration｜Qing Dynasty painter Sun Wen's "Dream of Red Mansions"
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