Let’s talk about the four inconspicuous maids in Dream of Red Mansions. When talking about the maids in Dream of Red Mansions, many people will first think of people like Ping'er, Xiren, Zijuan, and Yuanyang, because the master they serve is the most powerful or favored person in Dream of Red Mansions, and they are always by their master's side. , naturally attract people's attention, but what I want to talk about today is not them, but the four maids around Yuan Ying Tan Xi Sichun.
Although these four maids don't have many roles, their names are not simple, and they contain shocking secrets.
The maid in Yuanchun holds the qin. Baoqin, the maid of Yuanchun, appeared in Yuanchun Province for a kiss. Baoqin was the maid who served Yuanchun when she was at home, and she brought her into the palace when she entered the palace.
The name Baoqin has three meanings. The first one refers to Yuanchun's specialty. She is good at playing the piano, just like welcoming three springs. The names of the Sichun maids combined are "Qinqi, calligraphy and painting", implying that the four of them have their own specialties.
The second meaning, pay attention to the deconstruction of the word "Qin". The top is two kings, and the bottom is a jin. We know that Yuanchun later chose Fengzao Palace to confer the title of virtuous concubine and became a noble concubine. These two kings seemed to be hinting at Yuanchun's concubine.
The third meaning, holding the qin, is homophonic to "sleep violently", which means violent death, implying the final outcome of Yuanchun. Yuanchun was the honor and disgrace of the Jia family. According to the plot and foreshadowing in the first eighty chapters of the original work, Yuanchun's final death must be very strange. From the sentence "Tiger and tiger meet and return in a dream", it can be seen that there seems to be some danger hidden in his death.
The maid who welcomes spring plays chess. Siqi is one of the maids in Sichun who has a lot of roles. She once caused a scene in the kitchen and was called "Vice Lady" by Zhou Rui's family. This shows her status in front of the cowardly Yingchun. After all, she is the granddaughter of Wang Shanbao's family, and Wang Shanbao's family is Mrs. Xing’s confidant.
The first layer of Si Qi’s name represents Yingchun’s specialty, which is playing chess. As soon as Zhou Rui's family sent the palace flowers, Yingchun was playing chess with Tanchun. After Yingchun got married, Baoyu also wrote a poem in memory of her. There are two lines in the poem: If you don't hear the sound of playing chess in Yongzhi, and the chessboard is stained with mud, you know that Yingchun is good at chess.
The second meaning, chess, is explained in Shuowenjiezi as, from wood. Its voice. In addition, most of the chessboard pieces in the past were made of wood, which seemed to hint at Yingchun's character. She was cowardly by nature and was called "Two Wooden Pieces". She didn't even make a sound when poked by a needle.
The third meaning, Si Qi, means "dead chess", which also implies that Yingchun's life is a dead game. She has had no mother since she was a child, her father Jia She doesn't care about her, and her stepmother Mrs. Xing He didn't ask her, and his brother-in-law, Lian Feng, and his wife didn't care much about her. In the end, she was sold by her father to Zhongshan Wolf Sun Shaozu. No matter how hard she struggled, there was no way to escape her life, and she would eventually "go to hell".
The maid Tanchun serves as a bookkeeper. In Four Spring, Tanchun's fate is somewhat similar to that of Yuanchun. According to hints, although she married far away in the end, she became a princess. As the eldest maid serving Tanchun, Shishu should follow Tanchun just like Baoqin. , became a dowry maid.
The most exciting appearance of Shishu was during the inspection of the Grand View Garden. Wang Shanbao’s family was slapped by Tanchun. He was unconvinced and complained a few words. Shishu made a powerful reply. Sister Feng said, "Like a master, there must be a servant."
The first layer of Shishu’s name represents Tanchun’s expertise, and Tanchun is good at calligraphy. During the family visit in Yuanchun, it was Tanchun who was assigned to do the copying work. When Grandma Liu entered Rongguo Mansion for the second time and visited Tanchun's room, "On the case there were various dharma stickers of famous people, dozens of square inkstones, various brush holders, and the pens inserted in the sea of ??pens were like a forest." It can be seen that Tanchun is good at calligraphy. .
The second meaning of Shishu is "losing the situation". Although Tanchun is "talented and smart" and has talents and ambitions, he was "born in the last days when his luck has declined." , she did not catch up with the good times, and she was a concubine herself. Wang Xifeng once said, "Nowadays, there is a kind of frivolous person. He first wants to find out whether the girl is a prostitute or a concubine. Most of them are interested in concubines." In other words, what is probing for prostitutes? All good, but lost in the situation.
Some versions refer to "Shi Shu" as "Wai Shu", and there is only one difference between "Wai Shu" and "Shi". This may be a clerical error caused by copying in the past. Judging from the profound meaning of the name, it is more likely to be "Wai Shu". Book" and "waiting book" cannot be explained.
The maid Xichun enters the painting. The maid of Si Qi enters the painting, and the biggest text is also in the inspection of the Grand View Garden. She was sent out of the painting privately, but the withdrawn Xichun insisted on having You take her out of the painting.
As the name suggests, she hints at Xichun's expertise in painting. The second time Grandma Liu entered the Rong Mansion, Grandma Jia took her to visit the Grand View Garden. It was an eye-opener for Grandma Liu. She thought that someone could draw a picture of the Grand View Garden and take it back to show to the villagers. Mother Jia pointed to Xichun and said to Grandma Liu : "Look at my little granddaughter, he can draw. How about asking him to draw one tomorrow?" It turns out that Xichun is good at drawing.
Cao Gong made everyone in Jia's family proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, and also used it to hide the names of the four maids who served them. It can be said that he was very considerate.
The word "entering" has another meaning, and it is homophonic to "entering". It seems to imply the ending of Xichun becoming a monk, that is, entering the state of meditation. Xichun became a monk before and after the fall of the Jia family, and the ancient Qingdeng Buddha accompanied her throughout her life, which also reflected what she said in her verdict: "The poor daughter of the noble family of the embroidered family lies alone next to the ancient Qingdeng Buddha."
To sum up, the names of Yuan Ying Tan Xi’s Sichun maids not only imply what each of them is good at, but also conceal their respective personalities and fates, which is really not simple.