Stills from the 1987 version of Dream of Red Mansions
In ancient times, people attached great importance to names. Generally, children’s names were chosen by the elders in the family, and one could even tell who a person was by his name. The attention paid to the family, especially from a wealthy family like the Jia family, is even more important. Just like Lin Hongyu's "jade" offended Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu's taboo, so it was changed to "little red". But there is a strange phenomenon. Wang Xifeng's daughter Qiaojie was actually named by Grandma Liu, and Wang Xifeng also asked Qiaojie to recognize Grandma Liu as her godmother. For most people, it is basically profitable to adopt a godmother. For example, many servants rushed to recognize Wang Xifeng as their godmother, just for the sake of shelter. The princess recognized Tanchun as her goddaughter, so that Tanchun could replace her daughter in marriage. But for a poor farmer like Grandma Liu, Wang Xifeng asked her to be his daughter's godmother. This must be said to be a strange thing. So what is the purpose of Wang Xifeng's move? Let’s take a look together:
Grandma Liu in the 87 version of Dream of Red Mansions
First of all, in the past, wealthy people were pampered and could not withstand the wind and rain. Like Sister Qiao, she was eaten by the wind. She got sick after eating a piece of cake, but Ban'er was fine even if she went to the cemetery like this. Therefore, "longevity" has become what these wealthy families are most willing to pursue. Grandma Liu is already old, but her body is still strong, so just like Sister Feng said, "borrowing your life", only a "poor person" like Grandma Liu can suppress Sister Qiao. It can be seen that recognizing the godmother is not casual. .
87 version of Dream of Red Mansions
When it comes to naming, wealthy families in ancient times were afraid that their children would not grow up, so they gave their children some "cheap names". Take the meaning of making a living. For example, Liu Yu, Emperor Wu of the Song Dynasty in the Southern and Northern Dynasties, had the small character "Jinnu". This is also the reason why Jia Mu asked people to write the word "Baoyu" and asked people to call them everywhere. Qiaojie has either had "acne rash" or "fever" since she appeared on the show, which shows that she is not in good health. Sister Feng naturally noticed this, and was also worried about not being able to raise Sister Qiao. She named Grandma Liu because she was born in poverty, so naming her might make Sister Qiao "easier to support."