Those who have read "Dream of the Red Chamber" must know that there are many widows in the book: from Jia Mu to Li Feng, from Liu Grandma to Jia Yun's mother, all over all ages and classes. The feudal etiquette law advocates women to observe the festival, and the author of the sequel even borrows the mouth of Siqi to say that "a woman is matched with a man", which fully reflects the advocacy of women from beginning to end in that era. But on the other hand, if a man dies with his wife, he wants to remarry, and the woman who remarries is called "continuation".
There is a legend about the name of "continuing strings", which tells that Zhong Ziqi was sad after the death of his wife, and he could not bear to play, and the strings were broken and did not repair. It wasn't until he fell in love with another woman at first sight that he continued the strings of the past, played it for her, and married her into the door. From then on, men died wives and remarried wives, called "continuation strings."
How this story sounds like a beautiful talk, it also shows that remarriage in the patriarchal society is common, with a taste of encouragement and appreciation. In fact, it is also true that we see the continuation of the strings in "Dream of the Red Chamber" in the minority, such as Lady Xing, You Shi, You Shi's stepmother You Lao Niang, and Jia Rong's xu clan who married after Qin Keqing's death.
As a continuation of the string, of course, it is also the right wife, enjoying the legitimate rights and interests of the right wife, you can also get the reward of the imperial court, and become a "lady of the commandment", but because it is not a "yuan match", it is also subject to some restrictions: for example, after the continuation of the string, it is necessary to worship the yuan with a concubine, and the status of its children should be ranked after the yuan match's children, and after a hundred years of the continuation of the string, it cannot be buried with the husband, and so on.
Xu Shi only passed by in the book, not even a name, not to mention her family lineage, age, appearance, personality and so on. Although You Lao Niang officially appeared, the author did not give her a few lines, and finally let her die silently. Only Lady Xing and You Shi are the characters who appear frequently in the book, although the two have different personalities, but the identity of the same string also makes me see some similarities.
None of them seem to be of high origin.
Lady Xing was keen to amass wealth, but her brother complained to her behind her back, claiming that she had brought a copy of her Xing family's "furniture" when she got married. Although the head is the truth, I am full of doubts: there are girls who have housekeepers before marriage, but the "furniture" of taking away their mother's family after marriage is not credible, and at best it is just taking away part of the dowry.
Uncle Xing's chatter was more of an excuse for him to ask Lady Xing for money. Later, Lady Xing's brother and sister-in-law brought their daughter Xiuyan to join her, because the family was downcast, expecting Lady Xing to "buy a house and land". Just imagine, if Lady Xing had come from a famous and prestigious family, her family would not have been so poor.
The original family will leave a deep imprint on a person, in Jia Province, Lady Xing is the wife of Jia Shu, the eldest wife of Rong Guofu, and the Lady of the Imperial Court. But at the same time, she is also a continuation of Jia's only promise, and she is a daughter-in-law who is not welcomed by her mother-in-law. Her concubine Lady Wang was born noble, and her daughter-in-law was also born noble, but she did not have their family lineage, father and brother, she was struggling to support in Jia Province, and only one person should accept Jia Amnesty, because Jia Amnesty was her only dependence.
Look at Ning Fu's grandmother Youshi.
You's reputation is better than Lady Xing's, and she often accepts Joy from Jia Mu's side. Although she is not as favored as Sister Feng, she is also the granddaughter-in-law trusted by Jia Mu. At that time, Jia Mu wanted to make a birthday for Feng Jie, and she entrusted You Shi with full authority. You's temperament is gentle and sympathetic, and she collects the silver for Sister Feng's birthday, and she privately returns Ping'er and other big girls, and also returns the two "bitter urns" of Aunt Zhao and Aunt Zhou, and also advises them not to worry.
You's kindness is obvious to all, which is completely different from Feng Jie's harshness and viciousness. Later, because of the matter of You Erjie, the two people inevitably had mustard. However, careful readers will find that even before Jia Lian did not secretly marry Second Sister You, the relationship between Sister Feng and You Shi was a little delicate.
Sister Feng's arrogance was not even concealed in front of You's face, and her sense of superiority was compelling, and You's always seemed to be pressed by her. But in fact, as Jia Zhen's wife, You Shi was the patriarch's wife. Jia Zhen hereditaryly inherited the general Sanpin Weilie, and You Shi was also the edict of the imperial court, and Feng Jie, as Jia Lian's wife, did not have this honor.
What makes Sister Feng proud is nothing more than her noble origin. From the Wang family, one of the four major families, this is Feng Jie's confidence and dependence. Coupled with the fact that Madame Wang was her own aunt and Jia Mu hurt her, Sister Feng would be so blind. And Youshi really can't compare with it.
You's family lineage is unknown, we can speculate from You's father marrying You Lao niang: You Lao Niang married two daughters to the You family, if the You family is married, will not continue to marry the widow with two "drag oil bottles"; but if the You family is too poor, You Lao Niang may not be willing to marry into the You family, after all, her original husband's family had married the Zhang Hua family, the head of the Imperial Grain Estate, and the head of the Imperial Grain Estate still had two daughters to raise. From this, we can speculate that the You family should be roughly a well-off family similar to You's grandmother's husband.
The second point is that they have no heirs.
In ancient times, women without children were discriminated against, and even one of the "seven outs" was childless. Lady Xing has no children and no daughters, and although Jia Lian and Yingchun call her mother, they are not biological, she is only a nominal "mother". The same is true of You's family, Jia Rong was not born to her, and Sister Feng scolded Jia Rong when she made a big fuss in the Ningguo Mansion: "The yin spirit of your dead mother will not spare you."
Although they are nominally called "mothers", in fact, Lady Xing and You Shi themselves know in their hearts that those who are separated from their stomachs are always useless. The reason why they obey their husbands is that in addition to their low birth and low self-esteem, there is also the misery and sadness of being helpless. They can't regard Jia Lian and Jia Rong as their own, and they are afraid of being old and helpless in the future.
All kinds of confusion are inflicted on them, and they look bottomless. Therefore, in the face of their husbands' various misdeeds, they could not dissuade them, but instead remained silent, and even aided and abetted abuse. Jia Yu's beard is gray, he is not good at being an official, "Cheng Ri family and little wife drinking", even Jia Mu is not used to it. Lady Xing did not think so, and did not dare to be sloppy with Jia Yu's little wife. Is Lady Xing really a good character? She just looked at Jia Shu's face. Jia Yu took a fancy to the Mandarin Duck, and Lady Xing actually went to find the Mandarin Duck herself and gave Jia Yu a matchmaker. Jia Mu was angry and reprimanded her.
Compared with Jia Huan, Jia Zhen was even more absurd and shameless, and even committed the evil act of climbing ashes. Under the influence of Jia Zhen, Jia Rong is bound to not be much better, and the father and son actually have a "gathering of the truth" with You Second Sister and You Third Sister. You Second Sister and You Third Sister are the nominal sisters of You's family. But what about Youshi? Before Qin Keqing died, she did not show excessive excesses, only calling her sick after her death and refusing to take care of her funeral. Although her own two sisters were not biological, in the end they had been called sisters under one roof, and in the face of the defeat and disorderly behavior of Jia Zhen's father and son, she could not even say anything to stop them, and finally both sisters died. I wonder how Youshi would feel in his heart.
Beneath the seemingly infinite scenery, there is a heart that does not dare to cry. This is true of Lady Xing, and so is the case of Youshi.
Lady Xing's love for Baoyu is different, and she knows that it is not the instinctive love of a lonely and elderly woman for a child? Her childless and childless desolate state of mind, who can understand a few points? You's understanding of Aunt Zhao and Aunt Zhou, and her tolerance for the servants, is it not her compassion for herself?
After the death of her sisters, she once carried Sister Feng'er and praised Ping'er as a "good girl", calling her a "kind person", knowing Ping'er's suffering, although she knew in her heart, Sister You had received Ping'er's protection before she died, so she was grateful to Ping'er. But at the same time, why isn't Youshi suffering? Because of her own suffering and pain, she understands the difficulties of ping'er. In the final analysis, Youshi is a kind person, who does not put his own suffering on others, but instead gives birth to some compassion.
Author: Du Ruo, this article is to read less of the original works of the Red Chamber.