The most fascinating and intriguing scene in "Dream of Red Mansions" is the unopened dialogue between Wang Xifeng and Xue Baochai. It is rumored that the two have never had a word of conversation, what is the reason for this? Xue Baochai and Wang Xifeng are actually inextricably linked. Aunt Xue, Xue Baochai's mother, was originally the daughter of the Jinling Wang family and Wang Xifeng's aunt, which means that Xue Baochai and Wang Xifeng are aunts and cousins, and their blood relationship can be described as deep.
After Xue Baochai moved into Jiafu, he won praise from everyone for his generous demeanor and gentle character. Both the elders and the little girls are full of praise for her. Even Jia Huan, who is a little cheap in Jia's mansion, can treat each other politely and play kindly. And Wang Xifeng is undoubtedly the dazzling star of Jiafu. She is good at mediation and is full of ingenuity, and even Jia's mother was coaxed by her clever words. And Lin Daiyu, who has always been known for her-for-tat and pettiness, has established a deep friendship with her, and the two often joke with each other, but they never give up. This is enough to show the deep trust established between Wang Xifeng and Lin Daiyu.
Looking at the overall situation, Xue Baochai and Wang Xifeng seem to be deliberately avoiding communication with each other. What is puzzling is that although the two kept their distance, Wang Xifeng did not take any offense against Xue Baochai before and after. And Xue Baochai, who has always been known for his stupidity and clumsiness, has repeatedly slandered Wang Xifeng behind his back. For example, in the forty-second episode, Lin Daiyu jokingly called Grandma Liu a female locust, and Xue Baochai actually praised this, saying that Lin Daiyu really read a lot. This move undoubtedly exposed her dissatisfaction and slander against Wang Xifeng.
What kind of stories and emotional entanglements are hidden behind all this? The delicate relationship between Xue Baochai and Wang Xifeng is like a fog, leading people to explore. The emotional world of the characters in "Dream of Red Mansions" is so rich and complex that it is breathtaking. In that bustling market, she has a unique charm, and even the most vulgar words can be turned into witty elegance from her mouth. In comparison, Wang Xifeng is overshadowed, because the "phoenix girl" is illiterate and has limited knowledge, and can only amuse others with the jokes of people in the market. When Xue Baochai commented on the differences between the two, the scene was as clear as in front of him, the girls, the girls, and Li Kun gathered together to discuss the affairs of the poetry club, and Wang Xifeng was not present.
Time passed to the fifty-seventh episode, and Xue Baochai met Xing Xiuyan by chance on the way to visit Lin Daiyu. Although the spring is strong, the weather is still as cold as a knife, Xing Xiuyan is shy in his pocket, so he has no choice but to pawn the cotton clothes, only wearing thin clothes. Xue Baochai saw his trembling, shrunken shoulders and arched back, and asked the reason with concern. Xing Xiuyan was shy and silent, and Xue Baochai immediately thought that it was because the monthly money had not been distributed. "It must be that I don't get any money this month, and Feng Yatou is so heartless now. She commented contemptuously. This sentence "no heart, no plan" not only reveals Wang Xifeng's neglect of Xing Xiuyan, but also hints at her roughness and lack of foresight.
However, Xue Baochai's ridicule of Wang Xifeng did not stop there. Even behind Wang Xifeng, she never hesitated to ridicule. What's even more excessive is that once she even belittled Wang Xifeng in front of Ping'er. At that time, after Wang Xifeng had a miscarriage, she was sick in bed, and Mrs. Wang had to organize a temporary housekeeping team, and Xue Baochai, Li Kun and Jia Tanchun were ordered to manage the housework. At a gathering of Lai's extended family, Tanchun was deeply inspired and proposed that the servants and daughters-in-law in the garden be contracted to manage the flowers and ponds of the Grand View Garden and give full play to their talents. As an outsider, Xue Baochai naturally agreed, while Li Kun and Tanchun also supported this suggestion. At this time, Ping'er was also present, she was Wang Xifeng's henchman and assistant, and knew that the housekeeping at home had always been handled by the two of them. Ping'er proposed: "This matter has to be told by the girl." Although our grandmother has this heart, it may not be easy to export. Her words directly revealed the fact that although Wang Xifeng has the heart of reform, it is difficult to speak.
This is the entanglement between Xue Baochai and Wang Xifeng. Although Xue Baochai seems to be gentle and elegant, her cynicism towards Wang Xifeng behind her back shows her mean side. In contrast, although Wang Xifeng's wisdom and talent are praised in the Rongguo Mansion, her predicament and unspeakable hardships are not truly understood. In this battle, only time will tell. Spring exploration should be careful to avoid spending too much. Although this sentence is a bit straightforward, Ping'er did not hesitate to praise Tanchun's decision-making. She admits that her master, Wang Xifeng, had similar thoughts, but because there is a group of unmarried sisters-in-law at home, she worries that doing so will make them feel wronged. Compared with previous generations of unmarried young ladies, these girls have experienced a lot of grievances. Now, since the girls themselves came up with this idea, they naturally have no such concerns.
Ping'er always defended Wang Xifeng, but this time she was telling the truth. Although Wang Xifeng is known for being greedy and ruthless, she is indeed very generous and considerate to her sisters-in-law. She knew very well that she could not offend these delicate guests. Just look at what she did: she generously gave them fifty taels of silver to set up a poetry club, proposed to open a small kitchen in the Grand View Garden for the girls on a snowy day, and showed humility to Tanchun and considerate care of Daiyu when she copied the Grand View Garden, all of which are enough to prove her character.
However, Xue Baochai has a different view on this. She said to Ping'er, "Let me see what your tongue and teeth are made of." From morning to now, you have said so many words, and every sentence has been the same. You didn't flatter the three girls, nor did you follow the words 'grandma can't think of anything' just because the three girls said a word. As long as the three girls say a word, you always have a sentence to pick up. You say that grandma thought of everything that the third girl thought of, but in reality your grandma was not so good with us, but hearing you say that, she will definitely feel ashamed and start to live in harmony with us. ”
Xue Baochai finished these words with a smile, but every sentence was as sharp as a knife. Her words contain several meanings: one, you did not praise or echo any of the good ideas of Tanchun; Second, it doesn't matter if you don't want to praise Tanchun, you always use her ideas to show off, your master obviously has no talent, and you dare to say nonsense that she thought of these ideas before; Three, you always say how much your master thinks about us, but who knows if it's true or not? If you speak for her like that, we will think it is true, if we don't believe it.
Her words are not only provoking the relationship between Wang Xifeng and Ping'er and Tanchun, but also belittling Wang Xifeng's talent. This is undoubtedly a sharp attack, and people have to admire Xue Baochai's wit and acumen. In front of everyone, Xue Baochai's ridicule and questioning made Wang Xifeng and Ping'er lose face. But Xue Baochai didn't seem to realize that although Wang Xifeng was sick in bed, her right-hand man Ping'er was by no means a weak person. Soon, Ping'er saw the opportunity and gave Xue Baochai a hard blow, embarrassing him.
When assigning the person in charge of the Wuyuan and Yihong Courtyard, Tanchun said that both places are mainly flowers and plants, but she does not remember anyone who is good at this. Ping'er responded with a smile, saying that Ying'er's mother was the master of this. However, Xue Baochai immediately objected, believing that Ying'er's mother, as a slave of the Xue family, might cause dissatisfaction and ridicule if she held an important position in Jiafu. So, she proposed that Mingyan's mother take on this position.
Tanchun expressed concern about this, fearing that the two would forget their righteousness because of their interests. Ping'er smiled lightly: "Don't worry, a few days ago, Ying'er also recognized Mother Ye as her godmother, and the relationship between the two families is very close." "In Jiafu, it is not uncommon for slaves to recognize their relatives, and they come together for common interests. However, as a slave of the Xue family, Ying'er's future is only tied to Xue Baochai alone, so why should she be entangled with the slaves of Jiafu? Obviously, this is because Mingyan is Jia Baoyu's most trusted personal servant, and he knows Baoyu's thoughts and preferences.
After Ying'er and Mingyan became godbrother and sister, their relationship naturally became closer. If she wants to hear about Baoyu or influence Baoyu's decision-making, she has a powerful assistant. In the final analysis, Ying'er and Mingyan's mother's recognition of relatives is to promote a "golden and jade relationship". The various schemes and exchanges of interests involved in this are all aimed at achieving this ultimate goal. Is Ying'er's seemingly indiscreet family affair really her own choice? In her heart, she may have had a little free will, but in the context of that strict feudal era, as a slave of the Xue family, her every move was strictly controlled by the master's family. Her net worth and life are tightly bound to the Xue family, and any decision must be approved by Xue Baochai. For such a serious matter of confession, how dare she decide on her own? In fact, this family affair was just carefully arranged by Xue Baochai.
In order to achieve the goal of approaching Jia Baoyu, Xue Baochai has been secretly plotting, spying on the secrets of Yihong Courtyard, and even the entire Jia Mansion is in her sight. This kind of deliberate behavior, if placed on an unmarried girl, undoubtedly seems despicable and gaffe. Because of this, when explaining to Mingyan's mother and Ying'er's mother, she was ashamed to mention that the two families had already recognized their godfathers in private.
However, Ping'er watched coldly, waiting for the opportunity to reveal this secret. In her eyes, this is undoubtedly a weakness of Xue Baochai. Sure enough, when the opportunity came, she did not hesitate to tear off Xue Baochai's disguise and let it all be exposed to everyone.
Everyone present was a shrewd person, and as soon as they heard this, they immediately turned around in their hearts and understood the reason. They may be secretly laughing at this treasure girl's clumsy methods in their hearts, or they may be lamenting the deep constraints of feudal etiquette on women. But no matter what, Xue Baochai at this moment is already disgraced.