In ancient Chinese feudal society, the gap between the rich and the poor was huge, "Zhumen wine and meat stink, and there were frozen bones on the road", the daily life of wealthy families in ancient times was full of many customs that seem incomprehensible today, one of which was that in the silence of the night, when the master and his wife were sleeping, there was always a maid waiting quietly by the bedside. This custom makes many modern people puzzled: aren't they embarrassed?
Strict boundaries of feudal hierarchy
Under the hierarchical system of ancient feudal society, the relationship between master and servant was extremely strict and clearly demarcated. In ancient times, especially in large families, the master had absolute dominance over the maids and servants in the household. In this hierarchical system, the maids had no choice, and their status was almost that of slaves, and they had to obey their masters' orders unconditionally.
Under this system, the personal feelings and dignity of the maid are extremely neglected. Although they may feel deeply embarrassed and uncomfortable in their hearts, under the oppression of feudal hierarchical concepts, the maids do not dare to have any resistance and complain. They are well aware that any violation of the will of their master can lead to severe punishment and even further reduction of status. In this context, the maids can only endure silently, burying their personal emotions and dignity deep in their hearts.
The necessity of daily service
The maid's main duty in the bedroom is to ensure that the owner's needs are met at all times. In that era when there were no modern communication tools and convenient living facilities, the owner might need to drink water, add a quilt at night, or suddenly fall ill, etc., all of which need to be dealt with immediately by the maid. The maid keeps vigil in the bedroom to be on call to meet any needs of the owner, whether it is getting up at night to drink water or a sudden illness that needs to be taken care of.
In addition, in feudal society, trust between master and servant was very important. As a member of the family, the loyalty of the maid is directly related to the safety of the family and the comfort of the owner, by waiting at night, the owner can also examine the carefulness and ability of the maid, and also can examine the loyalty of the maid, such as "Dream of Red Mansions", when Jia Baoyu sleeps at night, the maids in the room are the most trusted raiders or Qingwen, and other little maids are not qualified to enter the Baoyu room at all.
The maid has the opportunity to transform into a concubine
In ancient feudal society, although the identity of maids belonged to the lowest level, their fate was not completely without a turnaround. By serving their masters diligently, some maids may gain the favor of their masters, and those with outstanding looks may also be favored by the male hosts, thus becoming more prominent concubines in the family.
After changing from a maid to a concubine, not only can you get better living conditions, but more importantly, you can achieve a leap in identity, and you can serve your master more directly, and if you give birth to several sons, your status will be higher.
Of course, after becoming concubines, they may be jealous and ostracized by the main wife, which will not only complicate their living environment, but also lead to both physical and mental stress.
Still, for some maids, becoming a concubine is a desire to escape from a lower status. In that era, the fate of individuals was often limited by their origin and identity, and elevating their status became their dream goal.
All in all, in the ancient feudal society, when the husband and wife were sleeping, the maid waited at night was really the rule of the big families at that time. Although it seems a little awkward now, the maid did her best to serve the master's house, keeping vigil by her side, and carefully guarding the safety of the master's house. Therefore, this should not be embarrassing for them, on the contrary, it is a contribution they can make and deserves respect.