In "Dream of Red Mansions", Li Kun and Miaoyu seem to be people who can't be beaten with eight poles, but in fact they represent the two poles of youth.
As a widow in Jiafu, Li Kun needs to adhere to chastity and live a regular life; Miaoyu, on the other hand, is a born practitioner who lives a life of pure cultivation in isolation.
Although both of them are in the prime of their youth, they theoretically have to suppress their own nature and live with a pure heart and few desires, but Miaoyu's way of living is obviously closer to the freedom and truth of youth.
Li Kun's youth was spent in endless obedience to the rules. As a widow in Jiafu, she not only has to maintain the family's reputation, but also maintain a chaste image in front of everyone.
As a result, her life lacks brilliant colors, and her every move is subject to worldly constraints.
Youth is supposed to be free-spirited, but Li Kun's life is like an invisible cage, making it impossible for her to truly release her heart.
One of the few glorious moments in her life may be to start a poetry club with her sisters in the Grand View Garden, drink and compose poems and enjoy plum blossoms.
She can only taste the few chic and happy in life at this moment of writing poetry.
So, she urged everyone to hurry up the Begonia Poetry Society, let Tanchun come out, and ask Sister Feng for 50 taels of silver as the cost of the Poetry Society.
Later, he also recommended himself as a judge of the poetry society.
But most of the time, Li Kun's life is dull and even lonely and hopeless, so she can only pin all her hopes on her son Jia Lan.
In contrast, Miaoyu's youth is more free and real.
Although she is a monastic practitioner, she is not bound by the world and is able to live as she pleases.
Miaoyu pursues a way of life that is detached from the world, she grows flowers and tastes tea, is high and arrogant, and does not care about other people's opinions at all.
Even Miaoyu's only apprentice, Xing Xiuyan, commented on her: out of place, unfashionable, treacherous, monk not monk, vulgar and not vulgar, woman not female, man not man, it is not a reason.
It is precisely because of this contrast that Li Kun became dissatisfied with Miaoyu.
In her opinion, although Miaoyu has an arrogant and obedient personality, she can live a sound and colorful life without the interference of the world.
But he has to obey the rules everywhere and live like a wooden man.
This psychological imbalance made Li Kun feel disgusted with Miaoyu.
Back to the essence of the question: Is Miaoyu's life considered a success? There is no one definitive answer to this question.
Because "success" is a relative concept.
In the eyes of the world, Miaoyu may not be considered a success. She has no fame and fortune, no family and no love.
However, compared to other young women in Jiafu, especially compared to Li Kun, who is not bound by the world and lives as she pleases, this courage and determination may be the real success.
On the other hand, although Li Kun's lifestyle is in line with the expectations of the world, her inner struggles and pains cannot be ignored.
She lives a life of bondage and can't really free her heart.
This kind of life may be considered a "failure", because she can't ignore the disappointment and loneliness in her heart, so she pulls Ping'er and touches her, jealous of Sister Feng, who is the same age as her.
However, Miaoyu's lifestyle is not flawless.
Although she was able to live as she pleased, she could not get rid of the loneliness and loneliness of the practitioners.
Although she is noble and arrogant, she cannot truly escape from the distractions of the world.
In her interactions with Baoyu, Daiyu and others, we can see her inner contradictions and struggles.
Therefore, both Li Kun and Miaoyu's youth are full of struggles.
They were all under the weight of society and secular prejudices at the time, and they needed to suppress their true nature.
But the difference is that Li Kun has chosen a more traditional and rule-abiding lifestyle, while Miaoyu has chosen a more free and authentic lifestyle.
Li Kun hates Miaoyu, not only because she is not as good as Miaoyu, but also because she has no one who understands her in her lonely life.
Although Miaoyu is accompanied by the ancient Buddha of the green lantern, she has Baoyu's respect and heart-to-heart connection, Daiyu and Baochai have a high look, and even Jia's mother appreciates the flowers and plants in the cui'an are well pruned.
As for Li Kun, she is rarely praised and empathized, and everyone invariably ignores her identity as a surviving person, because this topic is too heavy for everyone to bear.
So there is no one to share the burden of thousands of catties, and no one to accompany him for a long night, can Li Kun not hate Miaoyu? Seeing Miaoyu is like seeing yourself in a parallel world, with so many desires, but you can't implement them, leaving regrets and sighs in vain!
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Orange: A post-90s freelance writer who loves writing and wants to achieve financial independence through writing. If you also like to write, or if you have a great story, feel free to make friends with me