In the two great works of ancient Chinese literature, "The Golden Vase of Plums" and "Dream of the Red Chamber", the detail of "three teas and six meals" is like a mirror, reflecting the unique views of the upper class of society on food and life philosophy at that time. This article will lead readers to explore the profound cultural heritage of the "three teas and six meals", and dig deep into the ancient people's deep understanding of health, wellness, hospitality and quality of life.
Part 1: "Three Tea and Six Meals" in the Ming and Qing Dynasties: Social Mirrors and Cultural Symbols.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, "three teas and six meals", as an important microcosm of social life, not only represented the abundance of material life in that era, but also the high condensation of people's spiritual pursuit and etiquette order. This idiom originates from the twenty-sixth chapter of Wu Chengen's "Journey to the West" in the Ming Dynasty, which mentions "three teas and six meals a day, indispensable for each day", which vividly depicts the host's meticulous hospitality to the guests, thus becoming a typical expression of the thoughtfulness of hospitality and the completeness of etiquette in later generations. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the author showed a vivid picture of the market through the delicate portrayal of the daily life of the Ximenqing family. Whether it is daily life or ushering in the delivery, the arrangement of tea and rice all reflects the life pomp and social status of the rich and noble families at that time. Tea is not only a thirst-quenching drink, but also a carrier of identity and taste in social occasions; The six meals represent a wealth of dishes, and the cups and delicacies during the banquet all reveal the prosperity of secular life and the complexity and changeability of human nature in that era. Similarly, in "Dream of Red Mansions", the relationship between the characters and the trivial life of Jia Baoyu and Rongning Erfu are also vividly displayed in the daily details of "Three Tea and Six Meals". In the book, the daily regular morning tea, afternoon tea, and evening tea are not only a living habit, but also the embodiment of the rigorous and orderly life rhythm and exquisite life mood of the aristocratic family. The diversified presentation of "Six Meals" is not only a testimony to the superb cooking skills in the Grand View Garden, but also implies clues about the personalities, preferences and even the ups and downs of fate of different characters. Whether it is the mournful poetry of Daiyu cooking tea, or Wang Xifeng's careful calculation when governing the family, there is a deep cultural connotation flowing in this bowl of tea and one dish after another. Therefore, "three teas and six meals" carried multiple symbolic meanings in the social life of the Ming and Qing dynasties, which was not only a symbol of material affluence, but also a symbol of perfect etiquette and culture, and a manifestation of people's pursuit of high-quality life. Through the detailed depiction of literary works such as "The Golden Vase of Plums" and "Dream of the Red Chamber", this custom has further deepened our understanding and cognition of the social landscape, humanistic characteristics and philosophy of life in the Ming and Qing dynasties. From today's point of view, despite the changes of the times, the way of interpersonal communication and life aesthetics contained in the "Three Teas and Six Meals" are still worthy of our exploration, inheritance and development. 
Chapter 2: The rhyme of tea and rice in "The Golden Vase of Plums" and the fireworks in the worldIn Lanling Xiaoxiaosheng's long story "Golden Vase Plum", the rich atmosphere of tea culture and the food art in daily life are intertwined into a colorful picture of social customs in the Ming Dynasty. The daily life of the Ximenqing family, from the morning tea time with a slight dew in the morning, to the pleasant tea chat in the afternoon, and then to the moonlit night tea talk after the night falls, tea, in its unique way, runs throughout, like an invisible clue, stringing together a story full of fireworks in the world. In "Plum in the Golden Vase", tea is no longer just a satisfaction of physiological needs, but also a medium of social communication and a symbol of status. The various types of tea that frequently appear in the book, such as Longjing, Pu'er, and jasmine tea, reflect the attention and appreciation of tea products by the citizens at that time, and reflect their pursuit and improvement of the quality of life. The various tea parties held in Ximenqing's home, whether it is in the reception of distinguished guests, discussing affairs, or family gatherings, tea has played an indispensable role, from which we can get a glimpse of the communication rules and wisdom of the civil society of the Ming Dynasty. At the same time, the concept of "six rices" has been richly and three-dimensionally displayed in "Golden Vase Plum". In the banquet scene, a variety of elaborate dishes are dazzling, ranging from home-cooked stir-fried dishes that are common among the people to delicacies that highlight the feasts of wealthy families. The depiction of these banquets is not only a celebration of food, but also a profound revelation of the aesthetics of food in the late Ming Dynasty. The dishes at the banquet not only reflect the wealth and status of the host family, but also convey people's yearning for a better life and the subtle handling of interpersonal relationships. Each meal of "six meals" is a microscopic social stage, reflecting all aspects of the social atmosphere at that time, including changes in morality and ethics, power relations and consumption concepts. It is particularly worth mentioning that the tea activities and food fashion of the Ximenqing family are often closely related to their emotional entanglements and desires. The aroma of tea and rice permeates the story, which not only gives the story a strong breath of life, but also conveys a profound philosophy of life in the subtleties. For example, through tea tasting, the author skillfully reveals the character traits and psychological state of the characters, and the aroma of tea and rice rhyme have become effective means of character building and plot advancement. 
Chapter 3: The Tea Banquet Delicacies and the Variety of Life in "Dream of Red Mansions".In the classic masterpiece Dream of Red Mansions, Cao Xueqin uses ingenuity to construct a highly symbolic world with the help of the details of life of "three teas and six meals", in which the tea banquet delicacies not only delicately depict the daily life of the characters in the Grand View Garden, but also become an important carrier of the characters' fate, emotional waves and social changes. First of all, tea plays a pivotal role in Dream of the Red Chamber, not only as part of everyday life in Jiafu, but also as deeply rooted in traditional Chinese etiquette. From the mouthwash tea in the early morning, the heart-warming tea at noon, to the sorrow-dissipating tea at night, each tea soup seems to carry different characters and emotional colors. For example, Baoyu's drinking with the sisters sometimes reflects an intimate and warm family atmosphere, and sometimes it reveals a faint sense of parting; The tea relationship between Bao Dai is like a long-term undercurrent of love, and every time you drink together, it implies the intricate spiritual communication and emotional collision between the two. Tea is not just a drink, but also serves as a narrative thread, outlining the twists and turns of the characters' hearts and the joys, sorrows and sorrows of life. 
Secondly, "Six Meals" is a mirror of "Dream of Red Mansions" to show the food culture of the Qing Dynasty aristocracy and even the entire social fashion. The banquet meals in the Grand View Garden, whether it is a daily family banquet or a festival celebration, are all complex and exquisite, extremely luxurious. Cao Xueqin's famous dishes such as "eggplant" and "bad goose paw" not only describe in detail the complicated cooking process, but also reflect the different identities and preferences of various characters through the selection of ingredients, collocations and tastes of the dishes, thus deepening the portrayal of the characters' personalities and destiny. For example, the elegance and arrogance of Miaoyu's cooking tea, and the wealth and decline of Jia's mother's birthday banquet are all shown in the delicacies of the tea banquet. It is particularly noteworthy that the tea banquets and delicacies in "Dream of Red Mansions" are often closely related to the ups and downs of the characters' fates. The rise and fall of Jiafu, the joys and sorrows of the characters, are often foreshadowed or reflected through seemingly ordinary but far-reaching tea banquets. With the development of the plot, the once prosperous Grand View Garden gradually withered, and those once enviable tea banquets and delicacies also disappeared, which is undoubtedly a silent indictment of the changes of the times and the fate of the family.
Chapter 4: The Essence of the Food Philosophy of the Ancients - Deconstructing "Three Teas and Six Meals".The ancients' understanding of food was much more than just satisfying physiological needs, and they injected rich philosophical connotations into the daily life of "three teas and six meals". In traditional Chinese food culture, "three teas and six meals" not only represents the richness and thoughtfulness of food, but also contains a profound philosophy of life and humanistic spirit. First of all, as an important part of traditional Chinese culture, tea culture is closely linked to the Confucian ideal of self-cultivation and unity to govern the country and level the world. The spirit of the tea ceremony is essentially the microscopic practice of Confucian moral cultivation, from boiling water, selecting tea, brewing to tasting, every link emphasizes meditation and sincerity, conforming to nature, and then achieving the purpose of cultivating sentiment and purifying the soul. Tea events are endowed with lofty spiritual pursuits, so that people can cultivate their bodies and minds in the tea tasting room, and experience the art of life. Secondly, the ancients were well versed in the way of diet, believed that food is the foundation of self-cultivation, and put forward the concept of "food to nourish nature". The diversity and richness of the "six meals" is a vivid embodiment of the principle of balanced diet of the ancients. They follow the doctrine of traditional Chinese medicine, pay attention to the rational combination of whole grains, vegetables and pulp, and strive to have a comprehensive diet and balanced nutrition, in order to achieve the effect of preventing diseases and prolonging life. This dietary wisdom still guides people's healthy lifestyles to this day. Again, on the dining table, there is also a state of etiquette. Strict adherence to food etiquette reflects the ancient society's admiration for order and respect. Whether it is the "three teas" when receiving guests, or the "six meals" in the daily diet, they all show a solemn and warm way of interpersonal communication. Through food etiquette, people cultivate the virtues of respecting the elderly, loving the young, and living in harmony with neighbors, and further consolidate the harmony and stability of social relations. 
Chapter 5: "Three Tea and Six Meals" Keeping Pace with the Times: Enlightenment and Practice of Modern SocietyIn the fast-paced modern society, we are faced with many challenges such as the accelerated pace of life and the simplification of interpersonal interactions, and the concept of "three teas and six meals" is particularly precious. Integrating the wisdom of the ancients into modern life and advocating drinking tea in a timely and appropriate amount is not only conducive to relieving stress and regulating emotions, but also helps to maintain physical and mental health and form scientific and reasonable eating habits. To promote the life aesthetics of "three teas and six meals" is to find the joy of slow life in the fast pace. Whether it is enjoying the tranquility of a cup of tea in between busy work, or carefully preparing six delicacies at the dinner table, it is a sublimation of the quality of life, and it is also a kind of admiration and inheritance of traditional culture. At the same time, through ancient food etiquette, it can remind modern people to pay more attention to respect and care for others in social situations. From the humility and orderliness at the dining table to the sharing and mutual respect in the public space, it can reflect a person's upbringing and personality charm, so as to promote the harmonious development of interpersonal relationships and jointly build a warmer social environment. Revisiting the "Three Teas and Six Meals" in "The Golden Vase of Plums" and "Dream of Red Mansions", we not only feel the love and pursuit of life of the ancients, but also see their wisdom and philosophy deeply rooted in daily food. Today, we may be able to draw nutrients from it, regain the leisurely satisfaction of cooking every meal and tasting every tea, and make food an art of life, a tribute and inheritance of traditional culture.