In the summer, the capital was hot and stuffy. Half of the city was green, and the sound of cicadas filled the air.
People began to relax. Gradually, wherever there was shade, new storytelling phrases began to circulate.
At night, in the brothels with palm-leaf fans, the plays performed by the opera troupe were also novel.
Among them, the most popular was probably a booklet called "Boudoir Beauty."
The original text of "Boudoir Beauty" was called "Dream of a Golden Turtle." It was half a novel that came from an unknown scholar. It was about three generations of women in three dukes and marquis' manors.
Every generation wrote about a couple of people and a few people.
The first book that came out in the bookstore was about the first generation, the eldest daughter of the Yin family and the eldest son of the duke. They were a pair of talented men and women. Their characters and appearances were similar. They fell in love at first sight, but after many twists and turns, they married into the marquis' manor. The husband and wife were in love and successfully gave birth to two sons.
Although it seemed to be a cliche of a talented man and a beautiful woman, it was not as cliche and unrealistic as the most popular scholar girl. It was rare that there were many characters and it was lively. The feelings between the lines were sincere, and the literary talent was refined. It was even more rare that the worldly wisdom was close to reality. Therefore, it was widely praised by the current scholars, who called it "natural and beautiful."
There were also playboys who said that when they saw the life of a scholarly family and a marquis' manor in the book, they "felt close to it."
The villagers often fantasized about the days of the emperor, so "Dream of a Golden Turtle" became more and more expensive. The storytellers and opera troupes all performed.
In the teahouse, Jia Lian excitedly watched a booklet in "Boudoir Beauty" where Miss Yin tried three times to find a family member. He felt that it was not enough and wanted to go home and ask the family's opera troupe to perform it again.
Who knew that when he entered his room in Rong Guo's manor, he saw Sister Feng sitting on the couch with a faint smile. She pretended to scold Ping Er as she saw him come in, "You're a person with face. If you want something good, tell me. Can I not give it to you? Are you worthy of a mouse stealing rotten rice? What dirty and smelly things, you're taking into the house? "
Ping Er waved at him from behind.
When Jia Lian saw Sister Feng scolding him indirectly and Ping Er waving her hand, he knew that the matter between him and the manservant's wife was probably ruined. He quickly smiled apologetically and pretended to scold Ping Er, "Little whore, what did you ruin? Look at how angry your grandmother is! Kneel down! "
Feng Jie sneered. She suddenly stood up from the couch and said, "I don't know what kind of 'thing' she is. But I know what kind of 'thing' you are."
Jia Lian had no choice but to lower his head and smile apologetically.
Ping 'er begged for forgiveness and advised Sister Feng to be careful not to hurt her body. Sister Feng still threw a tantrum for a while, but she didn't have any concrete evidence, so she stopped. She went out coldly, scolded the servants, and took care of the housework.
Jia Lian waited for Sister Feng to leave before she dared to ask Ping 'er.
Ping 'er sighed and said, "From now on, you can stop. Today, I don't know where Granny heard a promiscuous woman flaunting her dirty deeds with the men in the fu. Although she didn't have a name, the description sounded like you. Grandmother was furious. She ordered people to beat up that disrespectful woman and chase her out of the house. When she came back, she turned the house upside down to search for 'irrefutable evidence'. Fortunately, you didn't. Otherwise, it wouldn't be a 'thing' anymore. I'd definitely teach you a lesson. "
When Jia Lian heard this, she was so scared that she trembled and scolded, "Things haven't even started and you're already suspecting me? You're marrying a living King of Hell! "
Ping 'er advised with a stern expression, "If Ye was more respectful, would Granny suspect you for no reason? Not to mention Granny, even I can't stop worrying. "
Jia Lian said angrily, "Good, good, good. Only the two of you are reasonable. I'm a bad person. Don't let me catch you in the wrong. Sooner or later, I'll beat you to death. "As he said this, he raised his hand and pretended to hit. Ping 'er frowned and hurriedly ran out.
Just as he ran outside, Sister Feng came over again. She first glanced at Ping 'er who had run out and then faked a smile at Jia Lian through the window. "You pulled Ping' er aside and started whispering. Can't I hear?"
Ping 'er said in a huff, "I only said a few words on behalf of Granny and he raised his hand and said he wanted to beat me to death. If I ran out with my life, Granny will be jealous to death. Either way, I'm going to die. It's better if I die far away. "As she said this, she didn't say anything to Sister Feng and ran away.
Seeing Ping 'er walk away, Sister Feng walked in with cold eyes and said, "I have something to discuss with you."
Jia Lian hurriedly said with a smile, "I'm listening."
Sister Feng said. It turned out that there was a drama that was popular outside recently. It was said to be fresh and free from vulgarity. Most of the female members of the family love to watch the competition between the noble families. It was said that even the famous scholars and refined guests from the outside praised it exceptionally well.
"Old Ancestor has always loved to watch new plays. When she heard this play was called something like a dream, she asked me to arrange it. I can't read, so I don't know what's going on. You often go out and see what's going on. "
When Jia Lian heard this, he asked Sister Feng to give him a general idea. When he heard this, he was delighted and hurriedly said with a smile, "If you ask me anything else, I don't know. You're asking the right person for this play — — I just came back from listening to this play. Just leave it to me. "
Sister Feng was a smart person. When she saw Jia Lian's smiling face and anxious appearance, she already knew what he was thinking. Her anger, which had just calmed down a little, flared up again. She sneered and said, "Don't work for Old Ancestor and create a romantic case. When the time comes, even if I don't ask you, Old Ancestor will ask you! "
Jia Lian wanted to use this play to find a few handsome actors like the ones in "The Dream of a Golden Turtle". It would be best if he could find those famous romantic lovers in the capital. When he heard Sister Feng's words, he became dispirited and left with a forced smile. Only then did he find a proper theatrical troupe.
This summer, the Jia Residence had an additional play called "A Beauty in the Boudoir".
The young masters and young ladies of the Jia Residence also had more things to talk about in private. It was inevitable that some people secretly bought the original "The Dream of a Golden Turtle".
Baoyu said to Chu Ren in private, "It can be seen that this play is very good. When the old lady was watching the play, she kept crying. She said that the people in the play actually thought of her old sisters and her deceased aunts. "
Chu Ren said, "Don't say this in front of Miss Lin and make her sad."
Coincidentally, at this time, Daiyu said that she wasn't feeling well and didn't come to watch the play. Baoyu smiled and didn't answer.
He and Daiyu had already read the original text of the 《Golden Tortoise Dream》 long ago.
Although Daiyu didn't go to watch the play, she had already memorized the content of the play.
She flipped through the "The Dream of a Golden Turtle" that Baoyu sent over and felt complicated. She heard the sound of laughter outside. It turned out that her sisters were watching the play. When they saw that Daiyu didn't go, Baoyu suggested that they help her relieve her boredom and came here.
Daiyu hurriedly hid "The Dream of a Golden Turtle" and heard her sisters talking about the characters in the play. Their voices slowly got closer.
Xiangyun said, "In this play, Miss Yin is such a heroic and talented woman. I don't think she's a good match for the gentle and upright Young Master Li of the Duke's Residence. It's better for her to marry that unruly Yu Zicai. It's a wonderful marriage of a talented man and a talented woman. "
Yingchun retorted, "Young Master Li is also a good person."
Baoyu said, "No matter what, whoever Miss Yin likes is the most suitable. Otherwise, no matter how good Yu Zicai is, no matter how wonderful Young Master Li is, if Miss Yin doesn't like him, it's just her parents' wish. It's too boring. Luckily, the Young Master Li that Miss Yin's parents pointed out is the one in Miss Yin's heart. "
For a moment, no one answered. Tan Chun blamed Baoyu, "What do you mean by 'like', 'heart', it's all nonsense again. Let Master hear it carefully. "
Daiyu listened and smiled. She thought that Baoyu's words were exactly what she wanted.
Xichun, who was the youngest, said, "You're all looking at the wrong place. Young Master Li, Yu Zicai, and the others are just blinded by their looks. The fear after marrying into the Duke's Residence is the main point. I'm afraid that Miss Yin is in trouble. There's another play in the afternoon. If you don't believe me, you can watch it again. "
Baoyu heard Xichun's words and sighed. He knew what was going to happen later, so he was a little disappointed. He only said, "Fourth Younger Sister is very observant."
As they were talking, they saw everyone come in. After asking Daiyu for a while, they saw that she was fine. They just chatted and laughed.
In the past, Daiyu would not have the patience to listen to them chat for too long. This time, she listened to them talk about the characters in the play with great interest. She even smiled for no reason.
After everyone left, Baoyu stayed behind and talked to Daiyu. He gave her a stack of essays.
It turned out that Daiyu seemed to have suddenly found interest in 《The Dream of the Golden Tortoise》. She suddenly urged Baoyu to ask how the book was being reviewed.
Since it was Daiyu's interest, Baoyu naturally agreed. Although he was still young, he was still a man. It was more convenient than Daiyu to go in and ask.
However, after getting a stack of comments, Daiyu did not want the stinky ink of the men outside. He could only find a woman who knew how to write and copy it.
As she read, Daiyu seemed to be entranced.
Baoyu smiled, "Fortunately, I asked someone to buy it early. After this, the capital's paper is really expensive. The bookstores can't wait to print the books. I see that in the capital, from the scholars in the streets to the manors of the nobles and marquises, everyone who reads a little is fighting to read 'The Golden Tortoise'. Even those who are illiterate still like to watch the play. "
When Daiyu heard this, she only pursed her lips and smiled.
Baoyu leaned over and looked at the comments with her.
This one said: Once 《The Dream of the Golden Tortoise》 came out, all the previous' scholars and beauties' lost their luster.
Another one said: Literature is full of vigor, love is also silly, it is a work of art for all eternity.
There were also some extreme ones that said: After seeing such a masterpiece, those who used to scam others to make a living should have been thrown away long ago.
Of course, there were also people who said that this was just a novel. How could it be compared to the Dao?
These were all words of praise. But there were also people who pointed out the real point: Truth wins. Love is true and things are true.
The current scholars and beauties, when they open their mouths, they are full of literary works, a thousand voices, a thousand faces. It was extremely vulgar.
What the old madam who broke up the mandarin ducks in this article said, when the old master broke up the mandarin ducks in that article, his words were exactly the same.
The woodcutter in this article actually said that he knew the truth, and the woodcutter in that article was "the son of the river said".
The plot was nothing more than "privately pledging to live in the back garden for life, a scholar in dire straits becomes the top scholar".
Other than the reason for the pen polish fee, what was the writer's true feelings in this article? There was also: A down-and-out scholar full of imagination, wanting to create a noble daughter of a marquis out of thin air, a golden maiden beauty, so that he could obtain both wealth and beauty. That was the kind of desire that penetrated the back of paper.
Among them, those who could write a little bit of the true feelings of the human world, and were not mechanically copied, had long been regarded as first-rate.
The characters in 《The Dream of the Golden Tortoise》 were all alive.
From little servant girls, manservants, sedan bearers, to housekeepers, young misses, concubines, old masters, old madams, and so on. Although there were many characters, in general, the characters that appeared were all vivid and lifelike.
For example, the three main characters of the first generation of the three families.
Although they were overflowing with talent, and were clearly the best at writing eight-part essays, they hated the imperial examinations, so when they saw the eight-part essays, they had a splitting headache, so they had to blindfold themselves in the examination room, and were mistaken for a blind person, Yu Zi Cai.
Gentle and proper, as the eldest son, he was the best at joking, often putting on a serious face and changing ways to play tricks on his family, the eldest son of the duke, Li Min.
Although gentle, honest, and first-class as a housekeeper, in reality, there was a hidden arrogance, and was very talented, the young miss of the Yin family who begged for relatives three times.
The other characters were also wonderful. Who knew how many people saw these characters and slapped the table in praise.
Moreover, the characters were alive, and the characters' actions were real.
The manservant who was illiterate would not say that he knew the truth, and the young miss would not go out in the middle of the night to meet a man with only a servant girl accompanying her.
The old master who was an official would not be so idle that he only stared at his daughter.
The expenses of the rich and noble families were also not bad.
Even the words of breaking up mandarin ducks, when said by different people in the book, you could tell at a glance which person would say it. And feel that with his/her temperament and personality, he/she would indeed only say such words.
In addition to the characters' stories, the prose was concise and full of spirit, and the spirit was compelling. It was definitely not piled up by the people of the times.
Some people appreciated the words used in "The Dream of a Golden Turtle", although half of the words were not clear, but in many parts of the prose, when one word should be used, it would definitely not use that word. When it should use three words, it would definitely not use an extra word.
Moreover, the real things were still vivid in the eyes, and the casual style was romantic. What kind of style should be used, it was actually not bad.
Some people said that the author was quite the god of "deliberation" in Jia Dao.
The literary quality was combined, and it was not common, naturally, it was called the best. It was a pity that "The Dream of a Golden Turtle" only wrote about the first generation, when Miss Yin married Li Min and gave birth to a son, and many new characters only appeared for the first time, the plot was just half-hearted, and then it stopped.
There was no more below.
Baoyu took it as a joke and told it to Daiyu:
Someone in the neighborhood was fascinated by "The Dream of a Golden Turtle", in the middle of the night, when he saw the exciting part but did not see the continuation, he anxiously hugged the book and rushed out, "Whoever finds the author of this book, I will kowtow to him!"
He ran around the street three times. Because he disturbed the people, he was sent to the yamen.
However, there were many people who offered a reward of a hundred gold for the continuation of this book. Therefore, there were many continuation books in the neighborhood, but they were all dog-tailed and not satisfactory.
Daiyu kept laughing as she listened.
Baoyu did not know why she was in such a good mood, but he thought it was interesting, so he talked a lot.
He also mentioned a few people who guessed the identity of the author. There were distinguished scholars, old scholars, and rich young masters.
When it was late at night, everyone was asleep. Daiyu could not fall asleep for a long time, she touched the remaining manuscript of "The Dream of a Golden Turtle" under her pillow, her mood was agitated.
That day when she finished reading the book, she suddenly saw the sorrow of marriage, in the middle of the night, she suddenly dreamed of Gusu. She remembered when her grandmother and parents were still alive, some small things when she was very young.
She also read about the women in her uncle's notebook, thinking about what she had heard and seen in the Jia family, she suddenly had a painful realization. She connected the dots and the blood in her chest gathered in her heart, in a trance, she could not help but spit it out.
In the end, she got up and wrote, through adding and deleting perfunctorily, she gave all the blood in her heart to the article. Only then did she feel happy.
"The Dream of a Golden Turtle" was just a work of venting.
Unexpectedly, when it came out of the boudoir, the world praised it.
Daiyu knew that novels were vulgar, it was the end of the world.
Those who wrote legends were mostly lowly people.
As the daughter of the boudoir, she should not have written and written in the world, and definitely should not have published "The Dream of a Golden Turtle", which was talked about by the outside world.
This was probably something her mother would say when she was young. If it was her grandmother, many people would turn pale with fright.
However, Daiyu was the most conceited person in her life, writing and poetry. She was happy when people praised her, and unhappy when no one appreciated her.
Although her father had told her to restrain herself when he was alive.
Although her grandmother said that although she was talented, women should not be too attentive in these aspects.
Although her sisters and even the old maids in the residence said that she was too arrogant, proud of her talent, and not chaste enough.
The moonlight shone through the screen on the ground.
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