"In her dream, she saw two swirling faces painted with ink.
One was spinning and extinguishing in the darkness. It was the witch. Behind her was an absurd upside-down world.
The other was flickering in the firelight. It was Brother Man's. Behind him was a tiny path of survival in the firelight. "
— — "Martyr's Shrine"
Baoyu sat on a rock in the garden. As he read to this point, tears fell from his eyes. Xiren called out to him many times, but there was no response. It was only when she was about to take away the book in his hand that she heard Baoyu let out an "ah" and hurriedly snatched the book back.
Xiren complained, "You're reading this kind of book again. Be careful not to let Master find out. "
Baoyu put the book on his back and laughed, "Then I'll find out." His attitude was quite sad.
Xiren advised, "What's wrong? Did someone provoke you again? "
At this time, the capital had finished winter and spring had yet to come. The trees in the garden had fallen, the grass had withered, and the flowers had withered. Bao Yuhuan was depressed and said indifferently, "Who can still provoke me?"
Xiren had served him since he was young. Seeing this scene, she somewhat expected it. She carefully said, "Is it because of Second Miss?"
Baoyu glanced at her and smiled: "You can go now. Don't talk. Let me have some peace and quiet. "
Then if I'm here, it's "not peaceful"?
Xiren knew that after Qing Wen died, Baoyu had a grudge against her and always suspected her after he wrote "Hibiscus Daughter's Tale".
She hesitated for a moment and saw that Baoyu was still looking at the book and did not look at her. Helplessly, she handed over the cloak in her hand and turned to leave.
After the assailant left, he was once again left alone in the garden. Baoyu sighed softly.
Ever since Sister Lin left, his heart had changed a little. He couldn't raise his spirits about anything. What's more, Qing Wen's soul had already returned to the heavens and become the Hibiscus Flower Goddess. Not long ago, Second Sister was wrongly married off to the Zhongshan Wolf for five thousand taels of silver. Even Xiang Ling had been tortured by Sister-in-law Xue until she looked haggard and never came here again.
His fourth sister, Xichun, had always been a cold-hearted person. She spent most of her time either hiding in her room or in the nunnery. She ate vegetarian and recited Buddhist scriptures. She was like an old nun in the secular world.
As for his third sister, Tanchun, he could still talk to her, but she was busy all day long, her mind was full of thoughts, and she had no time to care about him.
As for Sister Baoyu, Sister Baoyu … Bao Yu shook his head and laughed bitterly. Not a single one of them wasn't alarming and worrisome. Within the Grand View Garden, it was as if he was the only one left who was still bitterly struggling to protect this' Womanland '.
What about home? Although he was a "wealthy idler" who didn't care about anything, he knew that his situation was getting worse day by day. Third Younger Sister had already shed countless tears in private.
It's hard to get rid of grief, it's hard to get rid of grief. Baoyu looked at Fierce Maiden Temple again and thought: Where is Sister Lin now? Is she all right? He had recently read Fierce Maiden Temple and realized that the world was so evil. How many good daughters out there had actually met with such a terrible fate?
He looked at that paragraph again. Previously, he only hated sorcerers and deities who pretended to be gods, and hated mediocre people who harmed their daughters' lives. After thinking about this, he looked at this paragraph again and couldn't help but be startled: Two faces, one was a world that had been turned upside down, the other was a heart that was so low that it was stuck in a quagmire, but still had a trace of kindness.
He thought again: What about me? Does this family also have two faces to me?
After thinking about it for a long time, he was already in a daze. When it was dusk, a servant sent by Xiren came to call him, "Second Master Bao, go and rest."
The next day, Baoyu was still tired. Looking at the desolate garden and the absurd and hateful appearances of the children in his family, he felt even more depressed. He ordered someone to prepare a carriage and a horse, and wanted to go out for a walk to find a few friends to relieve his boredom.
After all, he was about to turn sixteen years old. If he wanted to go out for a walk, even his father, Jia Zheng, would not say anything.
When he went out the door, Xue Pan was under the strict control of the tigress at home, and had already gone into hiding.
Feng Ziying and Wei Ruolan did not care about Baoyu's leisure. Although they were elegant, they had family matters to attend to, so they left Baoyu alone.
Baoyu was extremely bored, so he strolled along the street.
He listened to the people talking beside him.
As he walked past restaurants and teahouses, his ears were full of discussions about Xiaoxiang gentleman's new work 'Fierce Maiden Temple'.
When he arrived at a place where there were many literate scholars, they were not only talking about 'Fierce Maiden Temple', but also comparing 'Fierce Maiden Temple' and 'Chastity Woman', saying that these two authors must be friends.
Someone next to him immediately said, "Nonsense! Didn't you see the opening of Fierce Maiden Temple's work 'Chastity Woman' by 'Xingdao Seng'? "
"Then which one do you like better?"
Among these people, most of them liked 'Chastity Woman' by 'Xingdao Seng', saying that the writing was humorous and had a hint of sarcasm. They said that the words used in Fierce Maiden Temple were too plain, and the style of writing was not at all similar. It was elegant and upright, and the tone was too sad and unrealistic.
Only some people preferred 'Fierce Maiden Temple'.
A young scholar said, "Although 'Fierce Maiden Temple' is too gloomy and full of sadness, and when you read it, you will cry and be full of depression. Often you can't control your emotions, so it's the first. "
This young scholar did not have a beard, and his eyebrows were the color of green mountains. His skin was very white, and he was very tall and very thin. After saying this, he thought for a while and said, "Besides …"
Another person struck up a conversation, "Younger Brother, can you please enlighten us?"
The young scholar said, "I took the 'Fierce Maiden Shrine' and read it to my young sister, to my old mother, even to my family's coachman, to my servant girls; they all listened to it, they were all endlessly grieved, with tears and snot flowing down their cheeks. Although the writing of this book is strange, it can be said that it's literature, but it's plain, and everyone can understand it. If it's plain, it's more meaningful. "
While they were talking, someone sneered and said, "If the monk is really a monk, then he must be a lecherous monk! He makes fun of the matter of chastity. If Xiaoxiang's gentleman is really a 'gentleman', then he must be a hypocrite, a real traitor, hiding evil intentions! "
When Baoyu heard this, he was furious. After reading 'Willow Tree', he admired Xiaoxiang's gentleman the most. When he read 'Fierce Maiden Temple', he prostrated himself on all fours. How could he allow this person to slander him like this? He stepped forward and scolded, "You idiot, how dare you scold Mr. Xiaoxiang!"
Behind him, Ming Yan had always acted according to Baoyu's mood and was used to being a scoundrel. As soon as he saw Baoyu's anxious and pale face, he had the intention to 'help his lord'. Immediately, his gaze was unfriendly, and he called a few servants, rolling up his sleeves and glaring, waiting for Second Master Bao to give the order so that they could teach the rude person a lesson.
Everyone was stunned when they saw a well-dressed, handsome, and angry rich young master suddenly walk out from the corner.
The one who said 'lecherous monk, traitor' was a middle-aged scholar around three or four years old. His face was dark, and he had a mustache. His eyes were bright and he was in high spirits.
Seeing Baoyu's anger, he didn't care. He looked up and down and sneered.
However, the young scholar was stunned for a moment. He quickly stopped Baoyu and said, "Young Master, generally speaking, there must be reason and evidence to back up your words. Don't get angry. It's not too late to listen to this fellow's words. "
He then turned to the middle-aged scholar and said, "Fellow, most of us have our own opinions, but we can't just say things without evidence and accuse people of being traitors, right?"
The middle-aged scholar looked at the young man and smiled, "Good, you're polite. Then I'll speak. You young people lack the ruthlessness to see the root of the problem. "
He casually opened the book 'Fierce Maiden Temple' that someone brought. He pointed at it and asked, "Who can tell me what this article is about?"
Baoyu's anger hadn't subsided. He was the most familiar with 'Fierce Maiden Temple', so he took the initiative to speak.
"It's about a girl named Yulan. First, her family was bullied by the local tyrants and evil gentry. Her mother died and her father ran away, owing a large debt. Her father had no choice but to sell her to the Ma family as a daughter-in-law, regardless of the fact that Yulan had a childhood sweetheart. Who knew that after marrying into the Ma family, not only was her husband beaten and scolded day and night, but he was only three years younger than her and was weak and sickly. Later, her mother-in-law invited a witch to treat her husband. As a result, her husband died from the treatment.
Her mother-in-law loved her son dearly and wanted to force Yulan to die with her husband so that she could accompany her son. Yulan tried to escape several times, but was caught by her mother-in-law and locked in the Fierce Maiden Temple. She planned to starve Yulan to death. At this time, the Ma family's patriarch colluded with the witch's testimony and supported by the county magistrate. He said that Yulan's mother-in-law had cursed her family to death. He said that Yulan's husband's only son had died, which meant that his family had been exterminated. Then, he seized the land and sold Yulan's mother-in-law. "
"Yulan thought that she had escaped disaster. However, the patriarch's son used the excuse of selling Yulan as an excuse to rape Yulan many times. At this time, Yulan's childhood sweetheart, who had been singing for others to earn money, came looking for her and happened to run into this matter. The patriarch sent his henchmen to kill his sweetheart and put the blame on him. When they found out that Yulan was pregnant, the patriarch buried her alive in front of the Fierce Maiden Temple under the pretext of adultery. Before Yulan died, she struggled with all her might and shouted, 'One day, I will come back and burn down this Fierce Maiden Temple!' "
When Baoyu finished speaking, his eyes shone brightly. He was filled with sympathy for Yulan's fate and anger towards those mediocre officials and evildoers.
When the middle-aged scholar finished speaking, he glanced around at the expressions of approval on the faces of the people around him. He couldn't help but stroke his beard and smiled, saying, "Young Master, you told me the story of 'Fierce Maiden Temple', but what I saw was different. How about I also tell you the story of 'Fierce Maiden Temple' and compare it? "
Baoyu smiled and said, "Okay, go ahead."
The middle-aged scholar said, "There was an unruly girl named Yulan. Her parents were scoundrels who rented and farmed other people's fields, but refused to pay the rent and taxes. They would rather feed the useless losers than pay their debts honestly." In the end, when the other party came to ask for rent, they evaded paying the rent. Her father was caught by the owner's helpers and had no choice but to sell his daughter to pay the debt.
This Yulan, without the orders of her parents or the words of a matchmaker, dared to have a private affair with a man. She was the number one unruly person. Her mother-in-law didn't disdain such an unruly person. She took her as her daughter-in-law and gave her food. But look, what did she do? "
The middle-aged scholar pointed to the book where Yulan lamented when she was exhausted from the day's work. He coldly snorted and said, "She even complained that her husband was too young and said that she was depressed. Is this what a wife should say? She even dared to complain that her mother-in-law made her do too much work. Is this what a daughter-in-law should say about filial piety? What an ungrateful wretch.
When her poor little husband died, if she knew the slightest bit of filial piety and chastity, she should have hung herself! Instead, she disobeyed her mother-in-law's words and repeatedly tried to find her childhood sweetheart. In order to protect her reputation, her mother-in-law locked her up and helped her achieve her chastity. Instead, she complained that her mother-in-law was vicious. She could be said to be a disloyal and unfilial slut! "
Baoyu was already dumbfounded.
The middle-aged scholar continued, "Her mother-in-law wasn't a good person either. She knew that Yulan's husband's only son had died long ago and the family line had ended. She should have returned the land to the Ma family, but she still continued to occupy the Ma family's ancestral land. Fortunately, the Ma family's patriarch, with the help of the witch and the support of the county magistrate, finally took back the land that should have been taken back. He sold off Yulan's mother-in-law, who continued to occupy the Ma family's land. "
"That patriarch's son was indeed an unfilial thing. He actually dared to rape a widow. But this Yulan was even more detestable. The first time she was humiliated, she should have killed herself. But in order to survive, she dared to commit adultery with the patriarch's unfilial son. It just so happened that Yulan's childhood sweetheart came looking for her and ran into this matter.
This childhood sweetheart wasn't a good person either. In the early years, not only did he have a relationship with Yulan, he came looking for her even though he knew that Yulan was already married. Listen to what he said: 'Yulan is so miserable. She actually married such a young child and became a widow early on. Her family and in-laws are separated, and she's all alone. I'm going to rescue her and bring her home. 'Fortunately, the Ma family's patriarch was deeply righteous and punished this adulterous couple. You see, this is the justice of the heavens, with the sun and the moon above. "
After saying this, the middle-aged scholar looked around at everyone present. Seeing everyone's stunned and speechless expressions, he laughed and said, "This is the Fierce Maiden Temple that I saw."
"You! You! " Baoyu was so angry that he didn't know what to do. He didn't know how to refute. He only felt a stomach full of bitterness and an indescribable fear.
The middle-aged scholar laughed and said, "Everyone, don't be impatient. I know that the Fierce Maiden Temple in everyone's eyes is the story that this young master saw. This is also the reason why I said that this book's author, Xiaoxiang, is a literary thief. "
As he said this, his expression became stern and he sneered, "This person used warmth to cover up her disobedience to etiquette. She used pity to cover up her disloyalty and unfilial piety. She used the feelings between men and women to cover up her unchaste and unvirtuous conduct. She also had excellent brush and ink, enough to move one's mood. Look, didn't he trick all of you into shedding tears for Yulan and the other bastards? If this person isn't a literary thief and a hypocrite, who else is? "
After saying this, he turned his head to look at the young scholar. "You said that your sister's mother, servants, and maidservants were moved to tears after reading this book. It can be seen that this book will probably spread far and wide. This Xiaoxiang gentleman is not only a literary thief, but also a literary thief who will cause a wide range of people to spread poison. "
Everyone was originally a disciple of the Confucian sect, so they were speechless. After hearing his words, many people really understood. They realized that as disciples of saints, they had actually sympathized with those disrespectful, disloyal, unfilial, and unvirtuous fellows because of the excellent writing in the Fierce Maiden Temple. They were immediately ashamed. Someone tore the book of the Fierce Maiden Temple on the spot and threw it on the ground.
As for the Chaste Woman, because the writing was humorous and it was a fake matter of Liang Zhu, the 'disobedience' was not deep. He escaped a calamity.
The middle-aged scholar smiled at Baoyu and said, "Little Young Master, what do you think? This book is indeed 'hiding joy in sorrow'. When everyone reads this book and cries for the unfilial, I think this literary thief author should secretly laugh. "
However, half of his words to Baoyu were in vain. Because Baoyu had always been unworthy, unparalleled, and stubborn.
He couldn't refute and was a little afraid. When he saw everyone tear the book, he was full of anger. In the end, he simply learned from his Big Brother Zhen and Big Brother Lian and became rude and unreasonable. He called Ming Yan and the other servants, "Beat him!"
However, even if they beat him. It couldn't stop Xiaoxiang gentleman from being called a literary thief.
Although Baoyu had used martial arts at that time and was happy, he was almost beaten to death by his father again when he returned home. The middle-aged scholar he beat was called Zhang Daoheng. He was a famous scholar who was famous for his sharp insights and long-term vision.
Moreover, what the middle-aged scholar said was indeed correct in the eyes of the orthodox.
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