Guessing is an elegant cultural and recreational activity. In A Dream of Red Mansions, such scenes often appear, which can not only show the talents and wisdom of guessing people, but also reveal their subtle psychological characteristics, and become a means for Cao Xueqin to portray characters.
In chapter 50 and chapter 5 1, * * has 13 riddles, but the book does not explain the mystery, which has become a "century-old tiger", which can be said to be a great effort of future generations. Among them, a riddle poem written by Xue Baochai is even more confusing, and there is no result so far.
Baochai also has a saying, saying:
Are the layers of carved sandalwood woven into catalpa trees piled up by good workers?
Although it is a half-day storm, have you ever heard the Vatican bells? (Back to the fiftieth)
To guess this riddle, we must proceed from the scene at that time and then infer it carefully. Li Wan and Wen Er took the lead in solving this problem, which has a strong academic color. Baochai said, "Although these are good, they don't agree with the old lady. "。 It's better to make something simple for everyone to enjoy' (50th time). The so-called "shallow things" should be common things close at hand. As soon as you say it, everyone will understand, especially the ancestor Jia Mu. Don't make her happy against her "meaning". It is based on this that Xue Baochai wrote such a poem "Riddle".
What is the answer?
Some say "sheng", but there are many loopholes. These last two sentences are really irrelevant. Some people say it's "Go" because the pieces are engraved with "Tan" and "Zi". When playing chess, you are surrounded by one layer and I am surrounded by another. "Storm" is short for wartime atmosphere, and the last sentence can't be deducted, which feels far-fetched. Some people say it's "pine ball". As the poem says, pine cones are exquisitely carved, which is really beyond human power. Not only that, when it is windy and rainy, it will not sound like Brahma bell. It goes on to say that the riddles and alcoholic drinks in the book all hint at the future of the characters, laying the groundwork for the development of the plot: although Xue Baochai is as delicate as a pine ball, she is a victim of "half-day storms." Although he became a suitable family, Jia Baoyu gave up his job as a monk on the cliff, didn't know where to become a monk, and died as dry as a pine ball.
At first glance, it makes sense, but further study, there is still a problem. First of all, pine balls are not common things around. For these people who are born in a boudoir, pine balls are relatively unfamiliar, and they must be "out of the meaning of the old lady." Xue Baochai is bent on pleasing her ancestors and will not use this as a mystery. Secondly, Xue Baochai thinks day and night about how to realize her "good marriage" with Baoyu. How could she have thought that Baoyu would escape into an empty door in a poem riddle and live alone in an empty boudoir to die of old age? This is not satisfactory. Third, although pine cones are layered, they are not "sandalwood carvings" or "exquisite in all directions".
There is a saying that is somewhat insightful, that is, the answer is "psychic Baoyu" hanging around Baoyu's neck.
Unfortunately, the analysis was too hasty, so I gave it a play. The reasons are as follows: First, the "psychic Baoyu" hanging around Baoyu's neck is really a "shallow thing", and everyone in the Jia family knows it. Secondly, the lady dowager's favorite is Baoyu, and her answer with his "psychic Baoyu" can please her best, which shows Baochai's good intentions. Three, "psychic Baoyu" is a stone left by Nu Wa's alchemy, which has been reduced to the size of a fan pendant. It is engraved with "Don't forget what you lost, remember how you lived for a long time, Heng Chang" and "ward off evil spirits, treat wrongs and wrongs, know good and evil" and "five-colored patterns" (the eighth time). This is "layer by layer. So all Baochai's thoughts are on this "good marriage". She thinks that her marriage with Baoyu is an act of God, not a "good job". It is very logical to use this "psychic Baoyu" to set a riddle, which reveals her longing and hope in twists and turns. Five, but she is not without worries. Baoyu loves Daiyu deeply, and she knows it in her heart. This "half-day storm" always shakes this "golden marriage", or the existence of Daiyu always makes her feel uneasy and worried about losing this beautiful marriage. And these eight words "were given by a monk, saying that they must be engraved on the golden wares" (the eighth time) and the words "psychic Baoyu" are just a pair. Isn't this fate? It's a pity that this monk doesn't know where he is-"Has he ever smelled the Vatican bells"? On the other hand, if this monk is always around, it will prove that they are indeed "husband and wife" destined in previous lives!
Baochai wrote this riddle, then Baoyu and Daiyu each wrote one, then Xue Baoqin wrote ten riddles, and the last two were "Nostalgia at Pudong Temple" and "Nostalgia at Meihua". The riddles eulogized the matchmaker's words and made Zhang Sheng and Yingying's free love and marriage, and Liu Mengmei and Du Liniang's undying love, which was first denied by Baochai because she thought it was a big violation of etiquette. In her heart, she. Daiyu refused to agree, so she retorted. Judging from Baochai's psychological reaction here and now, it can also be used as a counter-evidence of her motivation to write poems to solve puzzles. She read aloud.
I don't forget that Jia Baoyu's "psychic Baoyu" is a "shallow thing" and becomes a "pair" with her accessories. Taking it as a mystery not only conforms to the old lady's meaning, but also achieves the effect of "appealing to both refined and popular tastes". Isn't it the best of both worlds? !