In the fifty-fifth chapter of A Dream of Red Mansions, Wang Xifeng, who was ill, smiled and said to Pinger, "... this is my chance, and I'm afraid I don't have arms. Although there is a Baoyu, he is not from here, and it is useless to subdue him. Grandma is a Buddha, and it's no use. Two girls are even more useless, and they are not from this room. All four girls are very young. Lan Xiaozi is relatively small. Huan 'er is a furry little frozen cat ... Besides, the two of them, Miss Lin and Miss Bao are friends, but they are both relatives and don't care about our housework. Let's talk about a beauty lamp, which will break when the wind blows; One is to make up your mind,' Don't open your mouth until you do your own thing, and shake your head when you ask'. It is difficult to ask him. There are only three girls left, and their hearts are full of mouths ... "This evaluation of the Grand View Garden is extremely fair, which not only reflects Wang Xifeng's planning for the future Jiafu, but also reflects her objective understanding of these people. Among them, Feng not only fully affirmed his management skills, but also showed that Xue Baochai and Lin Daiyu were two people with great management skills. Xue Baochai's management ability is described in detail in Shi Baochai's Little Kindness and Great Virtue, but Lin Daiyu's management ability is not completely described in the book. So does Lin Daiyu have management ability? We might as well discuss one or two things about this article.
one
The author of A Dream of Red Mansions narrates the characters, pays attention to circuitous interlude, makes good use of the method of overlapping light and shade, and carefully depicts the melodies that set each other off, which can often gain unexpected artistic interest and bring readers a sense of waking up from a dream. Bending the pen, a technique that began with writing history, is also a common artistic technique in China's classical poems. For the description of Lin Daiyu's management ability, Cao Xueqin used the method of coincidence with Qu Bi, which made this image play a wonderful role in the eyes of readers.
Perhaps in the eyes of most readers, Lin Daiyu is accustomed to "narrow-minded", "disgusting actions", "governing the country and managing the people" and "making much ado about nothing". She can only write poems with tears, but she can't be a man. Even if she becomes "Grandma Bao" in the future, she can't manage Guo Rongjia's huge family. In fact, there are many descriptions of Lin Daiyu's management in the book. From her "step-by-step, always caring" when she first entered the government to her later estimation of the economic situation of Guo Rong government, it can be seen that Lin Daiyu is not really ignorant.
Lin Daiyu's earliest enlightenment education is the Four Books, which is a model of selecting candidates for the imperial examination and training management talents who can "rule the country and level the world". "To govern a country, you must first put your family at home to level the world", that is, only by acquiring knowledge first can you make your mind sincere, and then correct your ideological cultivation and character cultivation, can you manage your family well. Only by taking care of your family can you hope to govern a country well. After governing the country well, the world can be peaceful. Of course, for a daughter, it is enough to "keep the house in order". Paying attention to Daiyu's enlightenment education can be said to be Lin Ruhai's deepest love for her daughter, and a loving father is really giving her the most practical survival skills.
As the saying goes, "Look at his actions and know his words, and listen to his words and know his meaning." Back to the sixty-third "Shroud Red Party Banquet", the girls in the Grand View Garden gathered happily to celebrate Baoyu's birthday regardless of the dead of night. Only Lin Daiyu smiled and reminded Baochai, Li Wan and others: "You said that people get together to drink every night, and so do we today. How to talk about people in the future? " Although it is only a short sentence, it points out Lin Daiyu's management philosophy: managers should set an example and standardize the premise of others. First of all, they must be strict with themselves in order to see the truth clearly. This quiet remark just sounded the alarm for the Jia family. Even Zhifu said, "It's like Baoyu's banquet. At first glance, it looks elegant and elegant, so consider it carefully. Why not use this as a basis? " "Those who care about their children should take advantage of this and take good care of it." Later, it was soon revealed that the servants got together to gamble, and Jia had to personally ask about family affairs and make severe punishment as punishment. It can be seen that Daiyu's worries are not superfluous.
On the sixty-ninth occasion, Sister You was tricked into the Grand View Garden by Xifeng. "The sisters in the garden, Li Wan, Yingchun and Xichun, are all doing their best for Xifeng, and only Bao Dai and others are secretly worried about Second Sister." At this time, only "Bao Dai and others" can see through Xifeng's scheming. The author shows Lin Daiyu's ability of examination and discrimination, which shows that she is a visionary. A person with strong recognition ability and worries about the near future can be said to have the most basic conditions as a manager.
two
In fact, the description of the management of Xiaoxiang Pavilion is exactly what the author shows Lin Daiyu's ability to manage housework. From the beginning to Jiafu, Lin Daiyu was surrounded by two people, one was Mammy Wang, who had been a wet nurse since childhood, and the other was Xueyan, a servant girl. The grandmother also pointed out Ying Ge (that is, Zi Juan), four teaching nurses, two maids in charge of women's washing and bathing, five or six Meidochan who cleaned the house and sent servants, and so on. After moving into Xiaoxiang Pavilion, everyone followed the maid except everyone's wet nurse.
In this way, there are about twenty servants in Xiaoxiang Pavilion, and all the affairs of these people are directly managed by Lin Daiyu. How to reasonably control and restrain these servants is the content that young ladies need to learn to control when they grow up in the era of A Dream of Red Mansions (this rule was mentioned in seventy-three chapters of Lady Xing's Discipline to Welcome the Spring, so I won't repeat it here). If learning four books as a child is Dai Yu's theoretical study in management, then the management of these servants is a practical lesson in her life. During the troubled times inside and outside Guo Rongfu, the Grand View Garden was also crumbling. Zhui Er stole gold, and Xiaohong and Jia Yun left a promise. Zi Ling private meeting Pan Youan gambles with the wet nurse to steal jewelry, and the wet nurse openly threatens the master; Guo entered the painting, and his brother passed it privately; Even Cai Yun took the opportunity to steal things in Mrs. Wang's room, and so on. These violations are everywhere, and the clever and wise sister Lin has lived up to her father's expectations. Only the Xiaoxiang Pavilion under her leadership, everything is in good order, and the girls and women are quiet and tidy.
In making friends with people, we can also see that Lin Daiyu has trained her girls very well, not to mention the poor management of Yingchun. The chief maid Siqi made a scene in the kitchen for a bowl of egg custard. Even Baochai, who is quite good at management, refuted Jia Huan when she rolled the dice, causing strong dissatisfaction from Aunt Zhao. Except this time, in the fifty-ninth episode of "Chen at the edge of willow leaves and bamboo", Qiao Maid not only did not discourage stupid and impolite menstruation, but also provoked it with words. Xueyan, a younger girl in Daiyu's room, politely declined the moonlight satin coat borrowed by Aunt Zhao, which made the unknown girl shine at the moment. She said, "... all my clothes were collected by that girl named Sister Zijuan. Now I have to tell him first that I have to go back to that girl. The girl is ill again, which is even more troublesome. If you miss going out all the time, you might as well borrow it again. "This reasonable refusal can be said to be watertight, which shows how strict the management of Xiaoxiang Pavilion is. Although Lin Daiyu is weak and sick, she is still cautious and diligent, and she takes care of all the big and small things herself. Even my little girl's "clothes hairpin ring" can be arranged in perfect order. This delicate heart has to be impressive. It can be seen that everything in Xiaoxiang Pavilion has its own valley in Miss Lin's heart.
In addition, Daiyu's moral codes and admonitions to the maids are also extremely appropriate. For example, in episode 57, Zijuan said to Baoyu, "From now on, we can only talk, not touch. Being a sophomore and a young student is disrespectful. That jerk who fought hard said you behind your back, but you always ignored it, acting like an hour. What's the matter? Girls often tell us not to play jokes on you. You have seen him far away recently, and you are afraid that he will fall far behind. " ; On the 26th time, Baoyu came to see Daiyu during her lunch break. After entering the room, he came forward to move her body. I saw Daiyu's wet nurse and two old women immediately come in to remind Baoyu: "Sister is asleep, come back when she wakes up." There is a saying in the fat criticism that "I hate having no training at home. I will let my son and nephew feed and drink water, and you will know everyone's manners." The behavior of the people in Xiaoxiang Pavilion is exactly what Zhifu said. The code of conduct of these people benefited from Lin Daiyu's advice. Some people may say that these are trivial things that are not worth mentioning, but the author believes that what can be seen from an early age is trivial things. This profound meaning shows that Daiyu's discipline of servants is in place.
three
After her father died, Daiyu became more and more lonely. She has no way out and is more dependent on Baoyu. However, in the face of the bleak future, she did not give up completely, but faced it positively, giving herself strength while having good hopes and actively reserving all aspects of self-ability. Although Daiyu doesn't do housework, she is very concerned about Guo Rongfu's economic situation and has some practical plans, which also shows Daiyu's view on future life on the other hand.
Sixty-second wrote: "Daiyu and Baoyu stood under the flowers and knew each other from a distance." Daiyu said,' Your third girl is a good girl. Although he was told to deal with some things, he refused to go any further. Almost all people have become Fu Wei. Baoyu said, "You don't know. "。 When you were ill, he did several things. The garden has also been divided into people to manage, so it is impossible to mow more grass now. I did a few more things, using Xifeng and me as rafts to ban others. The most scheming people are not just good children. Daiyu said, "That's the only way. "。 Our house is too expensive. Although I don't take care of things, I will do the math for you every time I am free. If I don't save money now, I will lose my hand. Baoyu said with a smile, "Why doesn't he answer the phone? He can't miss us both." "Daiyu turned to the hall to find Baochai joking.
The description of this passage clearly highlights Daiyu's meticulous thinking and foresight for Jia's future. How can she be said to be a person who only knows love and doesn't understand the world? From this point of view, Lin Daiyu is not only well-read but also good at poetry. She should have calculated the income and expenditure of Guo Rong Tower, and she was extremely dissatisfied with its extravagant expenditure, which also made her worry about its future. Tanchun's reform was exactly what Daiyu was in favor of, but Baoyu's attitude of "none of his business" made her dissatisfied, so she turned and left. But I don't think she blames Baoyu. On the one hand, if one day she becomes "Grandma Bao Er", she believes that she has the ability to manage this huge Guo Rong building and won't let Baoyu worry about these family chores. And she knows the essence of Baoyu's "evil persuasion" best. It's no use trying to persuade you. Why do it again? Daiyu is a person who really loves Baoyu, so she can accept him as he is and not change him.
four
Under normal circumstances, Lin Daiyu can appropriately reward and punish servants. For example, Jiahui, Baoyu's youngest daughter, sent tea with a generous and decent reward. I can also reward the old mammy who runs errands to deliver bird's nest to Wu Heng Garden. Although Daiyu knew about their gambling, it was wise to choose not to ask.
But Daiyu's attitude towards illegal slaves is very clear. For example, in the seventy-third episode, Yingchun's mother-in-law bullied her honesty and threatened Yingchun to intercede for her mother-in-law. Tanchun asked Pinger to deal with it, but the client Yingchun deceived herself by reading a book. There are quite a few people present. Apart from Tanchun's "drawing a sword to help each other", only Daiyu implicitly advised: "It's really' the tiger and the wolf are trapped in the rank'. If the second sister is a man, if there are many people in this family, how can we punish them? " This sentence not only expresses her business philosophy, but also expresses her pity and worry about the Spring Festival. Daiyu understood that blindly accommodating such servants could not solve the problem and must be punished. I remember that Qingwen once sent Daiyu away in a sulk. Afterwards, Daiyu said to Baoyu, "Your girls should learn a lesson, but what I said is illogical. It's a small matter to offend me today. It's also a big deal that Miss Bao will come tomorrow and Miss Bei will come. " As we all know, Baoyu's management of Yuan is too loose and slack, which is really hard to compliment. In fact, Daiyu once advised Baoyu in a playful tone to treat the servants in the hospital well, and warned Baoyu that everything should be measured and not excessive.
? Throughout the book, it is not difficult for careful readers to find that although the author implicitly wrote about Lin Daiyu's business ability, it can also be described as a bit of a gag. Tu Youyou said that "Lin Daiyu's personality and talent are the best in A Dream of Red Mansions, and what is she looking for?" This is true, but it may not be comprehensive. For the protagonist in this protagonist, the author first symbolizes her extraordinary fairy-like background, followed by a profound description of her erudition and an incisive interpretation of her noble character. There is no denying that Lin Daiyu is a "poetic" existence in the book. Although this poet-like figure is outstanding in talent and the author is not divorced from life, she is also a real existence of flesh and blood. The author's exquisite description of her life has made this character vividly enter the hearts of readers from generation to generation, making people fall for it and admire it.
five
Whether a person has management ability is not expressed in a vigorous form, but should be understood in many aspects and in all directions in order to be objective. Although the author only makes an incisive and straightforward exposition on the management talents of Wang Xifeng, Jia Tanchun and Xue Baochai in the book, it does not mean that others have no management talents, such as Ke Qing and You Shi. The author's description of Lin Daiyu's business ability is inferior for three reasons: first, the factors of living in Jia's house and her weak helplessness limit her ability to play.
Secondly, the existence of Lin Daiyu is more the author's interpretation of "love". In Chapter 19, there is a comment: "... I looked at the love list and said that Baoyu was in love but not in love, and Daiyu was in love. These two comments are based on infatuation and are incomprehensible. " So Cao Xueqin set up the character Lin Daiyu to highlight his understanding of "love" and "love" in love. At the beginning of A Dream of Red Mansions, Cao Xueqin created an unprecedented theory of "returning tears" with romantic style and poetic imagination, which symbolized that Lin Daiyu came to the world with lingering affection and fate. Her main task in this life is to repay tears and kindness. She comes from the "sea of love" and ranks first in the "love list". She created illusions in the next life just to repay the rain and dew, and has paid off her "incomprehension" within five years. Jia Baoyu, on whom she repaid her kindness, was also endowed with extraordinary image connotation by the author. For the beloved Baoyu, only Daiyu understands and supports his "fate theory" and his disdain for official career economy. Their love is unprecedented. They know each other and have the same idea. They love each other purely, deeply and firmly. One is "infatuation" and the other is "love species". One is willing to live and die for love, and the other is willing to give everything for love. Love is their life. Their existence is the author's highest interpretation of love. For Lin Daiyu, a person who lives by "love", the worldly disturbance is only an illusory existence, and life is a feeling of life and a good taste for her.
Third, for management, Lin Daiyu is "not impossible, but unrealistic". To sum up, it can be seen that Daiyu's management ability is not inferior to other characters, but the author has certain limitations in character setting. Although Lin Daiyu is "aloof", she has always been able to relax herself as a servant. The reason why she downplays her management ability is because the author can't stand this "secular fairy" being polluted by the secular, so she is not bad at management, but unwilling to manage and won't manage. Lin Daiyu is clever and sensible. She is well aware of the truth that "if she is not in her place, she will not seek her own government". It's not her turn to be the director, so she won't step in. As for her management skills, the author only makes this character fuller and more vivid through a euphemistic side. So it doesn't matter what Lin Daiyu "cares about". It's not that she has no management ability, but "must be, but not".
This article was first published in the WeChat subscription number of A Dream of Red Mansions on April 2065438 16, and then included on page 285 of A Dream of Red Mansions-Selected WeChat subscription numbers of A Dream of Red Mansions (I) edited by the editorial department of A Dream of Red Mansions.