There are endless tears of lovesickness and red beans thrown away, and endless spring willows and spring flowers fill the painting building. "A Dream of Red Mansions" by Cao Xueqin

This [Red Bean Song] appears in Chapter 28 of "A Dream of Red Mansions". It is the outline of the book describing the two male and female protagonists, Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu.

This song has ten sentences, with the fourth sentence as the core. This sentence explains that the theme of this song is: Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu "cannot forget new sorrows and old sorrows." The entire "Dream of Red Mansions" describes Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu like this: They worry endlessly for no reason. Live in sorrow and die in sorrow. This is completely consistent with the theme of [Red Bean Song].

The first eight lines of this song almost all remind the entire content of "Dream of Red Mansions" describing Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu.

The first sentence says that Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu were in sorrow, revealing their undying love with "endless lovesickness, blood and tears". The word "tears" appears very frequently in "A Dream of Red Mansions". It is inconvenient to count how many times Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu shed tears of lovesickness in this masterpiece. Anyway, it can be said that a "Dream of Red Mansions" is a "history of blood and tears" recording the two people. Beginning with the story of "The Story of Returning Tears" told in the first chapter, and ending with "The Soul of the Bitter Scarlet Pearl Returns to Lihentian" in the 98th chapter, the relevant descriptions of Lin Daiyu during the period show that she was probably soaked in the blood and tears of lovesickness, She was born with an indissoluble bond with tears. In the words of the book, "Even those who are fine, don't know why, often cry without drying up." [1] In the fifth chapter of the song "Wonderful Ningmei", it is the first time to exaggerate that Jia Baoyu, The tears of lovesickness shed by Lin Daiyu are continuous ("How many tears can there be in the eyes, how can they prevent autumn from flowing to winter, and spring to summer!"). Counting from the 98th chapter, "Bi Shenying sheds tears of lovesickness" "", until the last time in Chapter 118 when Jia Baoyu heard Zijuan mention Lin Daiyu, "a burst of sadness, tears have already fallen", the multiple descriptions of Jia Baoyu in this series show that: He not only The blood and tears of lovesickness were shed on Lin Daiyu during her lifetime, and even after Lin Daiyu's death. All in all, "A Dream of Red Mansions" objectively tells readers that as long as Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu are alive, their lovesickness and tears of blood will drip down. As the saying goes, "Spring silkworms will not run out of silk until they die, and wax torches will turn to ashes before their tears dry up." [2]

The second sentence shows that Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu became worried when they saw spring willows, spring flowers and other natural scenery. , and also shows that their melancholy is like "spring willows and spring flowers that never end". The relevant descriptions in "A Dream of Red Mansions" specifically and vividly illustrate these two meanings. For example, the famous "Flower Burial Speech" contained in Chapter 27 shows that it was only after seeing spring willows, spring flowers and other scenery that it aroused Lin Daiyu's sorrowful thoughts about spring and led her to "bury flowers". She thought of the fact that "flowers are easy to see when they bloom but hard to find when they fall", and thought of her desolate life experience, so she "hurt herself because of the flowers" and "sorrowed" her, the "flower buryer". Another example is written in the beginning of Chapter 28: After listening to Daiyu's "Flower Burial Speech", Baoyu aroused a "shock" in his thoughts and emotions. Facing spring willows, spring flowers, spring gardens and spring mountains, he had a deep feeling of "people will die and things will change owners". Ultimately, he couldn't explain "this period of grief." It is undoubtedly "asking you how much sorrow you can have"? Just like spring willows and spring flowers filling the painting building. Another example is written in Chapter 58: Baoyu thought of the weeping willows and fresh peaches in front of him, especially the green leaves and apricots, and thought of Du Mu's poem of the Tang Dynasty, "Green leaves become shades and branches full of branches", and "reminded of the fact that Xing Xiuyan had chosen her husband." Thinking about the fact that she was about to give birth to a child, and that "this apricot tree" would soon "fall off its branches," and that Xing Xiuyan would soon "be as beautiful as a tree", I couldn't help "sighing at the apricot tree." From this point of view, in addition to the atmosphere of the times and the family environment, there is also the influence of nature that creates Jia Baoyu's sentimental character. For example, at the end of Chapter 86, it is said that Daiyu looked at flowers and thought of the natural growth patterns of flowers and willows. She saw life through this pattern and became filled with sadness.

The third sentence says that Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu were worried at night. This sentence is the abbreviation of "Wind and Rainy Night Controls Wind and Rain" in Chapter 45 of "Dream of Red Mansions". This time the book said that under the screen window, during wind and rain, and after dusk, the external reason why Lin Daiyu "sleeped unsteadily" was "hearing the patter of rain on the bamboo leaves outside the window, and the coldness penetrated the curtain", and the internal reason was "I feel grateful for Baochai, and for a moment I envy him for having a mother and brother; for a while I think about Baoyu's past harmony, but I end up feeling suspicious." We can completely summarize it as: the main reason is that she "cannot forget new sorrows and old sorrows". It’s no wonder that the ancients said: “The phoenix trees also have drizzle, and at dusk, it rains little by little.

This time, how could there be such a thing as "sorrow"! "[3]

What is the origin of the "new sorrows and old sorrows" of Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu mentioned in the fourth sentence? Chapters 17 to 29 of "A Dream of Red Mansions" describe two The "trivial" "quarrels" that happened during the first stage of love depict their "sometimes good and sometimes annoying" situation. What is commendable is that it reveals this truth: they are angry because of it. It's a good beginning; when they are good, they have planted the roots of trouble. If they are good, they are troubled, and if they are troubled, they are not good. If they want to be good, they must be troubled. It is impossible not to have endless "quarrels", and their "new and old sorrows" arise from this, and the cycle repeats. It is very clear that "A Dream of Red Mansions" describes their "trivial" "quarrels" precisely for the purpose of It was confirmed that they "cannot forget new sorrows and old sorrows". In addition, after the two people ended the process of "testing" each other, when their love developed to a new stage, and when they did not have any "quarrels", Why are there still "new sorrows and old sorrows"? Chapter 32 of "A Dream of Red Mansions" "Revealing the Heart-felt Fascination for Living Treasures", Chapter 34 "Love in Love Because of Emotional Sister", Chapter 87 " "Feeling the sound of autumn, playing the piano, saddening the past" and so on are described in great detail. To put it simply, they all hope to have a good relationship in the future. If this ideal is not realized one day, "new sorrows and old sorrows" will inevitably occur every day.

The fifth sentence says that Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu were also worried when they were eating and drinking. The famous passage in "Dream of Red Mansions" - Chapter 89 "The Snake Shadow Cup Bow Gongqing Jue Jue" means that Daiyu "cannot swallow the jade grains". Jin Bo choked in her throat", and also wrote down the reasons: "heart disease" and "suspiciousness". Her heart disease was that she could not get married to Baoyu. Her suspicion was, "The words she heard during the day were like Baoyu's words about getting married. ; Seeing the people in Yihong Courtyard, no matter they are high or low, they also look like Baoyu getting married. "After Daiyu died, Baoyu's "heart disease" worsened, and he often "couldn't swallow the jade grains and the golden waves filled his throat." For example, Chapter 98 of "A Dream of Red Mansions" wrote: "When he returned home, Baoyu became even heavier. The next day I can't even sit up anymore; I can't even drink soup every day. Another example is Chapter 115: "After a few days, Baoyu became even more confused and even stopped eating. Everyone became anxious." "Needless to say, the fact that the two of them have reached this point does not mainly mean that they are in "the age of rich clothes and rich clothes, the days of sweetness and fatness", but it mainly means that they "cannot forget new sorrows and old sorrows."

< p>The sixth sentence says that Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu were still worried when they were dressing up. "A Dream of Red Mansions" mentioned the "little water chestnut mirror" twice. The first time was in the 57th chapter: "Baoyu said with a smile: 'I.' I saw that there are two or three mirrors in your stationery. Leave the one with the small diamond pattern to me. I put it next to my pillow, so it's easy to take photos when I'm asleep, and it's easy to take with me when I go out tomorrow. ’ When Zicuckoo heard about it, she had no choice but to stay with him. First, he ordered someone to send the things there, then said goodbye to everyone and returned to Xiaoxiang Hall. The second time was in the 113th chapter: "When Baoyu saw that there were few people in the room, he thought, 'When Zijuan came here, I never said a word of sincerity to him, and left him alone, and I felt very unhappy." As for him, he is not as good as the Musk Moon Autumn Pattern that I can place. I remember that when I was sick, he stayed with me for a long time, and now his small mirror is still here...'" These two echoing descriptions are intended to illustrate the length and frequency of Baoyu's looking in the mirror. Much. This coincides with the meaning of the words "inexhaustible" in the sixth sentence. Chapter 89 of "Dream of Red Mansions" captures the scene of Lin Daiyu looking at herself in the mirror: "Daiyu just stared blankly in front of the mirror. See for yourself. After looking at it for a while, Luo Pa was already soaked with tears. "In the fifty-eighth chapter of "A Dream of Red Mansions", there is another text specifically describing Baoyu and Daiyu's "description of thinness": "Baoyu was puzzled after hearing this, so he had to walk to the Xiaoxiang Pavilion to see Daiyu - she became more and more pitifully thin. When I asked, it was better than before. Daiyu saw that he was also bigger and thinner than before, and she couldn't help but shed tears when she thought of the past. This is how "A Dream of Red Mansions" appropriately intersperses the plots related to it based on the meaning of the sixth sentence. What we need to add is that these plots of "A Dream of Red Mansions" imply that no one understands the "new sorrows and old sorrows" of the two people. "On a sad day, when they are lonely," they have no choice but to look at themselves in the mirror and look at their thin shadows in the mirror. In order to pursue their beautiful ideals, their unified voice is: "Clothes and belts." Gradually, I have no regrets, and I feel haggard because of Yixiao. "[4]

The seventh sentence says that Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu were worried when they sat sullenly. Of course, it also said that they were worried when they were walking.

The third chapter of "Dream of Red Mansions" introduces Baoyu like this: "A natural charm is all in the eyebrows; thousands of emotions in life are piled up in the corners of the eyes." Daiyu is also introduced like this: "The two curves of the eyebrows look like frowns, but not frowns. A pair of eyes that look like happiness but not happiness." This shows that their "brows" are good at conveying complex thoughts and feelings. Just imagine, they have so many "new sorrows and old sorrows", how can their "brows" that are good at conveying complex thoughts and feelings unfold? "A Dream of Red Mansions" does not specifically mention that Baoyu "cannot open his brows" due to worry, only mentions that Daiyu is like this. For example, Chapter 27 says: "Sitting in silence with nothing to do, either frowning or sighing,..." "A Dream of Red Mansions" does this to avoid the same approach when creating characters.

The eighth sentence says that Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu were even more worried at night. "Dream of Red Mansions" repeatedly describes the difficult situation of Baoyu and Daiyu being "unforgettable". For example, in Chapter 77, it is written that Baoyu was in trouble because "Qingwen was expelled"; in Chapter 82, Daiyu was in trouble because of nightmares and the thought of her not being engaged to Baoyu, etc. "; Chapter 104 writes about Baoyu's distress due to "Daiyu's death", and so on. "A Dream of Red Mansions" also mentioned other reasons why Daiyu could not sleep for a long night. For example, Chapter 83 writes: "Doctor Wang then said to Zijuan: 'This disease often causes dizziness, reduced diet, and frequent dreams; every fifth watch, you must wake up several times.'" Generally speaking, , the main reason why the two of them found it difficult to endure "more leaks" was because "they had troubles in their hearts." This fulfills the old saying: "A man with lofty ideals cherishes the short days, but a worried man knows that the nights are long." [5]

The last two sentences of this song are metaphorical sentences. What is their "ontology"? Let's first look at the song "Ji Xian Bin" from "The Romance of the West Chamber": "Although it is far away from my eyes, it is still there in my heart. Not only can it be separated from my heart, but it is also early. When I forget it, it is still there, and there is no evil thought. Hugh. Most of them have an inch of eyebrows, but they have many wrinkles. The new sorrows have followed the old sorrows recently, and it is difficult to distinguish the old sorrows from each other. The words are the same and modeled after it. If we imitate its conclusion and restore the omitted words in the conclusion of [Red Bean Song], it will be:

Old sorrows are faintly hidden like green mountains that cannot be covered,

New Sadness is like the endless flow of green water.

It can be seen from this that the "ontology" of the concluding sentence of "Red Bean Song" is "new sorrow and old sorrow". In terms of meaning, they closely match and serve the core sentence of this song.