Chapter 8: Book Selection

As he wrote the title of the book, Gao Wen's hand suddenly paused in mid-air, sensing that something was amiss.

Moreover, the Qing Dynasty followed the Ming system, and there is actually little difference between the Ming and Qing dynasties. Copying this book will not lead to any bugs or jokes.

In this way, the purpose of improving one's life through copying books for manuscript fees not only cannot be achieved, but may also bring considerable trouble upon oneself

Since the beginning of his recollection, Gao Wen has never been without a tutor by his side. Piano lessons are held on Mondays, Olympiad mathematics on Tuesdays, painting on Wednesdays, English on Thursdays, Chinese on Fridays, and the weekends are reserved for mathematics, physics, and chemistry

"Dream of the Red Chamber" has a relatively simple main storyline, primarily revolving around the love story between Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu, as well as the romantic and fateful experiences of the group of young women in the Grand View Garden. Additionally, it incorporates depictions of the social and political context of the time, encompassing a wide range of themes, and can be regarded as an encyclopedia of the Qing Dynasty's Kangxi and Qianlong periods.

Gao Wen is a typical intellectual. In his view, the literary achievement of "Dream of the Red Chamber" is clearly higher than that of "Journey to the West." Moreover, this book primarily targets female readers. In later generations, the purchasing power of female readers greatly surpassed that of males, and they also exhibited a strong awareness of copyright. Furthermore, this book has a profound impact on young girls. During the Qing Dynasty, there were incidents of well-bred young ladies, such as Bi Yu, becoming obsessed with this book to the point of madness.

Once a novel that spans multiple disciplines such as literature, philosophy, history, economics, psychology, and traditional Chinese medicine, and is rich in narrative, is published, one can only imagine the fame and glory it will bring to me in the literary world

Ancient novels generally begin with a poem, as is the case with "Journey to the West," "Water Margin," and other works. Even if a poem was not included at the time of writing, later generations would attach one. For instance, when "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" was compiled and published, the poem of the renowned scholar Yang Shen from the Jiajing period was placed at the beginning: "The mighty Yangtze River flows eastward, its waves wash away heroes; right and wrong, success and failure, all turn to emptiness; the green mountains remain, how many sunsets have turned red." This is quite fitting and later even became the theme song of the classic 1994 television series.

Then, only "Journey to the West" remains

I had thought that upon arriving in the Ming Dynasty and having changed my body, the calligraphy I had painstakingly practiced for over twenty years would be completely lost. However, to my surprise, my brushwork remained vigorous and seasoned. While I felt a sense of satisfaction, Gao Wen also experienced a tinge of regret. If I were to participate in the imperial examination, relying solely on this handwriting, I would undoubtedly score well on the written portion, if such a scoring system existed in the Ming Dynasty.

Moreover, unlike the continuous fighting and killing in "Journey to the West," the structure of "Dream of the Red Chamber" is much more complex, and its prose is elegant and magnificent, making it acceptable to mainstream society. Most intriguingly, it contains numerous depictions of romantic affairs between men and women. The saying goes, "The Confucian scholar sees the 'I Ching,' the Daoist sees lewdness, the talented scholar sees tenderness, the revolutionary sees the expulsion of the Manchus, and the gossipmonger sees the secrets of the palace." In my younger days, I read it as a risqué book, especially the chapters "Jia Baoyu's Spiritual Journey to the Realm of Illusions, the Fairy's Song Enacting the Dream of the Red Chamber" and "Jia Baoyu's First Experience of Love, Liu Laolao's Entrance into the Grand View Garden," which were simply exhilarating.

However, it is not possible!

"Alright, Mr. Xueqin, I apologize for this." He picked up his pen and wrote the three large characters 'Stone Record' in a bold style on the rough-edged paper, and Gao Wen's blood surged with excitement: "A good character must be praised and self-praised!"

A story must have a narrative, a plot must have substance, and emotions must be deeply felt; such a book, if not copied, defies all reason

Only someone like Cao Xueqin, who grew up in a prestigious family, could write such works. If an ordinary person were to attempt it, not only would they struggle to depict the lofty political struggles, but they might not even understand what the nobility typically ate or wore. If they were to rely on mere imagination, they might end up creating absurdities, such as the emperor using a golden shoulder pole or Cao Cao having sesame oil with his meals.

Novels represent the pinnacle of Ming and Qing literature, with Han Yuefu, Tang poetry, Song lyrics, Yuan drama, and Ming and Qing novels being the key forms. Among these, the four great classical novels serve as the representatives of Ming and Qing novels; if one is to copy, it must be these four books

Naturally, subjects such as language, mathematics, physics, and chemistry cannot be neglected. As for piano and fine arts, after studying them for a while, Gao Wen ultimately gave up due to a lack of talent in those areas. However, he practiced calligraphy quite well; starting from elementary school and continuing until he began working, he lost count of how many pieces he had copied over the years. Whether it was the Yan style, Liu style, Wang Xizhi, or Dong Qichang, he learned them all quite proficiently. Before his time travel, he even considered joining the Shanghai Calligraphers Association

The reason is simple: the identity does not match

In advance, to make a living by selling literature, the first shot must be fired successfully. Therefore, he truly looks down upon ordinary novels; if he is to copy, it must be from the very best. Once he has gained a reputation, even if he writes something of lesser quality later on, as long as the readership has been cultivated, it will still sell remarkably well

At this thought, Gao Wen tossed aside the crumpled paper with the three large characters "Stone Record" written on it

This involves a literary common knowledge: one can only write well about what one is most familiar with. In other words, when you begin to write, you must first have life experiences.

As a graduate of the Chinese Department and an editor in the social sciences publishing field, Gao Wen has previously handled several pure literary publications. When guiding authors, whenever an author inquires, "What books are selling well now, and what should I write?" he always responds, "Write what you are most skilled at and most familiar with."

Without further delay, I wrote casually: "The poem says: In the chaos before the heavens and earth were separated, no one could be seen in the vastness. Since Pangu broke the primordial chaos, the distinction between purity and turpitude has been established. The ancients carried all living beings, relying on supreme benevolence, and all things were created to be good. To understand the achievements of creation, one must look at the Journey to the West: The Legend of the Monkey King."

When later generations study the history of the mid-Qing period, they will often read this book closely to obtain the most precious firsthand materials. In terms of content, "Dream of the Red Chamber" covers everything from the clothing and food of every social class to the types of houses they lived in and the arrangements within those rooms, as well as providing exhaustive details on the political ecology of the time and the national political system.

As a result, two of the Four Great Classical Novels have been lost, leaving only "Journey to the West" and "Dream of the Red Chamber".

Today, Gao Wen is merely an ordinary commoner, a character as insignificant as a mustard seed. If he were to write "Dream of the Red Chamber," it would likely raise suspicions. How could a lowly servant know so much about the opulent scenery? It seems unreasonable; it must be plagiarized!

In the modern world, the high text of the wealthy is that their parents, both from humble beginnings and belonging to the first generation of township entrepreneurs in New China, lack significant cultural background. Therefore, they place particular emphasis on their son's education

Therefore, copying this book is not impossible, but it cannot be done at this time

The story of "Dream of the Red Chamber," written by Cao Xueqin, primarily takes place in the Rong and Ning households, depicting the joys and sorrows of the men and women from the four prominent families: Jia, Xue, Wang, and Shi. According to later interpretations, it is considered a purely fictional history. However, discerning individuals of that time could clearly see that it was unmistakably about the Cao family of Jiangning

It is also for this reason that this book has even become a serious discipline, entering the realm of academia, referred to as Hongxue.

However, it is now the tenth month of the fourteenth year of the Zhengtong era. According to Gao Wen, the author of "Water Margin," Shi Nai'an, was a person from the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties. This book has long been published and can be excluded. As for the author of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," Luo Guanzhong, he was a contemporary of Shi Nai'an. It is said that "Water Margin" was co-authored by him and Shi Nai'an, so this book cannot be copied either

When the ink was ready, he dipped the sheep hair brush fully, ready to write, but Gao Wen hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to write.