Yes, men are the masters outside and women are the masters inside. This is a tradition that we have been adhering to since ancient times. It's just that many young people don't want to get married early now, and even advocate celibacy, which gradually dilutes this concept of marriage. But this was not the case in ancient times, especially for women. Once I reached marriageable age, I was actually very anxious, although I didn't say anything.
Next, let's feel the anxiety of women who marry late in Plum Blossom.
"original poem"
Plums fell all over the ground.
And plums, in fact, Tanabata! Please me, scholar, please be lucky!
There are plums, actually three! Beg me to learn, I will do it today!
There are plums and a basket! Beg me to learn!
[Notes]
Biao, shoot it down.
Yes, auxiliary words.
Mei Mei.
The fruit of a plum tree, a plum.
Ordinary, numerous.
Gentlemen, gentlemen.
Dai, good morning, while.
Good day, Ji.
Basket is the inclined basket mentioned in "Curled Ears".
Er (Ji), take it.
Call it and tell it. It means you don't need a gift, you don't need to take advantage, just ask me to marry you.
"Meaning translation"
Plums fall when they are ripe, and there are seven fruits on the tree! All men who want to propose to me, come while the weather is fine!
Plums fall when they are ripe, and there are only three fruits on the tree! The man who wants to propose to me will come today!
Plums are ripe and fall, and when they are picked, they will pick up a big basket! All men who want to propose to me, just say the word!
"analysis"
In ancient times, women got married at the age of fifteen to twenty. If you don't get married after this age, you will be laughed at, and the more you can't get married, the more difficult it is to get married, and it is also dangerous to stay at your mother's house. So the late marriage at that time was very terrible for women.
This poem "Plum Blossom" is a poem describing an ancient woman who is getting more and more anxious with her age.
At the beginning of this poem, plums are becoming more and more mature and falling off faster and faster to describe women's perishable youth. There are seven points in the first section, and only three points in the second section. By the third section, there are few trees left and there are baskets in the ground.
When there are still seven fruits on the tree, it means that the woman is about fifteen or sixteen years old, which is the marriageable age as beautiful as flowers and pure as jade, so at this time, the woman hopes that the man who proposed to her can pick a good day and come quickly. When there are only 30% plums left on the tree soon, it means that the woman is seventeen or eighteen years old. At this time, "flowers can be folded straight, don't wait until there are no flowers." The man who proposed to me didn't have to choose a date. Come as soon as you are ready today. It can be seen that the woman at this time has shown an anxious mentality.
However, when the plum branches were empty and the plums on the ground were "full of baskets", the woman almost missed the good marriage age. She was already twenty years old. At this time, the man who proposed marriage should not say that he didn't have to choose the right time, even if he didn't prepare the bride price, just come and propose directly. At this moment, women's anxiety is beyond words.
In the three sections, "being lucky", "being present" and "being called" indicate the mood of the woman to be married, which is as tight as a step. This is enough to show the harshness and influence of the ancient concept of marriage on women.
According to the etiquette system in ancient China, men get married at the latest at the age of 30 and women at the latest at the age of 20. The purpose of etiquette is to prevent people, and its function is to guide people. Therefore, Zhou Li also stipulates that unmarried men and women meet in mid-spring, and everyone can communicate freely, so there is no necessary ceremony. Even without parents' consent, elopement is not prohibited.
This is a modification of Zhou Li, which is particularly humanized and provides convenience for unmarried men and women. And "plum blossom" is a description of this custom. It can be seen that our impression of the harsh concept of marriage and love in ancient times, "parents' orders and matchmakers' words", is not what we thought, at least for those men and women who married late, it is still very thoughtful. Presumably, this is also the reason why our ritual system has always been respected by the ancients.