Dong Xiaowan was born in the late Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty. She was a famous talented woman and one of the "Eight Famous Prostitutes" in Qinhuai River. She has a pretty appearance, is good at calligraphy and painting, and is familiar with poetry and history. She later married Mao Xiang, a famous writer in the Qing Dynasty, as his concubine. Attached: The story of Maoxiang and Dong Xiaowan Maoxiang, whose courtesy name was Pijiang, was born in Rugao County, Taizhou, Yangzhou Prefecture, South Zhili Province on March 15, the 39th year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty (1611 AD). During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the Mao family in Rugao City was rich in talents. It was a prominent local family and a cultural family. At that time, the Ming Dynasty was in a state of collapse. The Northeast was under the iron heel of the Qing soldiers, Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Huguang were battlefields for "rogue bandits". However, the scholar-bureaucrats in Jiangsu and Zhejiang still lived a life of poisonous banquets, extravagance, and lewdness. On the banks of the Qinhuai River, a banquet was held in the river house where the prostitute lived, and the wine bottles were always empty. The jade mandarin ducks of the singer and the black scarf and purple fur of the scholar were intertwined. The literary talent was at its peak. Pijiang was also infected with the romantic customs of ordinary wealthy and noble children. On the one hand, he is young and energetic, looking forward to his own glory, presiding over the Qing Dynasty, being arrogant and resisting the customs, being fond of talking about worldly affairs, and embracing the ambition of serving the country; on the other hand, he is nostalgic for the scenic spot of Baishi in Qingxi, where he is famous as Ji Junma. You, living the life of a fat young man. Mao Pijiang first heard from Fang Yizhi that one of the beauties of Qinhuai was Dong Xiaowan, who was both talented and beautiful. Wu Yingji and Hou Fangyu also praised Bijiang and praised Xiaowan. And Xiaowan often listened to people talk about venturing into the frontier at the banquets of celebrities, and knew that there was such a famous and talented man in Fushe who was upright and romantic. In the twelfth year of Chongzhen's reign, he failed in the rural examination. Mao Bijiang heard that Xiaowan lived in Bantang, so he visited many times, but Xiaowan stayed in Dongting Mountain of Taihu Lake. Suzhou singers Sha Jiuwan and Yang Yizheng were as famous as Xiaowan, so Pijiang went back and forth with Sha and Yang every day. Before leaving Suzhou, Pijiang went to Dong's house again. Xiaowan lay drunk at home and met Pijiang under the Qulan flower. Bijiang saw Xiaowan's eyes flowing with her, her charm was natural, but she was still drunk and was too lazy to say a word. In the spring of the fifteenth year of Chongzhen, Xiaowan returned from Huangshan. His mother passed away, and he was frightened by Tian Hongyu's robbery of beauties, so he became seriously ill and stayed at home. When Pijiang arrived, Xiaowan was already dying. Xiaowan stood up with support, held his hand and said, "I have been as sleepy as if I was in a dream for the past eighteen days. As soon as I saw you today, I felt refreshed and energetic." She ordered her family to prepare wine and food, and met Bijiang. Drinking together in front of the bed. Bijiang wanted to say goodbye several times, but Xiaowan reluctantly stayed with Bijiang. In her love and marriage with Mao Bijiang, Dong Xiaowan took the initiative in every aspect, radiating her personality of yearning for freedom and seeking true love; while Mao Bijiang hesitated in everything, revealing the self-centered personality weakness of a wealthy man. After Xiaowan entered the Mao family, he got along extremely harmoniously with the Mao family. Ma Gongren (Pijiang's mother) and Su Yuanfang (Pijiang's wife) particularly like Xiaowan, and Xiaowan is also very respectful and obedient. In their spare time, Xiaowan and Pijiang often sat in the study room of the painting garden, splashing ink, admiring flowers and drinking tea, commenting on landscapes, and identifying gold and stone. When Xiaowan first came to Maojia, he saw Dong Qichang imitating Zhong Yao's "Moon Fu" written for Pijiang. He liked it very much and copied it intently. Then I looked everywhere for Zhong Yao's copybooks. Later, I felt that Zhong Yao's handwriting was a little thin, and I saw that his "Rong Lu Biao" called Guan Yu, whom she admired, as a thief general, so I scrapped Zhong Yao's calligraphy and changed it to Cao E's stele. I wrote thousands of words every day and never missed anything. Xiaowan once wrote small regular script fans for Pijiang to relatives and friends, and also registered the expenses of firewood, rice, oil, salt and money in and out for Su Yuanfang. The small clump of cold trees painted by Xiaowan is charming and moving. The painting "Colorful Butterflies" created when she was 15 years old is now collected in the Wuxi Museum, with her inscription on it. After arriving in Rugao, she maintained her special interest in painting, and often displayed new scrolls or old ones at home. Later, on the way to escape, he still bundled up his collection of paintings and calligraphy and took them with him. The most heartbreaking thing about Xiaowan is that she leads a romantic, beautiful and affectionate life in her trivial daily life. Xiaowan is indifferent by nature and does not like rich and sweet food. A small pot of mustard tea is used to warm the rice, followed by one or two plates of water vegetables and fermented black beans, and that's her meal. Pijiang likes sweets, seafood and cured and smoked foods. The delicacies Xiaowan made for him were fresh, delicious and varied. She not only added an appropriate amount of salt and pickled plums in the middle for seasoning, but also picked the colored and fragrant stamens that had just bloomed, and blended the flower juice into the fragrant dew. The scent of floral dew produced in this way is rare in the world. The most delicious of these is begonia dew. Begonia has no fragrance, but the begonia dew made by Xiaowan is uniquely fragrant. After drinking, use white porcelain cups to serve dozens of floral dews. Not to mention tasting them with your mouth, the five colors floating around and the strange fragrance overflowing are enough to quench your thirst and quench your thirst. Xiaowan's pickled pickles can make the yellow ones look like wax and the green ones look like green. All kinds of wild vegetables have a unique aroma and flavor once she touches them. The fire meat she made tasted like pines and cypresses, the wind fish tasted like muntjac deer, the drunken clams tasted like peach blossoms, the pine shrimps looked like dragon whiskers, the fried pomfret tasted like sturgeon, the roasted rabbit and crispy chicken tasted like cake bait, one dagger and one scoop, wonderful. Word. Xiaowan often studies recipes, and whenever he sees a strange flavor, he goes to find out how to make it. The tiger skin meat that people often eat now, that is, oily meat, was her invention. Therefore, it also has a little-known name called "Dong Pork", which complements "Dongpo Pork". Xiaowan is also good at making sweets. When she was in Qinhuai, she used sesame, fried noodles, maltose, pine nuts, peach kernels and sesame oil as raw materials to make crispy candy. She cut it into cubes that were five minutes long, three minutes wide and one minute thick. The sugar is yellow on the outside and crispy on the inside, sweet but not greasy. People call it "Dong Tang". Now the famous Yangzhou snacks are Dong Tang (also called Cunjin Dong Tang), Rolled Dong Tang (also called Sesame Crispy Candy) and Rugao. Shuiminglou brand Dongtang is a local specialty that is well-known throughout the country. Even geishas can drink heavily. In the fifteenth year of Chongzhen's reign, Wang Ru of Luanjiang City invited Pijiang and Xiaowan to a banquet at the Plum Blossom Pavilion at the mouth of the river.

Perhaps it was the turbulent white waves of the Yangtze River that inspired Xiaowan's lofty sentiments. She "drank a huge amount of wine and drank her political power, and for a while all the prostitutes in the room fell into despair." Pijiang had only seen this scene once. Because Xiaowan saw that Pijiang drank very little and could not drink more than a banana leaf, so he didn't drink much. When it comes to drinking tea, both Xiaowan and Pijiang like to drink mustard slices. This mustard slice has a baby meat aroma after cooking. Of course, making tea is Xiaowan’s specialty. They often sit with one person and one pot, silently facing each other in front of the flowers and under the moonlight, savoring the color, fragrance and temperament of the tea. The moonlight is like water, which is what Xiaowan is most attracted to. Enjoying the coolness on summer nights, Xiaowan likes to recite the Tang Dynasty poems Ode to the Moon and Flowing Fireflies and Wan Fan with the two children from Pijiang. In order to appreciate the beauty of the moonlight, she often moved several couches with the rise and fall of the moon. When she returned indoors in the middle of the night, she would still open the window and let the moonlight linger between the pillows. When the moon went to the west, she rolled up the curtains again, leaned against the window and looked out, reluctant to let go, and repeatedly recited Li He's poem "The moon is wet, the waves are misty jade." Xiaowan once said to Pijiang: "When I wrote Xie Zhuang's "Moon Fu", I saw that the ancients were tired of morning pleasures and enjoyed supper banquets. This is because the night is leisurely, the moon is calm, the sea is blue, the sky is frosty, and the ice is still. Compared with the red sun and the mortal world, there is a difference between the two. Life is busy and never stops until the night. Some people have fallen asleep before the moon comes out, and they are not lucky enough to enjoy the shadow of the osmanthus and the dew all year round. , everyone loves to appreciate the bright moonlight, and the fairy road and Zen pass are opened in silence. "This is how Xiaowan appreciates the subtle and elegant cultural taste in natural and plain daily life, and longs for detachment and clarity in his humble life. Poetic life. Both Xiaowan and Pijiang like to sit quietly in the incense pavilion and savor famous incense. Xiaowan cherishes the "daughter fragrance" that Dongguan people consider to be the best. Xiaowan's method of using agarwood is different from that of ordinary people. Common people put agarwood on the fire and burn it. The smoke will be greasy and will disappear in a moment. Not only can't you feel the nature of the incense, but the smoke smells burnt when it touches your sleeves. Xiaowan uses the method of burning incense separated by gauze, and pays attention to the mood when tasting incense. In the small room on a cold night, jade curtains hang down, two or three red candles are lit, and agarwood is burned in several Xuande stoves. Looking quietly, it feels like entering the depths of the fragrance of pistil beads. Li Zicheng captured Beijing, Qing troops entered the Pass and marched south, and a raging war broke out in the Jiangnan area. The Qing army was ruthless and unscrupulous, risking their lives and being poisoned, and all their property was lost. Xiaowan fled south with her husband. On the Chinese Valentine's Day in the fifth year of Shunzhi's reign, Xiaowan saw the clouds in the sky and suddenly became interested in making a pair of golden necklaces imitating the clouds in the sky. She asked Bijiang to write the words "Qi Qiao" and "Fu Xiang" on the golden bracelet. This pair of exquisitely crafted Huang Tiaotiao was suddenly disconnected in July of the following year. They made a new couple, and Bijiang wrote the four words "Bi Yi" and "Lian Li" on them. It shows that Dong Xiaowan regards this pair of golden hairpins as a token of love. Xiaowan loves Wanju the most. A friend gave Mao Pijiang several pots of chrysanthemums called "Jianpeach Red". The flowers are numerous and thick, the leaves are green and dyed, and the thick strips are graceful. When Xiaowan saw the "Peach Blossom Cut", she loved it so much that she placed the flower beside her bed. Every night, burn a green candle on high, surround it with white screens on three sides, put a small chair between the flowers, adjust the chrysanthemums so that the shadow of the chrysanthemums has a beautiful and horizontal shape, and then go into the flowers, so that people can feel like they are among the chrysanthemums. Both the chrysanthemum and the people are in the shadow, and the scene is as delicate as a painting. At the last moment of Dong Xiaowan's life, she asked Mao Bijiang to move the "peach cut" in front of the bed to show her whether the branches and leaves were lush and whether there were insect pests. Xiaowan and Pijiang once lived in Huishian Huige, Haiyan, Jiaxing. Facing the desolate scenery of late spring on Jilong Mountain by the North and South Lakes, she lamented that the rivers were broken, families were displaced, and the dead flowers were buried in tears. It is said that Lin Daiyu's Burial Flowers in "A Dream of Red Mansions" was adapted from Xiaowan's Burial Flowers. Not long after life was stable, Mao Bijiang fell ill twice again. One time, he had a stomachache and he could not eat enough water and rice. Dong Xiaowan cooked medicine and decoction in the scorching heat and took care of her for sixty days and nights; the second time, she had gangrene on her back and the pain was so unbearable that she could not lie on her back. She hugged her husband every night and let him sleep against her, while she slept sitting up for a hundred days. Bijiang said that he had enjoyed all the happiness in his life in the nine years he had been with Xiaowan. In a difficult life, it was difficult to eat enough, and Xiaowan's body was very weak. In addition, taking care of Bijiang suffered several serious illnesses in a row, Xiaowan's body collapsed in an instant, and he could not drink a sip of water for more than 20 days in a row. Because his body was extremely weak, he invited famous doctors for diagnosis and treatment, but in the end it was difficult to get any results. On the second day of the first lunar month in the eighth year of Shunzhi (AD 1651), Xiaowanxian passed away amidst Mao Bijiang's heart-wrenching cry. He was only 28 years old. When she was dying, she held tightly in her hands the pair of golden bracelets engraved with the four characters "Bi Yi" and "Lian Li" by Mao Bijiang. Mao's family was in a trance and in pain, and he was buried in Yingmei Temple in Rugao. Many literati in the past dynasties paid homage to him. After Daoguang of the Qing Dynasty, some people falsely claimed that Xiaowan was not dead, but was tricked by Hong Chengchou and sent to the palace to win the favor of Emperor Shunzhi, and fear of Bijiang. They falsely claimed that Xiaowan was dead. In fact, Concubine Dong E was Dong Xiaowan, which was all lies. Dong Xiaowan was 28 years old when he died, and Shunzhi was only 14 years old. Xiaowan and Bijiang respected integrity and refused to surrender to the Qing Dynasty to the death. Xiaowan hated the luxurious life in the palace, not to mention that Manchus and Han people did not intermarry, so Xiaowan had no reason to invite favors into the palace. Shunzhi's loyal love was Concubine Dong'e, not Concubine Dong'e. Concubine Dong'e is the daughter of the military minister E Shuo. He entered the palace at the age of 18 (while Xiaowan married Bijiang at the age of 19). Concubine Dong'e was born with extraordinary beauty and wisdom, and was quiet and gentle. She was the most favored harem. In August of the 13th year of Shunzhi, she was registered as a virtuous concubine, and in December she was promoted to a noble concubine. Shunzhi was inseparable from her, writing poems, painting, and studying Buddhism. In the 17th year of Shunzhi, Concubine Dong'e's son died within a hundred days. She was so sad that she soon fell ill and died. Emperor Shunzhi named her Empress Duanjing and stayed away from court for five days. The funeral ceremony was extremely grand. As for the legend that Shunzhi saw through the world of mortals and became a monk in Mount Wutai due to the death of Dong Xiaowan, it is even more false.

Dong Xiaowan went from being a famous prostitute to a good concubine. There are four major mysteries in the Qing palace. The first one is Shunzhi becoming a monk. It is said that Shunzhi became a monk for a Han woman - Dong Xiaowan. Dong Xiaowan was originally the concubine of the famous scholar Mao Pijiang. It is said that Mao Pijiang was devastated because Shunzhi took Dong Xiaowan away from him. Said: "Dreams of earthly fate, sad hearts are moved, the orioles are far away, and the building of hope is empty. A beautiful girl has left her soul, and there is no trace of her. By the seaside of Yanggou, who will prove the former alliance; by the arm of the forest, the past will be unforgettable. After the golden lotus dance, The jade tree sings, the peach pair is gone, where are the willow branches? Send; the long song expresses the meaning, but the moon cannot be fulfilled." He also wrote a piece of "The Golden Man Holding the Dew Plate" to express his sorrow. But a mystery is a mystery after all, and the real situation is quite different from it. There is a Bantang River outside the city of Suzhou. The water is gentle and the scenery on both sides is beautiful and pleasant. There is an unknown hill on the riverside not far from the city. The bamboo forest on the mountain is secluded and as quiet as a paradise. There were originally no homes on the mountainside, only three or two simple pavilions for innocent tourists to rest. Later, a small building was built here. Although the building was not big, it was uniquely and elegantly built. A mother and daughter and several maidservants lived in the building. The mother and daughter seemed to live a very leisurely life. They indulged in the mountains and rivers every day, watching the rocks and clouds, and the flowing water and falling flowers. When they were tired, they would play the piano and chant poems in the flower pavilion in the courtyard, drink tea and play chess. They seemed not to be burdened by their livelihood. . Which family's female relatives have such leisurely feelings? They were originally the hostess and rich lady of the "Dong Family Embroidery Village" in the city. "Dongjia Embroidery Shop" is a well-known Suzhou embroidery shop in Suzhou. Because of its meticulous workmanship, its business has been booming. The Dong family is a family of Suzhou embroidery, with a history of more than 200 years. Although embroidery is a craft manufacturing industry, it is very close to the art of painting, so the Dong family has a somewhat scholarly atmosphere. The hostess Bai is the only daughter of an old scholar. The old scholar was unsuccessful in his life, so he had to pass on his wealth of knowledge to his daughter. The Bai family gave birth to a daughter of the Dong family. To express the harmonious relationship between the couple, they named her Bai and Qinglian. The little girl was not only handsome in appearance, but also very intelligent. Her parents regarded her as a treasure and carefully taught her poetry, calligraphy, painting, and needlework. , bent on training a girl with perfect talents and virtues. This was a perfect and happy family, but something unexpected happened. When Dong Bai was thirteen years old, his father suffered from severe dysentery in the summer. The medicine did not work, and he passed away soon after. This sudden change shocked Dong Bai's mother and daughter to a point of haggard. After taking care of her husband's funeral, Bai did not want to continue living in the old house in the city. She felt sad after seeing things and missing people, so she spent a sum of money. , built a secluded house by the Bantang River, lived in seclusion with her daughter, and lived a quiet life isolated from the world. The affairs of Xiuzhuang were all entrusted to the assistants. Two years passed by unconsciously, and it was already the end of the Ming Dynasty. The court is corrupt, tycoons are everywhere, and the world is plunged into war. By the ninth year of Chongzhen, chaos was approaching in Suzhou, and people couldn't help but panic. Bai also planned to close the embroidery shop's business and withdraw funds to prepare for escape at any time. Unexpectedly, when the clerk of Xiuzhuang settled the accounts, not only did he have no silver left, but he owed thousands of taels of silver externally. It was obviously the waiter who was causing trouble, but Bai couldn't grasp it, was angry and anxious, and finally fell ill in bed. Her mother fell down, the embroidery village went bankrupt, and she was overwhelmed by debts. The burden of life suddenly fell on fifteen-year-old Dong Bai. She seemed to have fallen from the clouds into an ice cellar, and she could not open her eyes for a while. The huge debt can be delayed as long as possible, but the mother's medical expenses are imminent. Dong Bai, who has lived in seclusion with his mother since childhood, has developed an aloof and arrogant character, and is willing to borrow money from others in a humble manner. In a hurry, he resorted to a trick and agreed to the recommendation of others. He came to Nanjing to perform in a painting boat by the Qinhuai River and changed his name to Xiaowan. Dong Xiaowan's beautiful appearance and otherworldly temperament made her famous in Qinhuai River very quickly. Forced by life, she had no choice but to smile, but her noble temper inevitably showed up sometimes, offending some vulgar guests, but she won the appreciation of some noble people. Dong Xiaowan was self-admiring, self-pitying and self-loving, and refused to be manipulated by the guests. This affected the Madam's income, so the Madam naturally ridiculed her. Dong Xiaowan was so angry that she left Nanjing and returned to Suzhou. But the mother at home was still lying in the hospital bed and couldn't do without seeking medical advice. Some creditors heard that Dong Xiaowan had returned home and came to collect debts. Dong Xiaowan was unable to cope with it, so he had to go back to his old business and simply sold himself to a brothel in Bantang. , selling laughs, accompanying wine, and accompanying guests on outings. In Bantang, Dong Xiaowan still had her original intention of not selling herself, but in order to survive, she had to suppress her aloofness and sell a charming smile with no actual content to the customers. On the other hand, there is a kind of customer who has both leisure and leisure and sufficient financial resources. He can take a favorite brothel girl to visit the mountains and rivers and enjoy the natural scenery. Dong Xiaowan was the most interested in accompanying guests on outings. Although most of those who could do this elegant thing were elderly people, at that time Dong Xiaowan was obsessed with the mountains and rivers and did not think there was anything abhorrent about white-haired gentlemen. Against the backdrop of the beautiful scenery, she is prone to tenderness and sincerely gives her guests a charming smile. Therefore, she was invited by guests again and again to tour Taihu Lake, climb Mount Huangshan, and go boating on the West Lake. She stayed there for ten and a half days. Not long after Dong Xiaowan left Qinhuai River, a young man went to Qinhuai River to look for her, and that young man was Mao Bijiang. This Mao Bijiang was born into a family of officials. Although he had no fame, he had great ambitions and was full of justice. During the Tianqi period, Wei Zhongxian, an eunuch, conspired to gain power and confuse the government. He risked opening up borders and united a group of people with lofty ideals to form an association in Jinling to uphold justice. The more famous among them were the "Four Young Masters".

The "Four Young Masters" are Chen Zhenhui, Fang Mizhi, Hou Fangyu, and Mao Bijiang, all of whom are young and talented people. Unfortunately, due to the weak situation and weak power, not only did it fail to achieve success, but it was also brutally destroyed by the eunuchs. Although Mao Pijiang escaped disaster, his future was deeply affected, so he had to temporarily place his love on the mountains and rivers. In the autumn of this year, 29-year-old Mao Pijiang came to Nanjing to take part in the provincial examination. Speaking of the provincial examination, Mao Pijiang has participated in it three times. With his talent and learning, he should have passed the examination long ago. However, in the examination essay, he should have followed the rules and explained the scriptures, but he wanted to connect with the current situation and criticize the political situation, which naturally violated the examiner. requirements, so we have tried and failed repeatedly. He had no intention of changing his style when taking the exam this time. He just wanted to see if he could meet a discerning examiner, otherwise he would fail. Mao Bijiang came to take the exam with the same mood as his good friend Fang Mizhi. Neither of them took the exam seriously. Seeing that they had some free time before the exam, they made an appointment to go to the Qinhuai River to relax. Fang Mizhi had long heard that Dong Xiaowan, a pure and pure "cold beauty" came from the Qinhuai River. She was unique among the women in brothels and suited the taste of Fang Mizhi and others, so she and Mao Bijiang made a special trip to visit her. , Unexpectedly, Dong Xiaowan had already left the Qinhuai River in anger. Later, when the results of the provincial examination were released, Mao Pijiang fell into disgrace as usual. He was not disappointed. I just sighed secretly that I was born at the wrong time, so I packed my bags and went to Suzhou for a leisurely trip. In Suzhou, Mao Bijiang visited the scenic spot and inquired about Dong Xiaowan's whereabouts. When he learned that she was already entertaining guests in Bantang, he made a special visit with great interest. As luck would have it, Dong Xiaowan had already been invited to visit Taihu Lake. After that, I went there several times but had no chance to see Dong Xiaowan. Until the eve of leaving Suzhou, I came to Bantang without much hope, but finally I was able to meet her. It was a cold night in late autumn. Dong Xiaowan had just returned from a banquet and was leaning on the bedside slightly drunk. When she saw the guests, she tried to stand up, but the alcohol was still there, and she was shaking a little when she sat up. Seeing this, Mao Bijiang hurriedly advised her not to be polite, and asked the maid to set up a stool beside Xiaowan's bed, then sat down next to her. After Mao Bijiang introduced himself, Dong Xiaowan praised him and said, "I have heard the name 'Four Young Masters' for a long time, and I have been admiring him for a long time!" A look of joy appeared on his face. Mao Bijiang didn't expect that a promiscuous woman would be very interested in their behavior of supporting justice. He couldn't help but respect her and looked at Dong Xiaowan carefully. She was dressed in plain clothes and light makeup, with clear eyebrows and clear eyes. She was indeed very different from ordinary women in the entertainment industry. Although he was drunk and frail at the time, he still had clear thoughts and good conversation, and talked about the current situation with great insight. Pity Yiren was tired after drinking, so Mao Bijiang sat there for less than half an hour and left in a hurry. It was this half hour of conversation that left a deep impression on Dong Xiaowan. At this time, Mao Bijiang had been traveling for a long time and was short of money. He had to leave Suzhou and return to his hometown of Rugao as planned, but he had a hidden attachment to Xiaowan in his heart. In the spring of the next year, Mao Pijiang went to Suzhou to visit Dong Xiaowan, but he heard that she had accompanied Qian Qianyi to visit the West Lake, and that after visiting the West Lake, she planned to go to Huangshan to see the strange peaks and pines. I didn't know when she would be able to return. Mao Bijiang had no choice but to go back angrily. In a blink of an eye, it was the season when the spring river water was warm again. I went to Xiangyang on my mother's orders to visit my father who was an official there. After passing Suzhou, I couldn't help but go to Bantang to look for Dong Xiaowan. This time Xiaowan accompanied a guest to travel to Huangshan Mountain again. Mao Pijiang was extremely disappointed and sighed to himself: "It's so hopeless!" Disappointed, he met Chen Yuanyuan, a famous local prostitute. The two of them fell in love and traveled together. After seeing the mountains and rivers of Suzhou, when Mao Bijiang left, she also agreed to come and enjoy the Tiger Hill pomegranates with her when she returned home in early summer. He went to Xiangyang to visit his father. After staying for a while, he came to Suzhou as promised. At this time, Chen Yuanyuan had been hired by Jiading Bo Zhou Kui to go to Kyoto. Mao Bijiang felt lost, and with a melancholy mood he hired a boat to go to Huqiu alone. The boat sailed slowly along the Bantang River, aimlessly admiring the scenery on both sides of the river. The boat crossed a small bluestone bridge and saw a lush green willow forest in front of us. Looking up, there was actually a deep place in the willow silk. The eaves of a small building are vaguely visible, and it looks picturesque against the backdrop of green hills and trees. Are there other people living in such a secluded place? He must be some kind of hermit, an outsider! Mao Bijiang became interested for a moment, so he ordered Zhouzi to tie the boat to a willow tree, and he walked ashore towards the small building. The courtyard door of the small building was closed tightly, and there was no sound. After Mao Bijiang went up and called several times, a little maid came to open the door. After asking, she found out that this was Dong Xiaowan's home. At this time, Dong's mother was newly mourned and had just finished the funeral. Cha Xiaowan was so sad that she fell ill in bed. Mao Bijiang was suddenly startled and quickly said that he was Dong Xiaowan's friend and came here to visit. After the little maid informed the master, she came to invite the guest into the house and led the guest directly into Dong Xiaowan's bedroom. This was the second time that Mao Bijiang saw Xiaowan. Just like last time, she was lying on the bedside, but last time she had a charming smile, but this time her face was full of sadness. Mao Bijiang comforted her with sympathy, and told her how he had failed in several visits. Dong Xiaowan showed a hint of apology and relief. Seeing that she was weak, Mao Pijiang proposed to go home early several times, but Dong Xiaowan tried hard to persuade her to stay, and the two talked until late at night before breaking up. Early the next morning, Mao Bijiang couldn't help but hire a boat to come to Xiaowan's house. The two had no agreement, but Xiaowan stood outside the door to greet him with a smile. Most of the illness was cured overnight, and it seemed that Mao Bijiang was expected to come today. Dong Xiaowan welcomed Mao Bijiang into the house and served tea. Xiaowan muttered to himself quietly: "This time the young master came, my illness was cured without medicine. It seems that I must be destined to have a destiny with the young master. I hope that the young master will not give up!" Mao Bijiang was not very happy after hearing this, but he was also afraid that the other party was acting on a whim.

Then he probed and said: "The young man and the girl have few words. Don't the girl regret what she said?" Dong Xiaowan said firmly: "The world is rolling and I know a lot of people. If the young master doesn't abandon me, I can be regarded as following the young master." Got it! "Mao Bijiang was so excited that he hugged her, while Xiaowan sobbed in his arms. Mao Bijiang still had to go to Nanjing to take the provincial examination before returning to his hometown. He made an appointment with Dong Xiaowan to wait for the provincial examination. When it was over, he immediately returned to Suzhou to redeem her life, and then accompanied her back to Rugao. It could be said that she was familiar with taking the exam. Anyway, she didn’t have much hope. After finishing the exam paper, she happily left the field. He just wanted to fly to Xiaowan as soon as possible. As he was walking, he suddenly heard a clear voice calling his name. He looked up and saw that wasn't Xiaowan standing next to the flag stand opposite the camp? , waving to him with a bright smile. Mao Bijiang quickly ran forward, held Xiaowan's hand and asked with concern: "Why are you here! "I have legs myself, so why can't I come? I've been here for three days and I didn't dare to come to see you for fear of disturbing the young master!" "Dong Xiaowan told the story with a hint of coquettishness, and also told that the boat she was on encountered robbers on the river. Fortunately, the boatman was clever and hid the boat in the reeds for three days before escaping. The passengers were scared to death. Mao Pi Jiang gently stroked her hair, conveying wordless love and comfort. Soon after the results of the provincial examination were announced, Mao Bijiang failed again. At this time, he was already thirty years old, and since it was difficult to achieve an official career, he simply made up his mind to return home. Dong Xiaowan wholeheartedly agreed with his decision to live in seclusion. She had longed for the ordinary life of being a commoner, vegetarian, and dependent on each other day and night. She had already seen through that idea and took Xiaowan back to Suzhou to redeem herself. , but unexpectedly ran into trouble again, because Dong Xiaowan was so famous in Bantang that the madam did not want to let go of this money tree no matter how much money she offered. Just when they were unable to do anything, Qian Qianyi came to Suzhou with Liu Rushi. She was Dong Xiaowan's good sister when she was teasing Qinhuai River. Qian Qianyi also had a deep friendship with her. Although he is now exempted from official position and living in leisure, he is very famous in the Jiangnan area. After his intervention, Dong Xiaowan's redemption was It was the midwinter of Chongzhen's 15th year. Mao Bijiang and Dong Xiaowan rushed to Rugao in the wind and snow. They were unwilling to give up the good opportunity to sightsee and enjoy the scenery. It was not until the early spring of the next year that Mao's family arrived in Rugao. Mao's family was very reasonable and successfully accepted Dong Xiaowan, a concubine from a brothel, because they believed in Mao Bijiang's vision. At this time, Mao Bijiang's father had resigned from Xiangyang. When the official returned home, the family gathered together to enjoy family happiness. Mao Pijiang's first wife, Qin, was frail and sick, so Dong Xiaowan took on the responsibility of running the family without any complaints, serving his parents-in-law and eldest wife respectfully and docilely. She takes good care of the two boys and one girl born to the Qin family. She handles all the accounts of the Mao family. She takes care of everything and never hides the money. Xiaowan is also good at cooking and is good at making various snacks and snacks. The cured meat made everyone in the Mao family a feast for the eyes. Xiaowan was infinitely satisfied with everyone's praise. Xiaowan would serve tea and light candles at the side; sometimes she would help him search for information and copy manuscripts; when her husband was tired, she would play the guzheng to relieve his boredom. Just after a year of peaceful and harmonious family life, the country had experienced a great development. During the war, Li Zicheng captured Beijing and the Qing troops marched southward. The Qing army was raging in the south of the Yangtze River. The Qing army was in danger of being poisoned. Fortunately, he escaped quickly and was able to save his family's lives. However, the family property was lost. Everything was lost during the war. After the war, Mao's family returned to their home after the disaster. Life became very difficult due to lack of rice and firewood. Thanks to Dong Xiaowan's careful planning, he could barely maintain his family's life at this juncture. However, Mao Bijiang fell ill, suffering from diarrhea and malaria, which tortured him into a human form. He suffered from malaria, fever and chills, and diarrhea and abdominal pain. In order to take care of him, Dong Xiaowan had almost no peace for a moment. A broken straw mat was spread out beside the bed as her bed. As soon as her husband made any noise, she would immediately get up and take a look. When he shivered with cold, she held her husband tightly in her arms. When he was feverish and irritable, she would uncover him and give him a bath. When he had abdominal pain, he would rub it for him; when he had diarrhea, he would help him lift the basin and relieve the pain, and he never looked tired. After more than five months of hard work, Mao Bijiang's condition finally improved, while Dong Xiaowan was already as skinny as a stick, as if he had been seriously ill. Not long after life was stable, Mao Bijiang fell ill twice again. The first time was due to a stomach ailment with bleeding and no food or water, so Dong Xiaowan cooked medicine and decoction in the scorching heat and stayed by his pillow for sixty days and nights; the second time was due to gangrene on his back, the pain was unbearable and he could not lie on his back, so Dong Xiaowan stayed at night. Ye held her husband in her arms and let him sleep against her, while she slept sitting up for a full hundred days. In a difficult life, it was difficult to eat enough. Dong Xiaowan's body was already weak, and she had to take care of her husband's illness three times in a row. After Mao Bijiang recovered, she fell ill. Because his body was extremely weak, he invited famous doctors for diagnosis and treatment, but in the end it was difficult to get any results. In the first month of the eighth year of Shunzhi, Dong Xiaowan, who had been a virtuous concubine and a good wife in Maojia for nine years, finally closed her tired eyes. Amidst the cries of Maojia, she passed away so peacefully.