""The Plum in the Golden Vase" is the ancestor of "A Dream of Red Mansions". Without "The Plum in the Golden Vase", "A Dream of Red Mansions" would not have been written."
A prominent label of "Jin Ping Mei" is a pornographic book, but when you open the book, you will find that Ximen Qing is not just a lecherous bully, he is generous to his brothers and gentle and considerate to his wives and concubines; Pan Jinlian is not just a prostitute, she writes poems and songs, has a sharp tongue, and can even see the shadow of Lin Daiyu.
Only by breaking stereotypes can we understand the reality and complexity.
This book takes the rise and fall of the Ximen Qing family as the main line, linking up a complex world ranging from high-ranking officials in the imperial court to gangsters in the market. With his wealth, Ximen Qing bribed Cai Jing and made friends with powerful officials. He rose through the ranks and his wealth increased day by day. However, due to excessive indulgence and fighting within the family, they eventually ran out of oil and died. The former brothers fell into trouble and the prosperity of the past disappeared. Lu Xun once praised him highly as "the author has an extremely deep understanding of the world".
