One *** in "Jinghuayuan" describes 33 countries:
1. The country of the gentleman
The country of the gentleman is a country of etiquette and music that is easy to give in and cannot be disputed. On the city gate are written the four characters "Only goodness is treasure". "The ruler of the country has issued a strict instruction. If the subjects offer jewels as a gift, they will be burned and the subject will be punished."
The prime minister here is humble and free from official career habits, making people feel amiable and respectable. The people here are humble and conciliatory to each other. Regardless of whether they are rich or poor, they are all respectful and courteous in their behavior and speech.
2. The Kingdom of Adults
The Kingdom of Adults is the most wonderful. Chinese people are not only taller than ordinary people, ranging from two to three feet, but more importantly, they are protected by clouds and mist at their feet. In the streets and lanes of the market, some people were looking high and strutting; some were looking forward with empty shoulders, and some were looking down. The expressions are different, all depending on the color of the clouds and mist beneath their feet. "When you are bright and upright, colorful clouds appear at your feet"; "When you are treacherous and dark, dark clouds appear at your feet."
3. The Republic of China
The Chinese people are busy all day long, and their bodies are swaying whether they are walking, sitting or standing. Although it is busy here, it is just working muscles and bones and not worrying about it. In addition, the local area does not produce grains, and everyone eats fruits and trees. The food that is fried and cooked comes from the entrance, so everyone lives a long life.
4. Nie Er Country
The appearance of its people is the same as that of human beings, except that their ears hang down to their waists, and they hold their ears with both hands when walking. Although he has long ears, he has never lived a long life.
5. The Intestineless Country
The people in this country have no intestines, and food passes directly through them, thus achieving the integration of dining room and toilet. The food does not stay in the stomach and is full as soon as it passes through the stomach. Therefore, rich and noble people collect their excrement and feed it to their servants. So that one meal can be recycled over and over again until there is no discernible difference between rice and feces. There has always been no extremely poor family in the country, nor a very rich family. Although there are several wealthy families, they all come from dietary planning.
6. Quan Fengguo
Quen Fengguo was born with the body of a dog and the head of a dog. He hurt countless creatures every day and tried to eat whatever he could think of. There is nothing to do but eat and drink. And they are too blind to recognize good people.
7. The Ghost Country
The people stay up all night, use night as day, reverse yin and yang, and behave like ghosts, so they are called the "Ghost Country".
8. Yuangu Country
The Chinese wear bamboo hats, waistcoats, fishskin trousers, and no shoes or socks. The skin color of his upper body is the same as that of ordinary people, but his legs and feet are as black as the bottom of a pot. He makes a living by fishing.
9. Mao Minguo
He is a man with long hair. Because he was stingy by nature and never plucked out a hair, after his death the official of the underworld fell in love with him, so he was given a long coat of hair. Over time, all those who are stingy and greedy will be born here.
10. The country of Biqian
In life, its face is three feet long, its neck is three feet long, and its body is three feet long. It is famous for its longevity.
11. Wujiguo (Wuqiguo)
People here have no distinction between men and women, are barren, and have no heirs. After death, his body became immortal and was still alive after one hundred and twenty years. Therefore, the people of that country live and die, die and live again, and never become less. Therefore, in their country, when someone dies, it is called "sleeping," and when someone is alive, it is called "dreaming," and they take life, death, fame, and wealth very lightly.
12. The country of deep eyes
The people have no eyes on their faces and their eyes are on their hands. It can be observed in all directions and is easy to prevent, just like "eyes can see six directions and ears can hear all directions".
13. The Black Teeth Country
The people of the Black Tooth Country are "all like ink, even their teeth are black", "with a little red lips, two red eyebrows, and a red dress" . The folk customs here are simple and simple, and books are priceless treasures. Everyone, regardless of gender, old or young, loves reading. If the money falls on the ground, no one will pick it up, but if the book falls on the ground, I am afraid everyone will grab it.
14. Jingrenguo (Lilliput)
The people in Jingrenguo are less than one foot in length, and they are the most merciless. What they say is completely contrary to others. Because they are afraid of being harmed by big birds, young and old alike gather in small groups and hold weapons to defend themselves.
15. The country of Crooked Heels
The people of this country have red hair and shaggy heads. They have two big feet, one foot thick and two feet long. When moving, they use their toes to exert force and their heels together. Not touching the ground, swaying three times, gentle and graceful, but relatively rigid and rigid.
16. The Country of Changren
The people here are extremely tall. What Tang Ao saw was seven to eight feet tall, and others described it as even more ridiculously tall.
17. Bai Republic of China
This place is very densely populated and prosperous, and the language is the same as that of the Tang Dynasty. But the pedantic scholar reads "You are young, I am young, and people are young" in "Mencius" as "cut my own throat, in order to oppose others' cruelty." Such unlearned and unskilled people are also profit-seekers who regard "money as life" and want to take advantage.
18. Shushi Kingdom
Shushi Kingdom has golden plaques saying "virtuous and upright", "virtuous Confucian" and "smart and upright" everywhere, and the clothes of various people are all different. It is a Confucian scarf and plain clothes. They behave politely and talk a lot about "what matters", but they are very fussy and stingy. After eating and drinking, they even put the remaining salt in their pockets and put even a used bald toothpick in their sleeves.
19. Two-faced country
The people of Two-faced country all have two faces, one in front and one behind, one is kind and easy-going, and the other is fierce and sinister. The two-faced Chinese often show their smiling faces, and of course this smiling face is also their front face. And the back of their heads is often covered with a "Haoran scarf" because there is an evil face hidden behind it. These people are all hypocritical and cunning, and they would often smile at you before, but then turn their heads and face you with a sinister face.
In addition, after staying in the Two-Face Country for a certain period of time, ordinary people will also have a second face.
20. The country of piercing the chest
Due to improper behavior, the people of the country of piercing the chest gradually left their own place and had no master in their chests. Over time, the front and back were connected. Even if it is later filled with wolf heart and dog lung, it will still be crooked. There is still a big hole in my chest.
21. The Fire-Tired Country
The people of the Fire-Tired Country look like macaques, with skin as dark as charcoal and the ability to shoot flames from their mouths.
22. The Country of Shouma
It is said that the daytime here is the hottest here. Every time the sun rises, people diving will not dare to come out of the water until the heat subsides at dusk. This person has been like this since he was a child, but he doesn't feel the heat. He is most afraid of freezing to death even in summer if he leaves his country. Because of the lack of yang energy, the people here have no shadow.
23. The Long-Arm Country
The arms of this man are two feet long, longer than his body.
24. Yi Minguo
The people of Yi Minguo have charred skin and strange looks. They are less than five feet tall, but their heads are two feet long. People here love flattery and love to wear tall hats. They wear them every day. Their heads are full of tall hats, so they gradually make their heads grow longer.
25. The country of knotting breasts
Because I am too lazy to cook, I eat every day before going to bed, and then eat again after sleeping. I cannot digest the food, and gradually turn into accumulation, so my chest is raised. Quick, this is true for generations.
26. The Pig Beak Country
The people in the Pig Beak Country have pig mouths and are prone to lying. Whenever they open their mouths, they are all lies and none of them are true. of.
27. Bolu Country
Bolu Country was most afraid of sleep in his life: he was afraid that he would fall asleep and not wake up, which would cost him his life. As a result, he was in a coma all year round, barely able to support himself, and was never happy at all. He is still young, his beard and hair have turned white. Once he is mentally exhausted and unable to hold on, it will be extremely difficult to wake up again, and there will be no life left to speak of.
28. Wu Xian Kingdom
There are two main types of trees here, one is mulberry and the other is kapok. The best mulberry trees are used for firewood, and the kapok brocade is woven for clothing.
29. The Country of Different Tongues
The people of the country are gifted with eloquent tongues since childhood. They are not only proficient in music, but also able to learn the language of birds. They can speak various sounds casually, so neighboring countries All call them with "different tongues".
30. Zhijia Country
This is the best place for astronomy, divination, Pythagorean algorithm, all kinds of ingenuity, and all kinds of skills. They also competed with each other, tried their best to win, and thought hard about evil thoughts. The more they came up, the more bizarre they became. They must stand out, so the neighboring countries called them "wise and good". They only focus on conceiving all day long, and over time, their efforts are exhausted. Before the age of thirty, their temples are already as frosty.
31. The Daughter Country
This is a country centered on women. “Men wear skirts backwards, as women, to manage domestic affairs; women wear boots and hats backwards, As a man, you manage foreign affairs."
Women's wisdom and talents are not weaker than men's. From the emperor to his ministers, they are all women.
32. Xuanyuan Kingdom
Everyone in Xuanyuan Kingdom has a human face and a snake body, with a snake tail coiled on the head; the clothes, clothes and speech are the same as those of the Celestial Dynasty; and the behavior and appearance are also very elegant.
33. The Immortal Kingdom
In the middle of the country there is Mount Qiu. There is an immortal tree on the mountain. You can live forever if you eat it. There is also a red spring in the country. The water is very red and you can drink it. It can also be immortal.
Writing intention:
Through the narration of dozens of countries in "Flowers in the Mirror", including positive discussions and side satire, what it advocates and opposes, The main ones are as follows:
1. It advocates equality between men and women. It requires women to study at an early age and take exams like men. It opposes men's oppression of women, and especially expresses its angry protest against foot-binding, ear-piercing and other behaviors that destroy human limbs.
2. It opposes certain superstitious systems, such as keeping the coffins of parents unable to be buried for many years because of the choice of Feng Shui, sending children into Buddhism, allowing three aunts and six wives to enter and leave the house, as well as wind fortune tellers, zodiac signs, and fortune telling. Intermarriage etc.
3. In terms of culture, it advocates that everyone should read to understand the truth and be knowledgeable about the past and the present. It hopes to have "either through Tong Jing, or through Ming history, or through poetry, or through poetry, or through policy analysis, or through books, or through music, or through rhyme, or through criminal law, or through calendar calculation, or through Subject examinations such as calligraphy, painting, or medical divination.
4. In terms of life, it advocates simplicity and economy and opposes extravagance. We are opposed to being particular about our daily diet and being too lazy to make it delicious. Against feasting and entertaining guests. It is against the banquet arrangements of the three dynasties, the full moon, the hundredth day, and the first year of the child's birth. Oppose the "excessive extravagance" of "marriages, funerals, food, clothing, and household expenses."
5. In terms of social atmosphere, it requires sincerity and opposes false morals and hypocrites. It praises without arguing, is courteous and courteous, and strives to be the first to do good things. It opposes hating the poor and loving the rich. It advocates being kind to others and allowing them to "reform their mistakes." It opposes litigation. It requires a thorough understanding of life and death, and a disregard for fame and fortune. It tries its best to ridicule those uneducated people who "know clearly that they have nothing in their belly, but they pretend to be rich."
6. It opposes excessively serious exploitative behaviors, such as the wealthy households in the Intestine Country who "keep the food that passes through their stomachs in preparation for the next meal of the servants", and also He was reluctant to let his servants eat as much as possible and asked them to "eat and eat again" "three or four times".
Extended information:
Although Li Ruzhen is a progressive thinker and writer, she still cannot completely get rid of the fetters of the old consciousness. Either due to the limitations of the times or due to the retention of outdated feudal consciousness, Li Ruzhen's country still has certain backward ideas. When he put forward his ideas and criticisms, there were many rigid and incomplete things, and he even attempted to replace reform with restoration. place.
The author has a traditional thought. He believes that "lower people" are uneducated and bear no responsibility for all bad trends; scholars, especially "gentlemen" among scholars, should take the lead. Correct those bad habits (this view is particularly revealed in the conversation between Wu Zhihe and Wu Zhixiang in Chapter 12 of the Gentleman Kingdom). Therefore, most of the phenomena reflected in the book were phenomena in the middle-class and above society at that time.
The author promotes superstition to a certain extent. When he criticizes the slaughter of farm cattle, although he has correct views, he also has superstitious causal thoughts. In particular, while describing a beautiful utopia, he also made the protagonist Tang Ao reject reality and go into seclusion, reflecting his ambivalent psychology of joining the world and escaping from it.
In order to show the versatility of talented women in the book, the talented women are asked to lecture one after another on scriptures, history, phonology, and literature and art. The overflow of these knowledge and knowledge in novels has become the biggest drawback.
These knowledge and knowledge can only explain the knowledge and expertise of a certain talented woman, and reflect this talented woman's views on social contradictions, and have nothing to do with the character's personality characteristics. These knowledge and knowledge cover the characters and plots, submerging the characteristics of the novel, and forming a grocery store selling all kinds of knowledge and knowledge.
Baidu Encyclopedia: "Flowers in the Mirror"