What did the first chapter of Dream of the Red Chamber mean?

I don't know what's up with that stone in the first chapter of 'Dream of the Red Chamber'. Was it that Cao Xueqin had a book called' Story of the Stone 'before he published it, or was it that what that stone said was just a legend? I'm new here. I hope you can give me some pointers!

Answer 1

The first chapter of Dream of the Red Chamber, Zhen Shiyin's Dreamlike Awareness, Psychic Sense, Jia Yucun's Love for a Lady, mainly described Jia Baoyu's background and his life experiences in the Jia residence.

Zhen Shiyin was a wealthy businessman who had a dream of Zhen Shiyin fighting zombies and was magically taught that he could communicate with spirits. He came to the Jia residence and saw Jia Baoyu. The two of them had a wonderful exchange because of Zhen Shiyin's dream. Jia Yucun was the housekeeper of the Jia family. He handled many affairs for the Jia family through Zhen Shiyin's help.

The first chapter described Jia Baoyu's family background and his life experience in the Jia residence, showing the magnificence of the Jia residence and the hidden sins. At the same time, it also described the communication between Zhen Shiyin and Jia Baoyu, which made the readers have a strong interest in the fate of the two.