May I ask how Cao Xueqin, the author of 'Dream of the Red Chamber', came to such a miserable state?
The author of 'Dream of the Red Chamber', Cao Xueqin, had a poor family background. The details were as follows: Cao Xueqin was a descendant of Cao Xueqin's family from the Qing Dynasty. His ancestors had once held official positions during the Ming Dynasty. Cao Xueqin's father, Cao Yin, was a scholar who had once served as the director of the Nanjing Ministry of Justice. However, after Cao Yin's death, the Cao family's financial situation began to decline. As the Cao family had been scholars for generations, they did not have many family businesses. They mainly made a living by reading and writing. During the gradual decline of the Cao family, their lives became more and more difficult. They had to sell some property and furniture to make a living. In addition, the Cao family had also encountered some unfortunate things. Not long after Cao Yin's death, his only daughter, Cao Xueqin, unfortunately passed away, leaving behind a son, Cao Dingzhang. Cao Dingzhang unfortunately fell ill and eventually died after growing up. The Cao family's next generation of talents withered, and the Cao family's family fell into an even more difficult situation. In the end, Cao Xueqin was forced to leave his hometown and go to Beijing to make a living in his youth. During his journey, he wrote the famous novel Dream of the Red Chamber to commemorate his family and his experiences.
