The first reason is the number 12. There is a phrase "twelve rows of golden hairpin on the head" in Gu Yue Fu, which originally meant that a woman has a high bun and a lot of hair on her head. Note that there are not exactly twelve, but many. The poem "Twelve Lines of Golden Hairpins" in Bai Juyi's Poem "Watching the Cow in Meditation" in Tang Dynasty is used to refer to groups of women. Until the Song Dynasty poet Shen Li said in "Hundred Rhymes of Begonia": "There are twelve golden hairs and three thousand beads." Twelve people, the exact number is clear, twelve people, twelve women.

In fact, the number twelve is very strange, such as the current twelve months, twelve earthly branches, the corresponding zodiac, twelve constellations, twelve o'clock and so on. , and twelve in the measurement is a "hit" and so on.

Why twelve? It is said that the reason is that ten fingers and two feet are convenient for counting. In packaging science, it is 3X4= 12, and the packaged box is more in line with the aesthetic golden ratio. If it is 2X5= 10, it will be ugly. Besides, if you dance, twelve people can form a beautiful formation. In short, 12 is very suitable for expressing more numbers and concepts. So in A Dream of Red Mansions, there are not only stories of twelve women, but also many stories of many women.