Even though there aren't any more gentry families, the people are Chinese and they have the same basic nature. And the reason why great works are great is they point out the universals. Look at Monkey and Pigsy in the Hsi-yu chi, aren't they like people, too?
雖然現代已經沒有什麼官宦世家，但都是中國人，還是有不變的基本性格，而偉大的作品之所以偉大，就是它們點出這些「普遍性」，你看西遊記裡的猴子和豬吵架，不也很像人嗎？