Chapter 14 - supercondensed

Xifeng earns fear and respect in Ningguo for being a ruthless and organised leader; she is in her element managing competing and difficult affairs. Daiyu’s father has died, and she is to stay at Rongguo permanently. At Qinshi’s funeral procession, the Prince of Beijing asks to meet Baoyu.

Chapter 14

The Ningguo Chief Steward Lai Sheng 赖升warns the staff of Xifeng’s hard reputation. Xifeng discusses arrangements with Lai Sheng’s wife and assembles all the married women of Ningguo, assigning them roles, notably more organised than Ningguo normally is, earning Xifeng respect.

On the 35^th day, a particularly important religious day, Xifeng rises at 4 to commence work. She makes an example of one latecomer by giving her twenty lashes, and shouts at servants who present poorly totalled tallies. She earns the fear of the women and servants, and people work efficiently.

Baoyu brings Qin Zhong to Xifeng for a chat. He suggests that someone could forge tallies and fleece them out of money. Baoyu coaxes Xifeng to get the servants to work harder on his study so that he can study at night. A servant arrives with the news that Lin Ruhai has died and is to be buried in Suzhou. Daiyu is to stay permanently.

Xifeng again rises early as the funeral approaches. Zhen deals with monks as Xifeng manages many competing affairs for both Rongguo and Ningguo; she is in her element. Many distinguished guests arrive for the funeral, including the Prince of Beijing 北静王. He watches the procession from the roadside, and asks after the boy born with jade in his mouth, and Baoyu is fetched.

Chapter 13 - supercondensed

Qinshi dies; Baoyu is moved to illness and her maid commits suicide. An extravagant funeral is arranged, and many mourners visit Ningguo. With Youshi  ill, Xifeng is asked to take charge of arrangements.

Chapter 13

秦可卿死封龙禁尉

王熙凤协理宁国府

Qinshi appears to Xifeng in a dream, offering caution of hard times and investment advice, before Xifeng is woken with the news of her death and all mourn. Baoyu is also woken by the news, and feels a stab of pain to the heart and coughs up blood. He insists on travelling to her room, where Zhen is addressing the assembled crowd. Zhen makes arrangements for the funeral; Xue Pan donates an extravagant coffin. They learn that Qinshi’s maid Gem 瑞珠 has killed herself out of devotion. When a eunuch arrives with condolences, Jia Rong is given a formal commission in order to add pomp to the funeral banner. Throughout the 49 days of mourning there are many visitors to Ningguo.

Youshi’s illness has left Ningguo without anyone to run the house, and Zhen fears an etiquette breach with so many visitors. On Baoyu’s suggestion, he asks Xifeng to step in. Lady Wang is concerned that she has no experience of funerals, but consents. Xifeng agrees, and is briefed by Zhen on the arrangements. Xifeng identifies five major abuses habitual in Ningguo.

Chapter 12 - supercondensed

Xifeng tricks Rui first into getting locked out, and then into mistakenly trying to bugger Jia Rong, and she extorts money from him. He spirals into bedridden delerium; despite his father’s begging, Xifeng deliberately sends too little medicine. He dies after his soul follows an image of Xifeng into a two sided mirror given to him by a Daoist. Daiyu’s father is ill and Daiyu leaves to see him.

Chapter 12

王熙凤毒设相思局

贾天祥正照风月鉴

Rui is delighted to be received by Xifeng, and by her informal dress. He puts his claim as a lover, and she leads him on. She tells him to come back at night, and she’ll give the watchman the night off. He does so, creeping in but finds himself locked in an alley; he lasts the night in the midwinter cold and slips out first thing. As the Grandfather of orphaned Rui, Dairu is angry at his absence for a whole night and his excuse, and lashes him.

Rui returns to see Xifeng, who scolds him for failing her, and tells him to come back that night. While waiting, he observes a figure and launches on it, assuming it to be Xifeng. A light flashes, and Jia Qiang is holding a candle: Rui is trying to bugger Jia Rong. Qiang has been briefed by Xifeng, and holds him captive. Rui tries to negotiate, and Qiang accepts fifty taels as an IOU; after pressing, Rong does too. He leaves, but a slop bucket is emptied on him before he can.

Rui is unable to sleep, and doesn’t dare to visit Rongguo again, but his passion isn’t quelled. The stress of work, worry, and debt leads to illness confining him to bedridden delirium. The illness worsens into spring, and Dairu begs Rongguo for medicine which he can’t afford. Xifeng deliberately sends little. A Daoist gives him a two-sided mirror, fashioned by Disenchantment, which he says will cure him of the ill effect of impure mental activity, if he looks into it everyday, but only into the back of it. He looks at the back and sees a skull. He looks at the front and sees Xifeng; his soul follows her and they make love. This happens three or four times, each time ending with the skull reappearing. The last time, two figures approach him, chain him and lead him away. Rui dies, and all present curse the Daoist, who reappears and angrily snatches the mirror back. He is given a stylish funeral.

Lin Ruhai falls seriously ill and writes, asking to see Daiyu again. Grandmother Jia and Baoyu are upset at this, and Jia Lian is asked to accompany her.

Chapter 11 - supercondensed

 

A troupe of entertainers is celebrating Jia Jing’s birthday. Xifeng and Baoyu visit Qinshi; Xifeng starts leading Jia Rui on; he starts visiting regularly, and she develops a plan.

Chapter 11

庆寿辰宁府排家宴 
见熙凤贾瑞起淫心
 

It is the birthday of the nominal head of the Ningguo House, Jia Jing 贾敬, who lives outside the city. Jing isn’t present to celebrate, so a troupe of entertainers arrives. Grannie Jia was taken ill after eating bad peaches, but attends, and Xifeng discusses Qinshi’s illness with Zhen and Rong as the guests arrive. Xifeng and Baoyu go with Rong to see Qinshi, who regrets her fate. Baoyu is reminded of his dream, but is moved to tears by Qinshi’s words.

Baoyu leaves first, and Xifeng bumps into Jia Rui on her walk back; she struggles to identify him, he ogles her. She senses his game, and leads him on, despite finding him odious. With Youshi, Lady Wang and Aunt Xing, Xifeng selects the plays for the entertainment, before they head home exhausted.

Rui visits the Rong household on numerous occasions, invariably finding Xifeng absent, often visiting Qinshi at Ningguo. During one visit, Rui asks Patience to ask Xifeng to pay him a call. Xifeng has a plan for next time he calls.

Chapter 10 - supercondensed

The bully’s mother admonishes him, while the bullying affair has made Qinshi ill. A doctor arrives and prescribes a medicine for her.

Chapter 10

金寡妇贪利权受辱 
张太医论病细穷源

Jokey Jin apologises, but broods. His mother admonishes him – it was hard to get him into the school, and they’re saving a lot of money as a result – including receiving some from Pan. His aunt, Jia Huang 贾璜 of Ningguo’s wife, who also is not wealthy, visits and is told the story. She heads to Ningguo to talk to Qinshi, but her anger subsides and she hears the other side of the story from Youshi, and learns that brooding over it had made Qinshi ill.

Cousin Zhen and wife Youshi discuss the illness, and Zhen reveals that he’s arranged for an esteemed doctor, Zhang Youshi 张友士, to call the next day, and asks Jia Rong to tell him the symptoms. They discuss arrangements for his father’s birthday too. Zhang examines Qinshi, and is able to determine quickly what is wrong with her, unlike other doctors who had given conflicting views, leading the condition to deteriorate. He writes a prescription, and predicts a full recovery if she makes it to the spring equinox.

Chapter 9 - supercondensed

Before starting at school, Zheng threatens Baoyu to concentrate on his studies. Baoyu’s group of schoolfriends, particularly Qin Zhong, are bullied, which escalates to a fight in the classroom.

Chapter 9

训劣子李贵承申饬

嗔顽童茗烟闹书房

Aroma has prepared Baoyu’s things for school, but is concerned that he won’t have the proper attitude. Baoyu reassures her, thinking she’ll be gloomy because he’s away, and tells her to spend time with Daiyu. He goes to see Zheng, but is admonished for fooling around. Zheng interrogates Li Gui 李贵, Nannie Li’s 李奶姆 son who was in attendance on Baoyu, as to what Baoyu had been studying. Zheng threatens him, saying that he wants Baoyu to cease studying poetry and classics and learn the Four Books.

Baoyu and Qin Zhong continue to be great friends, and Baoyu insists on them using personal terms. Their beauty and friendship, however, leads the other pupils to spread rumours. Xue Pan joins the school on a pretence in order to meet the boys, offering them money and goods, and two other boys develop a bond of mutual attraction with Qin and Baoyu. They complain of bullying by Jokey Jin 金荣 to the unprincipled Jia Rui 贾瑞, Dairu’s grandson, who calls one of them a troublemaker. Pupil Jia Qiang 贾蔷 of Ningguo is angry, and tells Baoyu’s page Tealeaf 茗烟 to pick a fight with the bully, resulting in mayhem in the classroom. Tealeaf and Baoyu want to tell, but are persuaded not to if the bully apologises.

Chapter 8 - supercondensed

Baoyu visits Baochai, whose maid notes the similarity between Baoyu’s jade and Baochai’s necklace. Daiyu also arrives, and they drink together before leaving. Back at Baoyu’s, Daiyu admires his calligraphy. Qin Zhong is enrolled in the Jias’ school.

Chapter 8

贾宝玉寄缘识金锁

薛宝钗巧合认通灵

While Xifeng enjoys her entertainment, Baoyu surreptitiously decides to see Baochai in Pear Tree Court, who has been ill. He is detained by two literary gentlemen who have been with Zheng, and by the Clerk of Stores and several foremen. Pan is out and Aunt Xue shows him in; Baochai is better. Baochai is fascinated by Baoyu’s jade, and Oriole 莺儿 remarks on the similarity between the inscription on the jade and that on Baochai’s necklace. Baoyu likes the fragrance of her medicine and jokingly asks to try some.

Daiyu also arrives, and regrets that she chose to go when Baoyu was there also, but it is snowing so neither leaves, and they have tea. They then have wine, but Baoyu’s old Nanny Li 李嬷嬷 worries that Baoyu shouldn’t have any. Baoyu asks for his wine cold, shocking the Xues. Baoyu is invited to stay for supper, and the night if he gets too drunk. He is tired, and leaves with Daiyu after eating. They go to see Grandmother Jia, who sends Baoyu away to rest from all the drink. When he returns, he finds an angry Skybright 晴雯, who had prepared his ink and paper for him in the morning for him to write just three characters and rush off. Daiyu admires his calligraphy, and Baoyu snaps at Skybright for giving the best tea to Nanny Li. Aroma admonishes Baoyu.

Qin Zhong arrives to pay his respects to Grandmother Jia, and is invited to stay when he needs to, as he lives so far away. Qin Zhong’s father had been about to try and get Qin admitted to the school, as Dairu 代儒, the tutor, was a leading scholar. His father is not rich, but had been able to get enough money together. 

Chapter 7 - supercondensed

Baochai’s mother Aunt Xue gives artificial flowers to all the girls; Baoyu snatches Daiyu’s from her. Xifeng takes Baoyu to the other Jia house, Ningguo, where he strikes up an immediate friendship with Qinshi’s brother Qin Zhong.

Chapter 7

送宫花贾琏戏熙凤

宴宁府宝玉会秦钟

Baochai gives Zhou Rui’s wife details of her illness and complex medication. Aunt Xue 薛姨妈 gives her artificial flowers for the girls, and she discovers that Caltrop 香菱 is Zhen Shiyin’s daughter, Yinglian. She delivers flowers to Yingchun 贾迎春, Tanchun 贾探春 and Xichun 贾惜春, who is playing with Sapientia 智能 from Watermoon Priory, but Wang Xifeng is detained in her bedroom with Jia Lian 贾琏, so Patience deals with them. Daiyu is playing with Baoyu, who snatches the flowers which Daiyu sneers at. Zhou Rui’s son-in-law, Leng Zixing, is in trouble; Zhou Rui’s wife is confidant in Wang Xifeng’s power to influence.

Xifeng is invited to Ningguo and agrees to take Baoyu; they are greeted by Youshi 尤氏 and served tea by Qinshi, who tells Baoyu that her brother Qin Zhong 秦钟, who he had wanted to see, was here, and he is led in. Each is extremely taken with the other, and they talk at length about the clan school and tutoring arrangements, moving to a different room while the others play (with the result that Qinshi and Youshi owed Xifeng a night of drinks and entertainment). The Ningguo staff offend a surly old servant who had once saved the grandfather’s life; he is restrained in the stables, and Baoyu repeats some of his bad language to Wang.

Chapter 6 - supercondensed

Baoyu talks about his dream with his maid Aroma. Country relative Grannie Liu visits and is given an audience with Wang Xifeng, and is overawed by the technology and opulence.

Chapter 6

贾宝玉初试云雨情

刘老老一进荣国府

Aroma and Baoyu are embarrassed while dressing him after his dream, and she laughs when he describes his dream to her. Baoyu has his way with her, doubling their mutual devotion.

Distant country relative Grannie Liu 刘老老 tries to persuade her son-in-law Gouer 狗儿 to appeal to Wang Xifeng for help, and she ends up going with grandson Baner 板儿 to see Zhou Rui 周瑞, with whom Gouer’s father had been friendly. Zhou Rui’s wife gains Liu an audience with Wang Xifeng through Xifeng's maid Patience 平儿. Liu mistakes Patience for Xifeng, and is overawed by the opulence and technology and cannot get a word out. Xifeng admonishes Liu for kowtowing to her, and regrets that there are not more relations visiting them. Liu is embarrassed by Jia Rong’s 贾蓉 arrival, who has come to borrow a glass screen. A meal is brought for Liu and Baner, and Xifeng gives them twenty taels.

Chapter 5 - supercondensed

Baoyu leaves a party and falls asleep in Qinshi’s room. In his dream, the Fairy Disenchantment shows him the register of the 12 beauties of Jinling, puts on a performance and gives him her sister, who shares Qinshi’s name, as a bride. He wakes when attacked by demons and monsters.

Chapter 5

贾宝玉神游太虚境

警幻仙曲演红楼梦

Daiyu has developed favourite status with Grandmother Jia and an intense bond living with Baoyu, but has been put out by Baochai’s arrival. Baoyu leaves a party to sleep in Qinshi’s 秦氏 delightful room, bedecked with artefacts belonging to famous sensual women, when the Fairy Disenchantment leads him away to the Land of Illusion to perform the Dream of Golden Days.

In the land, Baoyu is shown the offices which keep the registers of girls’ lives, and sees the register of the 12 Beauties of Jinling, featuring numerous paintings and poems. Disenchantment stops him for fear of leaking celestial secrets. She justifies bringing him to a bevy of fairy maidens, who are introduced to Baoyu over tea, wine and the performance, for which Baoyu is given a libretto. Baoyu is bored by the performance, and is chided for not understanding, but he is very drunk.

Disenchantment, on a bed, talks to Baoyu of the nature of lust and gives him her sister Two-in-One 一人, known as Keqing 可卿, as a bride, telling him to consummate the marriage and instructing him in the matter. After the act, Baoyu walks with Keqing, but is shouted at by Disenchantment to turn back when they reach the Ford of Error. Demons and monsters rise out of the Ford and clutch at Baoyu. Aroma and the maids rush in to look after Baoyu and Qinshi reveals her nickname at home had been Keqing.

Chapter 4 - supercondensed

In his new post, Yucun deals with the case of the Jias’ cousin Xue Pan. Pan visits the Jias with his mother and sister Xue Baochai, and they are invited to stay on at Rongguo. Pan is pleased when he sees that it will not end his proclivities.

Chapter 4

薄命女偏逢薄命郎

葫芦僧乱判葫芦案

 

Dealing with the Xue case, a yamen usher who knew Jia Yucun at Bottle-Gourd Temple advises him not to cross just a powerful family. Pan had absconded with a slave girl, who transpires to be Zhen Shiyin’s daughter Yinglian. Yucun arrives at a judgement of suitable compensation, before sending the usher to the frontier.

Xue Pan, whose widowed mother is Lady Wang’s sister, also has a younger sister, Baochai 宝钗, who had been a promising scholar before taking up more feminine activities after her father died to help her mother. Visiting the capital, they decide to stay at Rongguo when his uncle Wang Ziteng 王子腾 is promoted to the frontier.

Lady Wang is despondent at this promotion, but cheered to see the Xues. Jia Zheng suggests inviting them to stay at Rongguo – only Pan is not pleased with this at first, as he fears being cooped up, but he realises that the other young Jia men enjoy the same pleasures and that he has a private door to use.

Chapter 3 - supercondensed

Yucun accompanies Daiyu to the Jias’ Rongguo mansion, where patriach Jia Zheng helps him find another post. Daiyu meets Grandmother Jia and the household’s ladies, and then Baoyu, who upsets her by showing off.

Chapter 3

托内兄如海荐西宾 
接外孙贾母惜孤女
 

Yucun learns from Zhang Rugui 张如圭 of a motion to reinstate officials, and Leng suggests asking Lin Ruhai to ask Jia Zheng to help him. It happens that Lin’s mother-in-law had already sent men to take Daiyu to Rongguo, but this was delayed due to her illness. Yucun is to accompany her journey. Having made a good impression on Zheng, he is appointed to the position of magistrate of Yingtianfu near Nanjing.

A nervous Daiyu is met by Grandmother Jia 贾母 and introduced to the ladies, girls and maids of the household. They discuss her mother and illness before Wang Xifeng 王熙凤 enters, making a big impression on Daiyu with her brash ways. Daiyu is carried, with Lady Xing 邢夫人 to another courtyard. A servant gives Jia She’s 贾赦 welcome and apologies for his absence.

Daiyu enters Rongguo mansion proper to pay respects to Jia Zheng. He is in retreat, however, so she talks with Lady Wang 王夫人, who warns her about her wild cousin Baoyu. She sits down to eat with Grandmother Jia and her cousins, when Baoyu enters, who looks attractive and strangely familiar.

Baoyu leaves and gets changed before welcoming Daiyu. Baoyu also finds her attractive and familiar. Daiyu lies about her education while Baoyu shows off and reacts impetuously to talk of the jade. Baoyu persuades Grandmother to let them sleep next to each other. Daiyu is given one of Grandmother’s maids, Nightingale 鹦哥, as a body-servant. Daiyu cries over Baoyu’s turn, and Baoyu’s maid Aroma 袭人warns her not to be so sensitive round him. The next morning, it transpires that a cousin, Xue Pan 薛蟠, is being investigated for murder in Yingtianfu.

Chapter 2 - supercondensed

Yucun, now the local magistrate, has been tutoring Lin Daiyu. He meets an antique dealer who tells him about his exalted Jia relatives, particularly the boy Jia Baoyu, who are also related to Daiyu.

Chapter 2

贾夫人仙逝扬州城

冷子兴演说荣国府

Feng Su is summoned to the yamen to find Jia Yucun is the magistrate, who gives them money and silk and requests Lucky’s hand in marriage. Yucun had been successful in the examinations but had fallen from favour, and, short of cash in Yangzhou whilst travelling, became tutor to aristocrat Lin Ruhai’s 林如海 only child, daughter Lin Daiyu 林黛玉, whose mother died a year later and so who had suffered from recurrent sicknesses, leaving Jia idle.

In a temple, he meets an antique dealer acquaintance, Leng Zixing 冷子兴. Leng tells Jia that his relatives, the Jias of Rongguo and Ningguo, who Yucun consider too exalted for him, are feeling the pinch of extravagant living. Jia Zhen 贾珍 at Ningguo was degenerate, along with many Jia males, and Jia Zheng 贾政 at Rongguo, was a scholar and now Under Secretary in the Ministry of Works. He had a son and daughter, then twelve years later a boy called Jia Baoyu 贾宝玉 born with jade in his mouth. Zheng has little affection for him since, on his first birthday, he reached for feminine objects instead of masculine, but his grandmother adores him. Leng says he is now ten, very bright and a future libertine, but Yucun interprets the description as someone philosophically astute and declaims on the subject – he had a similar case when tutoring in Nanjing.

Leng explains the Rongguo family tree, and Jia learns that Lin Daiyu’s mother was Jia Zheng’s sister.

Chapter 1 - supercondensed

A Buddhist monk and a Daoist pick up a magic stone. The same stone later passes its story indirectly to Cao Xueqin. Zhen Shiyin, in Suzhou, overhears the monk and Daoist talking about the stone in a dream, and then, when awake, about his daughter’s fate. Poor student Jia Yucun takes the civil service examinations. Years later the Zhens lose their house, daughter and money, and Shiyin wanders off with the Daoist.

Chapter 1

甄士隐梦幻识通灵

贾雨村风尘怀闺秀

The Goddess Nuwa 女娲 leaves one block of stone unused in repairing the sky; it shrinks and waits at Greensickness Peak. A Buddhist monk (Impervioso 茫茫大人), with a Daoist (Mysterioso 渺渺真人), picks it up, sensing its magic properties.

Later, Vanitas 空空道人, a Daoist, finds a large stone in the same place. The inscription reveals it to be the same stone having attained Nirvana, and the stone then offers literary criticism and a story to Vanitas, who copies it down. He changes his name to Brother Amor 情僧, and the story eventually is worked on by Cao Xueqin 曹雪芹.

Zhen Shiyin 甄士隐, in Suzhou, overhears the monk and the Daoist discussing the stone and the Fairy Disenchantment 警幻仙子. She is sending down together a group of amorous souls, including Crimson Pearl 绛珠草, to be joined by the stone who had been infatuated with Crimson Pearl, leading to a debt of tears. Shiyin feels the stone, before the monk and Daoist take it through an arch marked ‘Land of Illusion’. Zhen wakes from his dream and sees a monk and a Daoist, who comment on the misfortune his daughter Yinglian 英莲 will bring.

Poor student Jia Yucun 贾雨村 spots a beautiful girl (Lucky 娇杏) in the Zhen household, then sets out for the capital to take the civil service examinations with a gift of money from Zhen. Later, the Zhens lose their daughter, and their house burns down; they go to stay with Zhen’s father-in-law Feng Su 封肃, but become very poor. Zhen hears a mad Daoist singing, and goes off with him. His wife sees a familiar looking mandarin pass by.