Chapter 25

餍魔发叔嫂逢五鬼

通灵玉蒙蔽遇双真

It turns out Crimson dreamed that last bit. She had made a deep impression on Baoyu though, but seeing Jia Yun at work, she broods. Aunt Xue and some of the cousins go to her brother Wang Ziteng’s lady’s birthday, returning late. Meanwhile, Jia Huan is studying; the maids don’t like him, but Sunset 彩霞 advises him not to throw his weight about so much, angering Huan. Baoyu arrives back drunk, and flirts with Sunset, angering Huan even more, who feigns an accident, knocking a candle over him. Lady Wang rebukes him and his mother, Aunt Zhao. Daiyu hurries round to see him when he’s back in his room, badly scalded.  Baoyu plays it down, and tells Grandmother Jia that he did it.

Baoyu’s godmother, Mother Ma 马道婆, suggests it’s the fault of imps, and that they should increase their prayers and alms; Grandmother Jia gives the necessary orders. She also visits the other apartments; Aunt Zhao reveals to her her hatred of Xifeng, Mother Ma promises aid for money.

Daiyu joins the others for a small tea party at Green Delights, and flees when teased by Xifeng. The others are called away, and Baoyu calls Daiyu back. He holds her hand before leaping about like a mad man and trying to kill himself several times before other people arrive on the scene. News spreads, and a babbling Xifeng appears with a knife, but is carried away. Even Zheng and Xue Pan are concerned, and everyone expresses an opinion on what should be done to expel the malignant spirits. Their fevers continue for days, and they are soon lying almost motionless. When Baoyu wakes, he volunteers to ‘leave’. Coffins have been ordered by someone. A monk and a Daoist are chanting outside; they tell Zheng that the jade can cure them, but the monk needs to say a prayer over it to restore its power. He is to hang it over the threshold and allow no women other than mother and grandmother in, and Baoyu is to recover in 33 days. Baochai makes a joke about Buddha which offends Daiyu.