Chapter 27

滴翠亭杨妃戏彩蝶

埋香冢飞燕泣残红

Daiyu cries herself to sleep – her maids have long given up trying to comfort her. A festival is due, on which day offerings are given to the flower spirits, whose work is finished for the year. The girls have prepared offerings, and all but Daiyu are enjoying themselves. Baochai goes to get her, but halts when she sees Baoyu entering the Naiad’s House. Instead she follows some butterflies, and overhears Crimson and Trinket, who has returned her handkerchief and wants a reward to take to Yun. To save an awkward scene, Baochai pretends to believe Daiyu is in that pavilion, and calls out to her, unintentionally scaring the maids that Daiyu was hiding listening to them.

Crimson is sent away by Xifeng for a task, but on returning with a message she can’t find her; she asks other maids where she is, further irritating them. When she does find Xifeng, she is very impressed with Crimson’s intelligence and compliments her. Xifeng suggests that she work for her and be her goddaughter; Crimson laughs, as her mother is already Xifeng’s goddaughter. She decides to talk to Baoyu the next morning.

Baoyu is nonplussed when Daiyu ignores him. Tanchun gives Baoyu some money to get her something nice for her room next time he’s out shopping. Tanchun is angered by Baoyu’s anecdote about Aunt Zhao’s reaction to her embroidered slippers, and further by Baoyu taking her side. Baoyu notices Daiyu’s absence, and concludes that she must be upset as she is neglecting her flowers. He makes his way to her flowers’ grave, and overhears someone weeping and reciting a poem – he assumes it’s a maid.