Grandmother
Jia declares that Baoyu is not to go if summoned by Jia Zheng, as he both needs
rest and for astrological reasons. Baoyu is gratified, as he detests meeting scholars
and visiting relations, and his recuperation period is largely spent playing in
the garden with the maids and the girls, and all who try to remonstrate with
him (which is all but Daiyu) give up.
绣鸳鸯梦兆绛芸轩
Xifeng
is receiving a large number of gifts from senior members of the domestic staff
– they are all angling for their daughters to take Golden’s post. She lets the
presents accumulate before talking to Lady Wang, who doesn’t need or want a new
maid. But as the allowance is to be paid, she asks for it to go to Silver. They
talk at length about the various maids’ pay, and cuts made by Accounts; in
conclusion, Aroma is to stop being paid as one of Lady Jia’s maids, and is to
be paid from Lady Wang’s allowance. They (including Aunt Xue) all admire Aroma,
with Xifeng suggesting making her openly his chamber wife, rejected by Lady
Wang. Xifeng leaves, and talks to some stewards’ wives. Her jocular tone
leaves, and she rails aggressively (and swearily) against Lady Wang.
The
rest of the group break up, and Baochai passes Green Delights on her way to see
Xichun, and drops in. Baoyu is sleeping, Aroma watching over him, sewing a
beautiful pinafore for him to wear, holding a fly whisk. Baochai admires it,
and takes over. Daiyu has bumped into Xiangyun, and they drop in to see Aroma
to congratulate her; Daiyu goggles at the domestic scene of Baoyu and Baochai,
then giggles and shows Xiangyun before they leave to look for Aroma. Meanwhile,
Baochai hears Baoyu cry angrily out in his sleep that he believes in the marriage
of stone and flower. Aroma arrives back and is summoned by Xifeng; Baochai
leaves too. When Aroma returns from her interview, Baoyu is awake, and she
tells him of her unofficial promotion. She upsets him talking of leaving him,
and despite her best efforts, the conversation turns to death; she is silent,
and Baoyu laughs at her. He talks of scholarly and soldiers’ deaths, and of
what he would consider a glorious death surrounded by the girls, before falling
asleep.
The
charms of the garden begin to weary Baoyu, and he goes to look for Charmante.
She rejects him, saying that she is resting her voice. It transpires that Jia
Qiang is out buying a bird for Charmante, and he returns to give it to her;
Baoyu watches at the door with the girls. Charmante is unimpressed, unlike the
others, and miserable at being locked up. Qiang frees the bird and stamps on
the cage; Charmante cries to speak of her lot and illness. Baoyu is absorbed to
understand the meaning of her ‘qiang’s, and slips away quietly. When he arrives
back, he again speaks of death with a sigh. Daiyu changes the conversation to
Aunt Xue’s birthday the next day; Baoyu says he won’t go, and Daiyu mocks him
about the earlier domestic scene – he is disgusted to hear of it, and will go
to the party. Xiangyun arrives to say goodbye, and Baochai soon to see her off
with Daiyu and Baoyu. They assure her that they will remind Lady Jia of her so
that she can return.
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