Chapter 45

金兰契互剖金兰语

风雨夕闷制风雨词

The cousins are served tea; Tanchun asks Xifeng to act as the poetry club disciplinary officer and to help find equipment for Xichun. She guesses correctly that they’re really after financial backing. She mocks Li Wan for seeming to be a poor widow, when in truth she has good land and income, prompting a heated, light-hearted response. The jokes turn to Xifeng’s beating of Patience, making her uncomfortable. Li Wan presses Xifeng to settle her business in a frank exchange, and she helps with Xichun’s equipment. Before leaving, they ask how they should punish Baoyu; Xifeng suggests making him sweep all their floors. Lai Da’s old mother comes in before they can leave, and talks about her grandson and discipline, telling Baoyu his father doesn’t discipline him enough and talking at length about the family’s previous black sheep. Other ladies arrive, reminding her why she came; to invite the household to the celebrations for her grandson’s official position. With Zhou Rui’s wife present, she then asks about her son being dismissed; Xifeng confirms this, saying that he was drunk and disorderly. She agrees not to dismiss him, but to beat him instead. That evening, about half of the required equipment is found in the storeroom, and Baoyu starts helping Xichun with the painting, and Baochai starts sewing late into the night.

It is after the autumn equinox, and Daiyu is getting ill again, and is exhausted from the summer activities – her illness is worse than ever. Learning from experience, the others are never sharp with her, knowing how hypersensitive she is. Baochai suggests she consult and expert, and recommends changes to her prescription. Daiyu is grateful to her, but is embarrassed by the inconvenience put to everyone by her poor constitution, so doesn’t feel she can ask for more medicine. They bond, as outsiders in the household, although Daiyu remembers Baochai’s close family, and promise to talk again that evening.

Daiyu eats, and listens to the autumn rain – Baochai won’t be able to come after all. She writes a poem. Baoyu arrives in rain cape and hat and scrutinises her. He tells her the outfit came from the Prince of Beijing, and she coughs with embarrassment at a remark about being a fishwife, unnoticed by Baoyu. He reads her poem, she snatches it and burns it. He leaves so that she can sleep, she lends him a rain lamp. Ladies arrive from Baochai’s with her recommended medicine. She invites them to stay, but they are in the middle of gambling. Daiyu lies in bed and thinks of Baochai fondly, but not without envy at her family. She thinks of Baoyu too, with regret at the recent suspicion and misunderstanding between them. She cries, and doesn’t sleep until the early hours.