Chapter 57

慧紫鹃情辞试莽玉

慈姨妈爱语慰痴颦

Lady Wang takes Baoyu on a call to Lady Zhen’s townhouse. They return the visit before leaving town. He visits Daiyu, who is sleeping, so talks with Nightingale. When he touches her clothes she recoils and rebukes him – she says that Daiyu has warned them about him, and stays far away from him. Baoyu is hurt and cries in the garden. Snowgoose passes him, and is concerned. At Daiyu’s, she and Nightingale gossip; Nightingale is concerned and goes to apologise to Baoyu. They chat, but fall out when Nightingale jokes about Daiyu returning to Suzhou. Skybright arrives with summons for Baoyu from Grandmother Jia; she, Aroma and Nannie Li are alarmed by his vacant, distressed state, and delay reporting to Lady Jia. Aroma confronts Nightingale, which distresses the already ill Daiyu. Nightingale hurries to apologise again, but Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang are already present and rebuke her. On hearing the cause of his derangement, they take a less serious view. He becomes obsessed with the idea that Daiyu is to be taken away, and the word ‘Lin’ is banned after Lin Zhixiao’s arrival sends him wild. Dr Wang diagnoses him, and Nightingale stays with him as he improves. He starts feigning madness to keep Nightingale there.

Later, after being mocked by Xiangyun, he and Nightingale smooth things over. She was just trying to test him. His heart is true, and he is amused that she believed Grandmother Jia’s comment about him being betrothed to Baoqin. She returns to Daiyu’s, leaving him a mirror as a keepsake. She talks with Daiyu; she is concerned for her. Daiyu is affected, telling Nightingale she can’t stay with her. She weeps during the night.

There are three or four days’ celebration for Aunt Xue’s birthday. Xue likes Xing Xiuyan and suggests her as a wife for Xue Ke. Grandmother Jia tells Lady Xing, who assents. Youshi is to work on the settlement. Xiuyan, now close to Baochai, is delighted. One day Baochai notices Xiuyan is not wearing thick enough clothes; she has pawned them, as she is poor and has spent half her allowance on her parents. Baochai offers to pay the pawn ticket for her – it is one of the Xues’ businesses. Baochai continues to Daiyu’s, where Aunt Xue talks of romantic fate. She comforts Daiyu, who weeps to think of her own mother. Baochai suggests Aunt Xue takes Daiyu as a goddaughter. Daiyu reacts hysterically when Aunt Xue suggests Baoyu is a good match for her. Xiangyun arrives with the pawn ticket – she doesn’t know what it is, and Aunt Xue explains. Baochai takes the ticket, but cannot conceal from Daiyu and Xiangyun Xiuyan’s straitened circumstances. Xiangyun is angry, and suggests having Xiuyan to live with them. Tanchun and Xichun arrive.