Chapter 70

林黛玉重建桃花社

史湘云偶填柳絮词

Grandmother Jia refuses Lian permission to take Erjie’s body to the family temple outside the city. She is buried next to Sanjie with few mourners. It is nearly New Year, and the household seniors are unable to make suitable matches amongst the maids and menservants.

All the dramatic events have resulted in the postponement of the poetry club for over a year and Baoyu’s health deteriorating greatly – he looks and acts like a halfwit. Whilst horseplaying with his maids, Baoyu is summoned by Xiangyun to see the girls who, as it is spring, wish to restart the poetry club. Baoyu reads a new poem by Baoqin, after which the club is to be renamed the ‘Peachflower Club’. He is moved by its melancholy and unable to guess the author. Daiyu is to be club president, and – having confirmed with Li Wan - they meet the next day. The meeting is, however, postponed by many days due to a succession of events requiring the cousins’ attendance, including Tanchun’s birthday and the announcement of Jia Zheng’s return. When Baoyu tries to rest, Aroma encourages him to concentrate more on his studies for Zheng’s return and he stays up practising his calligraphy. He is so far behind, and Lady Wang is concerned, so Baochai and Tanchun offer to help him out, soon joined by the other cousins, but as a result the club meeting is postponed further. Soon he can start on other revision, but when a tidal wave hits the coast, however, Zheng is required on official business and his return delayed, so Baoyu reverts to his customer aimless type. One day, Xiangyun composes song lyrics and shows them to Baochai and Daiyu, and they decide finally to have a club meeting at Daiyu’s to compose song lyrics on the theme of willow floss. Baochai wins, Daiyu and Baoqin’s are too pessimistic, and Baoyu fails even to complete a poem. Before his punishment is decided, a kite crashes loudly in the bamboo. Baoyu thinks it belongs to Carmine 嫣红, so they don’t take it, but are inspired to send for Daiyu’s kite, following which each sends for their own. They all fly well other than Baoyu’s, so he gets into a state. The wind is strong; Daiyu cuts hers free and they watch it fly away. Baoyu does so too, and Tanchun’s gets caught up with another, eventually escaping, before the others also release theirs.

Baoyu continues to do some revision through summer; while he sees the girls when bored, they are conscious of his work and don’t invite him or pretend to be asleep when he calls. When autumn begins, two of Grandmother Jia’s maids come to him, agitated.