Chapter 81

占旺相四美钓游鱼

奉严词两番入家塾

Unlike Lady Xing, Lady Wang is upset about Yingchun’s departure. Baoyu visits her; he has been sleepless with worry for Yingchun. He suggests getting Grandmother Jia to move her back in. Lady Wang laughs at his naïveté: they will grow together in time. Baoyu goes to Daiyu and explains his current existential crisis and disappointment in Lady Wang’s response. She does not respond, but is moved; he is called away. Later, he tries to read but cannot; he goes for a walk, but is depressed by the dereliction he sees. He hears four girls, including Tanchun and Xiuyan, fishing in the lake and scares them by throwing a stone. They decide to play a game – all must catch a fish to guarantee an auspicious year. The girls all catch a fish each quickly before Baoyu tries. He has no luck for some time, blaming his impatience and incompatibility; when he does get a bite, the rod breaks. He is suddenly summoned to Lady Jia by Musk with some urgency; she mentions a ‘scandalous revelation’.

At Lady Jia’s, he is asked what his previous illness – as cured by the monk and Daoist – felt like. He describes a vision of green, fanged devils and a shaft of light. Xifeng arrives, and is asked the same, giving a similar answer. Lady Wang explains that Baoyu’s godmother, Mother Ma, has been arrested as a witch, and Lady Jia is certain that it is related to the illnesses. Xifeng agrees, and recalls her collecting money from Aunt Zhao – it must have been a grudge as Grandmother Jia prefers Baoyu to Huan. They agree it will be hard to prove, but are content to agree between themselves. Lady Wang is called by Zheng; he asks after Yingchun, she tells him about Baoyu’s plan. Tangentially, Zheng suggests that Baoyu, currently very idle, should rejoin the family school. Baoyu is summoned to him the next day, where he receives a dressing down for his idleness and is sent off to rejoin the school the next day. Aroma is pleased; Baoyu is horrified, and asks Grandmother Jia to intervene. She encourages him to go. The next day, he is accompanied to school by Zheng and Tealeaf. Zheng hands him over to Jia Dairu’s care. When Zheng has left, Dairu sets out the curriculum to Baoyu; he looks round at the class, whose composition has changed much since he was last at school. He thinks of Qin Zhong as the day’s lessons start.