Grannie Liu is horrified after
getting drunk and passing out at Baoyu’s. She leaves, after naming Xifeng’s
baby girl Qiaojie.
Xichun is given leave from the
poetry club to complete a painting, and Baoyu misses a club meeting and the
start of Xifeng’s birthday party to visit a nearby temple with his page. At her
party, Xifeng finds her husband Lian
in flagrante with a servant’s wife, leading to a violent domestic. Lian
apologises and negotiates a settlement after the servant’s wife kills herself. Lady Xing tries to get Lady Jia’s maid Faithful as a concubine for her
husband; she is unwilling and swears devotion to Lady Jia.
Xue Pan is led on, beaten and humiliated by an actor; he leaves to
go travelling. His chamber-wife Caltrop
is taught poetry by Daiyu, showing great enthusiasm and eventually writing some
impressive poetry. Some more cousins, including Baoqin arrive, to great excitement. Lady Jia adopts Baoqin, and she
impresses with her New Year riddles and poetry in a snow themed competition.
Maid Skybright falls ill. Baoyu gives her some snuff, and she exhausts
herself darning one of Baoyu’s cloaks. Despite a poor financial year, the
household holds extravagant New Year celebrations, with a succession of parties
and feasts, which lead to Xifeng having a miscarriage. Consequently, Tanchun
and Li Wan take a greater role in
running the household; Tanchun builds a strong reputation after having to deal
with unrest involving her own mother. She decides to appoint garden wardens.
Baoyu is distressed to hear of
his double, and becomes deranged after arguing about Daiyu. During a period of
official mourning, the household’s resident actresses are disbanded but stay on
as maids, causing a series of fights and arguments with the older maids and
garden wardens. When the cook is accused of stealing, Baoyu tries to take the
blame. Xiangyun passes out amid peony petals after Baoyu’s drunken birthday
party, and one of the former actresses is embarrassed to have slept beside him.
The death of a senior household member interrupts a further party.
Lian arranges a secret second
wedding to Erjie, paying off her
previous betrothed. Her sister, Sanjie,
milks the enamoured Cousin Zhen for
all he’s worth. Sanjie kills herself
dramatically after her betrothed visits and reveals a prior betrothal. While
Lian is away, Xifeng finds out about Erjie and, feigning friendship, invites
her to live in the household. Xifeng arrangements an indictment against Lian,
and plays Erjie off against his new concubine, driving Erjie to kill herself.
The poetry club reconvenes;
concerned about finances, Xifeng tries to call in some loans. A maid finds an erotic
purse and, using an uncovered gambling ring as a pretext, Xifeng and Lady Wang
carry out raids, leading to dismissals of some maids, including Skybright.
Skybright soon dies; Baoyu performs a small ceremony for her.
Baochai has moved out to look after
her mother, and Lady Jia regrets how depleted the household is at the
Mid-Autumn Festival party, which breaks up after becoming too melancholy.
Xiangyun and Daiyu miss the party, composing poetry together, and joined by nun
Adamantina. Cousin Yingchun is married off to a libertine,
and Pan marries Xia Jingui who
manipulates him, causing violent arguments.
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