Chapter 40

史太君两宴大观园

金鸳鸯三宣鸦牌令

Baoyu arrives at Grandmother Jia’s to find them already deeply discussing the arrangements for Xiangyun’s farewell party. Baoyu suggestion of an informal party is accepted. The next morning, Li Wan supervises the arrangements, which Grannie Liu interrupts; Xifeng dresses her up, causing laughter, as does Liu’s earnestness in expressing her delight at the garden and Xichun’s painting. The ladies are touring garden: Grannie Liu slips outside the Naiad’s House causing more mirth. Daiyu serves the party tea, and Grannie Liu is impressed, thinking it a man’s study. Grandmother Jia notices the gauze on the windows is faded, and they discuss gauze materials at length. They leave Daiyu and, as the punts are out, they punt across the lake and have lunch en masse at Tanchun’s.

Xifeng and Faithful continue mocking Grannie Liu, to Li Wan’s annoyance, and they have concocted a set of practical jokes. Faithful takes Liu aside to ‘brief’ her on mealtime decorum, as she is to sit with Grandmother Jia. As the food arrives delivers a comical grace with determination and, after a moment of silence, everyone is convulsed with laughter, which only continues as she attempts to eat pigeon’s eggs with extremely heavy chopsticks. Jia has already identified Xifeng as the culprit. Later, Xifeng and Faithful apologise, but Liu is sincere in her compliments regarding the family’s breeding and etiquette. Xifeng (as a married woman) and the maids then eat, with Liu present; there is an awful lot of food left over. They move to join the others in Tanchun’s stylish apartment; Liu disciplines the ever-bolder Baner for touching everything. They hear the actresses rehearsing, and summon them to play to them from across the water. They leave, and get in the punts; Xifeng insists on punting but struggles and hands over to one of the Suzhou boatwomen they have imported. Baoyu and Daiyu discuss poetry as they all head to Allspice Court. It is extremely fragrant, but Baochai’s apartment is stark and bare and Grandmother Jia asks Faithful to supply some ornaments before berating Xifeng, even though Baochai had wanted it this way. Grandmother Jia declaims on taste and girls, and insists that Faithful supply certain objects.

They move on to a drinking party, and Grandmother Jia suggests drinking games, with Faithful as MC. Grannie Liu tries to leave, but is compelled to stay. The game involves dominoes, poetry and rhyming. Baoyu notices Daiyu using lines from ‘the Western Chamber’. They all laugh at Grannie Liu’s attempts.