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.

Chapter 53

宁国府除夕祭宗祠

荣国府元宵开夜宴

Baoyu and a junior maid massage an exhausted Skybright, before they get a few hours sleep. In the morning, Dr Wang is called and is disconcerted by her deterioration – the illness has become serious and he writes a new prescription. Baoyu is upset, Skybright tells him not to worry. By the afternoon, Baoyu feigns illness at his uncle’s and returns to her. She is soon on the mend, thanks to a strong constitution and good care.

Aroma returns and is told about Trinket; she feels Skybright had been too hasty. Illnesses and preoccupations have prevented the poetry club from meeting several times, and in the twelfth month there is a fever of activity anticipating New Year. Jia Rong, Youshi and Cousin Zhen are busy concerning New Year medallions and receiving the bounty money for sacrifices from the Emperor. Jia Rong is sent to Xifeng to ensure that there are no event clashes between the two households this year. Greetings and a large number of good luck gifts arrive from a country bailiff to Cousin Zhen, mostly livestock and cereals and proceeds from sales. Cousin Zhen accuses him of holding out on them – expenses, particularly at Rongguo, have gone up a lot, and several farms have had disastrous years. Zhen and Rong joke about Xifeng and how hard-up Rongguo is – they’re still far from desperate. Things are divided between the houses and for ancestral sacrifices, and some shares given to young clansmen without income. Zhen tells off Jia Qin for coming to the distribution when he has an income. More presents arrive from the Prince of Beijing.

The houses get busier and busier in preparation, particularly in redecorating. On the last day of the year, the noble ladies process to the Palace before joining the young men going to the Hall of the Ancestors in Ningguo. Baoqin is impressed by the fine hall, where they carry out the lengthy sacrificial rite. After the ceremony, Youshi hosts everyone for tea. She invites them to stay for dinner, but they leave for Rongguo where Grandmother Jia hosts a reception and is kowtowed to by all. Gifts are then distributed to children and servants, and a feast starts. More offerings are given, firecrackers let off, and everyone in their finery enjoys themselves greatly. The ladies head back to the Palace in the early hours to felicitate Yuanchun; on return, Grandmother Jia retires. For several days, Xifeng and Lady Wang are kept busy entertaining many guests. Before long, it is time to prepare for the Lantern Festival as well, and a large family feast is organised with all clansmen in the city invited. Jia Jing and Jia She do not attend; Grandmother Jia watches the actors with her feet up, and being massaged by Amber. The decorations and furnishings are exquisite. Lin Zhixiao’s wife enters with many strings of cash, and pours the coins onto tables. A young actor adlibs based on what is going on in the hall. Everyone bursts out laughing, and money is put into baskets and tipped onto the stage for the boy as largesse from Grandmother Jia, Aunt Xue and Li Wan.

Chapter 52

俏平儿情掩虾须镯

勇晴雯病补孔雀裘

Grandmother Jia approves of the separate kitchen, and takes the opportunity to praise Xifeng in company, and she responds in kind. Baoyu hurries back to see Skybright, who is feverish and alone. Musk and Patience are whispering outside, so Baoyu eavesdrops to find out that a bracelet of Patience’s had been stolen by Trinket. She has it back, but doesn’t want Baoyu to know. He is touched, but angry about Trinket. He tells Skybright, who is furious. Dr Wang comes again in the morning, and Baoyu makes her take snuff from a western box. It works, but gives her a headache, and Baoyu sends Musk for more western medicine. She returns with the message that Baoyu is expected at his Uncle Wang’s birthday the next day. He heads to Daiyu’s to join Baochai, Baoqin and Xiuyan. He notes some narcissi, and they discuss medicine and the next poetry meeting. Baoqin tells of meeting a beautiful Western girl who could write Chinese poetry, enthralling the others. She has left it in Nanjing (despite bringing so much other stuff), but can recall it; they call the others to hear her recite. It is very good. A message arrives for Baoyu – his mother cannot make tomorrow’s birthday celebrations – and the others leave. He and Daiyu have difficulty expressing what they want to say and, after some silence, he leaves. He goes back to ask after her health, hoping to raise other matters, but before long Aunt Zhao arrives and he has to leave.

Skybright and Musk wake Baoyu and help him with his toilet. It looks like it will snow, and when he goes to Grandmother Jia’s she asks Faithful to give him a Russian peacock cloak. Baoyu has become uncomfortable by Faithful’s avoidance of him since her avowal never to marry, so he approaches her directly and she flees. He goes to show the cloak to his mother and maids, and returns. Baoyu leaves on horseback with a small party to salutes from pages, being especially careful with his cloak.

Skybright’s illness is no better, and Musk urges patience. Trinket arrives, and Skybright vents her anger at her, stabbing her hand with a hairpin. She tells Mamma Song 宋妈 that Baoyu has ordered her to be dismissed, and her mother is summoned. She remonstrates that she should be punished for any misdemeanour, not dismissed and sneers at Skybright’s apparent lack of etiquette in using Baoyu’s personal name; Musk tells her that this is Grandmother Jia’s wish, as it brings him good luck. Before they leave, Mamma Song obliges Trinket to kowtow to the other maids. Skybright’s illness gets worse with the cold and emotional upset. Baoyu returns later in a state – he’s burned a small hole in the cloak. Musk gives it to a nanny, ordering it to be done by the morning, but she can find no-one who can identify the material. He has to wear it tomorrow, so Skybright takes a look. They have the thread and, despite Baoyu’s exhortations, fights back her weakness to darn it. Baoyu fusses round her, and she sends him to bed, although he doesn’t sleep. She finishes during the night, and it is extremely good work. She is exhausted, and falls back on the bed.

Chapter 51

薛小妹新编怀古诗

胡庸医乱用虎狼药

All but Baochai are extremely impressed by Baoqin’s riddles – she questions the historicism of the final two, and the others chide her for being petty. Li Wan points out the falseness of many historical locations and muses on the nature of history and legend, which silences Baochai. None can correctly answer the riddles.

The days are now short, and they quickly retire to eat. Aroma’s brother Hua Zifang has arrived – her mother is ill and wants to see her. Xifeng sends Zhou Rui’s wife to accompany her, and inspects her dress and appearance – she doesn’t feel Aroma’s jacket is appropriate, and orders Patience to fetch another before they leave.

Skybright and Musk are now in charge at Baoyu’s. Word comes that Aroma’s mother has already died, and the maids gather Aroma’s things to send on to her. They bicker gently over using the clothes warmer, and then in the night when Baoyu calls out for Aroma in his sleep, waking Skybright. Musk heads out in the cold night, and Skybright follows to give her a scare; Baoyu shouts out, warning Musk, for fear that they might catch cold or wake others, and Skybright returns to bed. Musk returns (having been startled by a pheasant) and Skybright sneezes, but denies that she has caught a cold. Next morning, however, she is very ill; Baoyu doesn’t want her sent home, so just tells Li Wan and calls a doctor. Li Wan however thinks she should go home, angering Skybright. The doctor arrives, and won’t continue the inspection until Skybright (already behind a curtain) covers up her painted fingernails. He diagnoses mild grippe. Before he leaves the house, an old woman takes a copy of the prescription from him to show Baoyu; the doctor assumes the room to have been a young lady’s, so is surprised. Baoyu is appalled at the prescription – it is more appropriate for a man – and he wants to order another doctor, but they would need money. He tells Musk to take some of Aroma’s, and Tealeaf is sent to fetch Dr Wang. His diagnosis is similar, but prescription more appropriate. Baoyu and Musk discuss his constitution in comparison with the girls’, comparing them with trees. He wants the medicine made up in his room, as he loves the smell of boiling herbs. He goes to see Grandmother Jia, where Xifeng proposes that the cousins have their meals in the garden now that the days are shorter. It would require a new kitchen, but Xifeng feels it can be accommodated, and that it is important to stop the girls catching colds.

Chapter 42

蘅芜君兰言解疑癖

潇湘子雅谑补余音

The party breaks up, and Grannie Liu tells Xifeng she intends to go home the next morning. Xifeng tells her she’s given Grandmother Jia and her baby a cold - she’s never seen her more active. Grannie Liu suggests they might have caught it from seeing a spirit, and Xifeng sends for her almanac. From this, she concludes it must have been a flower spirit, and she arranges an exorcism with positive results. Xifeng asks Grannie Liu to name her baby, and she chooses Qiaojie 巧姐 – it is the unlucky date of her birth, and she suggests fighting fire with fire. Before she goes to bed, Patience talks Grannie Liu through a large pile of presents for her – Grannie Liu is overawed, and promises to bring some vegetables next new year.

The next morning, Doctor Wang 王太医 arrives to see Grandmother Jia before Grannie Liu can get off. Grandmother Jia refuses to stand behind a curtain, and assesses Dr Wang to be a court physician of eminent stock. He prescribes no medicine; Xifeng enters with Qiaojie and she is also examined, and he prescribes missing a few meals and taking some pills. Grannie Liu says goodbye, and is given more presents by Faithful and the cup from the hermitage before leaving.

After calling on Grandmother Jia, Baochai invites Daiyu to hers. Baochai interrogates a nonplussed Daiyu; it transpires she wants to know the source of some of Daiyu’s drinking game quotes, which came from ‘The Return of the Soul’ and ‘the Western Chamber’. Daiyu is ashamed; Baochai confesses that as a girl she used to read books like that behind adults’ backs, but they were reading them too. She considers the corrupting influence of pernicious fiction, and that boys would be better off taking up business or agriculture, and girls sewing or spinning. At that point, Li Wan’s maid Candida arrives to summon them to discuss an important matter. It seems Xichun has asked to leave the club for a year, probably because of Grannie Liu’s comments on her painting – Grandmother Jia has asked her to paint the garden with some people. Daiyu repeatedly sets all laughing with comments about Grannie Liu and Xichun, and Baochai offers commentaries analysing her wit. Xiangyun breaks a chair laughing. Baoyu signals to her that her hair is loose; she corrects it, and rejoins the party, suddenly accusing Li Wan for all the horseplay. Li’s response makes her blush. Baochai suggests that, as the painting is going to be very difficult indeed, they compromise, and that she should have half a year’s leave from the club and that Baoyu should help, as he can ask his male friends for advice. Baochai scoffs at his inappropriate suggestion for the type of paper they should use, and suggests asking Lady Wang for the architectural drawings of the garden, as well as various pieces of artistic equipment. Finding that Xichun has no equipment at all, she dictates a long list of essentials to ask Lady Jia for. The teasing then continues all round, and at one point Daiyu pleads to Baochai for mercy during a tussle, making subtle reference to their earlier conversation, embarrassing her. Baochai then does Daiyu’s hair. After a while, they go to see Grandmother Jia, who is better.