Chapter 47

呆霸王调情遭苦打

冷郎君惧祸走他乡

Lady Wang hurries out to bring Lady Xing in, who receives a frosty reception when she pays her respects to Grandmother Jia. The others leave until they are alone: Grandmother Jia admonishes her for encouraging her husband, and for ignoring her own need of Faithful. She recalls everyone, and they play cards. Grandmother Jia wins, with Xifeng losing lots of money and resists paying up, causing all to laugh. Patience brings her money, and on her way out meets Lian, who has been sent by She to find Xing. She advises him not to enter due to Grandmother Jia’s mood. He peers in and, despite Xifeng signalling to him that he shouldn’t, enters. Grandmother Jia snaps at him and he bolts. Lady Xing exits with him, and returns home to report to She, who is mortified, and makes arrangements to purchase a different girl.

On the fourteenth, Grandmother Jia and others spend the day at Lai Da’s. Jia She is notably absent, and Xue Pan is excited to see an amateur actor, Liu Xianglian 柳湘莲, present, who he assumes shares his proclivities. He escapes from a distasteful Xue Pan, and is detained by Baoyu. They talk emotionally about Qin Zhong’s grave before Xianglian tries to leave, but Xue Pan finds him at the main gate. Revolted by his intimacy, he draws him aside and leads him on, inviting him to his place later before they rejoin the party. Xianglian leaves and waits outside; Xue follows soon after and leads him into the country. Xue begins to swear an oath when Xianglian strikes him; Xue lies prostate, and Xianglian whips him, drags him to muddy water and forces him to drink. He tries to make him eat his own vomit before riding away.

At the party, Cousin Zhen and the others seek them without success. Jia Rong and some boys are sent to track them down, and find Xue Pan. They work out what must have happened and mock him before sending for a chair to take him back. Cousin Zhen is unconcerned, but Aunt Xue, after finding Caltrop upset, is torn between anguish and anger, requiring Baochai to reassure her and stop her from pressing charges. She hopes that this might bring him to his senses. Xue Pan curses Xianglian, but Aunt Xue tells him that he had repented afterwards and fled the country.

Chapter 16

The cold and frolics of their time away leads to Qin contracting a chill and losing his appetite – Baoyu’s study is now ready, but they can’t study together as a result. The result of Xifeng’s attempt to settle Euergesia’s matter is that the girl concerned hangs herself, and her fiancé drowns himself. Lady Wang hears nothing of this, but the profit to Xifeng means that she takes on many similar cases.

All of Ningguo and Rongguo are celebrating Zheng’s birthday, when the Master of the Bedchamber arrives to ask for Zheng’s immediate presence at Court. Four hours later, he summons the seniors ladies; Rongguo Chief Steward Lai Da 赖大 explains that Yuanchun 贾元春 has been appointed Chief Secretary to the Empress and Imperial Concubine.

Baoyu is the sole person not sharing their delight: Sapientia had come looking for Qin Zhong, and his father Qin Bangye 秦邦业 subsequently gives him a beating. Bangye, however, is taken ill from shock at the discovery and dies within five days; the grief and remorse leads to further complications in Qin Zhong’s illness. The rest of the family laugh at Baoyu’s lack of enthusiasm. A messenger arrives to announce the imminent arrival of Lian and Daiyu, as well as Yucun, who had an audience with the Emperor having been recommended by Wang Ziteng for a metropolitan post. When Daiyu arrives, they share the grief of the two deaths, and Baoyu recognises something more ethereal about her. She rejects his gift of the Prince’s rosary.

Xifeng is modest about her achievements to Lian. Lian is unimpressed that Caltrop – who he considers to have blossomed - has become Pan’s chamber wife, and Xifeng suggests swapping her and Patience. Xifeng receives her interest from her money, which is clumsily concealed from Lian. They then eat with Lian’s old wet nurse who embarrasses him. Lian has learned that the Emperor is to allow Imperial Concubines to visit their homes; they chatter about previous Imperial visits. Jia Rong arrives to announce plans to construct a separate residence for the visitation in All-Scents Garden. Jia Qiang is to go to Suzhou to engage musicians and performers. Xifeng recommends two reliable men to go with him, and snubs Rong’s obsequiousness.

Work begins on the new site, and pooling resources between Ningguo and Rongguo it is not too expensive and easily accommodated between sites. A consortium led by She (who does very little), Zhen (who does most of the work along with the Stewards) and Lian are in charge. Baoyu still can’t be happy about anything, particularly when he hears from Tealeaf that Qin is dying. He rushes to Qin, who is slipping in and out of consciousness, and his arrival is not appreciated by the ladies in Qin’s attendance. Qin, who is already engaged with the ministers of the underworld, eventually heeds his calls, causing trepidation amongst the demons and officers who fear his jade, and allow Qin briefly to regain consciousness before he finally dies.

Chapter 15

王凤姐弄权铁槛寺 

 秦鲸卿得趣馒头庵 

Baoyu impresses the Prince, although he expresses concern that too much affection can have bad side effects. The Prince gives him a rosary of Indian seeds. The funeral procession continues, but out of fear that he would get up to mischief, Xifeng asks Baoyu to ride in a sedan with her, not on horseback with the other young men. The procession goes through a simple farm, in which Xifeng asks Baoyu and the boys to amuse themselves. Baoyu is impressed at the farming equipment, and is reprimanded by a farm girl, Ertie 二丫头, for using a loom. Baoyu is taken with her, and looks out for her as they leave the farm.

At the Ning-Rong Temple of the Iron Threshold, the less well-off Jia members take advantage of the guest rooms after the ceremony. Xifeng, Baoyu and Qin Zhong make for nearby Watermoon Priory to stay, where they are met by Prioress Euergesia 净虚. Baoyu ribs Qin Zhong about disciple Sapientia, a regular visitor to Rongguo who had fallen in love with Qin, who reciprocates. She brings them tea, which they fight over, before being called away.

Euergesia approaches Xifeng about an amorous matter concerning contacts of theirs in Chang’an, and Xifeng agrees to help out for significant profit. Meanwhile, Qin Zhong makes his move on Sapientia; Baoyu surprises them in flagrante, shaming Sapientia; Baoyu promises to ‘settle accounts’ with Qin later when they are in bed. Xifeng puts the jade under her pillow for safety. Xifeng allows them to stay for an extra day, and commands Brightie 旺儿 to attend to Euergesia’s affair in Lian’s name. Qin and Sapientia make all sorts of secret vows.

Chapter 14

The Ningguo Chief Steward Lai Sheng 赖升warns the staff of Xifeng’s hard reputation. Xifeng discusses arrangements with Lai Sheng’s wife and assembles all the married women of Ningguo, assigning them roles, notably more organised than Ningguo normally is, earning Xifeng respect.

On the 35^th day, a particularly important religious day, Xifeng rises at 4 to commence work. She makes an example of one latecomer by giving her twenty lashes, and shouts at servants who present poorly totalled tallies. She earns the fear of the women and servants, and people work efficiently.

Baoyu brings Qin Zhong to Xifeng for a chat. He suggests that someone could forge tallies and fleece them out of money. Baoyu coaxes Xifeng to get the servants to work harder on his study so that he can study at night. A servant arrives with the news that Lin Ruhai has died and is to be buried in Suzhou. Daiyu is to stay permanently.

Xifeng again rises early as the funeral approaches. Zhen deals with monks as Xifeng manages many competing affairs for both Rongguo and Ningguo; she is in her element. Many distinguished guests arrive for the funeral, including the Prince of Beijing 北静王. He watches the procession from the roadside, and asks after the boy born with jade in his mouth, and Baoyu is fetched.

Chapter 9

训劣子李贵承申饬

嗔顽童茗烟闹书房

Aroma has prepared Baoyu’s things for school, but is concerned that he won’t have the proper attitude. Baoyu reassures her, thinking she’ll be gloomy because he’s away, and tells her to spend time with Daiyu. He goes to see Zheng, but is admonished for fooling around. Zheng interrogates Li Gui 李贵, Nannie Li’s 李奶姆 son who was in attendance on Baoyu, as to what Baoyu had been studying. Zheng threatens him, saying that he wants Baoyu to cease studying poetry and classics and learn the Four Books.

Baoyu and Qin Zhong continue to be great friends, and Baoyu insists on them using personal terms. Their beauty and friendship, however, leads the other pupils to spread rumours. Xue Pan joins the school on a pretence in order to meet the boys, offering them money and goods, and two other boys develop a bond of mutual attraction with Qin and Baoyu. They complain of bullying by Jokey Jin 金荣 to the unprincipled Jia Rui 贾瑞, Dairu’s grandson, who calls one of them a troublemaker. Pupil Jia Qiang 贾蔷 of Ningguo is angry, and tells Baoyu’s page Tealeaf 茗烟 to pick a fight with the bully, resulting in mayhem in the classroom. Tealeaf and Baoyu want to tell, but are persuaded not to if the bully apologises.

Chapter 8

贾宝玉寄缘识金锁

薛宝钗巧合认通灵

While Xifeng enjoys her entertainment, Baoyu surreptitiously decides to see Baochai in Pear Tree Court, who has been ill. He is detained by two literary gentlemen who have been with Zheng, and by the Clerk of Stores and several foremen. Pan is out and Aunt Xue shows him in; Baochai is better. Baochai is fascinated by Baoyu’s jade, and Oriole 莺儿 remarks on the similarity between the inscription on the jade and that on Baochai’s necklace. Baoyu likes the fragrance of her medicine and jokingly asks to try some.

Daiyu also arrives, and regrets that she chose to go when Baoyu was there also, but it is snowing so neither leaves, and they have tea. They then have wine, but Baoyu’s old Nanny Li 李嬷嬷 worries that Baoyu shouldn’t have any. Baoyu asks for his wine cold, shocking the Xues. Baoyu is invited to stay for supper, and the night if he gets too drunk. He is tired, and leaves with Daiyu after eating. They go to see Grandmother Jia, who sends Baoyu away to rest from all the drink. When he returns, he finds an angry Skybright 晴雯, who had prepared his ink and paper for him in the morning for him to write just three characters and rush off. Daiyu admires his calligraphy, and Baoyu snaps at Skybright for giving the best tea to Nanny Li. Aroma admonishes Baoyu.

Qin Zhong arrives to pay his respects to Grandmother Jia, and is invited to stay when he needs to, as he lives so far away. Qin Zhong’s father had been about to try and get Qin admitted to the school, as Dairu 代儒, the tutor, was a leading scholar. His father is not rich, but had been able to get enough money together. 

Chapter 7

送宫花贾琏戏熙凤

宴宁府宝玉会秦钟

Baochai gives Zhou Rui’s wife details of her illness and complex medication. Aunt Xue 薛姨妈 gives her artificial flowers for the girls, and she discovers that Caltrop 香菱 is Zhen Shiyin’s daughter, Yinglian. She delivers flowers to Yingchun 贾迎春, Tanchun 贾探春 and Xichun 贾惜春, who is playing with Sapientia 智能 from Watermoon Priory, but Wang Xifeng is detained in her bedroom with Jia Lian 贾琏, so Patience deals with them. Daiyu is playing with Baoyu, who snatches the flowers which Daiyu sneers at. Zhou Rui’s son-in-law, Leng Zixing, is in trouble; Zhou Rui’s wife is confidant in Wang Xifeng’s power to influence.

Xifeng is invited to Ningguo and agrees to take Baoyu; they are greeted by Youshi 尤氏 and served tea by Qinshi, who tells Baoyu that her brother Qin Zhong 秦钟, who he had wanted to see, was here, and he is led in. Each is extremely taken with the other, and they talk at length about the clan school and tutoring arrangements, moving to a different room while the others play (with the result that Qinshi and Youshi owed Xifeng a night of drinks and entertainment). The Ningguo staff offend a surly old servant who had once saved the grandfather’s life; he is restrained in the stables, and Baoyu repeats some of his bad language to Wang.