Chapter 108

强欢笑蘅芜庆生辰

死缠绵潇湘闻鬼哭

Zheng turns to Xifeng for help in reducing the staff; she also finds the task impossible, the raids having reduced all available funds and the new austerity leading to constant complaints. Xiangyun visits – she is enjoying married life. Lady Jia fills her in on events, particularly for the Xues and the Wangs, and she regrets the fate of the young family members, and reflects on the changes. Xiangyun suggests staying on for Baochai’s upcoming birthday, which Lady Jia has forgotten about – she orders a surprise two day party. At the party, Baoyu (the only man invited) is delighted that it has been arranged and pleased that marriage has not dimmed Xiangyun’s forthrightness. Yingchun arrives, immediately precipitating tears, but Grandmother Jia upbraids them – she wants the party to cheer everyone up. Xifeng is quite unable to muster herself, and a comment about ‘reunion’ only serves to highlight those absent. Despite Lady Jia’s attempts to create an informal, fun atmosphere, it is clear that no one is their old partygoing selves. Baoyu suggests a drinking game and calls for a reluctant Faithful, who suggests a simple game; however, certain dice throws both embarrass Baoyu and make him think of his dream of the twelve beauties and ruminate on his absent cousins. He absents himself, leading to the game to be stopped – it is not much fun. There is concern when Baoyu doesn’t return for some time, and the maids concoct a story to excuse him from dinner.

Baoyu is wandering in aimless grief; Aroma joins him. He finds a gate to the Garden open; Aroma holds him back from entering, but a serving woman volunteers to join them. Baoyu is distressed by the Garden’s desolation, and is drawn to the Naiad’s House, despite Aroma trying to confuse his bearings and take him back to the party. He thinks he hears weeping from the House as they approach it; the serving woman warns him off, saying that they have also heard sounds of weeping. Baoyu and Aroma are startled, and he gets more and more distraught, wailing in grief. Ripple, who has been sent to search for him, arrives; they drag him back to Lady Jia’s apartment. Lady Jia berates Aroma for allowing him back in the Garden; Baoyu speaks up for her, and others join in the brief argument before the party breaks up. Despite her concern, Baochai turns a deaf ear to Baoyu’s endless sighing; she calls Aroma aside for an account of what happened in the Garden.

Chapter 97

林黛玉焚稿断痴情

薛宝钗出闺成大礼

Bringing up blood has brought Daiyu to her senses, but she quickly recalls Baoyu’s forthcoming wedding, quietly setting her heart on an early death. Ripple, shocked, reveals what has happened to Grandmother Jia; she, Xifeng and Lady Wang are concerned both about the information leak and Daiyu’s health. They visit her and are distraught, deciding to make funeral preparations despite the doctor’s positive diagnosis. Lady Jia finds it hard to understand and sympathise with Daiyu’s lovesickness; wedding preparations continue regardless. The next day, Xifeng tells Baoyu he is to marry Daiyu; he shows comprehension as well as imbecility. The ladies then go to Aunt Xue; they play down Baoyu’s illness and, despite concerns for Baochai’s feelings, she assents to a quick wedding. When she tells Baochai the next day, Baochai cries; Ke soon brings Pan’s approval and Aunt Xue feels more at ease setting about wedding preparations. The next day is revealed to be an auspicious day for the exchange of presents. Baoyu is shown the presents chosen for him to give; his reaction shows an improvement in his wits. The servants are sent to take the presents to Aunt Xue’s, the route planned to avoid the Naiad’s House.

Daiyu is getting iller, despite Nightingale trying to reassure her. Preoccupied with the wedding, and with Lady Jia’s feelings towards her having hardened, not a single person comes to visit. One day, she is helped to sit up and manages to ask her maids for the handkerchiefs with poetry on. Pathetically she tries to tear them. She asks for the brazier to be lit and drops them in before adding her manuscripts of poetry, despite Nightingale trying to stop her and Snowgoose pulling them out. It is clear to Nightingale the next morning that she has reached a crisis, but she finds Grandmother Jia’s apartment – including Baoyu’s room - empty. She is filled with bitter resentment, and extracts from a page that the wedding is to be that evening. Returning to the Naiad’s House, she finds Daiyu having taking another turn for the worse. She sends for Li Wan (as a widow, she is excluded from the festivities). Li Wan frets to see just how weak Daiyu is, but is able to rally the maids who are convulsed with grief. Patience suddenly runs in with Steward Lin’s wife, sent by Xifeng to check on Daiyu and summon Nightingale for other duties. After a curt exchange, it is agreed that Snowgoose will go instead. She goes with a message to start funeral preparations.

She dare not show her grief, and is unaware of her role – Baoyu is healthier with joy for his imminent marriage to Daiyu, and sees Snowgoose walking with the bridal palanquin. Bride and groom kneel for the ceremony, and are showered with fruit as they sit on the bridal bed. Before long, Baoyu lifts Baochai’s veil as Oriole takes Snowgoose’s place. He admires her appearance, although utterly bewildered, and is helped to a chair. Both are silent, until he asks who she is. Confused, he suffers a relapse, repeatedly declaring that he must find Daiyu; he is sedated and sleeps. When Zheng takes his leave the next day, he is told that the marriage was not consummated and that Baoyu is too ill to accompany him away, but not of the relapse. Baoyu does perform some formalities to his father, as does Baochai, but he suffers another relapse immediately after Zheng’s departure.

Chapter 96

瞒消息凤姐设奇谋

泄机关颦儿迷本性

The man grovels to the furious Lian before Lai Da dismisses him. Zheng is told nothing of the incident. Soon after, Xifeng reports to Lady Wang that Wang Ziteng has died en route to the capital. Lian confirms that he died after taking quack medicine for a cold. Lady Wang is extremely upset, and asks Lian to help with the funeral. Zheng, already despondent at Baoyu’s state, responds with gloom to the news, and he does not want to celebrate a promotion which will take him away from the household. He is called to Lady Jia, who is upset that he is leaving and she will have only the deranged Baoyu to look after her. She has had his fortune told, and wants to expedite the marriage as a result. He is also concerned for his own lineage, and despite the mourning period for Yuanchun and Pan’s prison sentence, Lady Jia decides to hold a low key wedding before Zheng’s departure to help his health; she also hopes it will draw the jade back. Zheng has grave doubts, but cannot go against her and she sets about the arrangements.

Baoyu and his maids were present at that meeting, and while he did not hear anything, Aroma is at first glad both to know the truth and that he is to marry Baochai, but his secret feelings for Daiyu and potential reaction sets her brooding. She takes Lady Wang aside and reveals her concerns. Lady Wang has deduced the same and brings it up with Lady Jia later. Lady Jia sighs – it is in insoluble problem. Xifeng, however, is also present, and proposes a plan: the first part is that they tell him that he is to marry Daiyu and gauge his reaction; the second part she whispers in the others’ ears. Lian returns, and Xifeng intercepts him before he can reveal Ziteng’s death to Lady Jia. He tells Lady Wang of the funeral arrangements and his posthumous promotion.

A few days later, Daiyu is walking to Grandmother Jia’s when she overhears sobbing at the place where she once buried the flowers. It is a maid, Simple, who tells Daiyu that her sister struck her for talking about Baoyu and Baochai’s wedding. Daiyu calms herself before the maid talks more about the arrangements. After she mentions their plans to find Daiyu a husband she is speechless with horror, but Simple carries on narrating the injustice done to her. She wanders aimlessly in her distress, and is found by Nightingale, to whom it is obvious that she is utterly confused. She guides her to Grandmother Jia’s nonetheless, where Daiyu goes into Baoyu’s room. They just stare at each other like halfwits until she asks him why he is sick. He says that it is because of Miss Lin; the maids are pale with fright and Nightingale and Ripple lift her to her feet and take her out. Nightingale guides her home, and they are nearly back when Daiyu stumbles, blood gushing from her mouth.

Chapter 92

评女传巧姐慕贤良

玩母珠贾政参聚散

The urgent summons was an invention by Ripple – it is just Aroma who wants to interrogate Baoyu. She tells him to be more discreet with Daiyu. Baoyu has been looking forward to one of Grandmother Jia’s annual parties, including taking the next day off school, but is upset to find he has not received an invitation. Aroma, concerned that the studious Lan will overtake him, insists he should go to school, although Musk disagrees. They are on the point of a full scale row when one of Lady Jia’s maids arrives with his invitation. She also says that Aunt Xue is invited, and so Baoyu is looking forward to seeing Baochai too. The next morning, after gaining Zheng’s consent, Baoyu hurries to Lady Jia’s. Only Qiaojie is there so far, paying her respects to Lady Jia. Qiaojie turns to Baoyu – Xifeng doesn’t believe that she is as advanced in her characters as she claims, so has asked Baoyu to check. He consents to go over her characters, and offers to go through the Lives of Noble Women with her. He recounts reams of the stories of famous beauties and paragons of virtue until Grandmother Jia tells him to stop for fear of confusing Qiaojie, but she says that he has helped. An out of the blue comment about Crimson and Fivey triggers Baoyu to compare Qiaojie favourably to Xifeng; Lady Jia insists that embroidery is more important than literacy. Baoyu is daydreaming about Fivey, who has not yet been able to start in his service, when some of the other guests arrive. When Baoqin and Aunt Xue arrive later, he notes Xiuyan and Baochai’s absence, and the question (posed directly by Daiyu) is avoided. Xifeng has a fever and is late; the lunch party starts.

Xifeng’s illness, in truth, is embarrassment at being late, and was complicated by the arrival of one of Yingchun’s servants who has come to ask a favour regarding Chess. Her mother has forbidden her to marry the boyfriend who caused her dismissal, and during an argument she dashed her head against a wall, killing herself. The boyfriend had, unbeknownst to her, grown very rich in the meantime and, to her mother’s bafflement, arrived for the funeral with two coffins. While preparing her corpse he slit his own throat. In her distress, Chess’s mother is appealing for Xifeng’s influence in case it goes to court. Xifeng’s perspective on the earlier Chess affair is changed.

Feng Ziying comes to see Zheng, who is playing Go with a literary gentleman. He watches them finish the game before telling him of two fascinating and ornate curios and showing him two smaller ones, an unfathomably light and thin fabric and a large magnetic pearl, called a Mother Pearl. While agreeing that they would make excellent Palace offerings, Zheng cannot afford to buy them, but sends them to Grandmother Jia’s for inspection. Xifeng agrees that they do not have the money, and that it would not fit in with the family’s standing or financial strategy. Feng is disappointed, but is invited to stay for dinner with Zheng and She. They discuss official appointments and matters, Zheng explaining their relationship to Yucun, who is to be promoted. Reflecting on the unpredictability of life’s fortunes, Zheng uses the Mother Pearl as an example. Accepting that they have had a good run, Zheng feels that the Jias are living on borrowed time. Feng leaves after dinner, snow having already fallen an inch thick during the meal.

Chapter 91

纵淫心宝蟾工设计

布疑阵宝玉妄谈禅

Ignoring the laughter, Ke soon hears a tapping at the window. A peephole has appeared; he puts his eye to it and receives a blast of air followed by more laughter. It is Moonbeam; Ke feigns sleep and ignores her, before another voice – possibly Jingui – calls him a spoilsport. He sleeps with no doubt as to their intentions. In the morning, Moonbeam appears at his door, seductively deshabille. Blushing, she takes away the sweetmeats. Ke washes, and decides to lie low at home to avoid Pan’s venal friends.

Meanwhile, Jingui is disappointed to have miscalculated about Ke’s susceptibility to her charms. Unknown to her, however, Moonbeam is also looking for a replacement for Pan, and also has her own designs on Ke. Her morning appearance has been carefully planned, but again he had been incorruptible, and she walks out in a huff. Jingui and Moonbeam plot together, revealing their shared aims. Moonbeam suggests that he’s just scared of being caught and that Jingui should have patience; get into his good books, then get him drunk and he’s hers. Later, when Moonbeam collects the wine jug, Ke feels some remorse for judging her a strumpet. She becomes demure to him, while Jingui is quiet and charming. Aunt Xue interprets this as a sign that Pan’s luck has turned. She goes to visit Jingui, and is introduced to her adopted brother Xia San 夏三. After Aunt Xue leaves, Jingui and San start plotting for him to buy her certain objects. He becomes a regular visitor.

A letter arrives from Pan: the circuit court has rejected the prefectural court’s verdict on account of malpractice. He asks them to make an immediate approach to the new court. Aunt Xue is very upset; Ke leaves immediately with money. The exhaustion and strain puts Baochai in a fever, exacerbating Aunt Xue’s upset. A doctor is called and Baochai soon improves, but the whole household soon hears and sends various remedies in order that Baoyu not find out about the illness. Ke sends a letter back – the official needs a more tangible incentive, and so they appeal to Zheng via Lady Wang. Talking about Baochai, they agree the betrothal should take place in the winter, and the marriage around Grandmother Jia’s birthday. The next day, this is proposed to Lady Jia, who has just agreed when Baoyu enters. He asks after Baochai and receives a short reply, and leaves for school perplexed by the lull his presence caused. That evening he goes to see Daiyu, who has just returned from seeing Aunt Xue at Lady Jia’s. Baoyu hopes he has not offended the Xues given his earlier experience, and is sorry he hasn’t visited her, let alone known about the illness. Daiyu doesn’t think he should take her for granted – not to visit her after how close they’ve become is bound to have offended her. After a bout of petulant existentialism, Daiyu brings Baoyu to his senses with an enlightening truth, and they continue their discussion of Baochai’s feelings towards Baoyu in a mock Zen inquisition. After he makes an enigmatic confession, Ripple runs into the room with urgent summons for Baoyu from Zheng.

Chapter 86

受私贿老官翻案牍

寄闲情淑女解琴书

The boy explains that, driven by the chaos at home, Pan had set off on a business trip to the South. He became enraged at a waiter who made eyes at two of his companions, one of whom was Jiang Yuhan, and took the bait when the waiter challenged him to hit him; the blow, from a wine cup, killed him. Aunt Xue sends some money to Xue Ke, but is unable to enlist Zheng's full support. Ke writes back that neither Pan's friends nor the victim's family are cooperating, but a good scrivener is helping him get to work on a witness; Ke also sends a copy of the appeal and the judge's rejection of it. The boy, however, also brings a confidential instruction to send a large bribe to the yamen, who know of the family's wealth. Zheng refuses to help, but an agreement is reached with Lian and the case is reopened. The deceased's mother, a poor country woman, gives her appeal. The proprietor of the bar, Pan's companion, Pan, the coroner and the deceased's uncle then give testify in turn that it had been an accident. The judge is disbelieving at first as the testimonies are so different from the inquest and previous trial, and portions out abuse to Pan and his companion, but finally adjourns the Court, finding Pan guilty only of manslaughter with a fine to pay.

With the news that an Imperial Concubine has died, Ke returns home to give Aunt Xue a full account and ask for a bit more money for the victim's family. The concubine is not Yuanchun, as he had heard, but nevertheless the family are involved in official matters and Aunt Xue wants to look after the girls in thanks to the Jias. Lady Jia, it seems, had been having premonitions that Yuanchun was dying and was warning her that the family's prosperity was soon all to be spent. Baochai comments that the Jias are oversensitive about Yuanchun, and tells a story she heard from a maid about Yuanchun's fortune reading, which predicted her death in a different month and year. Ke wants the fortune teller to read Pan, but he was provincial and would be impossible to find. Aunt Xue is welcomed back to the mansion by the girls, and laughs off Baochai's inability to join her; Li Wan explains that things are too busy for her. The rest of the family arrive back and ask after Pan's affair. Baoyu is set off brooding by the mention of Jiang Yuhan and Baochai's absence; that evening he asks Aroma for the cummerbund Jiang had given him, but receives instead a telling off about hanging round such actor riffraff and not conforming. The mention of the word sweetheart sends him running off to Daiyu's. She is reading music, which Baoyu cannot interpret, having recently become fascinated by the qin and its technical, spiritual and musical disciplines. She teaches some of the script to Baoyu, who proposes that they learn together. She expounds at length on the art of the qin, the complexity of which both fascinates Baoyu and puts him off learning, until Nightingale arrives and suggests that, although she is pleased to see her, Baoyu should let her rest. Daiyu protests that talking about music is restful, but he takes his leave. Before going, Ripple arrives with a pot of orchids for each of them as a present from Lady Jia; Daiyu stares at them, lost in thought, while Baoyu is still stimulated by the musical talk. When alone, her sombre reflections bring tears to her eyes. One of Baochai's serving women enters.

Chapter 78

老学士闲征姽婳词

痴公子杜撰芙蓉诔

Lady Wang tells Grandmother Jia about the actresses and having sent Skybright away for being consumptive; Lady Jia regrets this. They discuss the virtues of Skybright and Aroma as concubines for Baoyu, and Baoyu’s worrying preference for female company. Later, Lady Wang accompanies Xifeng back; she hasn’t taken the ginseng, but is much better. They wonder why Baochai left without saying anything, and whether Baoyu has offended her. They summon Baochai; she asks to move out entirely, but they invite her back instead. She explains about her mother’s illness, and thinks that they would be pleased to reduce the number of inhabitants in the Garden. Baoyu enters; he is back from the party with a number of presents from the literary gentlemen. He then goes with Huan and Lan to tell Grandmother Jia about the party too. He is impatient to find out about Skybright; walking back, he loses Ripple and Musk and questions two junior maids. One tells him that Aroma had sent Mamma Song, who saw that she was dying. The other maid realises what he wants to hear and improvises a tale about going to see Skybright; she says that she called out for Baoyu, and that she was to become a flower spirit in charge of hibiscus. Baoyu is delighted with this, and runs to Skybright’s cousin’s house. It is locked; as a consumptive, she has already been taken for cremation. Walking back, he goes to see Daiyu and Baochai, neither of whom are in, and he reflects on the number of people the Garden has lost. He is summoned by his father, who is regaling the literary gentlemen with a historical tale about a romantic Prince who made a certain beautiful Miss Lin a colonel. She then dies avenging his death in battle. They agree that she is an admirable figure and poetic subject. A summary is written, and, mimicking a recent Court event, Zheng asks the three boys to write a poem each based on it. Lan and Huan finish quickly and receive some praise, but not from Zheng. Baoyu has chosen to compose in a very different style; the literary gentlemen give whoops of admiration as he recites, while Zheng is more critical, not least as he keeps changing his mind. His final poem is long, but admired by all (except Zheng), and they are sent away.

Baoyu, still grieving, gazes at hibiscus bushes by the lake, and decides to prepare a small ceremony for Skybright. After composing and writing out a lengthy elegy to the spirit of the hibiscus, he then reads it out by the hibiscus bushes, followed by an invocation. He makes some offerings of tea and flowers. He lingers, but turning to leave, his little maid thinks she sees Skybright’s ghost.

Chapter 55

辱亲女愚妾争闲气

欺幼主刁奴蓄险心

Xifeng is bedridden, but continues planning things. Lady Wang is distraught, leaving all but the most important managerial matters to Li Wan (who is far too easy on the servants) and ropes in Tanchun to help. Xifeng is less robust than assumed though, and is soon relieved of all duties. Lady Wang talks to Baochai about the large number of idle ladies in the Garden. Xiangyun and Daiyu are ill; Li Wan and Tanchun are very busy dealing with the servants; Baochai, by virtue of a succession of events involving the extended family, is spending much time with Lady Wang. The three of them now have a thorough system of supervision in the Garden, annoying the servants. One day, it is reported to Tanchun that the brother of Mrs Zhao – her natural mother – has died. The messenger is being unhelpful, knowing that the maids will judge her on her reaction to this news. She sensibly decides to work on precedent, asking for recent similar cases; she mocks the messenger who can’t recall any. She then returns with accounts, and Tanchun subsequently awards Mrs Zhao twenty taels.

Not long after, Mrs Zhao storms in and, crying messily, accuses Tanchun of trampling on her. Tanchun explains, showing her the accounts, and they argue about face– Tanchun can’t be seen to be helping a servant, even if she is her mother. The volume of argument increases; Li Wan is unable to mediate, and Tanchun barely even knew the deceased. Patience arrives with a message from Xifeng – Mrs Zhao is to have twenty taels, but Tanchun is free to add more. Tanchun is crying, and washes, when someone else arrives with business and is chased away. Patience agrees that the servants wouldn’t be so difficult with Xifeng, and helps diffuse the situation. She agrees to stay – Xifeng had suspected that they might need help. Lunch arrives, and is wrong; Patience reproves the maids, telling them not to take advantage of Tanchun. They have been told to by Mrs Zhao. Ripple arrives to ask after Baoyu’s allowance; Patience tells her to go back before she can enter. Tanchun is looking to make an example of someone, and if it were Baoyu it would make things awkward. The servants are soon chattering amongst themselves not to cross Tanchun.

After lunch, Patience heads back to report to Xifeng, who is proud of Tanchun – it is hard to be a concubine’s daughter in a large household. She worries that, if they don’t economise, the household will soon be bankrupt, especially if large unexpected costs occur (the girls’ marriage costs are budgeted for); she is aware that everyone secretly hates her for her cuts. Xifeng muses on each of the cousins, and warns Patience not to stand up to Tanchun on her behalf – she thinks Tanchun is more formidable and less naïve that is thought. Patience laughs – she is doing that already, and teases Xifeng, who admonishes her for not calling her ‘madam’. They eat, and Patience returns to Tanchun.

Chapter 54

史太君破陈腐旧套

王熙凤效戏彩斑衣

The largesse had been secretly arranged by Zhen and Jia Lian, who go over to serve Grandmother Jia and the senior ladies; all watch. Baoyu slips out during the next play, and Lady Jia orders some nannies to follow him, and expresses her disappointment in Aroma. Xifeng defends her, and they discuss her bereaved situation.

Baoyu heads to Green Delights, but does not enter for fear of disturbing Faithful and Aroma, who are talking about her mother. Baoyu relieves himself as two very civil women arrive with food boxes from Grandmother Jia for the two maids. Ripple and Musk help Baoyu wash his hands, and he heads back to the hall, where he tops up the ladies. Two new blind ballad singers arrive, and give a synopsis of a new ballad. The hero is called Wang Xifeng, causing all to laugh. Grandmother Jia guesses the end, and launches into a tirade against clichéd romances. Wang Xifeng declaims on Lady Jia’s comments, and even the ballad singers are in stitches. Aunt Xue tells her to behave, as there are people outside listening; Xifeng says that it’s only Zhen and they always used to get up to mischief together – he’d be please that she’s entertaining Lady Jia. She compares herself with the story of Lao Laizi, who dressed up in children’s clothes aged 70 to entertain his parents. She makes tops up everyone’s drinks, and the ballad singers perform a song. It is midnight – they move to a warmer room, where Grandmother Jia seats everyone. She calls for her own actors, led by Elegante 文官, and tells them what to perform. She tells Mrs Xue and Mrs Li that the actresses are not much good. They play a drinking game to music, at Xifeng’s suggestion; the forfeit is to tell a joke. All the maids gather in the hope of hearing Xifeng tells one. Lady Jia is first, and tells a joke about Monkey’s piss. The maids rig it so Xifeng is next; hers is about a family celebrating like them, and a dud firework. Jia Rong is reminded of their fireworks, and heads out; Daiyu, being more timid, is hugged by Lady Jia while they are set off. More food arrives before the party breaks up.

The next morning they pay a ceremonial visit to Ningguo. Due to the political environment, there is no contact from Yuanchun, but there is a succession of parties and receptions over the next few weeks. After the festivities are over, Xifeng miscarries, plunging the household into dismay.

Chapter 37

秋爽斋偶结海棠社

蘅芜院夜拟菊花题

Jia Zheng is appointed to the provinces, leaving Baoyu free in the garden. On a bored day, he encounters Tanchun’s maid Ebony 翠墨 who gives him a letter from Tanchun proposing a poetry club – he is struck by her poeticism and goes to see her. On his way he receives a letter from Jia Yun via an old lady saying that he has a rare variety of crabflower to give him – he asks them to be sent to his rooms. At Tanchun’s, all the young girls are present. Tanchun is flattered, Daiyu initially counts herself out, and Li Wan proposes herself as president. They agree all to be equals and come up with appropriate, referential and slightly mocking pennames for each other. Li Wan proposes some club rules – she, Yingchun and Xichun won’t have to write, and Li will host and be president. All assent (although with slight bitterness from Tanchun). They agree to meet twice a month, and to have one immediately. Li suggests the crab-blossom as a subject, Yingchun selects a form at random, and chooses at random the final characters of each line. They are timed by a stick of incense burning; Daiyu plays outside. After the other poems have been read, she saunters in and puts a poem down on paper – it is elegant and original, but Baochai is declared the winner, with Baoyu last. They agree to meet on the second and sixteenth of every month at Li Wan’s, who will choose the subjects and rhymes, and Tanchun suggests the name ‘Crabflower Club’ in honour of their first meeting.

Aroma takes delivery of the crabflowers, and asks the old lady to get her a cab to take some things to Xiangyun; unfortunately, Skybright has taken one of these things, an onyx saucer, to Tanchun’s. Ripple reveals that two vases are also missing, as Baoyu arranged cassias in them for Lady Jia and Lady Wang – she had gone with him, and was showered with presents. The maids tease each other, and are sent to retrieve the objects. The gifts are sent to Xiangyun via one of the old nannies.

Baoyu returns to admire the flowers and tell Aroma about the club; she tells him about the gifts, and he immediately wants to invite Xiangyun to join the club. Aroma isn’t sure, but the nanny arrives back, having told Xiangyun about the club, making her upset – Baoyu immediately asks Grandmother Jia for her to be fetched. She is eventually fetched the next afternoon, and the club meets again. Her penalty is to write a poem on the same theme as before – she writes two – and provide refreshments the next day. She stays with Baochai, and they stay up talking about the club, and Baochai reminds Xiangyun that she shouldn’t waste her money on this frivolous entertainment – she suggests throwing a crab and cassia party, after which the club can meet. They bond as sisters, and discuss modern poetry, alighting on a chrysanthemum theme for the next day’s poems’ titles, coming up with twelve titles in an order, choosing to have no set rhymes: everyone is to try as many as they want.

Chapter 35

白玉钏亲尝莲叶羹

黄金莺巧结梅花络

Daiyu watches the other ladies of the household visit Green Delights, and reflects on her loneliness. She returns to take her medicine, and is amused by her parrot reciting poetry.

Baochai goes to Aunt Xue’s early, and they weep over last night’s events; Xue Pan arrives, bowing and wringing his hands in contrition. After a clumsy apology, he declares that he will give up drinking, and cries; he volunteers to treat Baochai to new clothes or a re-gilding of her locket, to no avail. Aunt Xue and Baochai go to join the women seeing Baoyu; he asks for lotus leaf soup, which Grandmother Jia orders to be made up, despite Xifeng claiming it to be of low taste. Some fuss is made over finding the right moulds for the lotuses, and Xifeng orders soup for everyone. All are impressed with Xifeng’s gift of the gab, and they discuss the household ladies. Grandmother Jia declares that Aunt Xue and Baochai are her favourites, despite Baoyu angling for Daiyu. Baoyu asks Baochai to get Oriole to do some knotting for him. Grandmother Jia then leaves, and invites the girls to eat the soup with her in her rooms. The maid Silver 玉钏 brings the soup, and is asked to take a bowl to Baoyu, along with other things, and Oriole helps her with an old woman. When they arrive, Oriole refuses to sit, and Baoyu focuses all his attention on Silver, who is Golden’s sister, out of shame. Silver is very sullen, making conversation with Baoyu and taking his orders strained. He tricks her into drinking from the same bowl by pretending not to like it. She then refuses to give it back. Two old nannies of Fu Shi 傅试, one of Zheng’s protégées, arrive (they are allowed entry because, although he disliked both the old women and Fu, his sister Qiufang 傅秋芳 was a great beauty, very intelligent and unbetrothed, and civil servant Fu was pushing for a matrimonial alliance with an aristocratic family).  Whilst entertaining the guests, Baoyu and Silver accidentally knock the soup over his hand; he doesn’t notice the pain, and asks Silver how she is, causing amusement. The old ladies gossip about him as they leave.

Baoyu asks Oriole to do the knotting, specifying colour, pattern and type. Aroma leaves, and while Oriole knots he chats with her, much enjoying it. They chat about Baochai, at which point she arrives. She suggests that Oriole make a necklet for him, which he had intended to do but had forgotten. Baoyu shouts for Aroma to get some gold thread, at which point she enters, having been given several plates of food especially for her, and feeling quite embarrassed about it; Baochai makes a pointed comment. Baochai leaves; two maids of Lady Xing’s arrive with fruit and invite him over. He cannot yet walk, so invites them to sit; he asks Ripple to take some fruit to Daiyu, before hearing her outside and inviting her in.

Chapter 24

醉金刚轻财尚义侠 

痴女儿遗帕惹相思

 

Daiyu is disturbed by Caltrop – Nightingale is looking for her, as Xifeng has sent her a present. She returns to the Naiad’s House.

Baoyu returns to find himself summoned by Grandmother Jia to check on She’s illness; while changing he throws himself on her maid Faithful 鸳鸯. He leaves, bumping into Jia Lian with Jia Yun 贾芸, a relative who Lian has promised a job for. He looks in on She, and then goes to see Lady Xing; she demonstrates her preference for him over Huan and asks him to stay to eat with the girls.

Jia Yun learns from Lian that the most recent job went to Jia Qin. He is irritated, and goes to his uncle’s perfumery for help; he receives none as his uncle doesn’t trust his credit. A local loan shark, Ni Er 倪二, known as the Drunken Diamond 醉金, offers him a generous deal. The next day he buys some camphor and musk and, after an elaborate tale, gives it to a delighted Xifeng. She mentions a job, but doesn’t say he has it. He goes to see Baoyu, who had half-heartedly invited him; he isn’t in (he’s at the Prince of Beijing’s place). He bumps into Xifeng again, who tells him with some malice that she’s worked out the reason for his visit, but gives him the job. He is delighted, and pays Ni Er back with the money he receives.

Baoyu calls his maids, but none are around, only a girl who had been there when Yun was, who Baoyu has never seen before; she turns out to be Crimson 小红, who was assigned to his house and had lost her handkerchief. Ripple 秋纹 and Emerald 碧痕, fetching water, find her and shout at her for opportunistically serving Baoyu. She is resentful. An old woman arrives with notice that Yun is to start work there the next day; she feels a flutter at his name. Later, Yun finds Crimson, having found her handkerchief, leading to a physical misunderstanding between them.