Chapter 100

破好事香菱结深恨

悲远嫁宝玉感离情

Li Shi rushes in to see Zheng after his meeting with the Viceroy; it transpires that the meeting was because Viceroy is related to Tanchun’s suitor, and Li Shi rejoices. Zheng sends a servant home to enquire after the Xue Pan affair (he is not implicated) and to ask Tanchun to join him.

Aunt Xue’s bribes are in vain; she is distraught to hear that Pan is to be executed by strangulation. Baochai tries to comfort her despite her own distress; fate was against them. Aunt Xue explains that the family businesses have been ruined, but Baochai encourages her not to worry. Jingui enters fleetingly, hysterical, and scaring Baoqin.

Jingui continues trying to seduce Ke; his lack of interest encourages her further and his favour for Caltrop makes her jealous. Moonbeam and Jingui find him drunk one evening, having had their wine spurned by him; just as Jingui escalates her seduction, Caltrop arrives and Ke escapes; Jingui’s resentment of her now festers.

Lady Wang and Grandmother Jia discuss Tanchun’s suitor, who they haven’t met. Lady Jia is concerned about the distances involved, but they haven’t seen Yingchun, who married locally and is suffering greatly, either. They trust Zheng’s judgement and set about the arrangements, which saddens Baochai, although Aunt Zhao, who resents Tanchun’s favourable treatment, is delighted. She goes to ‘congratulate’ Tanchun and thoroughly depresses her; Tanchun goes to see Baoyu. He asks her about the music she heard when Daiyu died. Thinking of Daiyu’s ethereal beauty, he asks for Nightingale after Tanchun leaves; she reluctantly complies. His emotions vary wildly, thinking of Daiyu’s fate and Tanchun’s forthcoming wedding. He relapses, distressed that all his cousins are leaving him. Baochai is firm with him before Aroma can humour him. Grandmother Jia instructs Aroma to comfort him after his relapse; she also orders Xifeng to assemble Tanchun’s effects for her journey.

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 73

A window casement has fallen; Aunt Zhao organises for it to be fixed. Her maid Magpie 小鹊 has hurried to Baoyu’s to let him know that she overheard Zheng and Aunt Zhao talking about something involving him. This makes him very uncomfortable, and he decides that the only solution is to revise his texts. It is soon clear that there is too much he doesn’t know, and he is merely getting himself into a more fraught state. The senior maids look after him, but the junior maids, obliged to stay awake but with no role, keep dropping off, causing Skybright indignation. Parfumée enters having seen an intruder; he cannot be found, but Skybright takes the opportunity of the panic to get Baoyu off his duties the next day because of the shock. The next day, Grandmother Jia is angry to find out about the intruder; Tanchun suggests that security is lax because Xifeng has been ill and the guards have become lax and gamble. The ill Xifeng gives a dressing down to Lin Zhixiao’s wife and the chief stewardesses, and Grandmother Jia orders them to find out who are the gambling ringleaders. They are soon found, and the three principal organisers beaten and dismissed. One of them is Yingchun’s nurse; Yingchun is humiliated and tries to get her off, with no luck.

Leaving Grandmother Jia’s, Lady Xing spots one of Lady Jia’s maids, Simple 傻大姐 who is young, stupid and has very big feet, smiling and holding a colourful object. It is an embroidered purse, on one side of which is an erotic scene. Lady Xing is shocked and confiscates it; she is puzzled by its origin. She goes to Yingchun’s to rebuke her about her nurse, and goes on to compare her unfavourably to Tanchun – also a chamber wife’s daughter - in every respect, before leaving for Grandmother Jia’s again. Yingchun argues with her maid Tangerine 绣桔 about her nurse, who Tangerine and Lady Xing believe to have been taking her property (particularly a pearl and gold phoenix) and pawning it for gambling money. Tangerine wants to tell Xifeng; this disturbs the nurse’s daughter-in-law, who overhears the conversation. She rushes in and confesses that the nurse took it, but intends to redeem and return it. Yingchun refuses to appeal for her again and Tangerine rebukes her, causing an argument about money. To stop the fuss and fighting, Yingchun declares that she will tell Lady Xing that she has just lost the phoenix. This upsets Tangerine further, as she expects to take the blame; Chess joins the argument. Meanwhile, Baochai, Daiyu, Baoqin and Tanchun arrive to check on Yingchun; Tanchun’s presence breaks up the argument, but she overhears some snippets and quizzes Yingchun about the phoenix. The daughter-in-law rushes back in to explain, but Tanchun politely suggests that she go to Xifeng and save some face. Patience arrives on cue, arranged by Tanchun. The daughter-in-law bounds up to Patience, and is rebuked for her bad manners and leaves. Tanchun explains the situation to Patience, and coldly asks her if Xifeng is trying to undermine her, Yingchun and Xichun. She turns to Yingchun, who is reading, and expresses at some length her desire to let the situation rest and not exacerbate by interfering, which amuses the others. 

Chapter 71

嫌隙人有心生嫌隙

鸳鸯女无意遇鸳鸯

Jia Zheng has arrived home. After reporting to the Emperor he is granted a month’s recuperation leave. It is Grandmother Jia’s birthday, there are to be eight days of celebration in both houses for various groups of guests, including royalty. At one of the banquets, the Princess Dowager of Nan’an asks after the cousins, and five of the girls are presented to her. Grandmother Jia is exhausted by the celebrations.

Throughout the celebrations, Youshi is staying at Rongguo and helping Xifeng. One night when she is free and Xifeng is not available, she goes to the Garden to see the cousins. Her maid cannot find a soul, and has an argument with two stewardesses as the gate is open and lights on. She reports this with indignation to Youshi, who has found Aroma, Xiangyun and Baoqin. Youshi stalls on punishing them, due to the celebrations, but word reaches Xifeng via an over-attentive Zhou Rui’s wife, and she orders them to be detained and sent to be death with by Youshi after the celebrations finish. Zhou Rui’s wife orders Lin Zhixiao’s wife to go to Youshi immediately, leading to an awkward meeting. After she leaves, she complains to Aunt Zhao and manages the entreating daughters of the two stewardesses. Gossip spreads, and a busybody relative of one of the stewardesses complains to Lady Xing. Lady Xing, currently jealous of Xifeng who is more favoured by Grandmother Jia, sees this as an attack on herself by Xifeng. The next day there are further elaborate celebrations. In the evening, just before leaving, Lady Xing confronts Xifeng about the detained stewardesses in public. Xifeng is humiliated and tries to laugh it off, but when there is agreement that they should be released her humiliation is compounded. She runs back to her quarters to weep, but is summoned by Grandmother Jia immediately. She hides her tears and they eat. Faithful explains Xifeng’s tears to Grandmother Jia after she leaves; she feels Xifeng acted correctly. She sends Faithful to the Garden to complete the arrangements for two guests, Xiluan 喜鸾 and Sijie 四姐, to stay on and while there she discusses Xifeng’s difficult position with Li Wan, Youshi and the cousins. Conversation soon turns to Baoyu’s happy-go-lucky attitude to life, the future and death; young Xiluan is embarrassed by talk of marriage.

When returning, Faithful notices one of the side gates is not barred, and she takes the opportunity to empty her bladder. She spots two figures hide in the bushes and identifies one as Yingchun’s maid Chess and calls after her in jest. Chess has a guilty conscience and is terrified – she begs her not to cry out. Faithful notices that the other figure is a boy; Chess says that he’s her cousin, and they are all embarrassed. Faithful swears she will have mercy on them and won’t tell, and leaves through the gate.

Chapter 70

林黛玉重建桃花社

史湘云偶填柳絮词

Grandmother Jia refuses Lian permission to take Erjie’s body to the family temple outside the city. She is buried next to Sanjie with few mourners. It is nearly New Year, and the household seniors are unable to make suitable matches amongst the maids and menservants.

All the dramatic events have resulted in the postponement of the poetry club for over a year and Baoyu’s health deteriorating greatly – he looks and acts like a halfwit. Whilst horseplaying with his maids, Baoyu is summoned by Xiangyun to see the girls who, as it is spring, wish to restart the poetry club. Baoyu reads a new poem by Baoqin, after which the club is to be renamed the ‘Peachflower Club’. He is moved by its melancholy and unable to guess the author. Daiyu is to be club president, and – having confirmed with Li Wan - they meet the next day. The meeting is, however, postponed by many days due to a succession of events requiring the cousins’ attendance, including Tanchun’s birthday and the announcement of Jia Zheng’s return. When Baoyu tries to rest, Aroma encourages him to concentrate more on his studies for Zheng’s return and he stays up practising his calligraphy. He is so far behind, and Lady Wang is concerned, so Baochai and Tanchun offer to help him out, soon joined by the other cousins, but as a result the club meeting is postponed further. Soon he can start on other revision, but when a tidal wave hits the coast, however, Zheng is required on official business and his return delayed, so Baoyu reverts to his customer aimless type. One day, Xiangyun composes song lyrics and shows them to Baochai and Daiyu, and they decide finally to have a club meeting at Daiyu’s to compose song lyrics on the theme of willow floss. Baochai wins, Daiyu and Baoqin’s are too pessimistic, and Baoyu fails even to complete a poem. Before his punishment is decided, a kite crashes loudly in the bamboo. Baoyu thinks it belongs to Carmine 嫣红, so they don’t take it, but are inspired to send for Daiyu’s kite, following which each sends for their own. They all fly well other than Baoyu’s, so he gets into a state. The wind is strong; Daiyu cuts hers free and they watch it fly away. Baoyu does so too, and Tanchun’s gets caught up with another, eventually escaping, before the others also release theirs.

Baoyu continues to do some revision through summer; while he sees the girls when bored, they are conscious of his work and don’t invite him or pretend to be asleep when he calls. When autumn begins, two of Grandmother Jia’s maids come to him, agitated.

Chapter 62

After resolution, Patience disposes of the matter. The replacement cook has already begun embezzling when she receives her dismissal. Aunt Zhao and Huan – who received the stolen goods – are scared, and Huan throws them back at Sunset, assuming she is thick with Baoyu. Upset, she throws the things into the lake.

憨湘云醉眠芍药裀

呆香菱情解石榴裙

It is Baoyu and Baoqin’s birthday; less fuss is made than normal as Lady Wang is still away. He returns after making all his formal obeisances and reverences to find many maids and the girls wishing him happy returns. They make extended reverences to each other – it turns out that it is also Patience’s and Xing Xiuyan’s birthday. Tanchun remarks on the coincidence; they discuss birthdays and get Xifeng to agree to let Patience celebrate with them. Cook Liu prepares them a meal; it is all unusually gay. Baoyu sees Xue Ke first, and walks back with Baochai, who tells him that she knows about an extremely serious incident which she hopes never comes to light. They reach the party in the Peony Garden, which is very lively. Aunt Xue is present, but goes to lie down in the jobs room. The birthday four object to toasts, as they will get too drunk, and send the old blind ballad singer to entertain Aunt Xue, as they don’t like old music. They decide to play a drinking game; everyone puts suggestions into a hat. The first one drawn (cover-ups, suggested by newly enthusiastically literary Caltrop) is combined with guess-fingers. They all get extremely rowdy and drunk as they play – especially Xiangyun, who applies herself to the game with some vigour - although Daiyu’s dry joke about the essence of rose is not appreciated by Baoyu or Sunset. With the senior ladies away, the party soon becomes bedlam. Lin Zhixiao’s wife appears, concerned by the noise, and Patience feels they ought to stop. They find Xiangyun passed out on a rock, covered in peony petals, and reciting drinking games in her sleep. She is embarrassed to be woken, but feels better after taking some ‘hangover rock’ and soup. They send some of the party food to Xifeng, and the party breaks into smaller groups. Lin Zhixiao’s wife arrives again with an old lady who has heard swearing; Tanchun dismisses her from service. Baoyu and Daiyu watch this and comment on how detached she is; Baoyu tells her how much management Tanchun has done while she has been ill. Daiyu goes to see Baochai, and Baoyu looks for Parfumée, who is bored and lonely. She is complaining about her food, of which he is jealous, so they share it. He tells Swallow to look after her, and to tell Cook Liu that Fivey will definitely work there. He rejoins the party as food is served, causing Skybright to mock him.

Outside, Caltrop and the maids are playing with flowers, and she is jeered when she reveals greater knowledge. In the ensuing jostling, Caltrop rolls into a puddle and ruins her special new skirt. The others run off and Baoyu arrives; he is sympathetic. He is delighted to be able to help – fetching one of Aroma’s similar skirts that she can’t wear as she is in mourning – but regrets that she has been sold to Pan. Aroma returns with him to Caltrop, who changes skirts. She catches Baoyu burying the flowers that had caused the kerfuffle, and finds it endearingly odd. They separate, and she calls to him not to tell Pan about the incident.

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 50

芦雪亭争联即景诗

暖香坞雅制春灯谜

Baochai writes down everyone’s name, and the order is drawn at random. Xifeng volunteers to start off, and leaves. Li Wan transcribes everyone’s lines, which Baochai takes over. The order is soon lost, turning into a contest between Xiangyun, Daiyu and Baoqin, before turning silly and they collapse into giggles. Li Wan completes the poem, and they go through and discuss it in detail. Baoyu is again considered to have finished last in quality. He makes excuses, but is fined: he must fetch a branch of Adamantina’s red plum. It is cold, so they make him down a cup of wine before leaving. While he is gone, they choose red plum flowers for the topic of their next poems, and decide to let Xing Xiuyan, Li Wen 李纹 and Baoqin write a verse each, and allocate Baoyu a topic for him alone. They read the first three poems with pleasure and ask after Baoyu’s; they are critical.

Grandmother Jia arrives, makes herself comfortable and tells them to carry on enjoying themselves. She suggests that they make up lantern riddles, and then that they go to see Xichun. They arrive and Grandmother Jia tackles Xichun about the painting – she wants it by the end of the year. Xifeng arrives – she has tracked Lady Jia down (Lady Jia appears to be avoiding a couple of nuns), and whisks her off. They leave, and spot Baoqin and Baoyu in the snow; Baoqin looks particularly pretty, and he has got a branch of plum blossom for each of them from Adamantina, and has been delivering them. They head back to Grandmother Jia’s where Aunt Xue arrives. She had wanted to arrange a snow party for Grandmother Jia, an idea Xifeng and Jia discuss, making the cousins laugh. Grandmother Jia asks Aunt Xue after Baoqin’s biographical details – Xue assumes she is considering her for a match for Baoyu – she explains that she had previously been promised to another before her father died.

The next day the snow has cleared; Grandmother Jia reminds Xichun that she wants the painting done and Baoqin to feature. This makes Xichun gloomy. Later, the others arrive: Li Wan and her cousins had stayed up all night composing riddles, so they try them out and come up with some more. They all make suggestions, but Baoqin has written ten ingenious historical riddles in quatrain form.

Chapter 49

琉璃世界白雪红梅

脂粉香娃割腥啖膻

The cousins gather round Daiyu to read Caltrop’s poem – it is excellent, but Caltrop thinks they are humouring her. A number of servants arrive calling to them to meet two relations who have arrived. Lady Wang’s main reception room is packed – Xifeng’s brother is there with Lady Xing’s brother and his family, and Li Wan’s widowed aunt and her daughters and Xue Pan’s cousins have also arrived simultaneously. All are very busy making introductions and making family talk, especially Xifeng, but Daiyu weeps to think of her solitary state – Baoyu consoles her. Baoyu runs back to tell his maids to see the visitors – he is particularly awed by Li Wan’s cousins’ beauty. Tanchun arrives – she is excited by the potential new club members, and they discuss who may be good and who is prettiest. Tanchun reports that Lady Jia is particularly captivated with Baochai’s cousin Baoqin 宝琴 and has adopted her. They are due to have a club meeting today but, thanks to the new arrivals and illnesses, they choose to delay a few days. They go to Grandmother Jia’s apartment together, where the new arrivals’ living arrangements are being sorted out. Li Wan’s cousins are to live with her; Xifeng has put Lady Xing’s niece Xiuyan 岫烟 with Yingchun, and Baoqin is to stay with Lady Jia. News arrives that Shi Xiangyun’s father is to be posted elsewhere, and Grandmother Jia moves Xiangyun in to stay with Baochai. There are now thirteen people living in the garden, all but two between fifteen and seventeen years old – they abandon all attempts at formalities of address. Caltrop and Xiangyun are inseparable, and their chatter annoys Baochai. Baoqin arrives in a spectacular cape, given to her by Grandmother Jia – Xiangyun teases her that she wouldn’t even let Baoyu wear something so fine. Xiangyun advises her to stay in the garden, and Amber arrives with a message for Baochai to allow Baoqin to have her own way. She teases her, and they all tease Baoyu and Daiyu, who have just arrived, which puzzles him, not to mention Baochai and Daiyu’s apparent rapprochement, and Daiyu and Baoqin’s immediate intimacy. The others leave, and Daiyu asks Baoyu about a passage in ‘the Western Chamber’, and explains her thawing of relations with Baochai. She cries to talk of Baoqin as a sister, and he consoles her. They are summoned by Li Wan to discuss the poetry meeting. Almost all are present when they arrive – it is starting to snow, and they all have fine coats, particularly Xiangyun. They arrange to have a welcome party in the snow the next day. All, apart from the new arrivals, will contribute some money.

The next day, Baoyu is enchanted by the snow-covered garden. He walks to the party, but is early and returns, visiting Lady Jia with Tanchun. After talking with Xiangyun, Baoyu asks Xifeng for some fresh venison to cook later in the garden. They are late for the party; soon the stove and grill arrive and Patience, there carrying Xifeng’s apologies, starts cooking. The newcomers are extremely excited and tuck in, and when Xifeng arrives later, she joins; only Daiyu and Baochai are unimpressed. After cooking, Patience has lost a bracelet, but Xifeng mysteriously assures her she knows where it is, reminding the others that it is nearly time for New Year’s riddles. Wine and food is arranged, and a theme – snow - announced for the poetry competition. Li Wan suggests giving three lines to start off the poem; Baochai suggests a fixed order.