A Companion to The Story of the Stone: A Chapter-by-Chapter Guide 9780231553131

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A C O M PA N I O N TO

The Story of the Stone

A COM PA NI ON TO

The Story of the Stone A CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER GUIDE

S U SA N CH A N EGA N A N D PA I H S I E N-YU NG

Columbia University Press New York

Columbia University Press Publishers Since 1893 New York Chichester, West Sussex cup.columbia.edu Copyright © 2021 Columbia University Press All rights reserved Columbia University Press wishes to express its appreciation for assistance given by the Wm. Theodore de Bary Fund in the publication of this book. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Egan, Susan Chan, author. | Bai, Xianyong, 1937– author. Title: A companion to the story of the stone : a chapter-by-chapter guide / Susan Chan Egan and Pai Hsien-yung. Description: New York : Columbia University Press, [2021] | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2020030141 (print) | LCCN 2020030142 (ebook) | ISBN 9780231199445 (hardcover; acid-free paper) | ISBN 9780231199452 (trade paperback; acid-free paper) | ISBN 9780231553131 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Cao, Xueqin, approximately 1717–1763. Hong lou meng. | China—Civilization--1644–1912. | China—In literature. Classification: LCC PL2727.S2 E55 2021 (print) | LCC PL2727.S2 (ebook) | DDC 895.13/48—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020030141 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020030142

Columbia University Press books are printed on permanent and durable acid-free paper. Printed in the United States of America Cover designer: Lisa Hamm Cover image: The crab feast, from chapter 38 of The Story of the Stone. Seated at right (counterclockwise): Grandmother Jia (in brown), Aunt Xue, Lin Dai-yu, Jia Bao-yu, and Xue Bao-chai. Li Wan (in blue) stands behind Lin Dai-yu. Wang Xi-feng (in pink) teases the maids in the other room. From the Sun Wen album, late Qing dynasty. Courtesy of the Lushun Museum, Dalian.

Contents

Acknowledgments xiii Introduction xv Key to Recurring Characters xxvii

1. The Origin of the Stone and the Vicissitudes of Life

1

2. The Jia Family’s Fortune Coldly Appraised by an Antique Dealer 3. Dai-yu’s Arrival at the Jia Household

3

5

4. A Manslaughter Cover-Up and the Xue Family’s Arrival

9

5. The Girls’ Destinies Revealed to a Bewildered Bao-yu 11 6. Bao-yu’s First Sexual Experience; Grannie Liu’s First Visit to the Jias 13 7. The Perspectives of Two Old Servants; Bao-yu Is Smitten by a Bashful Boy 15 8. Bao-yu and Bao-chai Locked in Fate 9. A Schoolhouse Brawl

17

19

10. Qin-shi’s Illness Heads Off an Accusation Against Her Brother 11. Xi-feng Visits Qin-shi; Jia Rui Flirts with Xi-feng

21

23

12. Xi-feng Sets a Trap for the Amorous Jia Rui; Dai-yu Travels South to See Her Ailing Father 25 13. Qin-shi’s Warning and Her Lavish Funeral

27

14. Xi-feng Imposes Order on the Ning Household; the Funeral Procession Is Greeted by a Prince 29

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15. Qin Zhong Fools Around with a Nun and with Bao-yu; Xi-feng Takes a Bribe 31 16. Yuan-chun’s Promotion at Court; Dai-yu’s Return and Qin Zhong’s Death 33 17. Bao-yu’s Poetic Skills Are Tested by His Father; the Household Prepares for the Visitation 35 18. The Imperial Concubine’s Visit to Prospect Garden 39 19. Bao-yu’s Grand Bargain with Aroma and His Growing Intimacy with Dai-yu 43 20. Bao-yu Tries Unsuccessfully to Please Everyone; Shi Xiang-yun’s Arrival Leads to a Declaration 45 21. Aroma Finds an Ally in Bao-chai; Patience Seizes Evidence of Jia Lian’s Misconduct 47 22. An Opera Piques Bao-yu’s Interest in Monkhood; Gloomy Riddles Distress His Father 49 23. Bao-yu Moves with the Girls Into Prospect Garden; the Lovers Bury Fallen Flowers 51 24. Two Ambitious Social Climbers: Jia Yun and Crimson

53

25. Jia Huan and Aunt Zhao Exact Their Revenge; the Monk and the Taoist Come to the Rescue 55 26. Crimson Sends Jia Yun a Message; Skybright Carelessly Shuts Out Dai-yu 57 27. Tan-chun Repudiates Her Mother; Dai-yu Ponders Her Fate Seen in Fallen Flowers 59 28. Bao-yu Gives Aroma’s Sash to Jiang Yu-han; Yuan-chun, in Her Gifts, Favors Bao-chai Over Dai-yu 61 29. Grandmother Jia Shows Her Compassionate Side; a Matchmaking Abbot Provokes a Lovers’ Rift 63 30. Bao-yu Is Chastened by Bao-chai for Being Rude; He Causes Golden to Be Dismissed 65 31. Bao-yu Lets Skybright Rip Up Two Fans for Fun; Shi Xiang-yun Finds the Kylin Meant for Her 67

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32. Criticism of Dai-yu Prompts Bao-yu to Avow His Love; Golden Commits Suicide 69 33. Bao-yu Is Savagely Beaten by His Father Due to Jiang Yu-han’s Disappearance 71 34. Aroma Confides Her Worries to Lady Wang; Bao-yu Sends Two Used Handkerchiefs to Dai-yu 73 35. Grandmother Jia Indicates Her Preference for Bao-chai; Bao-yu Makes Golden’s Sister Laugh 75 36. Aroma Receives an Informal Promotion; Bao-chai Hears Bao-yu Reveal He Prefers Dai-yu 77 37. The Founding of the Crab-flower Club

79

38. A Crab-Eating Feast Is Hosted by Shi Xiang-yun

81

39. Li Wan Laments Her Lack of an Able Assistant; Grannie Liu Is Enlisted for Entertainment 85 40. Grannie Liu Is Given a Tour of Prospect Garden and Made the Butt of Practical Jokes 87 41. The Finicky Adamantina Serves Tea; Grannie Liu Passes Out on Bao-yu’s Bed 89 42. Grannie Liu Names Xi-feng’s Daughter Before Departing; Bao-chai Befriends Dai-yu 91 43. Xi-feng Squeezes Aunt Zhou and Aunt Zhao for Her Party; Bao-yu Makes an Offering to Golden 93 44. Xi-feng Catches Jia Lian with a Servant’s Wife; Patience Is Struck and a Woman Hangs Herself 95 45. The Steward’s Son Is Made a Magistrate; Bao-chai Supplies Dai-yu with Edible Bird’s Nest 97 46. Jia She Tries to Take Faithful as His Concubine

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47. Grandmother Jia Gives Lady Xing a Scolding; Xue Pan Is Thrashed by Liu Xiang-lian 101 48. Jia Lian Is Beaten by His Father for Criticizing Him; Caltrop Becomes Obsessed with Poetry 103 49. The Arrival of Xue Bao-qin, Xue Ke, Xing Xiu-yan, and the Li Sisters 105

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50. Grandmother Jia Invites Herself to a Merry Gathering in a Garden Blanketed by Snow 107 51. Aroma Makes a Trip Home in Style; Skybright Catches a Cold 109 52. Xue Bao-qin Recites a Poem by a Blonde Girl; an Ailing Skybright Mends a Cloak for Bao-yu 111 53. Solemn Ancestral Rites Are Performed on New Year’s Eve; the Festivities Last Half a Month 113 54. Grandmother Jia Holds Forth at Her Banquet

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55. Tan-chun Takes Charge of the Household; Xi-feng Shares Her Views of the Cousins with Patience 117 56. The Girls Put the Garden to Work; Jia Bao-yu Learns That He Has a Double in Zhen Bao-yu 119 57. Nightingale Forces Bao-yu to Declare His Love for Dai-yu; Xing Xiu-yan Is Betrothed to Xue Ke 121 58. A Dowager Consort’s Death Disrupts the Jia Household; the Child Actresses Stay On as Maidservants 123 59. Conflicts Break Out Between the Ex-Actresses and Their Foster Mothers 125 60. The Ex-Actresses Gang Up to Assault Aunt Zhao; Parfumée Tries to Help Fivey Join Bao-yu’s Staff 127 61. Fivey Is Accused of Theft; Chess Tries to Replace Cook Liu with Her Own Aunt 129 62. A Garden Party Is Held to Celebrate Bao-yu, Xue Bao-qin, Xing Xiu-yan, and Patience’s Birthdays 131 63. The Party Continues Into the Night; Jia Rong, in Mourning, Flirts with the You Sisters 133 64. Dai-yu Writes About Beauties in History; Jia Lian Is Urged to Take Er-jie as His Second Wife 135 65. Jia Lian Secretly Installs You Er-jie in a Second Household; You San-jie Enthralls Cousin Zhen 137 66. You San-jie Kills Herself with a Sword; Liu Xiang-lian Goes Off with a Crippled Taoist 139

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67. Bao-chai Gives Away the Presents from Her Brother; Xi-feng Discovers Jia Lian’s Second Marriage 141 68. Xi-feng Lures You Er-jie Into the Rong Compound and Humiliates Jia Rong with a Bogus Lawsuit 143 69. Xi-feng, Feigning Kindness, Drives Er-jie to Her Death 145 70. The Cousins Release Their Kites; Bao-yu, Though Deeply Troubled, Catches Up on His Studies 147 71. Jia Zheng Comes Home for Grandmother Jia’s Birthday; Faithful Catches Chess in Flagrante 149 72. Jia Lian Is Driven to Pawning Grandmother Jia’s Valuables; Sunset Is Promised to a Wastrel 151 73. A Maidservant Shows Lady Xing a Piece of Erotica; Ying-chun Refuses to Discipline Her Staff 153 74. Lady Wang Turns Against Skybright; a Raid Is Conducted on Prospect Garden 155 75. The Zhen Clan of Nanking Is Disgraced; the Jia Men Take to Gambling 157 76. Grandmother Jia Resists Ending the Mid Autumn Party; Shi Xiang-yun Commiserates with Dai-yu 159 77. Chess and the Ex-Actresses Are Expelled; Bao-yu and Skybright Bid Their Final Farewell 161 78. Lady Wang Lies About Skybright; Bao-yu Writes an Elegy to the Hibiscus Spirit 163 79. Jia She Arranges a Hasty Marriage for Ying-chun; Xue Pan Weds a Conceited Girl 165 80. Xia Jin-gui Turns the Xue Family Upside Down; Ying-chun’s Husband Treats Her Like a Slave 167 81. Bao-yu Learns the Limits of the Matriarch’s Power; He Is Sent Back to the Clan School 169 82. Aroma Probes Dai-yu on Concubines; Dai-yu Coughs Up Blood on Waking from a Nightmare 171 83. The Matriarch Is Told of Dai-yu’s Condition; Yuan-chun’s Illness Alarms the Jia Elders 173

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84. Jia Zheng Considers a Bride for Bao-yu; the Matriarch Is Pleased When Bao-chai Is Suggested 175 85. Bao-yu Is Kept in the Dark About His Betrothal; Jia Zheng Receives a Promotion 177 86. Xue Pan’s Murder Charge Is Reduced; Dai-yu Teaches Bao-yu About Music 179 87. Dai-yu Plays a Tune That Snaps Her Qin String; Adamantina Has a Horrific Dream Vision 181 88. Li Wan Is Consoled by Jia Lan’s Achievement; Zhou Rui Is Kicked and Jia Yun Is Humiliated 183 89. The Snapped String Unnerves Bao-yu; Hearing He Is Betrothed, Dai-yu Stops Eating 185 90. Hearing the Bride Is to Be a Cousin, Dai-yu Rallies; the Matriarch Bans Talk of the Betrothal 187 91. A Timetable Is Set for Bao-yu’s Wedding; Dai-yu and Bao-yu Communicate by Talking Zen 189 92. Bao-yu Discusses Noble Women with Qiao-Jie; Chess and Her Cousin Commit Double Suicide 191 93. Bao-yu Identifies with Jiang Yu-han; Jia Qin Is Caught Seducing the Young Novices 193 94. Crab-flower Trees Bloom Out of Season; Bao-yu’s Jade Mysteriously Disappears 195 95. Yuan-chun Passes Away in the Palace; Bao-yu Turns Into a Simpleton 197 96. Wang Zi-teng Dies on His Way to the Capital; a Hasty Wedding Is Set Before Jia Zheng Departs 199 97. Bao-yu Is Tricked Into Marrying Bao-chai; Dai-yu Burns Her Poems and Dies 201 98. Bao-chai Tells Bao-yu That Dai-yu Is Dead; Bao-yu Improves After Mourning for Dai-yu 205 99. Bao-yu Is Reconciled to Accepting Bao-chai; Jia Zheng Turns a Blind Eye to Misdeeds 207

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100. Tan-chun Is Betrothed to Be Married Afar; Efforts to Save Xue Pan Bankrupt His Family 211 101. Wang Zi-teng’s Debt Strains the Wang Clan; Anxious, Xi-feng Entrusts Qiao-jie to Patience 213 102. An Exorcism Is Performed in the Garden; Jia Zheng Is Demoted for His Underlings’ Abuses 215 103. Xia Jin-gui Mistakenly Poisons Herself; Jia Yu-cun Happens on Zhen Shi-yin at a Derelict Temple 217 104. Jia Yun and Ni Er Vow Revenge on the Jias; Bao-yu Wants Nightingale to Know He Was Tricked 219 105. The Secret Police Conduct a Raid of the Jia Compound; Four Jia Men Are Arrested 221 106. Jia Zheng Realizes His Family Faces Financial Ruin; the Matriarch Begs Heaven to Punish Her 223 107. Jia She and Cousin Zhen Go Into Exile; Grandmother Jia Distributes Her Possessions 225 108. The Matriarch Hosts a Surprise Birthday Party; Bao-yu Wails for Dai-yu in the Desolate Garden 227 109. Bao-yu’s Attempt at Intimacy Is Rebuffed by Fivey; Guilt Stricken, He Makes It Up to Bao-chai 229 110. The Matriarch Dies with a Smile on Her Face; Lady Xing Makes Life Difficult for Xi-feng 231 111. A Ghost Shows Faithful How to Hang Herself; the Matriarch’s Apartment Is Looted 233 112. Adamantina Is Abducted by Pirates; Xi-chun Resolves to Become a Nun 237 113. Grannie Liu Playfully Offers to Be Qiao-jie’s Matchmaker; Nightingale Takes Pity on Bao-yu 239 114. Xi-feng Dies Babbling of the Register; Wang Ren and Qiao-jie Antagonize Each Other 243 115. Xi-chun Declares She Intends to Take Vows; Bao-yu Relapses After Meeting His Look-Alike 245

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116. Bao-yu Has a Second Dream of Revelations; His Father Takes the Coffins to the South for Burial 247 117. Bao-yu Reaches an Agreement with the Monk; Jia Lian Leaves Jia Qiang and Jia Yun in Charge 249 118. Qiao-jie Is Offered to a “Mongol” Prince; Bao-yu Studies to Discharge His Filial Obligations 251 119. Bao-yu Is Missing After the Examinations; the Emperor Declares a General Amnesty 253 120. Bao-yu Bids His Father Farewell and Vanishes in the Snow; Aroma Marries the Actor Jiang Yu-han 255

Selected Bibliography 257 Index 261

Acknowledgments

T

he idea for a chapter-by-chapter English guide to The Story of the Stone came out of a dinner party in the spring of 2016 to celebrate the launch of Pai Hsien-yung’s multivolume readers’ guide in Chinese, which has since been a great success on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. Amidst clinking champagne glasses, someone asked why this beloved eighteenth-century novel, familiar to nearly all Chinese, has never caught on in the Western Hemisphere. The following reasons were mentioned: (1) until the English translation by David Hawkes and John Minford appeared in the 1970s and 1980s, there was no decent translation in any Western language; (2) at 120 chapters, the novel is dauntingly long; (3) the story involves more than four hundred characters in tangled relationships; (4) to appreciate the story, readers need some understanding of traditional Chinese society; and (5) the first five chapters are notoriously difficult reading. If even Chinese readers can use a guide to this novel, how much more could readers in the West! This has been a collaborative project. The guide draws upon Pai’s three decades of teaching at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and his more recent public lectures on The Story of the Stone. His long-standing interest in Buddhism, queer literature, and Kun opera has enabled him to identify themes that others may have missed. Himself a fiction writer, he also shows us some of the scaffolding holding up the novel’s illusion of reality. Pai worked with Susan Chan Egan to condense his three-volume Chinese work into one volume in English, adding comments that might prove useful to readers. TeriAnn McDonald combed over the first draft to ensure that it made sense to people with no prior knowledge of the culture and helped us resolve a number of thorny issues. Alice W. Cheang, working on the final draft, transformed countless turgid passages into fast-flowing currents of thoughts and ideas. She was able to capture some very elusive Chinese concepts, drawing on her own

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decades of experience thinking and teaching about the premodern Chinese novel. Hsi Sung, Ron Egan, Mark Elliott, and Susan Woodward, with whom we discussed the project, have weighed in with insights. Christine Dunbar, Christian P. Winting, Kathryn Jorge, and Lisa Hamm at Columbia University Press, as well as Ben Kolstad of KGL, have given us advice that led to significant improvements in the guide. We thank John Minford, who, along with the late David Hawkes, translated the novel, for his support of this project. We have profited from the observations scattered throughout Approaches to Teaching The Story of the Stone (Dream of the Red Chamber), published by the Modern Language Association in 2012. A list of other useful publications is found in the selected bibliography. We are grateful to the Lushun Museum for permission to use the paintings in a nineteenth-century album in its collection. Created by a little-known artist named Sun Wen, the album has one or two exquisite paintings in vibrant colors illustrating each of the novel’s 120 chapters. We hope that the paintings reproduced here will help our readers visualize the material world depicted in the novel. Finally, we want to thank the meticulous readers enlisted by Columbia University Press to evaluate our manuscript for the questions they raised, as well as the corrections they made; as a result of their work, this is a better book.

Introduction

THE BOOK It would be difficult to overstate the importance of The Story of the Stone, also known as The Dream of the Red Chamber (Honglou meng), in the Chinese cultural canon. The book is Paradise Lost, War and Peace, In Search of Lost Time, and Pride and Prejudice all rolled into one. The novel has all the elements of a well-crafted soap opera. It is set in an opulent residential compound where two adjacent mansions are occupied, respectively, by the two branches of the Jia clan, the Rong and the Ning. Thanks to the military feats of their ancestors, the Jias enjoy close ties to the imperial house. The story focuses on the Rong branch, where the matriarch’s favorite grandson and the hope of his generation is supposed to be studying for the civil service examinations, but instead idles away his time in the company of his girl cousins and maidservants. Toward the end of the novel, the clan faces ruin from the cumulative effects of the recklessness and incompetence of its senior members. Thus, the book offers us a peek into the lavish lifestyles of the rich, exposes their machinations, and shows us how everything can end in tears. Through adaptation into movies, television dramas, and theme parks over the years, even Chinese who have never read a single page of The Story of the Stone have become familiar with its basic plot. Some of its most famous scenes are so deeply imprinted on the popular imagination that one needs only to say “Grannie Liu in Prospect Garden” to elicit indulging smiles over someone’s faux pas—Grannie Liu being a peasant woman in the novel who was stupefied by the magnificence of the Jia compound. The story has come to serve as a common frame of reference for people of all different backgrounds. Yet this popular novel is also hugely ambitious. The Jia household presents a microcosm of the world as the author knew it. As the story unfolds,

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a panoramic picture emerges of eighteenth-century Chinese society—a culture in the final moments of its glory before the intrusion of Western values. Embedded in the picture is an unsentimental critique of that society. Moreover, by casting the narrative within a mythic framework in which our hero, in his rebellion against Confucian strictures, is mysteriously guided by a Buddhist monk and a Taoist, the author presents his own perspective on the relationship of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. The characters of this novel interact as though each is propelled solely by his or her own inner needs, which gives the readers the illusion of watching real people in action. This narrative technique was not widely employed by Western fiction writers until the nineteenth century. Also unusual at such an early stage in the evolution of the novel, female characters are assigned central roles, and even lowly maidservants have distinctive voices.

THE AUTHOR AND THE MANUSCRIPTS Little is known today about the author, Cao Xueqin (1715?–1764?). There is, however, abundant historical documentation relating to his family that strongly suggests the novel may be semiautobiographical. The fortunes of the Jia family in the novel echo those of Cao’s own. Cao Xueqin’s great-great-grandfather was a military man from the Han, the dominant ethnic group in China. He earned the trust of the Manchu people, who, in 1644, conquered China and established the Qing, the last imperial dynasty. His son, Cao Xi, became an imperial bodyguard, and his daughter-inlaw was wet nurse to the boy who, in 1661, ascended the throne as the Kangxi Emperor. Cao Yin, Cao Xi’s son and Cao Xueqin’s grandfather, was Kangxi’s childhood playmate. As Cao Yin was known for his poetic sensibilities, Kangxi later commanded him to compile a complete collection of poems from the Tang dynasty that is still widely used today. Kangxi also appointed Cao Xi to the post of imperial textiles commissioner—responsible for procuring textile products for the imperial household—whereupon the family moved from Beijing to the commercial center of Nanjing in the south. The Caos managed to hold onto this immensely prestigious and lucrative post for three generations. The family was wealthy enough to maintain a private Kun opera troupe and played host to Kangxi four times on the latter’s inspection tours of the south. Two of Cao Xueqin’s aunts were made princesses. The Caos’ reputation

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as the emperor’s close informants must have added immeasurably to their power and wealth. However, after Kangxi’s long reign ended, a power struggle ensued, and after his son Yinzhen ascended to the throne as the Yongzheng Emperor, he threw Cao Xueqin’s father (or perhaps his uncle) into prison and confiscated the family’s fortune. Cao Xueqin was about thirteen when this calamity struck. He spent the rest of his life in Beijing, barely making a living by selling his paintings. It is not known how much of the novel is based on actual events, although notes left by some early readers on the margin of an extant manuscript copy of the novel contain such tantalizingly suggestive remarks as “Well said!,” “She was just like that,” and “No, that’s not how it happened!” The novel was not printed until several decades after the author’s death. Twelve manuscript copies of the first eighty chapters have survived, suggesting that these had been privately circulated among Cao’s relatives and friends. By contrast, no complete manuscript copy of the last forty chapters has been found. According to the preface of the first printed edition (1791), the editors had to “patch together” the final third of the novel from more than twenty chapters held in private collections and another ten or so fragmentary chapters purchased from a dealer. This raises the issue of the authenticity of the last forty chapters. In our opinion, the story is far too complicated for any significant portion of it to have been produced independently by someone else. Nearly all the narrative threads left dangling in the first eighty chapters are resolved satisfactorily in the last forty chapters. There are a few minor inconsistencies, but this is inevitable in a novel that runs to thousands of pages in print when the author has labored over it for a decade without the benefit of modern word processing. Inconsistencies notwithstanding, the quality of the latter narrative is very high, much of it brilliant. Furthermore, the deep compassion with which the author embraces humanity, as well as his unique ability to endow each character with a distinctive voice, remains consistent throughout, something that would be nearly impossible for anyone else to simulate. If we accept that the last forty chapters are also from Cao Xueqin’s hand, why did the author keep them so close to the vest? He may still have been working on them when he died, or he could have feared that the Qianlong Emperor—Kangxi’s grandson, notorious for his literary inquisitions—might

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take umbrage at references to his father’s political purges (alluded to in the final third of the novel). There are minor variations among the extant editions of the novel. A lineby-line comparison leads us to the conclusion that those based on the 1792 Cheng Yi edition (Cheng’s Second Edition) contain the fewest errors. This guide is keyed to the English translation by David Hawkes (1923–2009), who resigned his position as chair of Chinese at Oxford University in order to translate the first eighty chapters of the novel, and John Minford, who completed the last forty chapters.

THE PRIMARY CHARACTERS The Story of the Stone features a cast of hundreds. Even Chinese familiar with some of the personalities through cultural osmosis have problems keeping them straight. Diagrams of the family tree and one-line descriptions of the characters are found at the back of each of the five volumes of the Hawkes and Minford edition. Here, as a preview, is a brief description of the leading characters. Our hero, Jia Bao-yu, is a sensitive boy who rebels against the social role assigned to him. He is expected to let women cater to him so that he can focus on studying for the civil service examinations and eventually take his place at court or in the bureaucracy, where he can advance the interests of his clan. Unfortunately, he finds the male world to be filled with bluster and vainglory and prefers the company of his female cousins and his maidservants, whom he treats as his equals. Bao-yu’s father feels his son is perverse and treats him with contempt, but Grandmother Jia—who has the last word in the domestic sphere—sees nothing wrong with her favorite grandchild. Bao-yu’s soul mate is his paternal first cousin, Lin Dai-yu, whose deceased mother was his father’s sister. Grandmother Jia sends for Dai-yu so that she can grow up by her side, rather than be raised by her widowed father. Proud and sensitive, physically and emotionally fragile, Dai-yu is ever conscious of her status as a poorer relation who does not quite belong to the Jia household. She and Bao-yu fall in love. Her predicament is that, although there is no rule against first cousins marrying (as long as they have different family names), marriages are arranged by parents, and Dai-yu, whose father soon dies, has no one to speak for her.

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Lin Dai-yu’s rival in love, Xue Bao-chai, is another first cousin of Bao-yu, her mother being his mother’s sister. Bao-chai—together with her widowed mother, Aunt Xue, and her brute of a brother, Xue Pan—flees their hometown after Xue Pan commits manslaughter. At the invitation of Bao-yu’s mother, they move into a corner of the Jia compound, bringing their wealth with them. Unlike the high-strung Dai-yu, Bao-chai is sensible and tactful, and she is careful not to offend anyone in the household, especially since an inscription given to her by a monk hints that she is destined to marry someone like Bao-yu. Bao-yu’s father, Jia Zheng, is Grandmother Jia’s second son and a well-meaning but mediocre bureaucrat. His chief wife, Lady Wang, bore him a daughter and two sons. Their daughter, Yuan-chun, is a titled concubine highly favored by the reigning emperor. By the time the novel begins, their older son has died, leaving a young widow, Li Wan, to raise their child, Jia Lan, by herself. Bao-yu is Lady Wang’s younger son. Jia Zheng also has two concubines, one of whom, “Aunt” Zhao, is constantly simmering with resentment over people’s lack of respect for herself and her oafish son, Jia Huan. Aunt Zhao also has a daughter, the capable Tan-chun, who tries to distance herself from her disagreeable birth mother. Grandmother Jia’s elder son, Jia She, is the ranking male of the Rong branch, the junior branch of the Jia clan. However, he is eclipsed by his younger brother because he does not have a daughter favored by the emperor and also because he has built a reputation for being self-indulgent and lecherous. His first wife, now dead, bore him a son, Jia Lian, who married Lady Wang’s niece, Wang Xi-feng, a vivacious and shrewd young lady whom Grandmother Jia has put in charge of overseeing the operations of the Rong household. The young couple has only a daughter, Qiao-jie, who remains a little girl through most of the novel. Jia She also has a daughter, the timid Ying-chun, by a concubine. At the time the novel opens, Jia She’s chief wife is Lady Xing, a childless, selfish woman who thoughtlessly takes up the causes of her goodfor-nothing husband. The head of the Ning branch, the senior branch of the Jia clan, is another lecher, Jia Zhen (“Cousin Zhen” in the English translation because, although much older, he belongs to the same generation as our hero, Bao-yu). He has inherited the aristocraticl title because his father, Jia Jing, has withdrawn to a Taoist monastery. Even though Cousin Zhen has a wife, You-shi, and two

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concubines, he remains on the prowl. The novel hints heavily that he has had an affair with Qin-shi, the wife of his son, Jia Rong. In disgust at these goings on, Jia Zhen’s much younger sister, Xi-chun, turns to Buddhism and eventually becomes a nun. Jia Yu-cun, a corrupt scholar-official, is a distant relative of the Jias. Hawkes and Minford have helpfully translated the servants’ names into English to distinguish them from the upper-class characters in the novel. Especially notable are Grandmother Jia’s chief maid, Faithful; Wang Xi-feng’s chief maid, Patience; Jia Bao-yu’s chief maid, Aroma, and his personal maid, Skybright; and Lin Dai-yu’s chief maid, Nightingale. (However, the names of stewards and stewardesses—who, at the Jia household, are authority figures— are transliterated, like those of their employers.) The stage names of actors and actresses are translated into French. In the case of the religious clerics, their names are translated into Latin, or they are given titles corresponding to Roman Catholic Church usage. To further help readers unpack the web of relationships among the major figures in the novel, we offer a “Key to Recurring Characters” following this introduction.

THE BASIC PLOT It may be said that The Story of the Stone does not get moving until the second or even the third chapter. Chapter 1 establishes the mythological backstory: in a previous life, Jia Bao-yu was a stone, and Lin Dai-yu was a flower that owed the stone a debt of tears for keeping her watered; as a result, the two were sent down to the human world to work out their karmic bond. Only in chapter 2 do we enter the realm of the here and now, as we are given an overall view of the Jia household through the cold, appraising eyes of an antique dealer. The antique dealer tells Jia Yu-cun—who will soon chaperone his student Lin Dai-yu to the capital, where she will live with Grandmother Jia—that, with no son capable of looking after its interests, this once powerful family is in inexorable decline. Chapter 3 begins with Lin Dai-yu arriving at the Rong house to find her grandmother surrounded by a bevy of pretty young girls—her cousins and their large retinues of maids—all dressed in gorgeous finery. She is shocked by the liberties that the extroverted Wang Xi-feng is allowed to take with Grandmother Jia, despite still being a young woman scarcely out of her teens.

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As it turns out, Wang Xi-feng and her equally young husband are the only ones in the household fully aware of its precarious finances. The senior members refuse to face up to the situation, and the younger ones do not consider it their business. Regardless, however, the Jias keep up a flourishing appearance. Luck seems to improve for the Jia clan when Bao-yu’s oldest sister, Yuanchun, is elevated from lady-in-waiting to the position of Imperial Concubine. A large garden dotted with fancy cottages is carved out of the family compound to receive her on her visit. Afterward, the adolescent Bao-yu, his half-sister Tan-chun, and their girl cousins, along with their many servants, are allowed to move into the garden, each occupying a cottage. The bulk of the remaining narrative takes place in this garden. After Yuan-chun dies, leading members of the family are indicted for various crimes, and a harrowing raid is made on the compound. However, at the end, the novel holds out hope that, with the birth of a new generation, the family may prosper again one day. The tragic love story of Jia Bao-yu and Lin Dai-yu is woven into this tale of family decline. Even though Bao-yu’s grandmother and mother know that he is in love with Dai-yu, they eventually decide that he should marry his other cousin, the genial and capable Xue Bao-chai. From a pragmatic point of view, Bao-chai is much the better choice because Bao-yu’s bride will one day be responsible for running the large and complicated household—a role that Dai-yu is demonstrably unfit to perform. Bao-yu is duped into thinking he is marrying Dai-yu, and it is not until he lifts up the bride’s veil after the ceremony that he learns the truth. Meanwhile, the frail Dai-yu dies of heartbreak. To Bao-yu, this betrayal is the final blow in a long series of misfortunes—illness, suicides, and mistreatment by abusive husbands—that, one by one, have befallen all the beloved girls in his life. He comes to the realization that everything is ephemeral and one’s destiny lies beyond one’s control. After dutifully impregnating his wife to give the family an heir and bringing honor to the family by excelling on the examinations, he leaves the world behind to become a monk.

THE PHILOSOPHICAL FRAMEWORK How does one come to terms with a paradise lost? One way is to admit that change is in the nature of life itself. That’s the Taoist (Daoist) view. Another way is to develop an attitude of emotional detachment, which is a Buddhist

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ideal. Throughout the novel, the author pits Taoism and Buddhism against Confucianism, the upbeat and utilitarian ideology of the establishment. It is possible to read The Story of a Stone as a Taoist story. Taoism holds that human nature is like an uncarved piece of jade that becomes blemished and soiled as one goes through life. At the beginning of the book, readers are told that Bao-yu is an incarnation of a stone left over from the pile that the goddess Nüwa used to repair a hole in the sky. This is why he was born with a piece of jade in his mouth and why his family named him Bao-yu, which means “precious jade.” As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that the jade has magical properties. All the characters in the novel with yu in their names are endowed with the ability to rise above mundane concerns, manifested in their physical appearance as ethereal beauties. At the end of the novel, Bao-yu leaves the mundane world behind and ultimately returns to being a stone. It is also possible to read The Story of a Stone as a Buddhist tale of how one man attains enlightenment. Like Siddhartha Gautama, the historical Buddha, Bao-yu is born into luxury and, as a child, shielded from life’s miseries. As he is exposed to human suffering, he gradually becomes convinced that worldly pleasures are illusory and that true happiness—that is, liberation from suffering—can be attained only by renouncing all human ties. The coup de grâce comes when he is tricked by his own family into marrying the wrong girl while his soul mate dies of a broken heart. Bao-yu may be seen as a Buddha-like figure, just as Prince Myshkin is a Christ-like figure in Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s The Idiot, although unlike Buddha or Christ, neither is able to transcend his earthly nature to help humanity. But what of Confucianism, with its respect for social hierarchy and personal loyalty to kith and kin? In the novel, Confucianism serves, all too often, as a cover for the powerful and the well connected to rig the system in their own favor. However, it is also clear that the author recognizes the important role of Confucian ethics in the smooth functioning of Chinese society. Confucian teachings set the ground rules for decency, thereby drawing the line that delimits the most egregious forms of bad behavior. In fact, the fall of the Jia clan can ultimately be attributed to its neglect of two fundamental Confucian virtues: frugality and moderation. Incidentally, Taoism the philosophy is distinct from Taoism the eclectic religion, which can be best described as an amalgam of all kinds of ancient Chinese folk beliefs imbedded with strands of Taoist philosophy. The author

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of the novel exploits the blurry line between the two, by clothing the philosopher in religious garb, as it were. He approves of the philosophy but makes fun of the religion. The Hawkes and Minford translation generally uses the term “Taoist” to refer to a Taoist philosopher and “priest” to designate a clergyman. Readers may wonder why both Buddhist and Taoist clergies are invited to participate in many large ceremonies in the novel. The fact is that, by the eighteenth century, Buddhism and Taoism had become inextricably linked in the syncretic popular belief of the Chinese. Whether they are Buddhist, Taoist, or Confucian, most Chinese believe in some kind of fate—that is, they believe that much of life lies beyond our control. In Buddhism, fate describes the process by which one’s karma (good and bad deeds accumulated in one’s current and previous lives) works itself out. The author uses the concept of fate to lend a sense of inevitability to the progression of events, although he makes clear that fate works itself out through a convergence of people’s temperaments and their circumstances. Whenever it suits his artistic purposes, the author also deploys fate as a device to create a mood of foreboding, as when the characters have presentiments of things to come. These are sometimes revealed in the form of Freudian slips, as the author shows, with startlingly modern insight, how presentiments can often be explained in terms of one’s ability to sense intuitively what one is not yet able to acknowledge with one’s rational mind. Time and again, Cao Xueqin, who predated Sigmund Freud by a century and a half, astonishes us with his psychological acumen. At the end of the novel, the news that Bao-yu is missing reaches his father while he is away from home. Sitting in the cabin of a boat at anchor, he is in the act of writing a response when he lifts his eyes to see a monk bowing deeply to him out on the deck. By the time he recognizes the man to be his own son, Bao-yu has been hustled ashore by a Buddhist monk and a Taoist. Jia Zheng rushes after them but fails to catch up. It then dawns on him that Bao-yu is a being from a higher realm who does not belong to this world. Thus, father and son—and, symbolically, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism— come to terms with each other and affirm each other’s legitimacy.

APPROACHES TO READING THE NOVEL Mao Zedong, who led China’s Communist Revolution and served as its supreme leader until his death in 1976, claimed to have read The Story of the

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Stone five times and urged others to do the same. He saw in it a tale of class struggle, putting it on the right side of communist ideology. Although briefly denounced as bourgeois, the novel was one of the few books people in China were permitted to read during the decade-long repressions of the Cultural Revolution. It is tempting to read The Story of the Stone for its depiction of “traditional Chinese society” and assume—as Mao Zedong clearly did—that the novel accurately reflects it. The author incorporated in great detail the religious rites, social rituals, arts and music, games and festivities, medical theories, laws and regulations, and government institutions of the world in which he lived. Although he mentioned objects such as watches, clocks, eyeglasses, full-length mirrors, and tobacco that were unavailable in China before his time, he insisted, in the very first chapter, that the dynasty in which the story takes place is indeterminate. The name of the “capital city” is never revealed; titles of government officials are drawn from different periods of history. Not counting Jia Baoyu’s outlandish braid, there is only one reference to a man wearing a queue, a practice that the conquering Manchus imposed on the entire population when they took over the country in the mid-seventeenth century. The vague setting of the novel helps to project an aura of timelessness and universality. One must, of course, exercise caution with the designation of “traditionally Chinese.” Who is to say that something is representative of a tradition? There are, however, some widely acknowledged cultural threads running persistently across Chinese communities, urban and rural, dating back at least several hundred years. Take the annual festivals featured in the novel: Lunar New Year, the Lantern Festival, Spring Cleaning (also known as Tomb Sweeping Day), the Double Five (also known as the Dragon Boat Festival), the Double Seven, the Double Nine, the Mid-autumn (Mooncake Day), and Nibbansday (Laba, the eighth day of the twelfth month). Except for the Grain in Ear Day mentioned in chapter 27, they are all still celebrated in many Chinese communities today. It can be argued that reading The Story of the Stone for its depiction of traditional cultural practices is no more egregious than plumbing Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, William Makepeace Thackeray’s Vanity Fair, or George Eliot’s Middlemarch for British mores, as these novels also show people grappling with the established norms of a stable, complex society. However, far from being a historical or social document, a religious or political tract, or a dry philosophical treatise, The Story of the Stone is a tale

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that Cao Xueqin wrote to comfort himself and to entertain his friends and relatives. His fan base has been expanding ever since. Nevertheless, the novel poses a special challenge for present-day readers. Written in an era when the literate elite had limited entertainment options and typically plenty of leisure time, The Story of the Stone is meant to be chewed over and reread. Not only is it very long and the relationships among its characters highly complicated, but also it operates simultaneously on realistic and mythic levels. Moreover, a number of subplots weave in and out of its 120 chapters, and the significance of some episodes does not become apparent until scores of chapters later. With each rereading, the story is supposed to come into sharper focus. To have read the novel five times was not unusual for an educated Chinese of Mao Zedong’s generation. But how many readers of today can be expected to puzzle out the subtle intricacies of this long novel by reading it over and over again? Faced continually with perplexing passages— the first five chapters are especially challenging—they are liable to simply give up on a work that could have given them immense pleasure. Every reader brings to any piece of literature his or her own perspective. It has been observed that one’s interpretation of The Story of the Stone changes as one goes through different stages in life. This guide reflects the cumulative reading and life experiences of its authors. Over time, the persistent reader will develop his or her own take on this marvelous masterpiece. Our aim is to provide English readers with sufficient cultural and narrative context so that they can savor the story, even reading it—in full or in part—for the very first time. Enjoy!

Key to Recurring Characters

The Story of the Stone features hundreds of characters who weave in and out of the text. This key lists characters who appear repeatedly and shows their relationships to each other. The names of very important characters are in bold. Servants are italicized.

THE RONG HOUSE THE NING HOUSE DISTANT JIA RELATIVES THE WANG AND XUE FAMILIES OTHER MAJOR CHARACTERS

THE RONG HOUSE grandmother jia (the matriarch) Grandmother Jia’s chief maid Faithful, her dim-witted maidservant Simple

Grandmother’s Jia’s eldest son jia she and his “replacement wife” lady xing Jia She’s son jia lian (Lady Xing’s step-son), his wife wang xi-feng Their daughter qiao-jie Xi-feng’s chief maid Patience (who is also Jia Lian’s concubine) Xi-feng’s servant Brightie and his wife Jia Lian’s page Joker Jia Lian’s servant Bao Er and his second wife, the widowed Mattress Jia Lian’s second concubine Autumn

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Jia She’s daughter with a concubine, jia ying-chun (Lady Xing’s step-daughter) Ying-chun’s chief maid Chess Lady Xing’s niece xing xiu-yan Lady Xing’s brother xing de-quan (“Uncle Dumbo”)

Grandmother Jia’s second son jia zheng and his wife lady wang Jia Zheng’s concubines “aunt” zhao and “aunt” zhou Lady Wang’s chief maid Golden, maids Silver and Sunset Jia Zheng and Lady Wang’s deceased first son’s widow li wan Li Wan’s son jia lan Li Wan’s cousins the li sisters Jia Zheng and Lady Wang’s daughter jia yuan-chun (Imperial Concubine) Jia Zheng and Lady Wang’s second son jia bao-yu Bao-yu’s chief maid Aroma; maids Skybright, Musk, and Crimson Bao-yu’s page Tealeaf Bao-yu’s servant Li Gui (son of his former wet nurse Nannie Li) Jia Zheng and “Aunt” Zhao’s daughter jia tan-chun Jia Zheng and “Aunt” Zhao’s son jia huan

Grandmother Jia’s deceased daughter’s daughter lin dai-yu Dai-yu’s chief maid Nightingale, maid Snowgoose

Grandmother Jia’s grand-niece shi xiang-yun (from her natal Shi family) Chief steward Lai Da, his mother Mrs. Lai (probably Jia Zheng’s former wet nurse), and his son Steward Lin Zhi-xiao and stewardess Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife Steward Zhou Rui, his wife, and his son-in-law the antique dealer Manservant Bao Yong (from the briefly disgraced Zhen family) Cook Liu and her daughter Fivey (who eventually becomes Jia Bao-yu’s maid)

THE NING HOUSE jia jing (living in a monastery in pursuit of immortality) Jia Jing’s son “cousin” zhen and his wife you-shi Their son jia rong and his first wife qin-shi (who dies in chapter 13)

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You-shi’s step-sisters you er-jie (Jia Lian’s illegal second wife) and

you san-jie Jia Jing’s much younger daughter jia xi-chun (living at the Rong house) Xi-chun’s chief maid Picture Old grouchy servant Big Jiao, who once saved the life of the founding duke of the Ning house Bailiff Wu, responsible for overseeing distant landholdings

DISTANT JIA RELATIVES jia cong, a cousin younger than Jia Bao-yu who occasionally appears at Jia family gatherings jia dai-ru, the teacher of the Jia clan school jia qiang, who is assigned to purchase and supervise the child actresses jia qin, who is assigned to supervise the young nuns jia rui, Jia Dai-ru’s orphaned grandson, who develops a sexual fixation on Wang Xi-feng jia yu-cun, a corrupt scholar-official and erstwhile tutor of Lin Dai-yu who is very distantly related to the Jias jia yun, assigned to plant trees in Prospect Garden, falls in love with Jia Bao-yu’s maid Crimson

THE WANG AND XUE FAMILIES wang zi-teng (Lady Wang’s powerful elder brother, Wang Xi-feng’s uncle) His sister Lady Wang (Jia Bao-yu’s mother) His sister “aunt xue” (Lady Wang’s widowed sister) Aunt Xue’s son xue pan and his wife xia jin-gui Xue Pan’s concubine caltrop (Zhen Shi-yin’s kidnapped daughter) Jin-gui’s maid Moonbeam Jin-gui’s mother mrs. xia and her adopted son xia san Aunt Xue’s daughter xue bao-chai (eventually Jia Bao-yu’s wife) Bao-chai’s chief maid Oriole Aunt Xue’s late husband’s orphaned nephew xue ke Aunt Xue’s late husband’s orphaned niece xue bao-qin

His cunning brother wang zi-sheng

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His good-for-nothing nephew from another brother wang ren His niece Wang Xi-feng (Wang Ren’s sister and Jia Lian’s wife)

OTHER RECURRING CHARACTERS Actresses charmante (in love with Jia Qiang); étamine (later Xue Baochai’s maid); nénuphar (later Lin Dai-yu’s maid); parfumée (later Jia Bao-yu’s maid) adamantina, a learned and finicky Buddhist lay sister in residence at Prospect Garden The fairy disenchantment jiang yu-han (Bijou), an actor and a good friend of Jia Bao-yu who eventually marries Jia Bao-yu’s maid Aroma liu xiang-lian, an amateur actor and Jia Bao-yu’s friend who eventually repudiates his engagement to You San-jie The peasant woman grannie liu, who claims kinship with the Jias because her son-in-law’s grandfather was once “adopted” as a nephew by Lady Wang’s father The scabby-headed Buddhist monk and the lame taoist zhen shi-yin, a prosperous townsman who becomes a Taoist after suffering a series of personal setbacks, including losing his daughter Zhen Ying-lian (Caltrop) to kidnappers zhen ying-jia, his wife lady zhen, and their son zhen bao-yu (Jia Baoyu’s look-alike)

A C O M PA N I O N TO

The Story of the Stone

1 The Origin of the Stone and the Vicissitudes of Life

SUMMARY When the goddess Nüwa finishes repairing the sky, she has one stone left over. Not only is this stone capable of passionate feeling, but also it can see, speak, move, and change its size at will. One day, having shrunk to the size of a fan pendant, the restless stone accepts a Buddhist monk’s offer to take it into the mortal world to live out the life of a man. Many eons later, when a Taoist named Vanitas discovers the stone, it has become a large boulder inscribed with a long story, along with a plea to the passerby to copy it down for publication. The story eventually makes its way to the Nostalgia Studio of Cao Xueqin, whose five revisions over a ten-year period give the story its present form. This is how the story inscribed on the stone begins: A man named Zhen Shi-yin sees, in his dream, a Buddhist monk telling a Taoist that he is escorting a group of lovesick souls to be incarnated in the mortal world and that he is going to slip a stone—our stone—into their midst. He reveals that the stone had, once upon a time, taken a fancy to a beautiful Crimson Pearl Flower and watered it every day with sweet dew until the flower was transformed into a girl. To enable the flower to repay its debt—by shedding a lifetime of tears in return for the stone’s largesse of dew—the fairy Disenchantment will send them both down into the world as human beings. Curious at hearing this tale, Zhen Shi-yin asks to see the stone—a lustrous jade with Bao-yu (precious jade) etched into its surface. After Zhen wakes from his dream, he carries his baby daughter outside to watch the bustle in the street. There he sees a scabby-headed Buddhist monk and a lame Taoist shouting, laughing, and gesticulating wildly. The monk warns Zhen that his daughter will meet with an ill fate and tries to snatch her away. Dismissing this as a madman’s ravings, Zhen holds onto her all the

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more tightly. In the ensuing months, Zhen’s little girl is kidnapped, his house burns down, and he loses his fortune. The next time Zhen runs into the Taoist, he is singing about how all strivings come to nothing. With a sudden flash of understanding, Zhen leaves everything behind and goes off with the Taoist. In better times, Zhen had given Jia Yu-cun, an impoverished scholar, the money to travel to the capital for the civil service examinations. Now Jia Yu-cun has passed the examinations and returns triumphantly to the area as its magistrate.

COMMENTS Starting the story with a powerful goddess, rather than a god, sets the tone for the novel, which features a large number of capable women. Greensickness Peak, where the stone resides, is, in the Chinese original, a pun for “a peak rooted in passion.” The novel is, to a large extent, a tale about passion. Guided by a Buddhist monk and a Taoist priest, the stone is sent down to the human world, incarnated as Jia Bao-yu, to experience passions until he becomes disillusioned and returns, much wiser, to the stone’s native realm. Both Buddhism and Taoism advocate a detached approach to life, as opposed to Confucianism—the dominant way of thought in Chinese culture— which promotes active engagement in worldly affairs. The second half of the chapter introduces two archetypal characters in premodern Chinese society: a prosperous townsman fallen on hard times and an impoverished Confucian scholar intent on climbing the ladder of success. The former is surnamed Zhen (a pun on “true”) and the latter—like the protagonist Bao-yu—is surnamed Jia (a pun on “false” or “fictitious”). Readers are prompted to ponder the blurred line between reality and illusion, dreaming and waking, the permanent and the fleeting. The tale of these two minor characters runs like a thread in and out of the main narrative, which is framed by a fabulous myth of goddesses and fairies, a talking stone, and a sensitive flower.

2 The Jia Family’s Fortune Coldly Appraised by an Antique Dealer

SUMMARY Jia Yu-cun, now a magistrate, learns that his former benefactor, Zhen Shi-yin, has left home to become a Taoist and decides to take one of Zhen’s maidservants as his concubine. Within a year, he is dismissed from office for corruption, but, ever adaptable, he finds employment as a private tutor. His student, Lin Dai-yu, interrupts her lessons to nurse her ailing mother, and, after her mother’s death, she becomes too sad and weak to study, leaving Yu-cun with plenty of time on his hands. On one of his leisurely walks, Yu-cun runs into an old friend, Leng Zi-xing, an antique dealer recently returned from the capital (presumably Beijing). They gossip about the Jias, a great family to whom Yu-cun is distantly related. According to the antique dealer, the Jias are on a path of rapid decline because they have been living beyond their means and have no worthy son to look after their interests. He gives an update on its members, including a peculiar boy named Bao-yu who was born with a piece of jade in his mouth. The boy, who has preferred girlish things since infancy, declares that females are made of water and being with them makes him feel good, whereas males are made of mud and being with them makes him feel stupid and nasty. This prompts Yu-cun to show off his erudition by citing a long list of eccentrics in history who turned into accomplished writers or artists. He mentions that the Zhen family, whom he once served as tutor, has a similarly peculiar son. The antique dealer tells him, to his delight, that the Jia matriarch is the maternal grandmother of his current student, Lin Dai-yu.

COMMENTS In premodern China, titles were conferred by the emperor, inherited, or earned by passing the civil service examinations. They could also be purchased,

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CHAPTER 2

but a purchased title did not have the prestige of one that was inherited or earned. Thanks to a gift of cash from Zhen Shi-yin, Jia Yu-cun was able to travel to the capital to take and pass the highest-level examinations, which won him an appointment as magistrate. Now dismissed from office, he sees an opportunity to get back on the ladder of success through his employer’s connection with the powerful Jia family. The great-great-great-great-grandfather of Yu-cun’s student, Lin Dai-yu, had been awarded a title by the emperor. Originally inheritable for three generations, it was extended for just another generation, so her father had to make his own way up through the examination system. Jia Zheng—the father of the novel’s chief protagonist, Jia Bao-yu—did not inherit a noble title, being only a second son, but the emperor, grateful for the service performed by his father, nevertheless appointed Jia Zheng to an official position as a special favor. With no prospect of inheriting a title or receiving an appointment, Bao-yu must make his own way in the world in order to look out for the family’s interests, yet he shows no sign of worldly ambition. This is a matter of grave concern to the family. Within a Chinese clan, everyone is ranked by generation and then by age within the same generation. Generational ranking trumps ranking by age. For example, Jia Bao-yu’s grandfather is the first cousin of Jia Rong’s great-grandfather, making Bao-yu Jia Rong’s uncle and hence his senior, even though Bao-yu is actually much younger. Jia Rong is always referred to by his full name because in Chinese custom it sounds excessively familiar to address someone by a one-syllable name, whereas our hero’s name is usually shortened to Bao-yu. Bao-yu’s older sister, born on the Lunar New Year Day—known also as the Spring Festival—is given the name Yuan-chun (First of Spring). His half-sister is named Tan-chun (Exploring Spring), and his female paternal cousins in the same generation are named Ying-chun (Welcoming Spring) and Xi-chun (Cherishing Spring). Together, they constitute The Four Springs in the novel. In chapter 7, it is revealed that the antique dealer has such intimate knowledge of the powerful Jias because his father-in-law is a trusted steward in the household.

3 Dai-yu’s Arrival at the Jia Household

SUMMARY Accompanied by her tutor, the motherless Lin Dai-yu arrives at the capital to live with her maternal grandmother, the Jia family matriarch. She is overwhelmed by the splendor of the Jia household. Grandmother Jia introduces Dai-yu to her eldest son’s wife, Lady Xing; her second son’s wife, Lady Wang; and the widow of her oldest grandson, Li Wan. Dai-yu also meets, in order of age, her girl cousins still living at home—Ying-chun, Tan-chun, and Xi-chun. The stunningly beautiful and spectacularly dressed Wang Xi-feng—Lady Wang’s niece and Lady Xing’s daughter-in-law—makes a dramatic entrance by loudly announcing herself before entering the hall. It soon becomes clear that the young lady, scarcely out of her teens, has the matriarch’s confidence and wields the real power in the household. Lady Xing guides Dai-yu into a carriage to cross the family’s vast compound to call on her husband, but he claims to be indisposed. Dai-yu then proceeds to pay respects to Lady Wang’s husband; he is also unavailable, but Lady Wang detains Dai-yu for a chat. She wants Dai-yu to ignore her wild and unruly son, the one born with a jade in his mouth. Dai-yu presumes she will not be seeing much of this boy—at this time, boys and girls were usually segregated by the age of eight—and replies accordingly, but Lady Wang tells her that Grandmother Jia, who dotes on Bao-yu, insists on having him by her side, along with her granddaughters. When Dai-yu meets Bao-yu, both have the overpowering feeling they have met before. On learning that Dai-yu was not born with a jade, Bao-yu throws a tantrum and hurls his jade down, saying he does not want it because none of his girl cousins has one. Grandmother Jia gives Bao-yu permission to sleep on a bed next to the tent-like summer bed assigned temporarily to Dai-yu until more suitable accommodations can be arranged. She gives Dai-yu one

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CHAPTER 3

Dai-yu arrives at the capital in a canal boat.

of her trusted maids, Nightingale, and lets everyone know that Dai-yu should be treated just like Bao-yu and the three girl cousins. In addition to her own nanny, and Nightingale, Dai-yu is assigned numerous other servants to take care of her physical needs, chaperone her, and do general cleaning and errands. Going over the events of the day in her mind that night, Dai-yu feels wretched at having caused Bao-yu’s tantrum and weeps, shedding the first of many tears in payment of the “debt of tears” to Bao-yu incurred in their former lives.

COMMENTS Chapter 2 presented a wide-angled view of the Jia household through the appraising eyes of the antique dealer. Here the Jia women are seen up close through the awed eyes of a precocious girl about to join the household. By virtue of her upbringing, Dai-yu knows exactly where everyone stands in the domestic hierarchy, and her finely tuned sensitivities alert her to any departure from the norm. She is careful where she sits relative to her hostess. She notices that, although Wang Xi-feng is Lady Xing’s daughter-in-law, she does not defer to Lady Xing and that Lady Wang’s quarters are more resplendent than Lady Xing’s, even though the latter’s husband is the firstborn. This is

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explained by the fact, later revealed, that the Wangs come from a prominent family and Lady Xing is merely a “replacement wife”—a wife taken after the first wife has died. Daughters are considered outsiders once they marry into their husbands’ families. It is unusual for Grandmother Jia to give orders for Dai-yu—her daughter’s child—to be treated exactly as if she were a child bearing the Jia family name. A kang is a platform, common in northern Asia, used as a couch by day and a bed by night; it is kept warm by a flue system connected to the kitchen stove or a heat source outside the house. A closet-bed (nuange) is a roomlike bed enclosed by wood panels and curtains. It should be noted that, while the elaborately layered finery of the characters may seem excessive to modern-day readers, it would not have looked out of place to their contemporaries at the court of Louis XV.

4 A Manslaughter Cover-Up and the Xue Family’s Arrival

SUMMARY With the help of the Jia family, Lin Dai-yu’s former tutor, Jia Yu-cun, secures a post in the city of Nanking (Nanjing), where his first decision as magistrate leads Xue Pan and Xue Bao-chai—Bao-yu’s maternal cousins—to join the Jia household. The case seems straightforward enough: two parties fight over the purchase of a girl, and a man is killed. Yu-cun is about to issue an arrest warrant when an underling motions for him to hold off. This man, who knew Yu-cun when the latter was down on his luck, says that the accused, Xue Pan, belongs to one of the four most powerful clans in Nanking—namely, Jia, Shi, Wang, and Xue. Xue Pan’s mother is, in fact, Lady Wang’s sister. To act against Xue Pan, the underling cautions Yu-cun, would mean the end of his career. So Yu-cun, who has discovered that the brutalized girl is none other than the kidnapped daughter of his former benefactor, Zhen Shi-yin, arranges for the plaintiffs to be bought off, thereby ingratiating himself with the Xues, the Wangs, and the Jias. To prevent details of this cover-up and of his own humble beginnings from becoming known, Yu-cun then gets the helpful underling drafted for military service at the remote frontier. Xue Pan’s legal troubles provide him with a pretext to move his family to the capital, whose pleasure quarters he has been longing to visit. Because his father died when Xue Pan was a child, the family now consists only of his indulgent mother and his beautiful younger sister, Bao-chai, who is as refined and virtuous as Xue Pan is vulgar and debauched. Lady Wang and her husband, Jia Zheng, invite them to move into the Jia household, and the Xues agree, after insisting on paying all their own expenses. Xue Pan’s mother—Lady Wang’s sister and therefore Bao-yu’s aunt—becomes known in the Jia household as Aunt Xue. Xue Pan at first worries that living in the Jia compound might cramp his

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style but finds to his delight that his male relatives are advanced practitioners of dissipation and have much to teach him.

COMMENTS China is roughly the size of Europe and just as diverse in terms of language, food, and customs. People, however, tend to marry among their own kind. Moreover, powerful families find it beneficial to form alliances through marriage. Such is the case for the Jias and the Wangs. Two daughters of the Nanking Wang (Lady Wang and Wang Xi-feng) become Jia daughters-in-law, and a third Wang daughter (Aunt Xue) marries into the Xue family. Grandmother Jia comes from the Shi family, the fourth of the great Nanking clans. China did not have an open slave market like those of ancient Rome or the antebellum South in the United States, but the buying and selling of young girls was common until the early twentieth century, when the practice was declared illegal. Impoverished families often sold their daughters to concentrate resources on their sons. Sometimes the sales agreement allowed them to be bought out of service, in which case they were more like indentured servants. Roving gangs also kidnapped girls and raised them for sale: this happens in the novel to Zhen Shi-yin’s daughter, Ying-lian, renamed Caltrop by her captors. As they grew older, the girls might become concubines to the sons of the family or be paired off with the menservants. In Cao Xueqin’s time, there were also hereditary slaves—prisoners of war or criminals and their families sentenced to slavery in perpetuity. There are fine gradations among the maidservants in the Jia household. Chief maids often become their masters’ and mistresses’ confidantes, serving as gatekeepers and chiefs of staff. The heaviest and dirtiest jobs are performed by the lowliest maidservants. Wet nurses were usually peasant women reduced by poverty to hiring themselves out to nurse the babies of the rich before their own babies were totally weaned. It was customary for wet nurses to be retained long after their charges were grown, out of gratitude for their services and in recognition of the close relationship they often developed with the children they nurtured.

5 The Girls’ Destinies Revealed to a Bewildered Bao-yu

SUMMARY Grandmother Jia favors Bao-yu and Dai-yu over the rest of her grandchildren, and the two grow so close and understand each other so well that they become like a single person. In the eyes of others, however, the delicate and aloof Dai-yu pales beside the slightly older Xue Bao-chai, with her full-blown beauty and more amiable personality. Dai-yu cannot help but resent the comparison. One afternoon, at a gathering at the adjacent Ning mansion, Bao-yu feels drowsy after some wine and is about to go home for a nap when Qin-shi offers to let him use her bed. The servants are scandalized because Bao-yu, though quite a bit younger, is her husband’s uncle. Qin-shi dismisses their concerns, saying he is just a young boy. Surrounded by sexually suggestive objects—some of which take on a fantastic dimension in his wine-befuddled mind—Bao-yu dreams that he is shown bewildering riddles and serenaded with songs that reveal the destinies of the girls in his life. The fairy Disenchantment instructs him in the art of carnal love and gives him permission to make love to an alluring fairy girl named Two-in-one, nicknamed Ke-qing. When the dream turns into nightmare, Bao-yu wakes up, yelling “Ke-qing! Save me!” Qin-shi is startled to hear her childhood nickname.

COMMENTS The action in this chapter unfolds on two levels. Physically, Bao-yu has a strange dream while napping in Qin-shi’s bed. Figuratively speaking, the chapter is about fate and passion. Passion induces empathy but can also lead to fixation. The name Qin-shi is a pun for qing-shi, or “emissary of passion.” (As David Hawkes points out in the introduction to his English translation, the author does not distinguish between the sounds of qin and qing.) The charming

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Qin-shi is loved by everyone in the household, including her father-in-law, Cousin Zhen. (He belongs to Bao-yu’s generation—hence, “cousin.”). It is arguably his passion for her that sets in motion the eventual downfall of the Jia family. In Bao-yu’s dream, the fairy Disenchantment brings him to the Land of Illusion to cure him of his “lust of the mind”—his passion and boundless empathy for pretty girls, which make him unfit for a normal, practical life. She hopes that, once he grasps the fact that love is an illusion, he will free himself from these entanglements. Readers will find, in the appendix to volume I of the Hawkes translation, an explanation of the riddles and the songs. The Main Register includes twelve riddles about the Twelve Beauties of Jinling (Jinling is another name for Nanking, the city from which Bao-yu’s family hails). The first two are about Lin Dai-yu and Xue Bao-chai. The rest concern, respectively, Bao-yu’s older sister, Yuan-chun; his half-sister, Tan-chun; Grandmother Jia’s orphaned grandniece Shi Xiang-yun; the lay Buddhist sister Adamantina; Bao-yu’s paternal cousins Ying-chun and Xi-chun; his first cousin’s wife, Wang Xi-feng; Wang Xi-Feng’s daughter, Qiao-jie; Bao-yu’s older brother’s widow, Li Wan; and his nephew’s wife, Qin-shi. Bao-yu is shown only three riddles in the two “supplementary registers.” They concern the fates of two of his maidservants, Aroma and Skybright, and of the kidnapped girl Caltrop. The fates of the girls are all shaped by passions—both their own and those that others feel for them. The name of the suite played for Bao-yu’s entertainment, translated by Hawkes as A Dream of Golden Days, is Dream of the Red Mansion in the Chinese original. Hawkes avoids the color red presumably because it has different connotations in English. The songs are elegies to the twelve girls in Register No. 1, presented in the same order as the riddles. The “Prelude” and the “Epilogue” of the suite reinforce the message that it is useless to fight against fate. There are several inconsistencies between what is foretold in these songs and riddles and what later takes place in the novel. As Hawkes points out in the introduction to his English translation, the most glaring discrepancy is found in the circumstances surrounding Qin-Shi’s death. Not until the end of novel does one fully appreciate the meaning of the riddles and songs. This book was written to be reread.

6 Bao-yu’s First Sexual Experience; Grannie Liu’s First Visit to the Jias

SUMMARY After Bao-yu wakes from his strange dream in Qin-Shi’s bedroom, his chief maid, Aroma, is helping him dress when her hand touches a wet and sticky patch on his thigh. She quizzes him about this, but he blushes and waits until they are alone to show her what the fairy Disenchantment taught him. Aware that Grandmother Jia has intended for her to become Bao-yu’s concubine, Aroma acquiesces. Thereafter, Bao-yu treats her with even more consideration, and she becomes even more devoted to him. Decades ago Lady Wang’s father had agreed to adopt a minor government official, also surnamed Wang, as his “nephew” in name. This man’s grandson is now having difficulty supporting his family in the countryside, and his mother-in-law conceives the plan of calling on Lady Wang to see if they can lay claim to her charity. After coaching her little grandson on how to behave, Grannie Liu arrives with the boy at the gate of the Jia household, at a loss what to do next. Fortunately, Zhou Rui’s wife, who once served in Lady Wang’s natal family, recognizes her. She advises Grannie Liu to present her case to Lady Wang’s niece, Xi-feng. Uncertain how they might be related, Xi-feng initially treats the old woman with elaborate courtesy. The sudden appearance of Qin-shi’s handsome husband, Jia Rong, puts Xi-feng in a lighthearted and flirtatious mood, and she is further amused by Grannie Liu’s mix of candor, diffidence, and earthy humor. She sends the peasant woman home with twenty taels of silver, adding a string of coins for good measure.

COMMENTS The author of the novel, Cao Xueqin, is candid and explicit in his treatment of sexuality. It may offend our twenty-first-century sensibilities to read about an

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eleven-year-old boy cajoling his thirteen-year-old maidservant into having sex with him. After all, she has no real choice. But Bao-yu and Aroma genuinely love and respect each other. It is worth remembering that, in questions of marriage, maidservants like Aroma have no say, but neither do any of the Jia daughters. Marriage was a serious matter to be decided by one’s elders. The ages of the characters in the novel are not always consistent. Some of the inconsistencies may be attributed to the fact that no complete manuscript of the novel has been found. To make a publishable novel three decades after the author’s death, the editors had to patch together different versions of the first eighty chapters and fragments of the remaining forty. Bao-yu seems too young for sexual initiation, yet his frequent temper tantrums in other chapters are appropriate only if he is that young. Modern readers should remember, however, that people used to have shorter lifespans and marry earlier. The nurse in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet gives Juliet’s age as “not quite fourteen.” The Kangxi Emperor—the childhood playmate of the author’s grandfather—was married at eleven or twelve and sired his first son with a concubine two years later. With the introduction of Grannie Liu and her brood, the author anchors the novel in the solid bedrock of Chinese peasantry, a vast underclass of people viewing the likes of the Jias with awe and resentment. Peasants produce the food that feeds the Jias, and most of the family’s income comes from the rent paid by the peasants tilling their land. Having given readers an array of goddesses, fairies, emperors, dukes, monks, and scholar-officials, the author adds Grandmother Earth in the person of Grannie Liu. Though a comical country bumpkin, she is wise, resilient, resourceful, and full of good humor— an uncouth version of Grandmother Jia. Notice how the shrewd Wang Xi-feng treats conversations as a duel. Her elaborate politeness is a form of intimidation intended to put others on the defensive. Like a master swordsman, she confuses her opponents by making deceptive moves and constantly shifting her stance. Then, having disarmed them, she sends them away humbled, or grateful, or both.

7 The Perspectives of Two Old Servants; Bao-yu Is Smitten by a Bashful Boy

SUMMARY This chapter opens with one old family servant and ends with another, allowing readers to see the Jia family through its servants’ eyes. Between the two episodes, Bao-yu is captivated by a boy his own age—Qin-shi’s brother, Qin Zhong. The first servant is the wife of Zhou Rui, an old steward trusted with collecting rent for the Rong branch of the family, now revealed to be the father-in-law of Leng Zi-xing, the antique dealer in chapter 2. On her way to report to Lady Wang on Grannie Liu’s visit, Mrs. Zhou stops to chat with Xue Bao-chai and is enlisted by Aunt Xue (Bao-chai’s mother) to distribute a dozen silk flowers to the young ladies. Mrs. Zhou delivers the flowers in the order of the girls’ ranking in the family: first, the unmarried daughters; then the daughter-in-law Wang Xi-feng (Li Wan, now a widow, is not supposed to wear flowers in her hair); and, finally, the “outer” granddaughter by a different surname, Lin Dai-yu. Being last upsets Dai-yu, and she says so in front of Mrs. Zhou. To defuse the awkward situation, Bao-yu asks his maids to go and convey his and Dai-yu’s regards to Bao-chai and her mother. Bao-yu accompanies Xi-feng to the Ning mansion for a get-together with Cousin Zhen’s wife, You-shi, and her daughter-in-law, Qin-shi. He meets Qinshi’s brother, Qin Zhong, and the two boys immediately take to each other. As both have just lost their tutors—Bao-yu’s is on leave, whereas Qin Zhong’s family can no longer afford to employ one—Bao-yu suggests that they attend the clan school together and volunteers to get Qin Zhong admitted, even though the latter is not a member of the Jia clan. It is nearly midnight by the time the gathering breaks up. One of the servants assigned to see Qin Zhong home is Big Jiao, an old man who had long ago saved the life of Cousin Zhen’s grandfather. Big Jiao arrives drunk and carries on loudly in the yard about being mistreated by his old master’s ungrateful

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descendants, whom he accuses of sexual misconduct, insinuating an incestuous liaison between a man and his daughter-in law and between a woman and her nephew-in-law. Jia Rong tells the servants to tie him up and stuff his mouth with mud and horse dung. The innocent Bao-yu wants to know what Big Jiao is saying, but Xi-feng, livid, shuts him up, complaining that the Ning side of the family has been much too soft on their servants.

COMMENTS As Mrs. Zhou makes her rounds, we get another look at the Jia ladies: Lady Wang is engrossed in conversation with Aunt Xue, showing that the two are not only half-sisters but also intimate friends. Aunt Xue, eager to please her host, gives out presents, with a double share for her own niece, Wang Xi-feng. Ying-chun and Tan-chun interrupt their game of Go to bow their thanks to the servant. Xi-chun, enjoying a visit from a Buddhist nun, cracks a joke about becoming a nun (which, later in the novel, she does). Xi-feng is making love with her husband in the middle of her busy day, which illustrates how much she tries to please him. Xue Bao-chai and Lin Dai-yu are contrasted: Bao-chai invites Mrs. Zhou onto her kang for a pleasant chat, whereas Dai-yu thoughtlessly insults her. Qin Zhong is a pun for qingzhong, meaning “passion incarnate.” His sister, Qin-shi, the Emissary of Passion in Bao-yu’s dream, initiated Bao-yu into heterosexual sex; soon Qin Zhong, Passion Incarnate, will initiate Bao-yu into homosexual sex. Big Jiao’s charge of incest between a man and his daughter-in-law is directed toward Cousin Zhen and Qin-shi. His allusion to an illicit relationship between a woman and her brother-in-law, presumably Xi-feng and Jia Rong, is not corroborated elsewhere in the novel. Fond of both Jia Rong and his beautiful wife, Xi-feng is shown flirting with Jia Rong in the previous chapter, but, as a proud woman always surrounded by underlings, she is unlikely to be so foolish as to carry on an affair with him.

8 Bao-yu and Bao-chai Locked in Fate

SUMMARY After accompanying Grandmother Jia back to her quarters for her afternoon nap, Bao-yu decides to call on Xue Bao-chai rather than rejoin Lin Dai-yu and the rest of the company at the Ning mansion. Trailed by his maids, nurses, and pages, he is accosted, on his way, by his father’s retainers and male members of the household staff, who make a fuss over him. Aunt Xue welcomes him enthusiastically. He finds Bao-chai sewing in her room in well-worn, sensible clothes, her lustrous black hair done up in a simple bun. She is alone save for her chief maid, Oriole. She asks to see Bao-yu’s jade, about which she has heard so much, and discovers a couplet on it that matches the inscription on the heavy gold pendant she herself wears around her neck. The inscribed pendant was given to her by a scabby-headed monk, who instructed her always to carry something made of gold. Oriole exclaims over the coincidence, but Bao-chai tells her to mind her own business. Dai-yu is dismayed to find Bao-yu in Bao-chai’s room. She makes barbed remarks about showing up where she is not wanted, about Bao-yu being nicer to Bao-chai than to her, and—most inappropriately—about Aunt Xue’s outsider position in the Jia household. Aunt Xue plies the young people with wine against the advice of Bao-yu’s old nurse, Nannie Li, who is afraid she will be reprimanded if Bao-yu should become drunk. Already upset with Nannie Li for trying to thwart him, Bao-yu is further infuriated when, on returning to his room, he learns that the old woman has eaten some dumplings he was saving for his maid Skybright and has drunk all the tea he was saving for himself. He threatens to have his old nurse dismissed, but Aroma intervenes. The following morning the handsome and gentle Qin Zhong comes to pay his respects to Grandmother Jia and wins her instantaneous approval, assuring his admission to the clan school.

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COMMENTS Whereas it would be considered incest for Bao-yu to marry Xi-chun or Ying-chun, it would be perfectly fine for him to marry Dai-yu or Bao-chai. Although all four are his first cousins, the latter two are related through their mothers and bear different surnames—therefore, they are “outsiders.” In this chapter, the author fleshes out their nascent love triangle by showing how they interact. Bao-chai is portrayed as the ideal Confucian girl weighed down by her sense of propriety and responsibility—what David Hawkes translates as a “locket” is, in the Chinese original, a padlock. She wants no speculation about why the inscription on her golden padlock matches the couplet on Bao-yu’s jade because a proper girl leaves the choice of her husband to her elders. Her occasional bouts of exuberance are kept in check by the symbolic Cold Fragrance Pills that she takes—there is no real Chinese medicine by that name. Nevertheless, she is self-assured, centered, and comfortable in her own skin. She dresses simply and speaks plainly because she does not feel the need to prove anything. When she wants to see Bao-yu’s jade, she asks him directly. She is the only person who does not fuss over Bao-yu. All other things being equal, she seems singularly suited to be Bao-yu’s wife, her unflappable temperament a counterweight to his volatile personality. Dai-yu, in sharp contrast, is deeply insecure; she is aware that she is alone and, regardless of the matriarch’s affection for her, her status in the household remains that of a guest. Feeling her exclusive relationship with Bao-yu is threatened by Bao-chai, she flaunts Bao-yu’s closeness to her and masks her insecurity with wit and sarcasm. She speaks in innuendo because she does not trust herself to be candid. She plays a dangerous game when she says, to Nannie Li, “Mrs. Xue is not one of us”—meaning that Aunt Xue (and, by implication, Bao-chai) is related to the Jias merely through marriage, making her even more of an outsider. It later stings her to realize that the Xues pay their own expenses at the Jia household, while she herself is a freeloader.

9 A Schoolhouse Brawl

SUMMARY On the morning of Bao-yu’s first day at the clan school, Aroma helps him wash up and packs a fur gown, a foot warmer, and a hand warmer for his pages to carry to the school with him. Several grown servants, led by Nannie Li’s son, Li Gui, accompany him when he stops by to report to his father. Jia Zheng gives Bao-yu a stern lecture and charges Li Gui with making sure he behaves. He also grills Li Gui about what Bao-yu has previously learned with his tutor. Li Gui responds with two lines of comically garbled ancient poetry. Jia Zheng exclaims that the headmaster should forget about poetry because what Bao-yu needs instead is to understand and memorize the Confucian Four Books, on which he will be tested in the civil service examinations. Bao-yu then goes to say good-bye to Dai-yu, who taunts him by asking if he will bid farewell to Bao-chai too. In school, Bao-yu and Qin Zhong are inseparable, prompting their classmates to circulate rumors about homosexuality. It turns out that Xue Pan has been using the school as a hunting ground for paramours, moving quickly from one boy to another. One day, when the teacher leaves his grandson, Jia Rui, in charge, Jokey Jin, a former favorite of Xue Pan, claims to have seen Qin Zhong having sex with another boy. Bao-yu’s page Tealeaf, rushing to Qin Zhong’s defense, grabs Jokey Jin by his collar, and a melee ensues until Li Gui steps in to break up the fight and forces Jokey Jin to apologize.

COMMENTS Homosexuality was not condemned as sinful in premodern China. Concerned primarily with political and social issues, the prevailing ideology of Confucianism is silent on the subject. To the extent that homosexuality was discouraged,

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it was simply considered a wasteful use of a man’s time and energy when he could be producing sons to perpetuate the family line. With social activities between the sexes strictly regulated, same-sex friendships flourished. Chinese literature abounds with stories of men devoted to each other, although it is usually difficult to tell how much physical intimacy is involved. Many gestures that might be interpreted in the West as homoerotic, such as holding a man’s hand or placing an arm around his shoulder, are no more than acts of brotherly affection in Chinese culture. In contrast to Xue Pan’s casual and exploitative liaisons, Bao-yu and Qin Zhong truly care for each other. The chapter introduces several minor male characters. The teacher’s grandson, Jia Rui, is a shameless toady who brings out the worst in Wang Xi-feng in later chapters. Jokey Jin, like Qin Zhong, is not related to the Jias and gained admission to the school only as a favor to a Jia relative by marriage. His animus toward Qin Zhong stems from envy at seeing how attentive Bao-yu is to the boy. Jia Qiang, an orphaned third cousin and close friend of Jia Rong, feels he must stand up for Jia Rong’s brother-in-law, Qin Zhong, but fears he will offend Xue Pan, who was once Jokey Jin’s pal. So he incites Bao-yu’s page Tealeaf to take action before slipping quietly away. Jia Qiang reappears later, maneuvering for lucrative assignments. Although the vast majority of people in premodern China did not receive a formal education, most learned to recognize the most commonly used written characters and picked up on the fly what they needed to survive in a fairly complex society. Well-to-do families normally engaged private tutors for their own children, but wealthy clans also ran schools to provide all their young male members with a free education. Traditional Chinese writing is done with a brush dipped in ink that has been produced by rubbing an inkstick on a wet inkstone. These writing implements figure prominently in the schoolhouse brawl. Calligraphy is considered a high art form. That is why, in the previous chapter, Bao-yu is anxious that Dai-yu should like his calligraphy and why a family retainer accosts him to ask for samples of his handwriting.

10 Qin-shi’s Illness Heads Off an Accusation Against Her Brother

SUMMARY Jokey Jin complains that Qin Zhong humiliated him at school, so his indignant aunt rushes off to confront Qin Zhong’s sister, Qin-shi, at the Ning mansion. She is intercepted by Qin-shi’s mother-in-law, You-shi, who confides that Qinshi is gravely ill, her condition aggravated by her brother’s whining about having been bullied at school. Subdued, Jokey Jin’s aunt leaves without raising a fuss. Cousin Zhen (Jia Zhen) shares his wife’s anxiety about their daughter-inlaw’s illness. On a friend’s recommendation, he asks a gentleman known for his medical expertise to take a look at Qin-shi. Unlike previous doctors, who were eager to hear about the patient’s symptoms before they examined her, this man insists on seeing the patient first. After taking her pulse carefully— using his own pulse as a benchmark—he correctly deduces all her symptoms. He says that Qin-shi has only a one-in-three chance of recovery and that, although she should be able to survive the winter, she is unlikely to live past the spring equinox. Meanwhile, plans are made for a two-day birthday celebration of Cousin Zhen’s father, even though the reclusive celebrant has already declined to take part.

COMMENTS Although all extant manuscripts depict Qin-shi’s illness and subsequent death in the same manner, scholars agree that these sections of the text deviate from the plot as originally conceived by the author. The riddle, the picture, and the song about Qin-shi in chapter 5 all point to her hanging herself when her adultery with her father-in-law is discovered. (For further discussion, see the introduction to David Hawkes’s translation.) Cao Xueqin appears to have made

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the revisions half-heartedly. Not only did he leave intact the predictions in chapter 5 and Big Jiao’s accusation of incest in chapter 7, but also he describes the illness as a mysterious one here. The diagnosis is an excess of “fire,” or heat, in the heart and an overactive liver, both of which are associated with a strong sexual drive in traditional Chinese medicine. Later, in chapter 111, when Grandmother Jia’s chief maid, Faithful, cannot decide how she should end her life, Qin-shi’s spirit shows her how to hang herself by looping a sash over a beam. Traditional Chinese medical practitioners can be classified into two general groups: semi-illiterate folk practitioners who learned their trade from their masters and from experience and scholar-physicians with access to case histories and pharmaceutical texts. The documentation of medical cases in China dates back to antiquity. Medicine took a giant leap forward with the 1578 publication of Bencao gangmu—a pharmacopeia listing close to two thousand herbs and other medicinal materials, with over one thousand illustrations. The germ theory of disease did not gain wide acceptance, either in the West or in China, until the late nineteenth century, although, as shown in chapters 21 and 51, educated Chinese of the eighteenth century were already aware that certain diseases were contagious. Traditional Chinese medicine seeks equilibrium in the body. It is understood that well-being comes when all the forces in the body are balanced. The question is, What are these forces? The ancient Greeks had their four elements of fire, air, water, and earth; medieval Europeans had their four elements of black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood (hence the remedy of bloodletting); the Chinese had heat and cold, or yin and yang (see the “Comments” on chapter 31), as well as the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth (see the “Comments” on chapter 83). Even though Western medicine is widely accepted in China today, traditional medicine remains important. Yin and yang and the five elements are still used to explain physical imbalances. Breathing exercises, massage, and acupuncture are commonly practiced to stimulate the flow of gas, fluid, and food in the body. “Bone doctors” with deep knowledge of how bones are connected are especially in high demand. Meanwhile, research has isolated some of the active ingredients in medicinal herbs, making it possible to synthesize a number of modern medicines, such as ephedrine, which is used in treating asthma.

11 Xi-feng Visits Qin-shi; Jia Rui Flirts with Xi-feng

SUMMARY Cousin Zhen holds the customary two-day birthday party for his reclusive father, who declines to come home from the monastery, asking, instead, that ten thousand copies of a Taoist religious tract be printed and distributed in his honor. Dinner is laid out at the Ning mansion separately for the ladies and the men, with both congregating afterward to watch the opera. Wang Xi-feng slips away, accompanied by Bao-yu, to see Qin-shi in her sickbed, in the very room where Bao-yu had an erotic dream featuring an avatar of Qin-shi (chapter 5). Hearing Qin-shi say she believes she will die, Bao-yu is so shaken that he has to be sent out of the room. When Xi-feng leaves Qin-shi and makes her way across the garden to rejoin the party, she is waylaid by the schoolmaster’s grandson, Jia Rui. He ogles her with a lascivious eye and declares they must have been destined to meet. Xi-feng feigns interest and invites him to visit her. Xi-feng makes good on her promise to see Qin-shi whenever she can, but the latter’s condition deteriorates to the point that her mother-in-law quietly makes plans for her funeral. Meanwhile, Jia Rui goes to visit Xi-feng numerous times but never finds her home. Xi-feng confides to Patience—her chief maid and her husband’s concubine—that she intends to lead on Jia Rui.

COMMENTS In this chapter, we see Wang Xi-feng through Qin-shi’s and Jia Rui’s eyes. To Qin-shi, Xi-feng is an empathetic friend to whom she can confide her innermost thoughts. Xi-feng is nice to Qin-shi not only because she is genuinely fond of her but also because she is keenly aware that Qin-shi is a favorite of all the Jia elders. To Jia Rui, Xi-feng is simply a sexy young woman. He brings out

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the worst in her because she is annoyed that, as a distant and lowly relation (see chapter 9), he has the nerve to make a pass at her, a powerful woman of much higher status. The last scene highlights Xi-feng’s close relationship with Patience, from whom she has no secrets—neither her plan to punish an impertinent suitor nor her financial scheme whereby she has surreptitiously lent out large sums of the household funds under her management in return for interest. You-shi mentions that Qin-shi was still well at “Mid-Autumn last month” but fell ill five days later. As the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the Chinese (lunar) calendar, this means she fell ill around September in the European Gregorian calendar, which is now accepted worldwide. In the lunar calendar, the new moon falls on the first day of the month, and the full moon falls on the fifteenth day. As the new moon occurs approximately every 29½ days, the lunar calendar alternates a 29-day month with a 30-day month, making up a twelve-month year of 354 days. However, it takes 365¼ days for the earth to revolve around the sun; unless the calendar is adjusted for this difference, “season drift” will occur, resulting in New Year’s Day—celebrated at the end of winter—coming earlier and earlier until it falls in the autumn. So an extra month is added to the lunar calendar once every few years, the calculation of which was an important responsibility of the astronomers at the imperial court. In contrast, the Gregorian calendar arbitrarily assigns 30 days to some months and 31 days to other months; February gets 28 days except in leap years, when it gets 29. The advantage of the Gregorian calendar is that the winter solstice (the shortest day of the year) nearly always falls on December 21, the summer solstice (the longest day) falls on or around June 21; and the equinoxes (marking the beginning of spring and autumn) fall near March 20 and September 23, respectively. Assuming the doctor in the previous chapter is right—that Qin-shi might not make it to the spring equinox—then she has less than two months to live when her mother-in-law discusses funeral arrangements with Xi-feng in the month following the winter solstice.

12 Xi-feng Sets a Trap for the Amorous Jia Rui; Dai-yu Travels South to See Her Ailing Father

SUMMARY When Jia Rui finally manages to see Wang Xi-feng, she proposes a tryst at night. He arrives at the appointed place only to be trapped overnight between two locked gates and nearly freeze to death. When he returns home, his grandfather, certain that he has been out all night gambling and whoring, beats him and forbids him to eat until he has completed ten days’ worth of homework while kneeling in the cold courtyard. Still besotted, he happily agrees to a second attempt, this time in a dark empty room, where he pounces on the first person to enter and carries the object of his affection to the kang. As the person on the kang—who turns out to be Jia Qiang—giggles, Jia Rong walks in with a lit candle. The two threaten to expose Jia Rui unless he signs an IOU for fifty taels of silver for each of them. Jia Rui is eventually released—but not before having a pail of excrement dumped on his head. Jia Rui’s anger at being tricked does not stop him from fantasizing about Xi-feng. Excessive masturbation, harassment by his blackmailers, and relentless pressure from his grandfather to study cause Jia Rui’s health to break down completely within a year. All other medications having failed, the doctor prescribes ginseng, a substance so expensive that his grandfather has to beg some from the Rong mansion. Xi-feng sends only a few dregs but lies to Lady Wang that the request has been fulfilled. One day a limping Taoist appears at Jia Rui’s door begging for alms. When Jia Rui hears him, he cries out for help. The Taoist gives Jia Rui a “Mirror for the Romantic,” promising it will cure him in three days—but only if he looks into the back of the mirror and never into the front. Looking into the back of the mirror, Jia Rui sees a grinning skull, but, when he turns the mirror around, he sees Xi-feng beckoning, and his soul enters the mirror to make love to her. He enters the mirror again and again until, as he tries to exit, two figures take

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hold of him and drag him away in iron chains. “Wait!! Let me take the mirror with me . . . !” is his last cry as he dies, leaving a large icy patch of recently ejaculated semen under his body. Meanwhile, Dai-yu is summoned home by her ailing father, and Grandmother Jia orders Jia Lian to accompany her on her trip to the South.

COMMENTS This chapter would be hilarious if it were not so sad. Orphaned in infancy, Jia Rui was always treated like a little boy by his grandfather, who feared he might otherwise go astray. This excessively strict supervision has isolated Jia Rui socially, making him naïve to the point of developing a grossly inappropriate romantic fixation on Xi-feng, who takes perverse pleasure in tormenting him. Taoism (or Daoism) is both a philosophy and an eclectic religion. Philosophical Taoism, which advocates living a simple life and being one with nature, is based on the Tao Te Ching (Daode jing), a short book with terse sayings written circa the sixth century BCE; the Zhuangzi, a collection of delightful fables written some time later; and the I Ching, an ancient text about the counterbalancing forces of yin and yang. Religious Taoism, which came to embrace nearly all of Chinese folk practices, adopted these three books but places special emphasis on the I Ching. Whereas the philosophy embraces aging and death as a natural process, the religion promotes the idea of physical immortality, which a man can attain if he controls his life force (qi) by breathing properly and preserves his essence (jing) by conserving his semen. The Ning patriarch, Jia Jing, has shut himself away in a Taoist monastery to focus on meditation, breathing, and other practices—and presumably to abstain from sex—with the aim of becoming immortal. In this chapter, Jia Rui’s death is caused by the massive loss of male essence through excessive masturbation and ejaculation.

13 Qin-shi’s Warning and Her Lavish Funeral

SUMMARY On the morning of her death, Qin-shi appears to Wang Xi-feng to bid her farewell and to warn her of hard times ahead for the Jia clan. Her advice is that, while they are still prosperous, the clan should purchase as much property as possible around the ancestral burial ground to generate regular income for the seasonal offerings and permanently fund the clan school. She points out that, as a charitable estate, the land is exempt from government confiscation. Their conversation is interrupted by four strokes of a chime announcing a death in the family. Bao-yu is so distraught by the news of Qin-shi’s death that he spits blood. He hurries over to the Ning mansion and finds Cousin Zhen inconsolable, histrionically exclaiming that, to him, Qin-shi has ten times the worth of any son and that, with her dead, he might as well give everything up. An elaborate forty-nine-day wake is held, and a coffin worthy of a prince is built for the young woman. To have her buried as an official’s wife, Cousin Zhen buys a court position for Jia Rong, and, to make sure that nothing goes wrong during the funeral, he begs Wang Xi-feng to take over the management of the Ning household from his wife, You-shi, who has taken ill.

COMMENTS The long list of men assembled at the Ning mansion makes much more sense when seen written in Chinese. As is customary in a large family with many branches, the names of all the males in the same generation share a common graphic element. Thus, a single glance at a clansman’s personal name shows the generation to which he belongs. This provides a clue to the degree of respect due from one member to another. The list in this chapter shows that some of

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the assembled men are merely second, third, or fourth cousins—but as clansmen, they are nevertheless obligated to show up at important occasions. Scholars have widely theorized that, in the original manuscript, Qin-shi hangs herself after her incestuous affair with her father-in-law is discovered, rather than dying from an illness, as she does in the extant version. Among the many plot details in the chapter that would make much more sense if Qin-shi had hanged herself are the outrageous behavior of Cousin Zhen, the sudden illness of his wife, the seeming indifference of Jia Rong to his wife’s death, and the violent suicide of Qin-shi's maidservant (who may have known of the affair and would have been in a difficult position after the affair was discovered). It is also curious that Taoist priests are asked to perform purification ceremonies at a separate altar in the Celestial Fragrance Pavilion, which—according to a marginal note in one of the extant manuscripts—is precisely where Qin-shi hanged herself. (See the introduction to David Hawkes’s English translation for this supposition.) The segment describing Cousin Zhen purchasing a title for his son from a eunuch shows how corruption works at the highest level at court. The Chinese believe that a person is made up of three parts: the ti, the corporeal body; the po, that which animates the body; and the hun, the aspect that Westerners might call the spirit or the soul. When people die, their po dissipates, but their hun rises from the body. However, the hun can also leave the body when someone is asleep, ill, or unconscious. The Qin-shi who appears in Wang Xi-feng’s dream is presumably her hun, but it is not clear from the narrative whether she is already dead at this point. Some hun are also thought to come back to haunt the living—to seek revenge, to possess the body of a person or an animal, to suck blood, and so forth. In such cases, they are called gui, usually translated as “ghosts.” Traditionally, the Chinese believe that the spirits of their ancestors will protect them, like patron saints, as long as the spirits are nourished with food offerings. Qin-shi’s preoccupation with ancestral offerings reflects this belief. Reincarnation did not enter Chinese belief until after the first century CE, when the concept was introduced with Buddhism from India.

14 Xi-feng Imposes Order on the Ning Household; the Funeral Procession Is Greeted by a Prince

SUMMARY Having agreed to take on the management of the Ning mansion during its period of mourning, Wang Xi-feng immediately imposes order on the chaotic situation by compiling a complete list of personnel and dividing them into teams; she gives each team specific assignments and holds the entire team responsible if anything should go awry. All transactions involving the staff are made in public and recorded. When a woman arrives late to the morning assembly, Xi-feng makes an example of her by giving her twenty lashes and suspending her wages for a month. Scrutinizing every request for disbursement, she releases funds for a given project one stage at a time. Amid the pressure of running two households, she still finds time to have delicious food delivered every day from the Rong kitchen to Cousin Zhen and his wife to ensure their continuing support for her management. One day, Xi-feng is bantering with Bao-yu and Qin Zhong over lunch when a trusted servant arrives from the South to report that Jia Lian will not be home until winter because Dai-yu’s father has died and Jia Lian needs to accompany her to have her father’s remains interred in his native place. Xi-feng tells Bao-yu this means Dai-yu will henceforth live permanently with the Jias because, with both parents dead, Dai-yu no longer has a family. She waits until she can see the servant in private to question him about her husband and sends him off with a warning that he will be held responsible if Jia Lian drinks too much or gets mixed up with bad women. As Qin-shi’s mile-long funeral procession moves slowly past booths set up by well-wishers along the way, the teenage Prince of Bei-jing, whose ancestor fought alongside the first duke of the Ning house, makes a surprise appearance in his palanquin. Cousin Zhen halts the procession and rushes forward with his cousins to salute him. But the prince seems interested only in seeing “the

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boy who was born with a stone in his mouth,” to the infinite delight of Bao-yu, who has long heard about the dashing prince.

COMMENTS Having shown us Xi-feng through the eyes of Dai-yu, Granny Liu, Qin-shi, and Jia Rui, the author now presents her from the perspective of the Ning household staff, who find her an imperious but extremely capable administrator. Xi-feng relies on tallies, slips of wood split into pairs that are then matched, to verify the authenticity of a command. The cashier or storehouse keeper, holding one half of the pair, will release an item only when the matching half is submitted. The Chinese take mourning very seriously. Before rigor mortis sets in, the body is carefully washed and dressed in finery. The corpse is never left alone before the funeral. Food offerings are laid out and joss sticks are burned, along with colored paper folded into the shape of ingots, clothing, boats, and so forth, to go with the deceased into the afterlife. It is customary for the mourners to express their grief by wailing. Families of means may hire monks to perform Buddhist ceremonies for forty-nine days because it is believed that the hun enters a new incarnation within forty-nine days. Most Chinese prefer to be buried in their hometowns, so the deceased’s well-caulked coffin often travels a long way before reaching its final resting place. Aside from sending off the deceased and comforting the bereaved, a funeral is also an occasion for public display. A family’s status is judged by the dignity of the spectacle and the people who show up to pay respects. The high-ranking officials who come to Qin-shi’s funeral do not do so because they feel affection for her or even sympathy for Jia Zhen or Jia Rong; rather, they want to maintain a useful relationship with the clan. Indeed, few men outside the family are likely to have ever laid eyes on her because social gatherings are segregated and respectable women are always shielded from public gaze. The appearance of the Prince of Bei-jing must have been immensely gratifying to Cousin Zhen.

15 Qin Zhong Fools Around with a Nun and with Bao-yu; Xi-feng Takes a Bribe

SUMMARY The Prince of Bei-jing takes an instant liking to Bao-yu. After examining Baoyu’s jade, he reattaches it to the plaited silken cord that hangs around the boy’s neck and gives Bao-yu a rosary that he himself received from the emperor a few days earlier. He encourages Jia Zheng to send Bao-yu frequently to his palace, which has become a gathering place for intellectuals and distinguished writers, so that Bao-yu can benefit from their company. Jia Zheng responds by thanking him politely. Once out of the city gates, Xi-feng invites Bao-yu into her carriage where she can keep an eye on him. Qin Zhong soon catches up on horseback, and the three stop for refreshments at a farmhouse. Fascinated by a girl at a spinning wheel, Bao-yu is not offended when she yells at him not to mess up her work; he is only sad that he will never see her again. Qin-shi’s coffin is installed at the Temple of the Iron Threshold—an establishment endowed by the Jia clan—until it can be taken for final burial among the family tombs in Nanking. Xi-feng and her charges stay at the more comfortable Water-moon Priory, where the boys tease Sapientia, a novice at the priory who is in love with Qin Zhong, as she has often run into him on her visits to the Rong mansion. Bao-yu catches Qin Zhong forcing himself on Sapientia under the cover of darkness and vows to settle accounts with him once they are in bed later that night. Meanwhile, the prioress asks Xi-feng to intervene in a legal case on behalf of a benefactor, hinting that a word from Jia Zheng to a certain general would resolve the issue. When Xi-feng demurs, the prioress shrewdly poses this as a challenge to her persuasive powers, and Xi-feng takes the bait, saying it can be done for three thousand taels of silver, to which the prioress quickly accedes. Brightie—a long-time servant of the Wang family who, with his wife, followed

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Xi-feng when she married into the Jia family—knows exactly what to do. A letter forged in Jia Lian’s name does the trick.

COMMENTS Bao-yu and Qin Zhong act as one would expect two adolescent boys to behave after being cooped up for a month and a half during the wake. Although Bao-yu is upset about Qin-shi’s death and Qin Zhong—the deceased’s brother—must also be quite distraught, they feel liberated once they are in the countryside and taunt each other into doing things they would not dream of doing at home. It is unclear what Bao-yu does with Qin Zhong in bed to settle the score; one can only imagine. Qin Zhong is a pun for “passion incarnate,” just as Qin-shi—whose avatar initiated Bao-yu into heterosexual love—is a pun for “passion’s emissary.” The two siblings represent two kinds of passion for Bao-yu. Bao-yu’s encounter with the Prince of Bei-jing is a curious one. Though only a few years older than Bao-yu, the prince feels protective of him. His act of fastening Bao-yu’s jade onto the cord around his neck comes across as a kind of benediction. The prince stays in touch with Bao-yu and, toward the end of the novel, reappears, like a guardian angel, to help the Jia clan in its time of direst need (chapters 105, 106, and 107). He is also, symbolically, a matchmaker between Aroma and her future husband (chapter 120). In creating such a sympathetic and well-adjusted figure, the author may be conceding that it is possible to live happily and angst-free in this world—but only if one is very lucky like the prince. In the episode with the prioress, Xi-feng comes to realize she can exploit her powerful position for financial gain, and this becomes a habit. Buddhist nuns, unlike ordinary women, are not confined to the domestic sphere and are therefore better positioned to be their own agents. Although the nuns in this chapter are portrayed negatively, they are shown in a more favorable light elsewhere in the novel.

16 Yuan-chun’s Promotion at Court; Dai-yu’s Return and Qin Zhong’s Death

SUMMARY The news that Yuan-chun, Bao-yu’s eldest sister, has been promoted to chief secretary to the empress and imperial concubine is followed by an announcement that she will be allowed to visit her family, provided that a separate residence meeting all security requirements is available for her reception. The entire Jia household is jubilant except for Bao-yu, who is depressed over Qin Zhong’s misfortune. It turns out that Sapientia has absconded from the priory and has gone to look for Qin Zhong at his home, at which point his father dies in an apoplectic rage. Overcome with guilt, Qin Zhong’s illness worsens. Meanwhile, Dai-yu, looking lovelier than ever, has returned from the South with gifts for all her cousins. When Bao-yu gives her, in return, the rosary he received from the Prince of Bei-jing, she flings it back at him, saying that she doesn’t want anything pawed over by some coarse man. Xi-feng’s homecoming dinner for Jia Lian keeps getting interrupted. No sooner has Patience shooed away Brightie’s wife, who has come to deliver interest on money that Xi-feng lent out without Jia Lian’s knowledge, than Jia Lian’s old wet nurse turns up seeking employment for her sons. Then a summons for Xi-feng comes from Lady Wang, but, just as she is about to leave, Jia Rong and Jia Qiang arrive to report on the preparations for Yuan-chun’s Visitation. Jia Qiang says he has been given the assignment of purchasing child actresses and recruiting instructors from the South to create a special theatrical troupe. Jia Lian questions whether Jia Qiang is up to the task, but he is quickly silenced by Xi-feng, who then prods Jia Qiang to add the wet nurse’s sons to his retinue. Qin Zhong dies while the Jia household is preoccupied with the upcoming Visitation.

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COMMENTS When Dai-yu flings the rosary back at Bao-yu, readers sense that, at a symbolic level, she is impulsively flinging away her chance for happiness—at the least, that she is wasting an opportunity to share Bao-yu’s joy at having found a new friend—because the rosary, as well as being cherished by Bao-yu, comes with the prince’s blessings. Interestingly, Xi-feng finds it necessary to play the helpless female in front of her husband. It is not clear when Jia She’s first wife died, but Jia Lian may have lost his mother in childhood and become quite attached to his wet nurse. When Nannie Zhao complains that he does not do enough for her own sons, and Xi-Feng turns the complaint into a comical tale, full of sexual innuendo, about how her soft-hearted husband is good to people outside while being hard on those inside, she comes across as someone so full of energetic wit that she puts on a show for the fun of it. Xi-feng boasts that all the foreign goods brought into the provinces of Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang, and Yunnan (which borders Vietnam, Laos, and Burma) used to pass through her grandfather’s hands. For much of its history, China saw itself as the most powerful country under heaven and demanded tribute from other countries in acknowledgment of its supremacy. During most of Cao Xueqin’s lifetime, four seaports were opened to foreign ships: Guangzhou (Canton) in Guangdong, Quanzhou in Fujian, and Songjiang and Ningbo in Zhejiang. That Xi-feng grew up in a family tasked with supervising tributary missions from abroad makes her unconventional and audacious character more believable. The episode involving Jia Qiang—who incited Tealeaf to start the schoolhouse brawl in chapter 9—illustrates the haphazard way in which management decisions are made in the Jia household. When Jia Lian wonders whether Jia Qiang can handle such a difficult assignment, Xi-feng, prompted by Jia Rong, quells her husband’s doubts because she wants these two young men in her debt so they will do her bidding. Grateful for her support, Jia Qiang agrees to hire Nannie Zhao’s sons, about whom neither he nor Xi-feng knows anything. Qin Zhong’s death is depicted as a comedy of the macabre featuring a demon-repelling Bao-yu, but the author leaves no doubt that, following so close on Qin-shi’s death, Bao-yu is left devastated.

17 Bao-yu’s Poetic Skills Are Tested by His Father; the Household Prepares for the Visitation

SUMMARY As construction of the separate residence for Yuan-chun’s Visitation approaches completion, Cousin Zhen asks Jia Zheng to supply the customary inscriptions for the structures to endow them with poetic sentiments. Jia Zheng is about to lead a coterie of his literary retainers into the compound when they run into Bao-yu. Recalling the schoolmaster’s report that, though lazy, the boy shows some poetic talent, Jia Zheng orders his son to join the party. Despite a constant barrage of disparaging comments from Jia Zheng, Bao-yu acquits himself brilliantly, earning heartfelt praise from the literary gentlemen, to his father’s surprise and secret delight. Bao-yu suggests naming the artificial hill at the entrance Pathway to Mysteries, an allusion to an eighth-century poem, and a little pavilion on a bridge Drenched Blossoms to call attention to the river below. The first cluster of buildings becomes The Phoenix Dance, a phrase rich with royal symbolism. For a make-believe farm, he proposes Sweet-rice Village, from a ninth-century poem. When his father’s friends want to name a cave after a legendary haven, Bao-yu says this is inappropriate because the people in the legend were fleeing from tyranny. He displays an impressive knowledge of plants when they come to a structure surrounded by fragrant herbs planted among rocks. Not only does he suggest suitable names, but also he is able to compose couplets to go with the names. However, when they arrive at the marble arch in front of the main hall, Bao-yu falls silent with a confused sense of déjà vu—readers, of course, know the archway reminds him of the stone archway announcing the Land of Illusion in his dream in chapter 5. Fearing he has overtaxed his son and feeling exhausted himself, Jia Zheng leads the party hurriedly to the exit even though they have seen less than half of the premises.

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Bao-yu is tested by his father on a tour of Prospect Garden.

As soon as Bao-yu leaves his father’s party, he is surrounded by his father’s pages, who congratulate him on his performance and, taking advantage of his jubilant mood, gleefully snap up all the trinkets hanging from his belt. Hearing this, Dai-yu is furious, certain that they have taken a purse that she made for him, until Bao-yu shows it to her; he keeps it hanging from his neck and safely tucked inside his clothes. Jia Qiang returns from the South with twelve child actresses, along with their instructors, costumes, and props, for Yuan-chun’s entertainment. He also purchased twelve young Buddhist nuns and twelve Taoist nuns for religious ceremonies. Told that a highly cultured lay sister named Adamantina may be available to serve in residence, Lady Wang sends her a formal invitation.

COMMENTS Readers are given a preview of the idyllic compound built for the Imperial Visitation, where Bao-yu and his cousins will live for most of the remainder of

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the novel. If the ideal Western residence is a grand mansion sitting on acres of green with tree-lined avenues and symmetrical gardens, its Chinese equivalent is a walled compound made up of multiple buildings set in surroundings carefully contrived to suggest bucolic ease, with every window either overlooking a courtyard or framing a view of meandering pathways, artificial hills, small ponds, or patches of ornamental trees. It is normal for Chinese fathers to speak disparagingly of their sons to encourage humility, but Bao-yu’s father appears to take pleasure in humiliating him because Bao-yu is nothing like the son he wanted. Their divergent worldviews show up in what each thinks of the make-believe farm. Jia Zheng, the Confucian official, likes it because it idealizes the farmer, whereas Bao-yu despises its artificiality. Dai-yu is touchy with Bao-yu in part because proper Chinese girls were not supposed to express affection for a person of the opposite sex. Dai-yu wants Bao-yu to know how much she cares and is constantly testing just how much he cares. She wants Bao-yu to know that, if she can’t have him exclusively, she would rather not have him at all. Since none of this can be verbalized, she is often reduced to throwing tantrums. Bao-yu clearly understands, although he, too, cannot speak openly.

18 The Imperial Concubine’s Visit to Prospect Garden

SUMMARY Eunuchs arrive to secure the grounds and coach the family on palace etiquette prior to Yuan-chun’s visit on the day of the Lantern Festival (the fifteenth day of the first lunar month). All the Jia men and women assemble to wait for her outside the main gate at five in the morning, only to be told that the Imperial Concubine will not be able to leave the palace until evening. When her procession, preceded by a large contingent of eunuchs on horseback, finally approaches at twilight, all the family members drop to their knees to welcome her. Yuan-chun steps out of her palanquin into a garden ablaze with colored lanterns of all sizes and shapes, affixed to the marble balustrades or hanging from trees. After having “changed her clothes,” she is conducted onto an ornamented barge that takes her down a stream to the main hall, where the men of the family and then the women come to pay obeisance to her on her throne. When Yuan-chun is finally able to see the women of the family in private, they all weep. She refers to her privileged situation as being “walled up in That Place.” Now that she is the emperor’s woman, her father is allowed to speak to her only through the door curtain. Jia Zheng delivers a stiff speech in which he addresses his daughter as “Madam” and “Your Grace” and refers to himself and Lady Wang as “my wife and myself.” Yuan-chun is delighted to hear that the temporary inscriptions she sees about her were composed by her little brother Bao-yu, who first learned to read and write with her. Summoning Bao-yu into her presence, she embraces him closely for a long time. She asks him to lead her on a tour of the garden, crossing bridges and climbing up and down stairs before returning to the main hall for the feast. While they are drinking, she requests writing materials to assign names to all the major structures and finishes by calling the entire compound Prospect Garden. After composing two quatrains herself, she asks

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On a rare visit home, the Imperial Concubine holds a poetry-writing contest for her siblings and cousins. Her grandmother and mother are shown seated at her right; the men standing in identical robes in front of her palanquin are palace eunuchs.

that each of the girls compose a poem and that Bao-yu—the only male in the party—come up with four octets. Bao-chai rescues the stymied Bao-yu by suggesting some appropriate words, and Dai-yu sneaks the fourth octet to him. Yuan-chun singles out Dai-yu’s poems as the best. After dinner, entertainment is provided by Jia Qiang’s opera troupe, and the Visitation concludes with the distribution of imperial gifts.

COMMENTS Cao Xueqin most likely based his description of the Visitation on what he must have heard while growing up about how the family played host to the Kangxi Emperor on four of his royal tours of the South. In Nannie Zhao’s words, “No family that ever lived had money enough of its own to pay for such spectacles of vanity!” (chapter 16). Yuan-chun’s first reaction is to sigh, “Oh dear, this is all so extravagant!” She makes a similar remark as she tours the garden, and her parting injunction is to be less extravagant in the future. Her responses may also have been informed by the experience of Cao’s own family,

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as the huge expense of hosting Kangxi’s visits contributed to its downfall. The family was later charged with mismanagement of funds, although backing the wrong faction in the dispute over the imperial succession following Kangxi’s death was probably the real reason for the purge. Yuan-chun’s most appealing trait is that she is unaffected by her years at the palace and her new status. The name given to the arch in front of the main hall—Precinct of the Celestial Visitant—strikes her as too pompous, and she replaces it with something homey. Readers will remember that this arch reminded Bao-yu of the one announcing the Land of Illusion in his dream, where he was conducted by a celestial being. With this, the author signals to readers that, for all its splendor, Prospect Garden itself is an illusion: here today, gone tomorrow. The opera pieces that Yuan-chun unthinkingly picks for the evening’s entertainment are all about separation, death, and how life is but a dream.

19 Bao-yu’s Grand Bargain with Aroma and His Growing Intimacy with Dai-yu

SUMMARY Aroma’s mother requests a leave of absence for her so that she can go home for a New Year celebration. Bored with playing games and watching operas, Bao-yu decides to revisit the portrait of a beautiful woman previously seen in Cousin Zhen’s study, where he catches Tealeaf in flagrante delicto with a comely young maidservant and is disgusted that his page does not even know how old the girl is. Still at loose ends, he asks Tealeaf to take him to Aroma’s house. Aroma is shocked to see Bao-yu, whose visit goes against social propriety. She tries to make Bao-yu comfortable and discretely asks her brother to call a horse-drawn cab to take him home. Nannie Li finds Bao-yu’s maids gambling, eating melon seeds, and spitting the husks all over the floor while he is away. They pay no attention to her scolding or her questions about Bao-yu. She helps herself to a bowl of koumiss despite being warned that Bao-yu is saving it for Aroma. To avoid upsetting Bao-yu, Aroma pretends, on her return, that koumiss does not agree with her and asks him to peel some dried chestnuts for her instead. Bao-yu opines that the pretty girl in red at her mother’s house should be living in a big, wealthy household. Indignant at the presumption that all pretty girls belong in wealthy households, she tells him that, as a matter of fact, her mother and brother want to buy her out of service and she herself is ready to leave him. Shaken by the thought that Aroma should wish to leave, the dejected Bao-yu goes to bed. Actually, Aroma had told her mother and brother that very afternoon that she does not want to leave the Jia household: as a child, she had been willing to be sold rather than see her parents starve, but now that she is in a good situation, she sees no point in returning home. When her mother and brother see how affectionate she and Bao-yu are with each other, they finally understand.

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Satisfied that she has Bao-yu under her power, Aroma goes over to talk to him and finds him crying. She promises not to leave, provided he stops (1) talking nonsense, (2) complaining about having to study and denigrating those who do study as “career worms,” and (3) playing with girls’ cosmetics and eating them on the sly. She implies that, if Bao-yu agrees to reform, she will happily accept becoming his concubine. Aroma comes down with a cold the next day. After ensuring her care, Bao-yu goes to look for Dai-yu, waking her from her nap. She lets him stay and talk quietly to her, whereupon Bao-yu begs to share her pillow. She notices a red spot on his cheek—suggesting that he has again been helping himself to his maids’ rouge—and wipes it away with her handkerchief. He is intrigued by a subtle fragrance emanating from Dai-yu’s sleeves and, grabbing one of them, abandons himself to a long and prodigious sniff. While they lie down together, he entertains her with a Nibbansday yarn he makes up of a little mouse transforming itself into a sweet potato (xiang yu, or fragrant taro, in the Chinese original, a play on Dai-yu’s name). Dai-yu gets up on her knees and climbs on top of him to pinch his lips. Just then Bao-chai walks in, and the two girls join forces in teasing Bao-yu.

COMMENTS Bao-yu’s “lust of the mind”—his passionate empathy for pretty girls, of which the fairy Disenchantment accuses him—is fully in evidence in this chapter, but the author shows why Aroma and Dai-yu are the two most important people in his life. Aroma takes care of all of his physical needs, and he feels lost without her. Dai-yu, on the other hand, is the only person with whom he feels thoroughly himself because, unlike everyone else, who wants him to behave more like a “normal” male, she accepts him as he is. They are able to play together without self-consciousness, like children.

20 Bao-yu Tries Unsuccessfully to Please Everyone; Shi Xiang-yun’s Arrival Leads to a Declaration

SUMMARY It is still the first month of the lunar year, and people are expected to start the year on the right foot by avoiding quarrels and unlucky words. This is not, however, what happens at the Jia household, and Bao-yu is having difficulty pleasing everyone. Bao-yu’s old wet nurse, Nannie Li, uses foul language as she accuses Aroma of having poisoned Bao-yu’s mind against her; she reminds everyone that Aroma was purchased for only a few taels of silver and suggests that she should be married off and sent away. When Bao-yu comes to Aroma’s defense, Nannie Li only becomes angrier. It takes Xi-feng to calm her down. On holiday from schoolwork, Jia Huan, Bao-yu’s younger half-brother by his father’s concubine, is caught cheating while playing a gambling game with Bao-chai; her maid, Oriole; and Xue Pan’s concubine, Caltrop. Indignant, Oriole declares that Bao-yu would never stoop to cheat a servant, whereupon Jia Huan whines that everyone takes Bao-yu’s side against him because he is only a concubine’s son. This self-demeaning remark appalls Bao-chai, who expects Bao-yu to chastise Jia Huan, unaware that Bao-yu never asserts his authority as the older brother. He simply tells Jia Huan to enjoy himself elsewhere. Instead, Jia Huan goes off to complain to his mother that he was cheated by Oriole and turned out by Bao-yu; whereupon Aunt Zhao tells him that it’s his own fault for expecting to be treated fairly by the others. Overhearing this, Xi-feng is outraged. After scolding Aunt Zhao that, as a concubine, she has no right to tell Jia Huan how to behave, Xi-feng reimburses Jia Huan for the amount he claims to have been cheated. Shi Xiang-yun—Grandmother Jia’s orphaned niece who once lived with the Jia family—arrives for a New Year visit, and Dai-yu is upset to see Bao-yu and Bao-chai entering the room together to greet Xiang-yun. She makes a sarcastic

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remark about Bao-yu having been detained by Bao-chai, and Bao-yu responds that he sees no reason he should amuse her alone. This sends Dai-yu off in a huff. Bao-yu follows to mollify her, but Bao-chai comes to take him away again, leaving Dai-yu in a sobbing rage. Afterward, Bao-yu feels compelled to reassure Dai-yu that she always takes precedence in his heart because she is his cousin on his father’s side, whereas Bao-chai is only his cousin on his mother’s side; besides, Dai-yu arrived first, and the two of them have practically grown up together. Xiang-yun enters and accuses the two of having abandoned her, whereupon Dai-yu teases her about her lisp. Xiang-yun retorts that, though she herself could never measure up to Dai-yu, even Dai-yu would be hardpressed to find fault with Bao-chai, which naturally leaves Dai-yu cold, and the two continue to needle each other.

COMMENTS Gambling is not considered a vice in Chinese culture unless one becomes addicted or the amounts involved are large enough to jeopardize the family’s finances. In fact, gambling is encouraged during New Year celebrations as a social activity. The seemingly disparate episodes in this chapter are really an exploration, from various angles, of Aroma’s prospects if—as expected—she becomes Bao-yu’s concubine. As Nannie Li reminds everyone who will listen, Aroma was purchased for a few taels of silver. She will always be under suspicion of overstepping her bounds and never be treated with the decorum due only to his chief wife. Furthermore, younger, prettier maidservants—the likes of Skybright—would always be snapping at her heels. As Aunt Zhao’s situation clearly shows, should Aroma produce any children, they would likely be treated as second-class citizens, even though, properly speaking, they would be considered the children of the chief wife, who would have ultimate authority over them. They would call the chief wife “mother,” and Aroma, their real mother, would be their “Aunt Hua.” Then there is the problem of Dai-yu, Baoyu’s clever, self-centered, and sharp-tongued soul mate. If Dai-yu becomes—as seems likely—Bao-yu’s chief wife, what would life be like for his concubine? This worries Aroma.

21 Aroma Finds an Ally in Bao-chai; Patience Seizes Evidence of Jia Lian’s Misconduct

SUMMARY Bao-yu sits up late chatting with Shi Xiang-yun and Dai-yu in the latter’s room and returns there early the next morning. To the maids’ amusement and derision, he insists on using the water that Xiang-yun has left in the basin to wash his own face and brush his teeth. Then he asks Xiang-yun to braid his hair. He picks up a pot of rouge and is about to lick some when Xiang-yun slaps his hand and yells at him. Aroma enters just in time to witness the drama and walks away, bitter. When Bao-chai comes looking for Bao-yu, Aroma complains that he is hanging around the girls morning, noon, and night. Intrigued by her tone, Bao-chai sits down to chat but leaves as soon as Bao-yu appears. Aroma, along with her ally Musk, snubs Bao-yu when he returns to his apartment, leaving a young maid to wait on him. Learning that her name is Citronella, Bao-yu declares that flowery names are an insult to flowers (a gibe aimed at Aroma). To show himself unruffled by the silent treatment, he settles down with a copy of the Zhuang-zi (a Taoist text). The antiestablishmentarian diatribes in the book suit his mood, and he composes a diatribe of his own against Aroma, Musk, Bao-chai, and Dai-yu, as, vying with one other, they bewitch, ensnare, and badger him by turns. When Aroma confronts Bao-yu about his behavior the next morning, he laughs it off and promises to reform. Later Dai-yu sees Bao-yu’s diatribe when she comes to look for him and adds four lines of her own to tease him. Meanwhile, Xi-feng’s little daughter is quarantined for smallpox, and her parents are supposed to abstain from sex while they pray for her recovery. Banished to the outer study, Jia Lian is not content with unleashing his lust on his pages; he arranges nightly trysts with the notoriously promiscuous wife of the family’s alcoholic cook, known to all the men of the household as “the Mattress.” While tidying up the study, Patience discovers a silky strand of female

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hair in Jia Lian’s bedding and teases him with the evidence of his misbehavior. A bedroom farce ensues. Patience covers for Jia Lian when Xi-feng asks if she has found anything unusual. After Xi-feng leaves, Jia Lian grabs the hair from Patience’s hand, and she runs out before he can grab her too. This sets Jia Lian to complaining about Xi-feng’s hawkeyed jealousy, while Patience defends her mistress. When Xi-feng finds them talking through the window, she mutters sarcastically that Patience is getting above herself and is trying to displace her. Patience loses her temper and departs quickly, leaving Xi-feng perplexed.

COMMENTS Having given up her chance to leave the Jia household (see chapter 19), Aroma is bitter because Bao-yu has broken the promise that he made just the night before and is now behaving as if he no longer needs her. When Bao-chai, who also feels shut out by the intimacy between Bao-yu and Dai-yu, appears at this moment and makes friendly overtures, Aroma feels she has found an ally. As Bao-yu enters the room, he senses that a bond has formed between the two. Until it was eradicated in the 1970s, smallpox was a highly infectious disease that left its victims dead, blind, or pockmarked for life. Qiao-jie’s marriage prospects would be greatly diminished if she were pockmarked. The triangular relationship among Xi-feng, Jia Lian, and Patience—the chief maid of one and the concubine of the other—further illustrates the difficult position of a concubine. Even though Patience has earned Xi-feng’s respect, she still has to be on tiptoe to avoid being caught in the middle between her master and her mistress. Xi-feng is prone to jealousy, and Jia Lian resents being controlled and outmaneuvered. He often retaliates against Xi-feng by exercising a husband’s prerogative of making more sexual demands on her at the same time that he routinely carries on with other women behind her back. Duoguniang, which David Hawkes translates as “the Mattress,” means “Miss Numerous” in the Chinese original.

22 An Opera Piques Bao-yu’s Interest in Monkhood; Gloomy Riddles Distress His Father

SUMMARY It is Bao-chai’s fifteenth birthday—a girl’s coming of age—and Grandmother Jia has contributed twenty taels of silver to make the occasion memorable. Bao-chai picks the kind of operas that the old lady prefers. When Bao-yu complains that they are too raucous, Bao-chai sings for him a thoughtful passage from the one about a monk roaming the world by himself. Afterward, as everyone sits chatting, Xi-feng remarks that one of the child actresses bears a striking resemblance to someone they know. Bao-yu and Bao-chai refrain from saying anything but Shi Xiang-yun blurts out that the actress resembles Dai-yu. Bao-yu gives her a stern look and refuses to join in the ensuing laughter. Later he finds himself apologizing—both to Xiang-yun, who feels she has been unfairly censored, and to Dai-yu, who feels she has been ridiculed—but succeeds only in offending both girls. The aria about the wandering monk, along with a passage he recently read in the Zhuang-zi (chapter 21) on the futility of strenuous efforts, inspires him to write a poem on monkhood and another in imitation of a gāthā (a short poem that helps Buddhists cultivate mindfulness). Dai-yu discovers the poems and shows them to Xiang-yun and Bao-chai. They confront Bao-yu with their superior knowledge of Zen Buddhism, which provokes a laughing disclaimer from him. A lantern decked with a riddle arrives from the palace, along with Yuanchun’s challenge to the youngsters to send her some riddles in return. Everyone except Ying-chun and Jia Huan guesses Yuan-chun’s riddle correctly and receives a prize. Ying-chun thinks nothing of this, but Jia Huan is upset, especially upon being told that his riddle makes no sense to Yuan-chun (because rather than one object, it refers to two unrelated objects). Grandmother Jia feels inspired to hold a riddle party of her own, and Jia Zheng insists on joining the fun. Little Jia Lan amuses everyone with his

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precocious self-regard when he refuses to participate unless personally invited by his grandfather. Jia Zheng gamely sends for his grandson, but his own presence has an inhibitive effect on the youngsters. Ordered by Grandmother Jia to solve each of the children’s riddles, he is dismayed to notice that every single one has to do with loss and grief.

COMMENTS David Hawkes refers to the entertainment at Bao-chai’s birthday party as “plays,” but, since the performances are largely sung, “operas” is a more appropriate translation. To heighten the drama, the playwright writes lyrics to pre-existing tunes that the actors sing with instrumental accompaniment. As opposed to Western operas, in which feelings and metaphors are communicated chiefly by the music, the libretto is the primary vehicle for the drama in Kun opera. Dai-yu is annoyed at being compared to an actress because actresses were typically girls sold at a young age by their impoverished families to a theatrical troupe. Bao-yu’s religious education begins when he reads the Zhuang-zi, a Taoist text. His attempt at a gāthā is his first step toward Zen Buddhism—a branch of Buddhism heavily influenced by Taoist philosophy. Jia Zheng betrays his jealousy when—ostensibly in jest—he begs his mother to spare a tiny bit of affection for him. The old lady favors Jia Zheng over Jia She, but she is even fonder of her grandchildren, perhaps because she finds her upright son lacking in spontaneity. However, the episode shows that Jia Zheng has his tender and perceptive side. Grandmother Jia’s riddle, whose literal translation is “The nimble monkey stands at the top of the tree,” evokes Qin-shi’s warning in chapter 13: “When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter”—hinting that she is leading a troop of monkeys that will soon be dispersed. The inkstone depicts Jia Zheng perfectly— square, inflexible, and taciturn. Yuan-chun’s firecracker augurs her blazing ascent and abrupt demise; Ying-chun’s abacus foretells a hard life; Tan-chun’s kite intimates that she will go far away; Bao-chai’s riddle foretells an empty and short-lived marriage; and Dai-yu’s riddle predicts that, like a stick of incense, she will burn out. Bao-yu’s riddle describes a mirror, which, in Buddhism, symbolizes both illusion and disillusion.

23 Bao-yu Moves with the Girls Into Prospect Garden; The Lovers Bury Fallen Flowers

SUMMARY Jia Zheng is about to disperse the young nuns purchased for Yuan-chun’s Visitation when a clansman’s widow gets wind of this and sees an employment opportunity for her son, Jia Qin, to supervise them. The upshot is that Xi-feng, who is well disposed toward the widow, convinces Jia Zheng—through Lady Wang and Jia Lian—to retain the nuns. In return, Xi-feng promises Jia Lian that the next job to come up will go to the candidate he favors. Troubled by the thought that, after the nuns are removed to the clan’s temple outside the city, Prospect Garden will be locked up, Yuan-chun issues an edict commanding the girls of the family to move in and, as an afterthought, includes Bao-yu in her edict. Dai-yu picks the secluded Naiad’s House with its bamboo thicket; Bao-yu moves into the adjacent House of Green Delights. Bao-chai’s choice of the All-spice Court reflects her practicality, while Li Wan settles for the Sweet-rice Village, which embodies the Confucian pastoral ideal. Tan-chun, Xi-chun, and Ying-chun take the Autumn Studio, the Lotus Pavilion, and the structure on Amaryllis Eyot, respectively. In the garden, Bao-yu styles himself a poet, a calligrapher, and an aesthete, attracting a following among callow young men outside. When he gets restless, Tealeaf scours bookstalls for racy novels and romantic opera libretti for him, warning him, however, not to get caught reading them. One late-spring day, Bao-yu is reading The Western Chamber under a peach tree when a gust of wind showers him with its falling petals. To prevent the petals from being soiled, he gathers them in the skirt of his gown and shakes them into the pond. Dai-yu comes along and tells him that, rather than letting them float into the grubby world outside the garden, they should bury the petals and turn them back into earth. She cajoles him into showing her the book, and, before long, they are teasing each other with lines from The Western Chamber.

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On her way back to her residence, Dai-yu hears music issuing from Pear Tree Court; the child actresses are rehearsing arias from The Peony Pavilion about fleeting happiness and flowers withering away with the swift passage of time. Recalling similar lines she has just read in The Western Chamber, she is overwhelmed with sadness and weeps.

COMMENTS The expenses associated with Yuan-chun’s Visitation have ballooned: The young nuns are retained simply to provide employment for a clansman, and additional servants are hired to care for the youngsters in their new quarters. That Bao-yu is allowed to move in with the girls, isolated from the males of the family, is highly unconventional. Children in that era were segregated by gender by the time they were eight. Yuan-chun must still think of her brother as a little boy. The flower petals episode shows Bao-yu’s empathy extends to all things that are pretty and vulnerable. Dai-yu’s fear that the flowers will be contaminated once they are outside plays up the notion of Prospect Garden as a paradise of innocence. Her resolve to bury the flowers, rather than see them besmirched, foreshadows her own early death. The Western Chamber is an opera about a scholar seducing a girl through poetry. The Peony Pavilion is a fifty-five-act opera in which a girl, asleep in a garden, dreams of a man for whom she pines so much that she dies. Years later the man happens upon the same garden and falls in love with the girl’s self-portrait. She appears, and they make love before she reveals that she is a ghost. Having persuaded him to dig up her remains, she comes back to life and marries him. Both operas are somewhat subversive in that they highlight female sexuality and a woman’s wish to choose her own mate. “The Return of the Soul” in chapter 18 is an act from The Peony Pavilion, while the arias in this chapter are from another act. Bao-yu’s residence is called the House of Red Delights in the Chinese original. David Hawkes seems to avoid the color red because it has different connotations in English.

24 Two Ambitious Social Climbers: Jia Yun and Crimson

SUMMARY The chapter opens with Caltrop leading a tearful Dai-yu back to her residence, where, together, they examine some embroidery, play Go, and look over a couple of books while drinking tea. The scene then shifts to Bao-yu, who is on his way to the Ning mansion when he runs into Jia Yun, a distant cousin he does not recognize. Jia Yun is there to see Jia Lian, who has promised him a job. Bao-yu jokes that the lad is good-looking enough to be his son. Eager to grab any opportunity to better his position, Jia Yun tells Bao-yu that, as his own father is already dead, he would be very happy to have Bao-yu as his father (even though Bao-yu is five or six years younger than he is). Amused, Bao-yu offers to give Jia Yun a tour of Prospect Garden the next time he comes by. Jia Lian tells Jia Yun that Xi-feng has put aside a tree-planting job for him. Realizing that Xi-feng, not Jia Lian, holds the key to his future, Jia Yun sets to work. His mother’s brother runs a perfumery, and he goes to ask for a sizable amount of Barus camphor and musk on credit. His uncle gives him a scolding instead. On his way home, Jia Yun confides his dilemma to a neighbor—a local racketeer known as Diamond, who happens to be drunk and in a boastful mood. Diamond lends him the money to buy his gifts for Xi-feng, which he says came from a friend closing up shop to take up an official position faraway. Xi-feng is pleased by the gifts but stops herself from telling him about the assignment to avoid the appearance of a quid pro quo. Disappointed that Xi-feng makes no mention of the tree-planting job, Jia Yun turns his attention to Bao-yu and comes looking for him in his outer study. Crimson, a pretty young maid with a soft voice and intelligent eyes, tells him that he may as well go home because Bao-yu, having missed his nap, is unlikely to come out the rest of the day. Returning the next day, Jia Yun runs into Xi-feng, who tells him sarcastically that she now sees why he gave her the

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presents and threatens to take the assignment away; she relents only after Jia Yun grovels abjectly. He spends the rest of the morning waiting in vain for Bao-yu, who has gone off to see the Prince of Bei-jing at his palace. Upon his return, Bao-yu is upset to find none of his senior maids in attendance, so Crimson rushes in to pour him some tea. The senior maids are furious to see Crimson emerging from Bao-yu’s room and tell her that she has no business serving Bao-yu. As it turns out, Crimson’s family has been in the employ of the Jias for generations, and she was assigned to look after the unoccupied House of Green Delights. When Bao-yu moved in, she thought it was her opportunity to shine, but the servants surrounding Bao-yu guard their prerogatives so fiercely that she never gets a chance. She now sees a ray of hope in Jia Yun and has a sexually suggestive dream of him picking up her handkerchief.

COMMENTS The opening episode shows Caltrop—the daughter of Zhen Shi-yin who was kidnapped and later purchased by Xue Pan to serve as his concubine—fully capable of holding her own with the fastidious Dai-yu, who feels secure in her company. It is insulting for a Chinese man to be called “son” by anyone other than his birth father because a father has total authority over a son. That Jia Yun should volunteer to be Bao-yu’s “son” shows just how desperate he is. As a poor relation, Jia Yun is particularly stung when Xi-feng exposes his machinations, a humiliation mitigated only by the fact that the silver he is given for the project more than covers his gifts to Xi-feng—just a quarter of it is needed for the trees. Yet this schemer, the author shows us, is also a loving son and someone’s dream man.

25 Jia Huan and Aunt Zhao Exact Their Revenge; the Monk and the Taoist Come to the Rescue

SUMMARY When Bao-yu, lying down next to his mother, starts to flirt with Sunset—a maidservant sympathetic to Jia Huan—Jia Huan is so overwhelmed by envy and resentment that he tips a candle brimming with hot wax onto Bao-yu’s face. Half of Bao-yu’s face is blistered, and Xi-feng and Lady Wang take out their fury on Jia Huan’s mother, Aunt Zhao. Mother Ma—a religious charlatan who has talked the family into making her Bao-yu’s “godmother”—tells Grandmother Jia that Bao-yu is under constant threat from troops of imps and sprites and persuades the matriarch to pledge a regular donation to her temple to keep an oil lamp burning for Baoyu’s protection. Grandmother Jia pledges the minimum amount, but Mother Ma has greater success with Aunt Zhao, who gives all the money she possesses and promises more if Mother Ma can cast a spell on Bao-yu and on her nemesis Xi-feng. With Bao-yu dead, Jia Huan, as the only surviving male of his generation, would become heir. Dai-yu likes the tribute tea from Siam that Xi-feng gave her so much that the others offer to give her their share, prompting Xi-feng to tease her that once a girl drinks a family’s tea, she is obliged to become a bride in that family—tea being an indispensable part of the gifts given by the groom’s family to seal the engagement. Just as Bao-yu, delighted with the thought, smilingly takes Dai-yu’s hand in his, Mother Ma’s witchcraft begins to take effect. He and Xi-feng become raving mad and need to be tied down to protect them from themselves. Their conditions deteriorate to the point that coffins are made for them when a scabby-headed Buddhist monk, arriving with a lame Taoist, declares that Bao-yu’s magic jade has been soiled by sensual pleasure and, as a result, has stopped working. He proceeds to rub and polish the jade. Its power restored, Bao-yu and Xi-feng recover that very evening.

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COMMENTS Although children born to concubines were legally the chief wife’s children, they were rarely treated as such. Jia Huan is supposedly the son of Jia Zheng and Lady Wang, and hence Yuan-chun’s brother; yet, in chapter 18, Yuan-chun gives Jia Huan less than half the number of presents she gives to Bao-yu and to her nephew, Jia Lan. If it was not easy to be the child of a concubine, it was even harder for the mother. In chapter 20, Xi-feng forbids Aunt Zhao to tell her son how to behave, yet Aunt Zhao is held responsible when Jia Huan spills candle wax on Bao-yu’s face. Jia Huan and his mother are clearly justified in their resentment, but the author shows that chaos would ensue if their wish—that Xi-feng and Bao-yu die—should come true. Warped by their circumstances, neither Jia Huan nor his mother has the self-esteem or the generosity of spirit necessary to command respect if they should achieve a position of authority. Mother Ma is a shrewd saleslady. To pry money from Grandmother Jia, she begins with a seemingly disinterested piece of advice: do more good works. She goes on to describe how one benefactor donates forty-eight pounds of oil a day, follows this with descriptions of others who donate less, and concludes with another seemingly disinterested tidbit—“you don’t want to subscribe too much, or it would overload his luck . . .”—before suggesting five to seven pounds. Moreover, her black magic works. Apart from the tale of vengeance, three other narrative threads are woven into this chapter: (1) Crimson’s luck is about to turn; Jia Yun, summoned to the house to keep watch over the stricken Bao-yu and Xi-feng, gets an opportunity to observe her and falls in love. (2) A consensus seems to be building that Dai-yu and Bao-yu will be married, but Dai-yu keeps alienating the people around her. In an uncharacteristic gesture, Bao-chai allows herself to express skepticism about the presumed marriage. (3) Bao-yu continues on his meandering path toward enlightenment; his soiled magic jade is cleansed and made pure again.

26 Crimson Sends Jia Yun a Message; Skybright Carelessly Shuts Out Dai-yu

SUMMARY Crimson regrets having been too shy to make her feelings known to Jia Yun when they were watching over the ailing Bao-yu together. She scoffs when Little Melilot takes her low spirits for disappointment over missing out on bonuses that Grandmother Jia has doled out to the servants, declaring that every party comes to an end and none of this will matter when they all go their separate ways. When Bao-yu suddenly remembers his invitation to Jia Yun and asks to see him, Crimson gets another chance. Carefully positioning herself at Wasp Waist Bridge along Jia Yun’s path, Crimson casually asks Trinket, the little maid escorting him, if she has seen her lost handkerchief and offers a reward for its return. As she speaks, her eyes search for Jia Yun’s just as his come searching for hers, and their eyes lock momentarily. Jia Yun is dazzled and awed by Bao-yu’s sumptuous residence, where, perching uncomfortably on a chair, he sips tea as Bao-yu holds forth on who among their acquaintances has the finest opera troupe, the prettiest maids, and the strangest pets. He excuses himself at the first sign that Bao-yu’s interest is flagging and deliberately slackens his pace on his way out in order to pump Trinket for information about Bao-yu’s domestic arrangements and to inquire about Crimson. Pulling out a handkerchief of his own, he asks Trinket to give it to Crimson and report back to him. Restless after Jia Yun’s visit, Bao-yu finds his legs carrying him to the Naiad’s House, where he catches Dai-yu quoting a line from The Western Chamber to herself. To thank Nightingale for serving him tea, he quotes another line from the opera: “If with your amorous mistress I should wed / ’Tis you, sweet maid, must make our bridal bed.” Feeling insulted, Dai-yu stomps out of the room and threatens to tell on him.

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Faking a summons from Jia Zheng, Xue Pan tricks Bao-yu into joining his party, which includes the dandyish son of a general and a singer who entertains them while they feast and talk about erotic pictures, hunting, and when they might meet next. When Bao-yu returns cheerfully drunk, he finds Aroma wondering what occurred between him and his father. Dai-yu, also anxious, is on her way to see him when she catches sight of Bao-chai walking ahead of her. When she knocks on the door, Skybright, already annoyed by Bao-chai’s late night visit and unaware that it’s Dai-yu outside, responds by shouting to the visitor to come back the next day, adding a fib that it is Bao-yu’s expressed order not to admit anyone. Dai-yu takes this to be Bao-yu’s way of punishing her for what took place that afternoon, and she broods over the fact that she is, after all, an outsider in the household. Her bitterness mounts when she hears Bao-yu and Bao-chai talking and laughing inside, and, oblivious to the damp night air, she weeps under a tree.

COMMENTS Hoping for a new companion in Jia Yun, Bao-yu is disappointed to find they have so little in common. Jia Yun, for his part, is clever enough to know he cannot aspire to be part of the life that Bao-yu shares with other wealthy young men—a never-ending search for amusement and novelty. He busies himself instead with gathering intelligence on Bao-yu’s domestic arrangements and Crimson’s background. Like Jia Yun, Crimson is a clear-eyed realist. No wonder they are attracted to each other. Marriages were supposed to be arranged by one’s elders, and there were few opportunities for young people of the opposite sex to meet. Inspired by her dream in chapter 24, Crimson makes up a story about a “lost” handkerchief to provide Jia Yun with a pretext to communicate with her, a message that he picks up and gladly acts on. The chapter concludes with a scene, reminiscent of Disney’s Snow White, in which flowers and birds grieve with Dai-yu as she weeps silently in the shadow of a tree, reminding the reader of her mythical origin.

27 Tan-chun Repudiates Her Mother; Dai-yu Ponders Her Fate Seen in Fallen Flowers

SUMMARY The following day is the festival of Grain in Ear, and the custom is to decorate the plants to give the fairies of the spring flowers a send-off. As the girls gather in the garden, Dai-yu is missing, and Bao-chai offers to go look for her. Seeing Bao-yu about to enter the Naiad’s House, she discreetly turns back, but two beautiful butterflies flitting just ahead lead her on a chase. The chase takes her to Raindrop Pavilion, where she overhears Crimson telling Trinket that the handkerchief is indeed hers. As Crimson emerges from the pavilion, she is spotted by Xi-feng, who asks her to take a message to Patience. Impressed by Crimson’s quick intelligence, Xi-feng asks if she will work for her and become her “goddaughter.” Crimson tells her that her father is none other than Lin Zhi-xiao, a trusted steward of the Jia household, and her mother, the chief stewardess, is already Xi-feng’s “goddaughter,” prompting Xi-feng to marvel at how the taciturn couple could have produced such an articulate daughter. Dai-yu turns a cold shoulder to Bao-yu’s apology for his behavior the previous afternoon. Unaware that Dai-yu has been wounded by Skybright’s thoughtlessness, the bewildered Bao-yu is following Dai-yu at a distance when his half-sister, Tan-chun, corners him to ask that he buy her something with the cash she has saved and promises to embroider a pair of slippers for him in return. Bao-yu remarks that, when she last made a pair of slippers for him, his father groused that it was a waste to produce something so fancy and Aunt Zhao complained that Tan-chun should have made the slippers for her own brother, Jia Huan, instead. Tan-chun is livid. She declares that it is her own business to whom she gives slippers and that, as far as she is concerned, Jia Zheng is her father and Lady Wang is her mother. They are interrupted by Bao-chai, who wonders aloud what kind of secrets the two are sharing.

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Seeing the ground once again strewn with fallen blossoms, Bao-yu gathers them into the skirt of his gown to bury them for Dai-yu’s sake. As he approaches the grave that Dai-yu had previously dug for the flowers, he hears someone crying. It is Dai-yu herself, intoning, as she weeps, a heart-rending poem in which she wonders who will be burying her when she is dead. Listening from behind a large rock, Bao-yu is so overcome that he weeps along with her.

COMMENTS Like a movie camera panning slowly around the garden, this chapter takes the reader from scene to scene. By accepting his handkerchief as her own, Crimson signals to Jia Yun that she acknowledges they now have a secret understanding. She is so spunky, so quick-witted, and so resourceful that the reader cannot help but root for her. Although thrilled at the prospect of being transferred, she conceals her enthusiasm until she makes sure Xi-feng knows who her parents are. Then, in a move that would have done any would-be intern proud, she tells Xi-feng that what she looks forward to the most is the opportunity to learn about household management under her tutelage. Being a goddaughter (literally “dry daughter”—one who does not come with a placenta) can mean many different things in Chinese society. In this case, Crimson will be treated as if she were a family member, implying that Xi-feng will mentor her. Aunt Zhao has been shown to be so odious that readers are ready to accept Tan-chun’s shocking repudiation of her mother. Had Tan-chun remained loyal, she would have, like Jia Huan, been robbed of self-esteem and her life poisoned by resentment. In her poem, Dai-yu expresses her keen sense of the transitory nature of life. She identifies with the flowers because she was a flower in a former life, and it is natural for Bao-yu to empathize with her because he was the Divine Luminescent Stone-in-Waiting who had watered that flower every day. The picture of the delicate Dai-yu grieving over fallen flowers is juxtaposed against that of the plump Bao-chai chasing butterflies—a symbol of happiness.

28 Bao-yu Gives Aroma’s Sash to Jiang Yu-han; Yuan-chun, in Her Gifts, Favors Bao-chai Over Dai-yu

SUMMARY Bao-yu confides to Dai-yu that he, too, feels very much alone except when he is with her and, as far as he is concerned, everyone else is an outsider. Their misunderstanding cleared up, they go to have lunch with Grandmother Jia, stopping to see Lady Wang on the way. Lady Wang politely inquires about Dai-yu’s medicine, and Bao-yu takes the opportunity to recommend a pill that, he says, will cure Dai-yu but costs 360 silver taels. When his mother accuses him of making up something so impossibly expensive, Bao-yu says that he gave the prescription to Xue Pan, who was able to assemble it at a cost of nearly a thousand taels after spending several years searching for the ingredients, and that she can ask Bao-chai about this. Bao-chai denies any knowledge, but Xi-feng corroborates Bao-yu’s story, making Bao-chai seem like a liar. When Bao-yu concocts an alibi for Bao-chai’s ignorance, Dai-yu is so peeved she heads off to Grandmother Jia’s without him. By the time he catches up, Dai-yu can be mollified by neither his attempts to cajole her nor Bao-chai’s friendly overtures. Feng Zi-ying, the general’s son who had been at Xue Pan’s birthday party in chapter 26, gives a dinner for Bao-yu and Xue Pan. He has arranged for a courtesan as well as a female impersonator by the name of Jiang Yu-han, with the stage name of “Bijou,” to entertain them. At Bao-yu’s suggestion, they play a game in which, before taking a drink, everyone must compose a verse, sing a song, and pick up an object associated with a poem or a quotation. The courtesan’s verse is sexually suggestive, and Xue Pan’s is downright obscene, while Bijou shows he can more than hold his own. The object that Bijou then picks up is a spray of cassia, which he relates to a poetic quote: “The flowers’ aroma breathes of hotter days.” Leaping to his feet, Xue Pan accuses Bijou of bringing Bao-yu’s favorite maidservant into the conversation. Everyone else is puzzled

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until the courtesan, who knows about Aroma, explains the situation. Bijou follows Bao-yu into the toilet to apologize, and Bao-yu cannot resist squeezing the handsome actor’s hand and giving him a jade fan pendant as a token of his admiration. Bijou unties the red sash that he received as a gift from the Prince of Bei-jing and presents it to Bao-yu. Not to be outdone, Bao-yu gives him the green sash he is wearing before realizing, too late, that it belonged to Aroma. That night he foists the new sash off on Aroma over her protestations. As the Festival of the Double Fifth (the fifth day of the fifth lunar month) approaches, presents arrive from Yuan-chun, along with money and instructions for a three-day ceremony—complete with opera performances—to be held at a Taoist temple to pray for peace and harmony. Dai-yu is upset that Bao-yu and Bao-chai receive the same selection of presents, while she gets a lesser share. When Bao-yu offers to let her pick any of his presents, she declines, instead reminding him about the pairing of “gold and jade” (see chapter 8). Bao-yu swears to her that his heart has room for only four people—Grandmother Jia, his parents, and Dai-yu. But, when Bao-chai next appears, he finds himself staring at her, Dai-yu’s words ringing in his ears. Dai-yu breaks the spell by flicking him in the eye with her handkerchief.

COMMENTS Bao-chai appears to be lying when she disclaims knowledge of Xue Pan’s exorbitantly expensive pill—in order to avoid getting caught in the middle of the argument between Bao-yu and his mother. A major theme of this novel is that what seems to be a coincidence is actually fate at work—the mysterious working out of karmic debts accumulated in past lives. Bijou’s unwitting reference to Aroma’s name and the episode in which his red sash winds up being given to her while her green sash is given to him foreshadow their marriage. Likewise, Yuan-chun’s unexplained decision to give the same presents to Bao-yu and Bao-chai presages their marriage.

29 Grandmother Jia Shows Her Compassionate Side; a Matchmaking Abbot Provokes a Lovers’ Rift

SUMMARY Except for Lady Wang, all the ladies, accompanied by their maids and nannies, join Grandmother Jia on her outing to the Taoist temple to watch the first opera commissioned by the Imperial Concubine, Yuan-chun. Onlookers lining the streets are treated to the spectacle of Bao-yu heading up the procession on his splendidly caparisoned white horse. Grandmother Jia’s palanquin, carried by eight men, comes first, followed by the married ladies’ smaller palanquins, each carried by four men, and, behind them, a long line of gaily decorated horse carriages for the girls and their servants. Once they have entered the temple courtyard, Xi-feng hurries forward to help the matriarch alight. The premises have been cleared except for a young acolyte who, in his haste to leave, bumps into Xi-feng. She slaps him hard on the face, knocking him to the ground. As the boy tries to flee, he finds his exit blocked by women who are getting out of their carriages and screaming hysterically to have him punished. Grandmother Jia asks to see the frightened little fellow and urges everyone to imagine how his parents might feel. After speaking to him gently, she orders Cousin Zhen to give him some money and the others to be kind to him. The presiding cleric, Abbot Zhang, had been designated “proxy novice” for Grandmother Jia’s husband many decades ago. Now eighty, he professes admiration for Bao-yu’s calligraphy and poetry and notes the boy’s resemblance to his grandfather, which pleases Grandmother Jia. But she demurs when he volunteers to serve as his matchmaker. He then borrows Bao-yu’s jade to show the other priests and returns it along with some forty jeweled trinkets that, he claims, are gifts freely bestowed by the priests. Bao-yu offers to give them to the poor, but the wily abbot suggests a largesse of money instead. Bao-yu finds, among the trinkets, a gold kylin (qilin)—a mythical giraffe-like creature

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thought to be auspicious—that resembles the one that Shi Xiang-yun wears and pockets it. Back in Prospect Garden, Bao-yu is furious about Abbot Zhang’s matchmaking proposal and shocked at Dai-yu’s seeming indifference, but Dai-yu is still fixated on the idea of the “gold and jade” match. This makes Bao-yu so livid that he flings his jade onto the floor and tries to smash it. Alarmed, Dai-yu’s maids rush off to find Aroma, who scolds Bao-yu for putting Dai-yu in a difficult position. At this point, Dai-yu, feeling that even Aroma seems to understand her better than Bao-yu does, vomits in her distress. She grabs a pair of scissors to cut up the silken cord that she made for his jade. Dismayed by their constant bickering, Grandmother Jia grumbles—quoting a proverb— that some people must have been bonded by debts that they owed each other in a previous existence. When these words reach Dai-yu and Bao-yu, both feel that their grandmother understands their tangled relationship of love and rancor and that it may indeed be fated.

COMMENTS Depicted as a fun-loving old woman up to now, Grandmother Jia is revealed here to be the only lady of the household who takes the “golden rule” of Confucianism seriously and extends its application beyond her family. Confucianism, reviled for its defense of authoritarian patriarchy, has its kinder, gentler side. In the Analects, Confucius (c. 551–479 bce) is asked if there is one word by which people should live. He replies, “It is empathy. Do not do unto others what you would not want done to you.” The three operas staged at the temple—chosen by the gods in the sense that these three dropped out when a container holding the titles of many operas was shaken in front of the altar—constitute a metaphor for the Jia family’s rise, splendor, and eventual decline. Grandmother Jia falls silent when The South Branch is mentioned. Also written by the playwright of The Peony Pavilion (see the “Comments” on chapter 23), this opera features a man’s rise to glory and subsequent disgrace and exile, all taking place in a dream; upon awakening, he renounces worldly ambition and enters a monastery.

30 Bao-yu Is Chastened by Bao-chai for Being Rude; He Causes Golden to Be Dismissed

SUMMARY Dai-yu regrets her quarrel with Bao-yu but is too proud to admit she was in the wrong. Nightingale, who understands her mistress better than her mistress understands herself, confronts her about her prickliness. When Bao-yu comes to make up and Dai-yu orders him to be barred from entering, Nightingale greets him cordially. After Bao-yu apologizes abjectly, Dai-yu relents, flinging him a handkerchief to keep him from using the sleeve of his new summer gown to wipe his tears. A worried Grandmother Jia sends Xi-feng to check up on the two. Amused to see them both crying but clearly reconciled, Xi-feng steers them to the old lady’s apartment, where they find Bao-chai. Bao-yu apologizes for missing her brother’s birthday party—which is still ongoing— claiming to have been ill, and wonders why she has not stayed to watch the opera. Bao-chai responds that, finding the room too hot, she had left, feigning illness—indicating she has seen through Bao-yu’s lame excuse. This prompts Bao-yu to tease Bao-chai that, being plump like the legendary but infamous beauty Yang Gui-fei, she is unusually sensitive to heat. Bao-chai retorts that, whereas she may resemble Imperial Consort Yang, there is no danger of her cousin Bao-yu ever becoming a prime minister, as Yang’s cousin did. Bao-chai also professes ignorance of the title of the opera in progress; when Bao-yu points out that it is Abject Apology, she says snidely, “Well, no doubt you clever people know all there is to know about abject apology,” causing both Bao-yu and Dai-yu to blush with embarrassment. Depressed, Bao-yu wanders into his mother’s apartment where, thinking she is asleep, he flirts with her chief maid, Golden. Lady Wang sits bolt upright and slaps Golden in the face, accusing her of corrupting her son. After Bao-yu slips out, Lady Wang dismisses Golden and orders her taken away.

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From his mother’s apartment, Bao-yu strolls into the garden, where he espies one of the twelve child actresses sobbing on the other side of a rose-covered trellis and scratching the character qiang (meaning “rose”) with her hairpin over and over again on the ground. Her delicate beauty reminds him of Dai-yu, and he is moved at her obvious suffering. Just then it begins to rain heavily, and he calls out to her to stop because she is getting soaked. Mistaking him for a maid, she thanks him but points out that he must be getting soaked too. Bao-yu continues to worry about the girl even as he runs back to his own residence. It so happens that his maids are out in the garden celebrating the approach of the Double Fifth with several of the child actresses, and they have blocked the entrance to the House of Green Delights to create a pool for ducks and other aquatic creatures. No one hears Bao-yu shouting and pounding at the gate until Aroma sees him through a crack, looking so miserable that she bursts out laughing as she opens the gate for him. In a foul mood, Bao-yu kicks out violently, and his foot lands on her chest before he realizes it is Aroma. A large bruise soon spreads over her side, and she spits up blood that night.

COMMENTS Bao-chai shows that, when she cares to, she can be just as clever and sarcastic as Dai-yu. Dai-yu’s threat about “going home” during her quarrel with Bao-yu is all the more pathetic because she no longer has a home. Bao-yu’s frustration with her leads him to behave in reckless ways that have grave consequences for others. Aroma recovers from her injury soon enough, but Golden is ruined. Because getting dismissed at such short notice suggests that she has done something truly reprehensible, she loses both her livelihood and her reputation. Lady Wang, normally kind, is obsessed by the fear that her darling son may be led astray. The Double Fifth is celebrated by eating glutinous rice wrapped and steamed in bamboo leaves and by racing boats decorated with dragons’ heads to scatter the plague-bearing spirits rampant at the height of summer.

31 Bao-yu Lets Skybright Rip Up Two Fans for Fun; Shi Xiang-yun Finds the Kylin Meant for Her

SUMMARY It is the Double Fifth, but hardly anyone is in the mood to celebrate: relations are strained among Bao-yu, Dai-yu, and Bao-chai; Lady Wang and Xi-feng are uneasy about Golden’s dismissal; and others are infected by the prevailing low spirits. When Bao-yu chides Skybright for carelessly dropping his fan and breaking its delicate ivory ribs, she lashes back and accuses him of being partial to Aroma—who, she says, is only a slave like herself. Incensed, Bao-yu threatens to have her dismissed until Aroma and the other maids drop to their knees, pleading for mercy. Returning late from a drinking party that night, he finds Skybright out in the courtyard, where she has dragged her sleeping cot to escape the heat. He apologizes for having lost his temper and suggests they cool off by taking a bath. Skybright remarks that the last time a maid helped Bao-yu bathe, the two were incommunicado for hours, and there was bathwater all over the floor. She would have brought him some iced fruits, she adds, except she is so clumsy now, she might break a plate. Bao-yu responds that it is all right to break fans and plates if we like—but not in anger. Skybright challenges him to give her his fan to break for fun. He obliges, and she gleefully rips it apart. Entering the room, Musk is horrified. Bao-yu grabs her fan and hands it to Skybright, who breaks that too. Shi Xiang-yun arrives the next day with agate rings for Aroma, Faithful, Golden, and Patience, having earlier sent similar rings to her cousins. Dai-yu cannot resist making a snide allusion to the gold kylin that Bao-yu is planning to give to Xiang-yun. Later Xiang-yun is explaining the concept of yin and yang to her naïve maid Kingfisher when they spot a gold kylin on the ground. Bao-yu, upset at losing the gold kylin he had been keeping for Xiangyun to pair up with her other one, is delighted to learn that it has found its rightful owner.

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COMMENTS There is no indication that Bao-yu engages in sex with any female after that first experiment depicted in chapter 6, although the bath with the maid may be interpreted as such. His attraction to girls appears to be intellectual and sentimental rather than carnal, a “lust of the mind,” as the fairy Disenchantment puts it in chapter 5. Skybright mentions iced fruits. Before refrigeration, blocks of ice were hacked from frozen lakes in winter and stored under layers of straw below ground to serve as a summer treat for the rich. By giving the same presents to the chief maids and her cousins, Xiang-yun shows that she values them equally. In their primary meaning, yin and yang refer, respectively, to the shady slope and the sunny slope of a mountain. They represent forces in the universe that are opposite yet complementary. The sun is yang and the moon yin; male is yang and female yin. To these pairs, we may add positive and negative, acidity and alkalinity, testosterone and estrogen, and so forth. The concept was first described in the I Ching (Yijing), an ancient text on divination using diagrams in which yin is represented by a broken line and yang by an unbroken line. Three lines, placed one on top of the other, produce a trigram (gua). The flag of South Korea, a country greatly influenced by Chinese culture, shows four trigrams, symbolizing heaven (three yang lines), earth (three yin lines), fire (yin in the middle), and water (yin on the top and bottom). They may also be interpreted as representing east, west, south, and north; justice, vitality, fruition, and wisdom; and so forth. At the center of the flag is another ancient symbol, the taiji, a circle with two interlocked, undulating shapes in red and black, which represents the universe before yin and yang were separated. Yin and yang are, in principle, of equal importance, but one could say that Bao-yu has a problem in that he leans toward the yin, while the society he lives in favors the yang.

32 Criticism of Dai-yu Prompts Bao-yu to Avow His Love; Golden Commits Suicide

SUMMARY Shi Xiang-yun comes to Bao-yu’s residence with an agate ring for Aroma, only to find that Bao-chai has already given her a similar one. This prompts Xiangyun to express admiration for Bao-chai while registering a complaint about Dai-yu, who, in a fit of pique, has cut to pieces a fan case Xiang-yun made for Bao-yu. At this point, Bao-yu is summoned to Jia Zheng’s study to greet Jia Yu-cun, whom he detests. Xiang-yun urges him to put some effort into socializing with men who may later prove useful. Bao-yu leaves in a huff, saying that, if Dai-yu had talked that kind of rubbish, he would have fallen out with her long ago. Meanwhile, Dai-yu, anxious to observe what might develop between Bao-yu and Xiang-yun, arrives just in time to hear the last part of their conversation. She turns back without going in, moved to tears of joy at learning that she is indeed special to Bao-yu but also filled with a mix of conflicting emotions—alarm that he should so openly acknowledge their relationship, regret that he may be fated to marry someone with gold to match his jade, and sorrow that she has no parents to speak up for her and that, in any case, her own ill health may deprive her of any chance for happiness. Bao-yu catches up with her and asks why she is crying. Dai-yu launches reflexively into another sarcasm about the gold kylin and then, quickly relenting, wipes the perspiration from his forehead. “Don’t worry!” Bao-yu blurts out. When Dai-yu demands to know what he means, Bao-yu tells her to stop pretending. The two are equally dumbfounded by this abrupt declaration. Each has a thousand things to say to the other, but neither can utter a word. Finally, Dai-yu heaves a deep sigh and walks away. When Bao-yu tries to detain her, she replies that there is nothing more to say because she already understands. Aroma hurries out with the fan Bao-yu left behind and finds him standing transfixed where Dai-yu left him. The dazed Bao-yu, mistaking Aroma for

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Dai-yu, reiterates his avowal of love. Aroma is aghast. She fears this could lead the two to a scandalous indiscretion. Bao-yu goes off just as Bao-chai drops in. As she and Aroma chat about how Xiang-yun’s aunt makes her put in long, hard hours at her needlework, an old woman servant rushes up to tell them the shocking news that Golden has committed suicide. Bao-chai hurries off to comfort the guilt-ridden Lady Wang, who prevaricates, saying she dismissed Golden for breaking a valuable object but had planned to bring her back. To ease her aunt’s distress, Bao-chai says Golden probably slipped into the well by accident and suggests giving the bereaved family extra money. Lady Wang confides that she had wanted to offer the family new clothes for dressing the corpse, but none are on hand except a set recently made for Dai-yu; she is afraid that Dai-yu, being sensitive, might take offense. Bao-chai offers the clothes that she just had made for herself. When she returns with the clothes, Lady Wang is admonishing a tearful Bao-yu but falls silent on seeing Bao-chai. Bao-chai senses that Bao-yu is implicated in Golden’s death.

COMMENTS Xiang-yun, like Dai-yu, is an orphan, but, whereas Dai-yu is well treated, Xiangyun’s relatives exploit her. Even so, she does not allow this to color her view of the world and, without being naïve, remains free of calculation. Among the cousins, Xiang-yun’s personality resembles Bao-yu’s the most. Class distinctions mean nothing to her, and she gives the same presents to mistresses and servants. Like Bao-yu, Xiang-yun is also somewhat androgynous. Bao-yu loves to play with girls’ makeup and was mistaken by Charmante for a maidservant, while Xiang-yun is happiest in boys’ clothes. The paired gold kylins have led to speculations that the author may have intended the two to be romantically linked, but the kylins could simply be an emblem of their deep affinity. Golden’s death hastens Bao-yu’s disillusionment with life, the more so because he was the indirect cause of it.

33 Bao-yu Is Savagely Beaten by His Father Due to Jiang Yu-han’s Disappearance

SUMMARY Still stunned by Golden’s suicide, Bao-yu responds to his father’s customary taunts with an uncomprehending stare, putting Jia Zheng in a bad temper. Little does Jia Zheng know that he will soon have real cause to be angry with his son. The chamberlain of the Prince of Zhong-shun comes looking for Bijou (Jiang Yu-han’s stage name). Until his recent disappearance, Bijou had been living with this prince, who is very fond of him and finds his absence unbearable. Bao-yu, whose name has come up in the investigation, feigns ignorance, but, when the chamberlain identifies the red sash he is wearing as one that once belonged to Bijou, Bao-yu realizes that the game is up. He reluctantly discloses that Bijou is now living in a villa he recently acquired in a suburb. That his son might be mixed up with a female impersonator—and, worse yet, competing with a prince for the actor’s favors—sends Jia Zheng into a fury. It turns into a towering rage when Jia Huan tells him that Golden drowned herself after being sexually assaulted by Bao-yu. Jia Zheng orders the servants to tie up Bao-yu, gag him, and beat him. Feeling they are not hitting him hard enough, he wrests the bamboo from their hands and lashes his son mercilessly. Lady Wang arrives to find Bao-yu no longer even twitching, his buttocks a bloody mess. It is only after she throws herself on top of their son’s body that Jia Zheng stops and breaks down weeping. Somewhat belatedly, Grandmother Jia bursts in, panting, and challenges Jia Zheng to kill her too. Aroma asks Tealeaf why Bao-yu was beaten so viciously. Tealeaf repeats Jia Huan’s malicious claim and speculates that Xue Pan, jealous of Bao-yu’s relationship with Bijou, may have betrayed him to the prince.

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COMMENTS Jiang Yu-han, described as a “female impersonator” in the English translation, is simply identified in the original text as an actor specializing in female roles. Little boys sold by their impoverished parents to theatrical troupes were often trained to act, talk, and sing like women. In due course, they became objects of fantasy to their largely male audiences and, if sufficiently attractive, gained the patronage of wealthy men. In an era when women’s lives were narrowly circumscribed, males who could act like women made desirable company. Sex was not necessarily part of the bargain, although some male actors also worked as prostitutes. Jia Zheng has never approved of his son, but he is particularly shaken by the thought that Bao-yu, in fooling around with a prince’s favorite, may have put the family’s political and social standing in jeopardy. It is not clear whether Bao-yu has actually had a liaison with Bijou, but the fact that he knows the actor’s whereabouts is evidence that they have remained in touch after their first encounter (chapter 28), probably meeting at the palace of their mutual friend, the Prince of Bei-jing. Both Lady Wang and Xi-feng are unsettled by Golden’s suicide, the first such incident in the Jia family, which enjoys a reputation for treating its servants well. Believing Bao-yu to be guilty, Jia Zheng feels that, since this happened on his watch, he has brought disgrace upon his ancestors. He has no way of knowing that the immediate cause was Lady Wang’s sudden intemperance. Normally a kind person, Lady Wang is blinded by the prerogatives of her class and her prejudice against pretty young women. The author handles tragedy with a delightfully light and often ironic touch. Jia Rui dies from excessive masturbation, still clinging to the mirror that feeds his lust. Qin-Shi enters Xi-feng’s dream to give her financial advice at the moment of her death. Qin Zhong’s death is depicted as a comedy of the macabre, while Golden’s death stampedes the straitlaced Lady Wang into a bald-faced lie. Bao-yu’s savage beating could have been cut short in this chapter if the old woman he begged to carry his message to Grandmother Jia had not been so deaf.

34 Aroma Confides Her Worries to Lady Wang; Bao-yu Sends Two Used Handkerchiefs to Dai-yu

SUMMARY Bao-chai comes to see Bao-yu with some anti-inflammatory herbs for his wounds. She tells Bao-yu that his mother and grandmother are not the only ones to be upset, but she stops before completing the sentence. Watching her blush, Bao-yu thinks to himself that to have all these adorable girls grieving over him is almost worth a thrashing. Dai-yu also comes to visit, but, whereas Aroma and Bao-chai urge him to change his ways, Dai-yu is worried that he might be changed by the incident. Lady Wang asks for a progress report on Bao-yu and is displeased when Aroma comes in person. She would have much preferred that the trusty Aroma stay by Bao-yu’s bedside and send a junior maid instead. Aroma takes the opportunity to divulge her anxiety about Baoyu’s unseemly closeness to his female cousins, especially to Dai-yu and Baochai, and suggests moving him out of Prospect Garden, if only to head off malicious gossips. Lady Wang is taken aback; she has lately been preoccupied with this very issue and is both grateful and impressed that Aroma has taken the initiative to bring up the subject. She now knows what she must do, she tells Aroma confidingly, and then entrusts Bao-yu to her. Bao-yu wants to send someone to see how Dai-yu is doing. Worried that Aroma might disapprove, he dispatches her to borrow a book from Bao-chai and asks Skybright to visit Dai-yu. However, Skybright objects that she can’t very well go without a reason—she needs a message or something to take with her. After a moment’s pondering, Bao-yu asks her to take two of his used handkerchiefs. Skybright protests at the silliness of presenting someone with used handkerchiefs, but Bao-yu insists Dai-yu will understand. Though puzzled at first, Dai-yu soon realizes that the fact these handkerchiefs are used transforms them into intimate objects. At once bemused and so deeply touched she cries, she inscribes three quatrains on the handkerchiefs, dedicating her

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teardrops to Bao-yu. As she writes, she grows hot, and her cheeks begin to burn, but she is unaware that these are the first symptoms of a serious illness (which readers eventually guess to be tuberculosis). Bao-chai tells her mother she has heard that Bao-yu’s beating was caused by her brother, and the two confront Xue Pan together. In fact, Xue Pan had nothing to do with Bao-yu’s latest trouble, but he has such a deservedly bad reputation that he is unable to convince them of his innocence. Exasperated, he accuses Bao-chai of fussing inordinately whenever anything happens to her precious Bao-yu simply because she is supposed to marry someone with a piece of jade. Bao-chai is outraged but, not wanting to upset her mother, retreats to her own quarters to weep in private. The next morning she runs into Dai-yu, who taunts her about her swollen eyes—insinuating Bao-chai has been crying over Bao-yu’s suffering.

COMMENTS Bao-chai telling Bao-yu that she is upset about his injury is one of the few occasions in the novel on which she shows that she cares for him. As a proper Confucian girl, she is not supposed to show affection for any male outside her immediate family. But Xue Pan, though boorish, is also forthright. He is not embarrassed to point out the obvious—that Bao-chai has set her heart on marrying Bao-yu. It is diplomatic of Aroma to mention Bao-chai along with Dai-yu when she expresses her fear of a developing scandal to Lady Wang even though she is worried only about Dai-yu. Tuberculosis is caused by an airborne bacterium that spreads when an infected person speaks, coughs, spits, or sneezes, and it primarily attacks the lungs of those with a weak immune system. The symptoms are chronic cough, fever, night sweats, loss of appetite, fatigue, and—in the final stage— blood in the phlegm. Before antibiotics, about half of the victims would waste away within five years; hence the disease was also known as consumption. The detailed description of the trajectory of Dai-yu’s illness suggests that the author may have seen this disease up close.

35 Grandmother Jia Indicates Her Preference for Bao-chai; Bao-yu Makes Golden’s Sister Laugh

SUMMARY From the shadow of a nearby flowering tree, Dai-yu watches as different family groups enter the House of Green Delights to visit the recovering Bao-yu and is saddened to think that she belongs in none of these groups. Back in her residence, she is amused to hear her parrot repeating the line she has been reciting to herself, “Let others laugh flower-burial to see / Another year who will be burying me?” Bao-chai and her mother join Grandmother Jia, Xi-feng, Lady Wang, Lady Xing, Aunt Zhou, Li Wan, Ying-chun, Tan-chun, and Xi-chun in Bao-yu’s bedroom. In response to their tender solicitation, he asks for a soup that had been created for the Imperial Concubine’s Visitation. Xi-feng keeps them all laughing, and Grandmother Jia remarks that she loves Xi-feng’s wit. When Bao-yu, hoping to bring Dai-yu into the conversation, asks the matriarch if she is fond only of good talkers, Grandmother Jia replies that the quiet ones also have their merits; in fact, of all the girls in the family, she likes Bao-chai the best. Lady Wang suggests that Grandmother Jia take lunch in her apartment, rather than trekking back to her own. They are joined by the others. No one misses Dai-yu because she is now skipping every other meal. When the soup arrives, Bao-chai asks her chief maid, Oriole, to help Silver carry the soup and other dishes to Bao-yu, as he has requested that Oriole do some handiwork for him. On their arrival at Green Delights, Bao-yu asks Silver about her mother. What he really wants to do is apologize for her sister Golden’s death, but he feels inhibited by the presence of the other maids. As his inquiries elicit only sullen responses, he tries to make her laugh by pretending that the soup tastes bad and, when she is incredulous, urges her to take a sip. After she does, he exclaims that it will taste nice now. Realizing she has been tricked into sharing his bowl, Silver refuses to let him have any more soup.

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Just then, two woman servants sent by a man trying to curry favor with Jia Zheng come to call on Bao-yu. Bao-yu agrees to see them only because their master is reputed to have a pretty and intelligent sister. While Bao-yu makes conversation with the visitors, Silver is left holding the bowl of hot soup. Their hands collide, and the soup spills over his, whereupon Silver scolds Bao-yu and Bao-yu asks solicitously if she is hurt. The two visitors go away thinking that Bao-yu is indeed the simpleton he is rumored to be, letting the maidservants walk all over him. When Silver leaves, Bao-chai joins Aroma and Oriole in Bao-yu’s bedroom. Under Bao-chai’s supervision, Oriole plaits a new necklet out of gold and black threads from which Bao-yu can hang his jade. Two platefuls of food arrive from Lady Wang for Aroma, who is surprised and embarrassed to be singled out for attention. Bao-chai says, with a knowing look, that she may as well get used to it because there is more to come.

COMMENTS The stage is set for Bao-chai’s eventual triumph over Dai-yu in their contest for Bao-yu. That Bao-chai oversees the knotting of a new necklet for Bao-yu— to replace the one that Dai-yu destroyed in chapter 29—is symbolically significant. The word knot connotes conjugal binding—as in “to tie the knot”—in Chinese, as well as in English. Consciously or subconsciously, Bao-chai realizes she has no chance of replacing Dai-yu in Bao-yu’s heart. Her only hope is to build a cordon around him of people predisposed to supporting her candidacy as his bride. She has a natural ally in her mother’s sister and confidante, Lady Wang. She goes out of her way to please Grandmother Jia. She has now forged a strong bond with Aroma, who exercises a powerful influence over Bao-yu. By hinting that she knows the story behind the plates of food, she signals to Aroma that she is in Lady Wang’s confidence.

36 Aroma Receives an Informal Promotion; Bao-chai Hears Bao-yu Reveal He Prefers Dai-yu

SUMMARY Grandmother Jia orders Jia Zheng to exempt the still recovering Bao-yu from any more meetings with his visitors. Seizing on this excuse, Bao-yu happily confines himself to Prospect Garden, a willing captive to his maids and their whims. Aunt Xue, Bao-chai, and Dai-yu are sitting in Lady Wang’s apartment when Xi-feng comes to ask what she should do about replacing Golden. Lady Wang tells her to give Golden’s allowance to her sister Silver. She also instructs Xi-feng to remove Aroma from Grandmother Jia’s staff; Aroma will now receive the same amount as her husband’s concubines, to be paid out of her own account. She explains that she is not formally making Aroma into Bao-yu’s concubine because, given his youth, Jia Zheng would likely object. Moreover, she adds, Aroma can maintain some leverage over Bao-yu as long as he believes that she may leave him. Bao-chai invites Dai-yu to call on Xi-chun with her. When Dai-yu declines, Bao-chai decides to go visit Bao-yu. She finds him napping, with Aroma sewing by his side, a fly whisk at the ready to keep the insects away. Aroma asks Bao-chai to take her place while she goes off to stretch her legs, and Bao-chai becomes so engrossed in the embroidery that she fails to notice Dai-yu and Xiang-yun peering in and laughing at her. In his sleep, Bao-yu suddenly cries out angrily that he believes not in the marriage of gold and jade predicted by the monk and the priest but rather in the marriage of stone and flower. Before Bao-chai can recover from the shock, Aroma returns. Bao-yu is elated to hear of Aroma’s changed status because Aroma will never leave him now. On the contrary, Aroma contends, this simply means she would have to inform Lady Wang instead of Grandmother Jia if she wants to leave. Besides, leaving is not her only option, she says; she can always kill

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herself. Bao-yu declares that his idea of a glorious death is to be surrounded by all the girls and float away on a river of their tears. Hearing that Charmante is the best singer among the child actresses, Bao-yu goes looking for her, hoping to get her to sing a scene from The Peony Pavilion for him. She turns out to be the girl he saw obsessively scratching the character qiang in the dirt (chapter 30). Realizing she is in love with Jia Qiang—who has charge over her troupe—Bao-yu hangs around to see how they behave with each other. Jia Qiang returns with a gift of a caged performing bird, which Charmante finds deeply offensive. She declares that training a caged bird to perform is no different from taking decent girls from their homes and shutting them up to learn opera. Dismayed, Jia Qiang releases the bird. Bao-yu returns to his residence and proclaims that he now sees life in a completely new light.

COMMENTS The status of some of the Jia women is revealed in this chapter through the size of their monthly allowances. Lady Wang is allotted twenty taels of silver. Her senior maids and Bao-yu’s senior maids each receive one tael, or roughly one thousand copper coins. The junior maids each get five hundred copper coins. Aunt Zhou and Aunt Zhao—and now Aroma, too—get two taels. One tael weighs 1.18 troy ounces. How much was one tael of silver worth in the mid-eighteenth century? In chapter 39, Grannie Liu says that twenty taels should suffice for a family living in the countryside for a whole year. In his Autobiography (published posthumously 1791), Benjamin Franklin mentions a woman living frugally in London on twelve pounds sterling (92.5 percent pure silver), or roughly 150 taels a year. With her food and lodging already taken care of, Lady Wang’s allowance of 240 taels a year should supply her with plenty of discretionary money. If Bao-chai did not know that Bao-yu prefers Dai-yu, she knows it now even though she may not understand the meaning of “stone and flower” (see chapter 1). His self-centered view jolted by Charmante, Bao-yu takes another step toward enlightenment.

37 The Founding of the Crab-flower Club

SUMMARY Jia Zheng sets off for his assignment as a provincial commissioner of education, leaving Bao-yu to his own devices. Thrilled by an invitation from his stepsister, Tan-chun, to join her in forming a poetry club, he is intercepted, on his way over, by a gift from Jia Yun. The young man—whom he has jokingly adopted as his “son” (chapter 24)—has sent him two pots of white crab-flower (Malus spectabilis) plants accompanied by a sycophantic note. He arrives at Tan-chun’s to find the rest of the poetry club already assembled. Since Li Wan, Ying-chun, and Xi-chun are not up to composing poetry on the spot, they volunteer for administrative tasks, leaving the field to Tan-chun, Bao-yu, Dai-yu, and Bao-chai; everyone, however, enjoys picking out a pen name, and, inspired by Jia Yun’s gift, they name their little group the Crab-flower Club. For the first round of versification, Ying-chun decides on Crab-flower as the theme, sets “regulated verse” as the form, and assigns a rhyme scheme. She orders a stick of incense lit and requires the participants to submit their poems by the time the incense burns out. Dai-yu, who seems to be dawdling aimlessly, comes up with the most original piece. But Li Wan, as club president, declares Bao-chai the winner because the sentiments in her poem are the finest, despite Bao-yu’s strenuous objections. Back at Green Delights, Skybright scornfully derides Aroma for her unofficial promotion to be Bao-yu’s concubine. When Bao-yu returns, he is so upset that Xiang-yun was left out of the club that he begs Grandmother Jia to send for her right away. Xiang-yun arrives the next day and composes not one but two crab-flower poems. In her exuberance, she also volunteers to host the second meeting. Bao-chai reminds Xiang-yun later that evening that she cannot possibly afford refreshments for such a large group. But, because autumn is the best time for crabs and one of her family’s employees is in the business of

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selling them, Bao-chai proposes they prepare a feast of crabs and invite other members of the household for a seasonal celebration. Autumn is also the best time for chrysanthemums, so they choose the chrysanthemum for their next theme. Xiang-yun is duly grateful to Bao-chai for her help.

COMMENTS The prevalence of poetry in the novel reflects poetry’s importance in premodern Chinese society. In the eighteenth century, poetry gatherings in China shared many characteristics with contemporaneous salons in Europe, where refined ladies and gentlemen assembled to amuse themselves with music and witty conversation. Salon members were expected to treat each other as equals, casting aside rank and status, if only for the duration of the gathering. This is the rationale behind the use of pen names. The poems produced by the members of the Crab-flower Club reflect their personalities—Tan-chun’s uncomplicated view of the world, Bao-chai’s preoccupation with proper conduct, Bao-yu’s fascination with female beauty, Dai-yu’s aloof reticence, and Xiang-yun’s playfulness and adaptability. Bao-yu does not care how well he does himself, only that Dai-yu should win. Chinese “regulated verse” is governed by a strict set of rules. The lines must be equal in length, there is a fixed number of lines, and the sounds of the words must be so configured as to produce a pleasing tonal pattern. In the common eight-line version (“octet”), even-numbered lines are rhymed according to a prescribed rhyme scheme, and certain adjacent lines must make a couplet, with nouns and verbs in corresponding positions. However, the best poems transcend the rules while appearing to conform to them. Regardless of poetic form, composing poetry is a challenge to the writer’s ingenuity, quickness of mind, power of observation, and familiarity with the poetic tradition. Translating a poem into another language always involves tricky maneuvers, especially when the two languages are as different as Chinese and English. Words in one language seldom mean the same thing in another, and it is seldom possible to duplicate the magic produced by felicitous sounds. That David Hawkes and John Minford were able to produce verses in English that approximate the meaning of the original Chinese and still manage to rhyme is an extraordinary achievement.

38 A Crab-Eating Feast Is Hosted by Shi Xiang-yun

SUMMARY Grandmother Jia, Lady Wang, and Wang Xi-feng, along with their entourage of servants, arrive at the Lotus Pavilion for the crab-eating feast. The pavilion is surrounded by water, prompting Grandmother Jia to reminisce about how, as a child, she fell into the water near a similar pavilion at the Shi family homestead. Xi-feng makes her laugh and then engages the senior maids in a food fight, which gets them laughing too. Ever considerate, Shi Xiang-yun makes sure that Jia Zheng’s concubines, Aunt Zhao and Aunt Zhou, and all the maidservants in attendance are served their share of crabs. She orders carpets spread out under the cassia trees for the junior maids and nannies so that they, too, can sit and eat in comfort. After the grown-ups and their maids leave the party, the poetry competition begins in earnest. Xiang-yun posts twelve titles related to chrysanthemums on the inside wall of the pavilion and tells the participants to choose their own rhyme schemes. Bao-chai, Bao-yu, and Tan-chun each sign up to write two poems, while Xiang-yun and Dai-yu sign up for three each. This time everyone agrees that Dai-yu’s poems are by far the best—her poems are sprinkled with startling images, such as a mouth growing acrid-sweet from singing the praises of chrysanthemums. Although she disavows them as contrived, her poems come across as expressions of deep feeling. Still in a compositional mood, Bao-yu dashes off a playful poem that ends with this line: “You have not lived in vain if you’re so good to eat!” Dai-yu follows with one praising the crabs for fighting to the last against their cruel fates. Bao-chai, somewhat uncharacteristically, writes a sarcastic poem—apparently directed at Bao-yu—about how the crab, with its movements aimless and its insides a mess, deserves to end up in the pot.

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A crab feast: Grandmother Jia, Aunt Xue, Dai-yu, Bao-yu, and Bao-chai are at the center table; at the other table are Lady Wang, Xiang-yun, Xi-chun, Ying-chun, and Tan-chun. Li Wan is standing; Xi-feng is teasing the maids in the other room.

COMMENTS Xiang-yun gives Bao-chai credit for helping her with hosting the crab-eating feast, once again raising Bao-chai’s status in the eyes of Grandmother Jia, who includes her in her affectionate parting words. Among foods, crabs are considered yin, or cold, so they need to be counteracted with something with heat, or yang, such as ginger and hot liquor. Dai-yu is disappointed with the fermented rice wine, or huangjiu (yellow liquor), in the silver kettle; what she wants is distilled liquor, or baijiu (white liquor), which supposedly is yang in nature, to balance the yin of the crabs she has just eaten. Crabs are traditionally steamed until just barely cooked and then eaten after being dipped in vinegar infused with crushed ginger. The jokes about “eating vinegar” allude to the Chinese expression for the acidic emotion of jealousy. Aunt Xue, Bao-chai, and Dai-yu, considered guests even though they live with the Jias, are given the high honor of being seated at the same table as

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Grandmother Jia and her favorite grandson, Bao-yu. The rest of the cousins are seated with Xiang-yun, the host. Daughters-in-law rank lowest. Lady Wang, senior among them, gets to sit at the second table, but Xi-feng and Li Wan are obliged to stand up and serve the others. Several poems refer to the autumn festival of Double Nine, the ninth day of the ninth month, customarily a day for hiking in the mountains and for drinking with old friends—nine being a pun for “a long time” and for “wine.” There are also a number of references to geese flying south, an autumnal image, and to cassia (actually Osmanthus fragrans, or the sweet olive; both are called gui in Chinese), which blooms in autumn. Tao Yuanming, a fourth-century poet, is invoked in several poems. His most famous line is “Picking chrysanthemum by the eastern fence, / I raise my eyes and admire the southern mountains.” Bao-yu’s last poem alludes to a line written by Su Dongpo, an eleventh-century statesman who is also perhaps the most beloved of Chinese poets: “Flippantly, I declare my life is dedicated to satisfying my palate.” The Lotus Pavilion in this chapter is not Xi-chun’s residence, which David Hawkes, in a rare oversight, also translates as “Lotus Pavilion.”

39 Li Wan Laments Her Lack of an Able Assistant; Grannie Liu Is Enlisted for Entertainment

SUMMARY A little giddy with wine, Li Wan places her arm around Patience and exclaims that, with her looks and ability, she should have been a lady instead of a maid. She goes on to say how lucky Xi-feng is to have an able assistant like Patience, just as Grandmother Jia has Faithful. Faithful is the only person, avers Li Wan, who dares to talk back to the matriarch, and, absent Faithful, the people around Grandmother Jia would have plundered all her valuables. She reminisces how, after her husband died, she married off the maidservants she had brought with her into the Jia household, all of whom were temperamentally unsuitable, and laments that, if only one of them had worked out, she would not be feeling so helpless now. The party breaks up in part to prevent Li Wan from wallowing further in self-pity. As they are leaving, Aroma asks Patience why their allowances have not yet been disbursed. Patience confides that Xi-feng has lent out the money at high interest, from which she makes some one thousand taels of silver a year. On a second visit to the Jia household with her grandson, Grannie Liu presents Xi-feng with newly harvested fruits and produce from her son-in-law’s farm. It occurs to Xi-feng that the peasant woman could be great entertainment, and Grannie Liu shrewdly obliges, fabricating tales of village life that she knows will appeal to her sheltered and gullible audience. As she is telling everyone about a beautiful teenaged girl stealing firewood on a cold snowy day, news comes that a fire has broken out in the stables, scaring Grandmother Jia out of her wits. Sensing that Grandmother Jia is superstitious about fire, Grannie Liu pivots to a story about an elderly woman who, years after her only grandson dies, is granted a second grandson—a handsome boy now in his teens—by Guanyin, the Buddhist deity of mercy. This captivates Lady Wang as well as Grandmother Jia because it corresponds to their own situation.

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Bao-yu, however, is anxious to hear what happened to the girl and the firewood and presses Grannie Liu afterward for more information. Grannie Liu quickly spins a tale about how the girl—who has actually been dead for years— is reduced to haunting the countryside because the temple that her grieving father built for her has fallen into disrepair. Bao-yu begs her for directions to the temple, promising money for its repair and a stipend for Grannie Liu to maintain it. As a result, his page is sent on a wild-goose chase.

COMMENTS Li Wan, whose education was deliberately curtailed by her conservative father and hitherto portrayed as a self-abnegating Confucian widow, is shown here to be a young woman with her needs and frustrations. Her remarks also give readers a better understanding of the situation of the chief maids, who will take on more prominent roles in the coming chapters. Powerful as they are within the household, the chief maids suffer from several limitations: (1) As women, they depend on menservants or their male relatives to conduct business outside the household. (2) With rare exceptions, they are illiterate. (3) Unless promoted to the status of concubine, they have no legal rights and may be dismissed, sold, or married off at a moment’s notice. A common trait among these highly competent and sensitive girls is the great dignity with which they conduct themselves. They feel that, in their subservient position, life would hardly be worth living without dignity. The second half of this chapter sets the stage for the next two chapters, which depict the most celebrated comic episode in the entire novel. “Grannie Liu on a rampage in Prospect Garden” has become a cliché expression in Chinese to describe an individual so bedazzled by an unfamiliar environment that he makes all the wrong moves. Nevertheless, in contrast to the worldly-wise Grannie Liu, the Jias’ naïve and credulous sentimentality reminds us that they live in a bubble, oblivious to the world outside.

40 Grannie Liu Is Given a Tour of Prospect Garden and Made the Butt of Practical Jokes

SUMMARY Grandmother Jia gives a garden party in return for Shi Xiang-yun’s crab feast. Bao-yu proposes, for a change, that they serve the meal in lunch boxes, with each individual dining at their own table. Li Wan summons the pages on duty to help carry the little lacquer tables out of a storeroom and invites Grannie Liu to take a look at the sumptuous articles inside. A large part of the program for the day is a tour of Prospect Garden, for Grandmother Jia has seen only a few of the residences. Xi-feng kicks off the party by sticking chrysanthemums in Grannie Liu’s hair, making her look like a vamp. The old woman then slips and lands on her posterior to universal merriment. She further amuses everyone when, seeing an inkstone, brushes, and books in Dai-yu’s quarters, she remarks that this must be the study of “a very high-class young gentleman.” As they sit down to lunch, Grannie Liu, playing along with Xi-feng and Faithful’s suggestion, recites a droll ditty and ends by declaring that she can eat a whole sow along with its piglets. This sets off such an uproar that rice and tea are spilled and dishes are overturned. More hilarity follows when Grannie Liu, wrestling with a pair of unusually heavy chopsticks that she has been mischievously given, drops a quail egg and lets it roll onto the floor. After lunch, the tour continues to Tan-chun’s residence, a structure left undivided and furnished with antique porcelain and choice artwork, reflecting her love of space and her cultivated tastes. Next they take a boat to Bao-chai’s residence, where the only adornment is a plain vase with a few chrysanthemums in it; the bed hangings and the bedding are equally plain. Grandmother Jia finds such self-effacement unnatural in a young girl. Having given orders that morning to replace Dai-yu’s faded window gauze with an antique rose-colored fabric she calls haze diaphene, she now instructs Faithful

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to bring a few elegant pieces from her own possessions to liven up the room without detracting from the austere air that Bao-chai clearly prefers. The party then proceeds to a covered area where they enjoy a drinking game. Several members of the party conspire to give wrong responses so that it quickly becomes Grannie Liu’s turn, but she acquits herself satisfactorily, somewhat to their chagrin.

COMMENTS Readers first see Prospect Garden when Jia Zheng, with Bao-yu in tow, leads his entourage of literary retainers on a tour to supply poetic inscriptions for the various structures (chapter 17). They next view the garden through the eyes of Yuan-chun, for whose Visitation it has been decked out with lanterns (chapter 18). This time they see the garden through the amazement of an old peasant woman, who heightens the inhabitants’ consciousness of the opulence of their lifestyle, which the Jias ratcheted up a few more notches for her benefit. Dominoes originated in China. The drinking game in this chapter makes use of rectangular tiles similar to today’s dominoes—except the dots are either red or green. For an illustrated explanation of the rules, see appendix II in volume 2 of David Hawkes’s translation. The game’s master of ceremonies draws three tiles at random. Every time she draws a tile, she makes up a phrase to describe the alignment of the dots on the tiles, and the player whose turn it is must respond with a quotation or a poetic line that rhymes with the phrase she has just uttered. Next the emcee describes in a phrase the image she sees when all three tiles are placed side by side. The player again responds with a quotation or poetic line that rhymes. The player is then allowed to have a drink, and the next player gets their turn. Once a player fails to come up with a matching phrase, they forfeit the rest of their turn. Mahjong, also a game played with rectangular tiles, did not become popular for another century after the novel was written, although the card game mentioned in chapter 47 could be a mahjong prototype.

41 The Finicky Adamantina Serves Tea; Grannie Liu Passes Out on Bao-yu’s Bed

SUMMARY After Xi-feng and Faithful conspire to get Grannie Liu drunk, the peasant woman moves vigorously to keep time with the music. Snacks are served before she has had a chance to get hungry, but she cannot resist the large assortment of fancy pastries. When the party arrives at the Green Bower Hermitage, Adamantina, the resident lay sister, offers Grandmother Jia tea in a Cheng Hua porcelain cup, and, after taking a sip, Grandmother Jia urges Grannie Liu to try it. Adamantina serves the others tea in “sweet-white” porcelain cups, but invites Bao-chai and Dai-yu into her own room to sample her best tea— brewed in melted snow from the branches of flowering plum trees collected and stored from five years ago—which she serves in antique cups. Bao-yu joins the trio, fascinated by this learned lay sister who is even more finicky than Dai-yu. Adamantina clearly returns his admiration, for she serves him tea in the jade mug she normally reserves for herself. When Adamantina orders her assistant to remove the cup that Grannie Liu drank from, Bao-yu guesses that she intends to discard it as contaminated and asks her if he may give the cup to Grannie Liu, who could sell it and live for a while on the proceeds. Faithful shows Grannie Liu more of the garden after the party disperses. Hoping for more laughs, the cousins tag along. They would have continued teasing Grannie Liu if the large amount of wine and fatty food she consumed had not begun to take effect. Begging some paper, she is about to loosen her clothes and relieve herself then and there, but the cousins shout for her to stop and ask an older maidservant to conduct her to the privy. It takes Grannie Liu a long time to finish her business, and, coming out, she is completely disoriented. She blunders into the House of Green Delights, where she mistakes the girl in a Western-style painting for a real person and her own reflection in a full-length mirror for an old woman from her village. Exhausted by the

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time she wanders into the bedroom, she sits down to rest for a moment and promptly falls fast asleep. Aroma finds her spread-eagled on Bao-yu’s bed, the entire room stinking with the smell of farts and wine fumes. Horrified to have trespassed on Bao-yu’s bedroom, Grannie Liu agrees to tell everyone that she simply passed out on the rockery.

COMMENTS Adamantina comes from an educated family of scholar-officials; due to persistent illness as a child, she took a vow as an “unshaven nun”—one who practices Buddhism but stops short of becoming fully ordained and hence is allowed to keep her hair (chapter 17). Her name in the original Chinese is Miao-yu. Together with Bao-yu, Dai-yu, and Jiang Yu-han (Bijou), she shares not only the character yu (jade) in their names but also a certain ethereal quality, and there is, among them, an instinctive understanding of each other. Each, in their own way, pursues the Taoist ideal of the “uncarved jade,” meaning they refuse to be reduced into a shape that conforms to social norm. It should be noted that the mug that the finicky Adamantina shares with Bao-yu is made of jade. Cheng Hua porcelain, made only during a short period in the fifteenth century, is known for its delicate multicolored etchings against a white background. “Sweet-white” porcelain is so called because it is as white as refined sugar. Grannie Liu, her hair bristling with flowers, suggests an image of Tudipo— Grandmother Earth—an earth goddess people call on in distress. This presages the role she will play toward the end of the novel. Her earthiness contrasts starkly with the excessively rarefied sensibility of the denizens of Prospect Garden. It would be difficult to find an instance in Western literature of an aristocratic lady such as Grandmother Jia being on easy terms with a peasant woman like Grannie Liu. Family relationships and respect for old age often trump class distinctions in Chinese society.

42 Grannie Liu Names Xi-feng’s Daughter Before Departing; Bao-chai Befriends Dai-yu

SUMMARY As Grannie Liu is bidding farewell at the end of her stay, Xi-feng consults her on her daughter’s illness. The peasant woman recommends an exorcism and remarks that well-to-do children often suffer from too much pampering: “When young folks are cherished too much, it overloads their luck.” Hoping that some of Grannie Liu’s longevity and roughness will rub off on her daughter, Xi-feng asks her to give the girl a name. Since she was born on the seventh day of the seventh month (known as Lucky Seventh Day), Grannie Liu recommends calling her Qiao-jie (Lucky Girl) as a way, she suggests, of fighting fire with fire. Her diagnosis of Qiao-jie’s malady is later confirmed by the court physician called in to see Grandmother Jia, who has caught a cold. He says the little girl has had too much rich food and prescribes “a good, cleansing hunger.” Grannie Liu leaves with a windfall of goods and silver. Bao-chai catches Dai-yu quoting from The Western Chamber and The Peony Pavilion—considered improper for young ladies because they concern romantic love—and advises her privately to stay away from readings of this kind. Dai-yu is both chastened and grateful. Inspired by a remark from Grannie Liu, Grandmother Jia orders Xi-chun to make a painting of Prospect Garden—a task that Xi-chun finds overwhelming. Bao-chai recommends that Xi-chun begin with the architectural drawings for the garden and enlist Bao-yu to ask his father’s literary retainers for help. She then proceeds to make a long list of art supplies that Xi-chun will need for the project—including a type of drawing instrument called a crab’s claw.

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COMMENTS Class conflict in premodern China was mitigated by a certain amount of upward social mobility, afforded by the civil service examinations, marriage (daughters typically married up), and the kinship system. Respect for age and a web of reciprocity for services rendered or favors granted also helped to bind the society together. Despite her extremely tenuous claim of kinship, Grannie Liu’s experience shows that, under the right circumstances, a peasant woman with a shrewd sense of timing could do much to change the fate of her family. For a couple of days, Grannie Liu offers the Jias comic relief from ennui, and they, in showering her with gifts, are rewarded with a gratifying sense of their own superiority and munificence. It was also commonly believed that one accumulates merit by being nice to the poor and unfortunate. The idea that there may be such a thing as too much luck—implying that the pendulum will swing in the other direction at some point—helped many Chinese peasants endure untold hardships. The court physician’s visit is depicted humorously. Grandmother Jia defies the customary practice wherein a female patient remains hidden behind the bed curtains and extends only her lower arm for the doctor to take her pulse. The matriarch’s easy manners and the presence of so many other ladies watching him from behind the curtains throw the young doctor into comic confusion. This chapter marks the beginning of a truce between Bao-chai and Dai-yu. Stung by her brother’s accusation that she has set her heart on marrying Bao-yu (chapter 34) and the dreaming Bao-yu’s declaration that he prefers Dai-yu (chapter 36), Bao-chai is resolved to suppress any further thoughts on the subject. For her part, Dai-yu is now less liable to be jealous, having been assured by Bao-yu’s avowal of love (chapters 32 and 34). The truce is cemented at the end of this chapter when Bao-chai does Dai-yu’s hair while a very pleased Bao-yu looks on. Xi-chun, used to the spontaneous and expressionistic style of painting practiced by most educated Chinese, is not equipped to handle a large-scale work that calls for perspective and proportion. Bao-yu promises to enlist the assistance of those of his father’s retainers who were involved in the design of Prospect Garden (chapter 16). Wealthy men of that time often kept a few impecunious but talented men who had either failed to climb the career ladder or fallen off it to provide companionship and advice.

43 Xi-feng Squeezes Aunt Zhou and Aunt Zhao for Her Party; Bao-yu Makes an Offering to Golden

SUMMARY Grandmother Jia suggests they all contribute, in the way that the common people do, to a “subscription” for a big birthday party for Xi-feng. She and Aunt Xue pledge twenty taels of silver each, Lady Xing and Lady Wang sixteen taels each, and You-shi and Li Wan twelve each. Grandmother Jia offers to pay Li Wan’s share—Li Wan being a widow—but Xi-feng volunteers to fulfill that pledge. Amidst a good deal of banter, retired senior servants with means, such as Mrs. Lai, also pledge twelve taels, while the senior maids pledge the equivalent of their monthly allowance. Xi-feng then claims it would be impolite not to ask Jia Zheng’s concubines, Aunt Zhou and Aunt Zhao, to chip in. You-shi, whom Grandmother Jia designates as the organizer, is outraged, knowing that Xi-feng is hostile to them and that they are always hard-pressed for money. She is further incensed when Xi-feng reneges on her promise to fulfill Li Wan’s pledge, saying that there are already sufficient funds to cover the cost. You-shi quietly returns Aunt Zhao’s and Aunt Zhou’s contributions, as well as those of the senior maids. Early on the morning of the party Bao-yu, dressed in heavy mourning and accompanied by Tealeaf, steals out of the city to make an offering to Golden. When Bao-yu discovers that there is no place to buy incense, Tealeaf reminds him of the incense serving as perfume that he keeps in his sachet; he also suggests borrowing an incense burner from the nearby Temple of the Water Spirit, which suits Bao-yu’s purposes perfectly. Bao-yu places the incense burner on the stone platform of a well on the temple grounds and makes a half-obeisance, as one might to a junior or a servant. Baffled, Tealeaf throws himself down in front of the well and prays loudly to the unknown spirit—which he rightly assumes to be female and beautiful—to help Bao-yu be reborn as a girl in his next life so that he might spend all his time with her. Having succeeded

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in making Bao-yu laugh, Tealeaf is able to get him home for the party. Bao-yu lies about his absence to the assembled company anxiously awaiting him, saying he went to offer his condolence to the Prince of Bei-jing on the death of his favorite concubine. He longs to tell Silver that he made an offering to her sister, but Silver turns away from him before he has a chance.

COMMENTS Although this chapter is primarily about Xi-feng’s rapacity and Bao-yu’s tenderness toward pretty women, it also shines a spotlight on You-shi. You-shi and Xi-feng, married to lecherous cousins, are very different women. Their juxtaposition highlights one of the author’s favorite techniques: contrasting two characters in similar circumstances. The author also likes to contrast an individual’s absorption in their pursuit with the festivities taking place around them—here Bao-yu praying at an isolated temple and Silver crying alone amidst the merrymaking at Xi-feng’s party. It is interesting to see how Mrs. Lai and the other old nannies are held in such esteem that they are invited to sit while the daughters-in-law of the house stand and that their families have become so prosperous that they are expected to contribute as much as You-shi to the party, Incense is typically made by adding a binding material to the pulverized resins of aromatic wood. It comes in pellet, cone, stick, and coil form. Sometimes charcoal or saltpeter is included in the mixture to increase combustibility. The incense that Bao-yu carries around in his sachet—agalloch, also known as aloes, agar, or oud (chenxiang in Chinese)—is a very expensive incense made with the resin of a heartwood tree that has been infected by a fungus, causing the wood to develop a complex and pleasing odor. The well at the Temple of the Water Spirit, dedicated to a river goddess depicted in a famous third-century poem, is the perfect spot for an offering to Golden, who killed herself by jumping into a well.

44 Xi-feng Catches Jia Lian with a Servant’s Wife; Patience Is Struck and a Woman Hangs Herself

SUMMARY Commenting on an opera performed at the party, Dai-yu observes that offerings to the dead serve merely to relieve the feelings of the living—a remark that Bao-yu takes personally. Grandmother Jia is determined that, as the birthday celebrant, Xi-feng should sit down and enjoy herself instead of performing her usual duties as a granddaughter-in-law. One by one, the cousins and the old nannies toast Xi-feng. By the time the maids come trooping up, Xi-feng has had her fill of wine and begs to be excused, but they pretend to take offense, so she forces down another cup before making her way tipsily back to her apartment, with Patience in her wake. A junior maid, fleeing at Xi-feng’s approach, is caught and confesses that she was acting as lookout for Jia Lian, who is at this moment enjoying a tryst with the wife of a manservant. Xi-feng tiptoes toward their bedroom, ears pricked, just in time to overhear Bao Er’s wife saying that she wishes Xi-feng dead and that, if this should happen, Jia Lian should make the amiable Patience his chief wife. Jia Lian complains that the Xi-feng won’t even let him come near Patience. A melee ensues, in which Xi-feng strikes the hapless Patience before rushing upon Bao Er’s wife; Patience, venting her frustration at this injustice, also hits Bao Er’s wife; Jia Lian, retaliating on behalf of Bao Er’s wife, kicks Patience; and Xi-feng— furious that Patience should cower under Jia Lian’s blows—strikes her again, finally putting her to flight. Snatching a sword down from the wall, Jia Lian threatens to kill everyone. When You-shi arrives with a crowd of servants, Xi-feng runs off to Grandmother Jia to accuse Jia Lian of trying to murder her because he wishes to elevate Patience. Exaggerating his drunkenness, Jia Lian rushes in after her, sword in hand, and denounces her in the tone used by small boys proud of themselves for acting up. He skulks away only when Grandmother Jia threatens to

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call in his father. Lady Xing and Lady Wang then take Xi-feng to task for her unseemly jealousy, while Grandmother Jia excuses Jia Lian’s behavior, saying that, like tomcats, young men cannot help themselves. Meanwhile, Patience has retreated, sobbing, to Prospect Garden, where Bao-yu, seizing this opportunity to show his admiration for her, invites her into Green Delights. After she changes out of her damp clothes at his suggestion, Bao-yu helps her put on fresh makeup with the fine cosmetics belonging to his own maids. Then he irons her dress and washes her tear-stained handkerchief, all the while ruminating on Patience’s isolation and vulnerability, a fate worse even than Dai-yu’s. In the end, Jia Lian apologizes to Grandmother Jia, his wife, and Patience. Ashamed and probably afraid of reprisals from Xi-feng, Bao Er’s wife hangs herself. Her family threatens to sue but is silenced with two hundred taels of silver. Jia Lian also gives some money to Bao Er and promises to get him a new wife.

COMMENTS Chinese consider it rude to drink on one’s own at social gatherings. They make toasts or play games to try to get the other person drunk in the belief that alcohol induces people to shed their inhibitions. Being drunk sometimes serves as a convenient excuse for bad behavior—an excuse exploited by Jia Lian in this chapter. Bao-yu’s tenderness toward pretty young women is bound up with a Buddha-like compassion that cannot bear to see such beautiful beings crushed by hard circumstance. On a symbolic level, his washing Patience’s tear-stained handkerchief is akin to Christ washing the feet of his disciples, an expression of the deepest humility. Jia Lian’s display of machismo becomes more understandable when we learn that, in premodern China, jealousy in a wife was considered a vice and grounds for expulsion or divorce. Men were allowed to take as many mistresses and concubines as they could afford, especially in cases where the wife had failed to produce a son.

45 The Steward’s Son Is Made a Magistrate; Bao-chai Supplies Dai-yu with Edible Bird’s Nest

SUMMARY The cousins nominate Xi-feng as disciplinary officer of the Crab-flower Club with the obvious intent of wheedling some money from her for refreshments. She playfully accuses Li Wan of being stingy with her own money but agrees to make a donation. Li Wan tells Xi-feng how angry she has been over Patience’s maltreatment. Xi-feng, who has apologized to Patience in private, now makes a public show of contrition. The son of the chief steward of the Rong house has been appointed magistrate of a provincial town. His grandmother (Mrs. Lai, who was Jia Zheng’s wet nurse) and mother (Lai Da’s wife) come to invite everyone to a three-day celebration. The new magistrate owes his success entirely to the Jia family, which released him at birth from his status as a hereditary slave, gave him an education, bought him a place in the civil service at the age of twenty, and has now secured him a position as a magistrate. Mrs. Lai worries that her grandson may be insufficiently grateful for or deserving of his good fortune. She tells Bao-yu that his father is not strict enough with him: all the senior Jia men, including his grandfather, routinely and viciously beat their sons. On learning Zhou Rui’s son has been dismissed for being drunk and unruly, Mrs. Lai convinces Xi-feng to rescind the dismissal by reminding her that Zhou Rui came with Lady Wang in marriage, and, in dismissing his son, Xi-feng might give offense to Lady Wang. As winter approaches, Dai-yu’s health deteriorates to the point where she no longer joins her cousins at Xi-chun’s residence to watch her work at painting Prospect Garden. Bao-chai drops in on Dai-yu one day and suggests she add edible bird’s nest to her diet. Dai-yu confides that, as an outsider who is already burdening the staff with extra work preparing her medicine, she does not wish to make additional demands. Bao-chai says that she, too, is an

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outsider. Dai-yu points out that Bao-chai is not an orphan like she is and that, even though the Xues live in the Jia compound, they do not depend on the Jias’ charity. Bao-chai promises that she will do everything she can to make things easier for Dai-yu “as long as I am here”—implying that she does not expect to stay in the Jia household—and that her mother may have some bird’s nests that Dai-yu can use. Dai-yu has just completed a poem about a candle burning itself down on a rainy night when Bao-yu comes to see her. She teases him for looking like a fisherman in his rain gear, a gift from the Prince of Bei-jing. After his departure, Bao-chai’s servants come with packets of bird’s nest and sugar. Dai-yu gives them a tip for their nightly card games. Grateful for Bao-chai’s friendship but also envious of her, grateful for Bao-yu’s love but also anxious about their relationship, Dai-yu cries herself to sleep.

COMMENTS Mrs. Lai, whose lecture to Jia Bao-yu in this chapter strongly suggests she was Jia Zheng’s wet nurse, is held in such high esteem by her former employer that she feels entitled to criticize the grown males in the household and to give advice to Xi-feng. Her son was designated as chief steward, and her grandson has become a magistrate through the Jias’ munificence. The fortunes of the Lais parallel the real-life story of the author’s own family—out of respect for and gratitude to his former wet nurse, the Kangxi Emperor appointed three generations of Caos to important posts. The growing understanding between Dai-yu and Bao-chai creates a touching scene. Dai-yu’s deteriorating health, as much as her self-absorption, dooms her prospects for becoming Bao-yu’s bride. Edible birds’ nests are produced by cave-dwelling swiftlets with saliva over a thirty-five-day period. Prized for their gelatinous texture as well as their nutritional value, they are generally imported from Southeast Asia. Bao-yu’s watch and Dai-yu’s glass lamp are, most likely, products of the imperial workshops, which, by this time, had mastered the Western technology that the Jesuits introduced into China.

46 Jia She Tries to Take Faithful as His Concubine

SUMMARY Jia She has taken a fancy to Faithful and wants to make her his third concubine. Tasked with securing the matriarch’s consent, his wife, Lady Xing, consults Xi-feng, whose first reaction is that Grandmother Jia will never part with her chief maid. Furthermore, Xi-feng says, the old lady does not approve of her son, at his age, cavorting with young girls. She advises her mother-in-law to talk him out of the idea. Lady Xing sees nothing wrong with her husband wanting another concubine and is certain that the maid will jump at the prospect of being promoted to concubine. She plans to approach Faithful first and then present Grandmother Jia with the fait accompli. Xi-feng has her doubts but encourages Lady Xing to go ahead. To distance herself from the scheme and forestall any suspicion of sabotage, she invites her mother-in-law to ride over with her in her own carriage and then disappears to let Lady Xing carry out the plan by herself. Lady Xing tells Faithful how lucky she is to be favored by Jia She and suggests they see Grandmother Jia right away. Taking Faithful’s stony silence for bashfulness and a reluctance to commit herself without her parents’ consent, Lady Xing says she will get in touch with her parents. Faithful flees to the garden, where she tells Patience and Aroma that she will never agree to become Jia She’s concubine—not even if he were to ask her to be his proper wife. The other two remind her that she is safe as long as Grandmother Jia is alive, but her options are limited once the old lady is gone. It turns out Faithful is a hereditary slave, so her parents, who are looking after the Jia mansion in Nanking, have no say over the matter. Lady Xing and Jia She put pressure on Faithful’s brother and his wife, but Faithful remains intransigent. Furious at being spurned, Jia She accuses Faithful of holding out for Bao-yu or his own son, Jia Lian—who are, of course, much younger—and

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vows she will never escape his clutches. Faithful throws herself down before Grandmother Jia, declaring that she would rather kill herself than submit to Jia She and vows to serve the matriarch as long as she lives, after which she will either become a nun or commit suicide. To show her resolve, she pulls out a pair of scissors and starts shearing off her own hair. This is the first time that Grandmother Jia has heard of this, and she is furious. They have just calmed her down when Lady Xing is announced.

COMMENTS This episode brings Jia She—a headstrong and lecherous man who feels entitled to his privileges—into the larger picture of the clan’s decline. Bao-yu’s sense of disillusionment deepens as he helplessly watches another maidservant being subjected to unreasonable demands and absurd accusations. The author laces his narrative with wicked humor even as he explores such serious subjects as the limitations faced by the maids. He also uses the episode to play up the contrasting personalities of Xi-feng and Tan-chun. Ever the diplomat, Xi-feng knows when to act candid, when to play dumb, when to intimidate, and when to make herself scarce. She has a quick wit, and she can always make people laugh. Nearly everything she does, however, issues from calculation. Tan-chun comes across as a fair-minded, straight-talking, and decisive individual. To avoid political complications, Cao Xueqin was evasive about the time in which The Story of the Stone is set. However, it is clear that the story is set in his own time, that of the Qing dynasty (1644–1911), which was founded by a seminomadic tribe from the northeast called the Manchu. The agrarian Han people—the vast majority of the population—viewed their Manchu conquerors as foreigners. Cao’s forebears were Han who had been captured and made into “hereditary slaves” by the Manchu ruling house. Even though they succeeded in winning the trust of their masters, their position remained precarious. This goes far to account for the complex relationships between masters and slaves depicted in this novel.

47 Grandmother Jia Gives Lady Xing a Scolding; Xue Pan Is Thrashed by Liu Xiang-lian

SUMMARY As soon as Lady Xing arrives at Grandmother Jia’s apartment, everybody else disperses to spare her the embarrassment of being reprimanded in public. Sure enough, the matriarch scolds Lady Xing for her role in trying to pry her chief maid away from her. This done, Grandmother Jia calls everyone back and plays a leisurely game of cards with some of the ladies while Lady Xing stands by awkwardly, not daring to move until she is excused. Xi-feng conspires with Faithful to make sure that Grandmother Jia wins and then makes everyone laugh by complaining that her money is being lured away by Grandmother Jia’s money. Growing impatient, Jia She finally sends Jia Lian over to fetch Lady Xing, and Jia Lian, too, gets a dressing down. Still angry with him for dallying with Bao Er’s wife, Grandmother Jia declares that, in the fifty-four years since she married into the Jia family, she has never witnessed anything as shocking as what recently took place. Mortified, Jia She stops making his duty calls on his mother on the pretext of being ill and eventually buys himself a seventeen-year-old girl for five hundred taels. The celebration for the appointment of Lai Da’s son as magistrate is held in the chief steward’s spacious private garden. In addition to the Jia menfolk and Xue Pan, the young Lai has invited some of his colleagues and friends. Among the guests is a handsome gentleman named Liu Xiang-lian, on whom Xue Pan has had his eye for some time. Liu Xiang-lian is an opera aficionado who enjoys appearing in romantic roles on stage as an amateur. This gives Xue Pan the mistaken impression that, like many actors, he is available for homosexual relations, whereas, in fact, he finds Xue Pan’s attentions insufferable. Xue Pan is also unaware that Xiang-lian is a swordsman and a formidable fighter. At the party, Bao-yu approaches Xiang-lian to talk about the maintenance of

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the tomb of their mutual friend Qin Zhong and is crushed to learn that he is about to leave on a long trip. Xue Pan accosts Xiang-lian again when the latter is on his way out, telling him “If it’s a business that’s taking you away . . . whether it’s a career you’re after or making a pile—with me for a pal you’ll have no more to worry about!” Enraged at the insinuation that he can be bought, Xiang-lian invites the drunken and besotted Xue Pan to a rendezvous on a bridge outside the city. When Xue Pan shows up, Xiang-lian gives him a thrashing. Before galloping away, he forces Xue Pan to drink from the ditch and eat his own vomit. The Jia men find Xue Pan’s horse tied to a tree and its rider lying in the mud, so weak that they have to carry him home in a chair. Bao-chai dissuades her mother from having Xiang-lian arrested, saying her brother deserved the lesson he was given. Xue Pan tells his boys to burn down Xiang-lian’s house and beat him to death, but Aunt Xue intervenes. She tells Xue Pan that Xiang-lian has fled the country.

COMMENTS As a child, Bao-yu once proclaimed that “girls are made of water and boys are made of mud” (chapter 2), but he likes and admires Qin Zhong, Jiang Yu-han (Bijou), the Prince of Bei-jing, and Liu Xiang-lian. Common to all these men is a disdain for the pursuit of material gains. Like Bao-yu, Liu Xiang-lian is an eccentric aesthete. Unlike Bao-yu, however, he does not have to answer to anyone, his well-to-do parents having died when he was a child. Rather than studying, he spends his time perfecting his swordplay and indulging his love of the theater. Bao-yu both envies and identifies with him. The lian in Liu Xiang-lian’s name means “lotus,” and the han in Jiang Yu-han’s name is another word for “lotus”—a flower that, in the iconography of Buddhism, symbolizes reincarnation. Liu Xiang-lian, like Jiang Yu-han, is an avatar of Bao-yu. He will, in addition, play a role in leading Bao-yu to enlightenment.

48 Jia Lian Is Beaten by His Father for Criticizing Him; Caltrop Becomes Obsessed with Poetry

SUMMARY Too embarrassed by his bruises to face his friends, Xue Pan leaves town with a trusted old family employee and several menservants on a long trip south to learn something about business. Aunt Xue closes up his apartment and has the wives of the absent menservants move in with her. Bao-chai convinces her mother to let Xue Pan’s concubine, Caltrop, join her at All-spice Court. No sooner has Caltrop moved in than she begs Bao-chai to teach her how to write poems. Bao-chai advises her to first make a courtesy call at each residence in Prospect Garden. An agitated Patience comes to ask Bao-chai for medicine for Jia Lian, who has been so badly beaten by his father that he can hardly move. It turns out that Jia She had taken a fancy to a collection of twenty antique fans and had sent Jia Lian to procure them, but the owner had refused to sell. Hearing this, the magistrate Jia Yu-cun—Dai-yu’s erstwhile tutor—imprisoned the man on a bogus charge and seized the fans for Jia She. Jia Lian remarked only that it was not worth ruining a man’s life for such a trifle, but this was enough to provoke a thrashing by his father. In response to Caltrop’s entreaty to teach her how to write poetry, Dai-yu shows her the rules governing “regulated verse” and encourages her to study the works of three eighth-century Tang dynasty poets. When Caltrop returns the next morning asking for more, Dai-yu quizzes her on what she has learned and is pleased to find that Caltrop has fully grasped all the essentials that make for good poetry. Even Bao-yu is impressed, prompting Tan-chun to say that they will soon have to invite Caltrop to join their poetry club. To the great amusement of the cousins, Caltrop becomes completely bitten by the poetry bug, reading and composing day and night. After numerous attempts with mediocre results, an entire eight-line poem comes to her in her sleep.

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COMMENTS Jia Lian receives a highly sympathetic treatment in this chapter. He speaks the truth and suffers for his honesty. If Jia Yu-cun is a man of the world, clever and unscrupulous in pressing his advantage, then Jia Lian is the average male—perhaps a bit oversexed but otherwise a good-hearted, straightforward, responsible sort of fellow. By contrast, Bao-yu comes across as an emblematic figure, and, for this reason, he is less convincing as a human being. The episode in which Dai-yu teaches Caltrop poetry shows Dai-yu at her best. She is not only an excellent poet but also a born teacher—patient and encouraging but strict, drawing Caltrop out by stages. Caltrop, the kidnapped daughter of Jia Yu-cun’s benefactor (chapter 1), was sold to Xue Pan after he had the other man who wanted her beaten to death (chapter 4). That Wang Wei’s poem about the sunlight lingering over the ford should remind her of her trip to the capital shows that, even during this traumatic period, Caltrop was able to lose herself in the beauty of nature. Poetry, too, is something in which she can lose herself. In her words, poetry is about “things you can’t exactly explain but which leave a very vivid impression in your mind.” Under Dai-yu’s tutelage, she learns poetry composition by immersing herself in the works of the masters and by focusing on the creative act so intensely that, tapping into her subconscious, the poem that she wants to write emerges, fully formed, in her dream. Caltrop’s little disquisition on poetry paves the way for a lot more about poetry in the coming chapters. Caltrop’s story is a narrative thread that runs from the beginning to the end of the novel. Her name before her kidnapping was Ying-lian: ying for “flowering” and lian for “lotus” (chapter 1). She has a red birthmark between her eyebrows (chapter 4), rather like the symbolic third eye with which the Buddha is often depicted in Chinese paintings. It would appear that she has come into the world to enlighten Xue Pan.

49 The Arrival of Xue Bao-qin, Xue Ke, Xing Xiu-yan, and the Li Sisters

SUMMARY As the cousins compliment Caltrop on her elegant poem, the servants rush in to announce the unexpected arrival of a large number of distant relatives. The orphaned son and daughter of Aunt Xue’s husband’s brother; Li Wan’s widowed aunt and her two daughters; and Lady Xing’s brother, his wife, and their daughter were all heading north toward the capital when, by chance, they met at a canal port. Learning they were all related to the Jias by marriage, they decided to continue their journey together. Xue Bao-qin, the loveliest of the new arrivals, has come to the capital under her brother’s care to formalize her betrothal to the son of an imperial academician. Grandmother Jia is so delighted with her that she invites the girl to stay in her apartment and asks Lady Wang to adopt her as a goddaughter. Bao-qin’s brother, Xue Ke, is put up in Xue Pan’s vacant study. Bao-yu cannot believe how nice he is—so different from Xue Pan even though the two are first cousins. He is worried only that Dai-yu will be jealous of Grandmother Jia’s new favorite. Grandmother Jia lets Li Wan move her widowed aunt and the Li sisters into her residence at Sweet-rice Village. She also invites Lady Xing’s niece, Xing Xiu-yan, to stay for a few days, which suits Xing Xiu-yan’s parents just fine, as they are near destitute and have come to ask Lady Xing for assistance. Xi-feng places the girl with Ying-chun—Lady Xing’s stepdaughter—so that, if there are any complaints, Lady Xing will be responsible for dealing with them. However, Xiu-yan is such a sweet girl that she soon wins over Xi-feng and is allowed to stay as a permanent guest and receive an allowance like the rest. By coincidence, Shi Xiang-yun’s uncle is transferred to a distant province, so Grandmother Jia asks her to rejoin the household. Xiang-yun moves in with

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Bao-chai, and Caltrop is overjoyed to have another person with whom to discuss poetry. The Crab-flower Club now boasts thirteen members, all in their midteens except for Li Wan and the honorary Xi-feng. When Xue Bao-qin shows up in a gorgeous rain cape made of iridescent mallard’s head feathers that Grandmother Jia gave her, the cousins are stunned because the old lady has never shown them this rare piece of clothing. Yet Bao-qin is so adorable that everyone is happy for her. Bao-yu, pleasantly surprised that Dai-yu now seems to be getting along with Bao-chai, couches a tactful query in the form of a quotation from The Western Chamber. Dai-yu tells Bao-yu that she misjudged Bao-chai and they are now good friends. Shi Xiang-yun comes to the club meeting playfully dressed as a Tartar boy. A poetry session is set for the next day. Morning finds the garden under a blanket of freshly fallen snow. After an impromptu feast of barbecued venison, they kick off the session in high spirits.

COMMENTS With the stern Jia Zheng and the coarse Xue Pan dispatched on long trips, the brutal Jia She humiliated, the lecherous Jia Lian nursing his wounds, and Dai-yu, Bao-yu, and Bao-chai reaching a new understanding, the path has been cleared for a period of harmony in the Jia household. Over the span of chapters 48 through 51, the author lays out his vision of an ideal community, in which hierarchy is disregarded, eccentricities are accommodated, and candor and spontaneity are prized. Here the heart and the mind, sense and sensibility, the yin and the yang are held in balance even as the members challenge and support each other to do better. But, like the pristine but rapidly melting snow that blankets the landscape, this ideal community cannot last. It is worth noting that Ying-chun, who is easily cowed by authority, is not part of the group, being ill; nor is Xi-chun, excused to paint the garden, or the lay sister Adamantina, both of whom are too detached to engage fully in the community. The arrival of Xue Bao-qin, Xing Xiu-yan, and the Li sisters—poor relatives all—adds a touch of effervescence to the mix.

50 Grandmother Jia Invites Herself to a Merry Gathering in a Garden Blanketed by Snow

SUMMARY The Crab-flower Club holds a poetry session in a pavilion surrounded by reeds and rushes that looks like a peasant cottage except that it has an underground heating system. The theme of the meeting is snow, and the chosen form is linked verse, in which one person makes up the first line of a couplet, the next person composes a line to match and then starts another couplet with a new line for the next person to complete, and so on. Jumping in enthusiastically out of turn, Shi Xiang-yun, Lin Dai-yu, and newcomer Xue Baoqin completely dominate the game. Li Wan, as president, pronounces all the contributions to be good except those by Bao-yu and as penalty tasks him with begging Adamantina for a branch from the plum tree flowering outside her Green Bower Hermitage. Bao-yu is only too happy to oblige. His mission fulfilled, he is further commanded to write a poem about his visit. Dai-yu proposes that Xing Xiu-yan and Li Wan’s two cousins be asked to compose poems on red plum blossoms because they have not had a chance to shine. Li Wan excuses her younger cousin and appoints Bao-qin to take her place. Grandmother Jia arrives in a bamboo chair carried by her maids and scolds her grandchildren for not inviting her to the gathering. She tells them to continue as if she were not present but then begins telling them they should be making up lantern riddles instead and advocates moving the party to the Lotus Pavilion. Soon after they get there, Xi-feng comes to inform Grandmother Jia that her dinner is ready. Emerging from the Lotus Pavilion, they see Bao-qin in her green mallard cape on a distant hill, standing in front of a maid who is hugging a large vase from which juts a branch of red plum blossoms. Grandmother Jia is struck by the beauty of the snowy scene and asks who the third girl is emerging from behind. Laughing, the others tell her it is none other than Bao-yu. He returned to the Green Bower Hermitage, and

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Adamantina decided to give everyone a branch of red plum blossoms, which he has ordered to be delivered to their respective residences. After dinner, Grandmother Jia inquires into Bao-qin’s parentage and the exact day and hour of her birth—information needed for a prospective bride— but Aunt Xue tells her that Bao-qin is already betrothed. Disappointed, Grandmother Jia nonetheless instructs Xi-chun to paint Bao-qin exactly the way she appeared on the hill that day into the picture of Prospect Garden. Hearing that Bao-qin has traveled far and wide with her father, Li Wan asks her to make up some riddles about places she has visited.

COMMENTS This chapter is distinguished by its pictorial beauty: a pageant of young ladies in gorgeous winter garb, an old lady being carried in a bamboo chair, and then a girl in an iridescent green cape with a spray of red plum blossoms behind her—a splash of green framed by red dots against a snow white background. Shi Xiang-yun dressing up as a Tartar boy and Bao-yu mistaken for a girl by his grandmother remind us of their androgynous nature. Dai-yu stopping Li Wan from sending a servant along with Bao-yu to visit Adamantina (Miao-yu)—knowing that Adamantina would dislike the intrusion of an outsider—reminds us that these three characters with yu (jade) in their names share a mystical rapport. Ever since Bao-yu declared his love for her (chapter 32), Dai-yu is much more relaxed, enabling her to participate fully in this ideal community. As Grandmother Jia’s inquiry into Xue Bao-qin’s parentage and precise date and time of her birth shows, the matter of Bao-yu’s bride is still far from settled at this point. The poems in this chapter do not appear to have any special significance other than presenting a panorama of a wintry world. However, the riddles that the young people compose all hint at the brevity and futility of human endeavor. For answers to the riddles, see appendix III, volume 3, of David Hawkes’s translation.

51 Aroma Makes a Trip Home in Style; Skybright Catches a Cold

SUMMARY The chapter begins with ten poems composed by Xue Bao-qin, each describing a historical site and also containing a riddle. The cousins fail to guess any of the answers, but it is clear that the last two poems allude to The Western Chamber and The Peony Pavilion (of which one act, “The Return of the Soul,” is frequently performed). Bao-chai pretends not to understand these two poems, whereupon Dai-yu accuses her of hypocrisy. Li Wan agrees that there is no harm in quoting from popular operas and remarks that “history” often consists of little more than stories that people tell to suit themselves. Aroma is given permission to visit her dying mother, and Xi-feng sends her off in style. To ensure that Aroma looks her best, she lends her a jacket lined with arctic fox fur and orders Patience to fetch a snow cape for her. Patience brings out not one but two, intending to give the second one to Xing Xiu-yan, whom she has noticed shivering with cold. With Aroma away, the responsibility of taking care of Bao-yu at night falls to Skybright and Musk. When Musk answers his call for tea, Bao-yu insists she put on his fur coat. Thus fortified, Musk decides to go outside to look at the moon. Forgetting that she has recently been unwell, Skybright creeps out, clad only in her sleeping clothes, to spook Musk and catches a cold as a result. Bao-yu asks Li Wan to send for a doctor quietly, afraid that, if his mother finds out, she might send Skybright home for fear of contagion. The doctor, new to the family, is scandalized to see two manicured nails several inches long on the hand stretched out from behind the red bed curtain and refuses to take the patient’s pulse until the provocative fingers are covered with a handkerchief. As he is conducted out of the garden by the same back gate through which he entered, he is astonished to learn that the bedroom he was in is Bao-yu’s and not, as he thought, that of a young lady. Musk has no

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idea how to weigh out one tael of silver to pay the doctor. Told by another servant that the piece she picked out at random weighs at least two taels, Musk says she can’t be bothered to fetch another piece. Bao-yu examines the doctor’s prescription and is appalled to see that it contains ephedra, a harsh stimulant. He seeks a second opinion from the regular family doctor, Mr. Wang, who gives the same diagnosis but prescribes a milder remedy. Bao-yu exclaims that Mr. Wang would not have prescribed ephedra even for him, who is practically an old aspen in a graveyard compared to a delicate flower like Skybright.

COMMENTS Some of the allusions in Xue Bao-qin’s poems are quite obscure (see appendix III, volume 2, of David Hawkes’s translation). The discussion of the last two poems suggests that young people were allowed to watch opera as a communal activity but not to read their libretti in private, where they were liable to mull over the often provocative messages. Li Wan’s comment reiterates the important theme that the line between truth and fiction is largely subjective. In deciding, on her own, to give one of Xi-feng’s snow capes to the impoverished Xing Xiu-yan, Patience demonstrates her innate kindness, as well as her confidence of Xi-feng’s trust in her. Patience’s description of Xiu-yan, pitifully hunched up with cold amidst the other girls in their fancy winter coats, throws a spotlight on Xiu-yan and prepares us for the larger role she later plays. The pomp with which Aroma is sent home and Musk’s carelessness with money highlight the extravagance of the Jia household. Here, as in chapter 42, the author pokes fun at male physicians’ discomfort with the female body. Bao-yu comparing himself to an aspen is as droll as it is apt—both being sensitive and easily shaken.

52 Xue Bao-qin Recites a Poem by a Blonde Girl; an Ailing Skybright Mends a Cloak for Bao-yu

SUMMARY Xi-feng has decided to put a kitchen in Prospect Garden so that the young people will not have to brave the wintry cold to join the adults for their meals. Still running a high fever, Skybright complains that Patience and Musk are whispering behind her back, so Bao-yu eavesdrops on their conversation to relieve her anxiety. He learns that his junior maid Trinket has stolen Patience’s bracelet but that Patience wants to keep the incident quiet so as not to reflect badly on him and on Aroma as the head of Bao-yu’s household staff. Patience persuades Musk to keep an eye on Trinket, whom Aroma can dismiss at her discretion when she returns. Bao-yu repeats the whole conversation to Skybright, omitting the part about not telling Skybright for fear she will lose her temper and scuttle their plan. After giving Skybright snuff to clear her sinuses and some Western ointment to alleviate her headache, Bao-yu joins Bao-chai, Bao-qin, and Xing Xiuyan at Dai-yu’s residence. Bao-qin recalls that once, while accompanying her father on a business trip, she saw a beautiful girl with yellow braided hair who was wearing a corselet of golden chain mail and carrying a jewel-encrusted sword. Hearing that the girl was well read in Chinese, her father asked her to write something in Chinese for him, whereupon the girl wrote a poem about being homesick for the country of Ebenash. Bao-qin recites the poem from memory, and Shi Xiang-yun and Caltrop are invited over to share in this marvel. After the others leave, Bao-yu and Dai-yu try to think of things to say to prolong their sweet moment together. They don’t express their real thoughts, but they do not need to. In the evening, Bao-yu insists Skybright sleep in his warm closet-bed while he sleeps in the space outside the curtain and Musk sleeps on the clothes warmer. The following morning they hurriedly put the furniture and bedding

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back in place to conceal this arrangement in which master and servants have switched places. After Bao-yu leaves for the birthday banquet of Lady Wang’s brother, wearing a dazzling Russian cloak of “peacock gold” from Grandmother Jia, Skybright takes her anger out on Trinket, accusing her of stealing and jabbing her with a long hairpin until the girl screams with pain. She then insists on summoning Trinket’s mother to take the girl away immediately. Her sickness worsens after this outburst. Bao-yu returns from the banquet with a small hole, caused by a stray spark, in his peacock gold cloak. As Grandmother Jia will expect him to wear it again the next day, Musk sends the cloak out to be repaired, but no tailor will dare to take on such a delicate assignment. Even though she is still very ill, Skybright offers to darn it and completes the job, exhausted, as the clock strikes four.

COMMENTS Musk laughs at how strange Skybright looks with two ointment patches on her temples and remarks that they do not look strange on Xi-feng because she wears them so often. This is the first hint to readers that Xi-feng’s health is not all it seems. What does one make of a chapter that mentions snuff, Western ointment, a blonde girl wearing medieval armor and carrying a jeweled sword, and a Russian peacock-feather cloak? The author of the novel aspired to present a complete picture of his time and worked these objects and images into the story because they were part of his world. By the mid-eighteenth century, the sniffing of tobacco—a New World product—had become widespread in Europe, as well as among the elite at the Qing court. A European girl in medieval armor calls to mind paintings of Joan of Arc, which may have been among the objects that French Jesuit priests brought to China. Characteristically, Cao Xueqin did not portray the strange woman as a foreign devil but endowed her with humanity.

53 Solemn Ancestral Rites Are Performed on New Year’s Eve; the Festivities Last Half a Month

SUMMARY The Jia clan’s ancestral hall is housed in the Ning mansion because the ancestor of the Ning house was the older of the two ducal brothers. The responsibility for organizing the annual New Year rites falls primarily on Cousin Zhen. Ritual vessels have to be laid out, ancestral portraits hung, and a great deal of food and wine prepared, financed in part by the “bounty” given annually by the emperor to hereditary officials. Even so, Cousin Zhen waits anxiously for the arrival of Bailiff Wu from Black Mountain, as income from the family’s other landholdings has been disappointing. After thirty-two days on the road, Bailiff Wu arrives with cartloads of livestock, game, fish, fowl, vegetables, grain, coal, and preserved foods, as well as 2,500 taels of silver from the sale of farm produce—only half of what was expected. He reports that, due to bad weather, harvests from the Rong house’s landholdings are even worse. This prompts Cousin Zhen to ruminate on the deteriorating condition of the Rong finances. Baffled, Bailiff Wu wonders why, with the Imperial Concubine in the family, the Rong house should even need to worry; Cousin Zhen rejoins that, on the rare occasions the Imperial Concubine gives money to her family, it is at most a thousand taels of silver, which does little to offset the family’s yearly deficit of several thousand taels. Cousin Zhen sets aside a portion of the Black Mountain goods to share with indigent members of the clan and is incensed to see Jia Qin, who draws a salary for looking after the young nuns, showing up to collect a share. On New Year’s Eve day, Grandmother Jia leads a procession of the senior Jia ladies to offer their felicitations to the Imperial Concubine at the palace. Upon their return, they participate in a solemn ceremony in which they offer food to the ancestors; the dishes are passed from hand to hand in ascending order of seniority, first by the men and then by the women, until they

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reach Grandmother Jia, who lays them down reverently on the altar. Then the entire congregation kneels to perform the Great Obeisance to the ancestors’ portraits. After that, You-shi serves tea to the ladies in her reception room before they are all whisked off to Grandmother Jia’s apartment. There each generation takes turns sitting down to receive kowtows from the generation junior to them until all the masters and mistresses are seated, following which the servants kowtow to them. As it is the custom to stay up all night on New Year’s Eve, food and drinks flow freely until dawn. The senior ladies then pay another call on the Imperial Concubine, who treats them to another feast. Offerings are made again to the ancestors, and the assembled clan kowtows again to Grandmother Jia. A stream of visitors comes to pay their respects, and their visits are duly returned between New Year’s Day and the Lantern Festival, the last day of the New Year celebration, which falls on the fifteen day of the first month. On that day, Grandmother Jia holds a great feast for the entire clan and engages an outside opera troupe to perform in her courtyard.

COMMENTS Traditionally, the clan was an economic as well as a social unit. People lived off the family’s farm, the family’s landholdings, or the family’s enterprise. One’s family was also one’s employer and one’s safety net; when times were hard, people moved in with relatives. It was therefore in everyone’s interest to remain loyal and cooperative, and ancestral rites reinforced clan hierarchy and loyalty. The rites described in this chapter are unusually elaborate. Most Chinese families simply have small altars in their living rooms at which they honor deceased relatives. The author reminds us of the existence of other perspectives on the Jia feast when he tells us that, with few exceptions, other clan members have declined the party invitation because they have no one to watch their house; they are too old, too sick, too shy, or too ashamed of being poor; or they simply cannot stand Xi-feng.

54 Grandmother Jia Holds Forth at Her Banquet

SUMMARY Grandmother Jia is indignant to find Aroma absent from the Lantern Festival celebrations. Lady Wang pleads that she is still in mourning for her mother, to which Xi-feng adds that, with lanterns and fireworks everywhere, it might be good to have Aroma stay in Prospect Garden to keep an eye out for accidental fires. Though still displeased that she should allow her mother’s death to interfere with her duties, Grandmother Jia is prompted to recall how well Aroma, since her arrival at the Jias’ residence as a little girl, has served her, and then her grandniece, Shi Xiang-yun, and now her grandson, Bao-yu. Suddenly remembering that Faithful, whose mother has also died recently, was not able to go south for the funeral, she orders some choice delicacies to be taken to the two maidservants. Bao-yu refrains from entering his own apartment when he sees Aroma and Faithful engaged in intimate conversation inside. Faithful has been avoiding Bao-yu ever since Jia She accused her of setting her sights on him, and he is saddened to hear her say that she envies Aroma for being able to see her dying mother. Aroma replies that she had thought she would never ever see her family again. His usual sensitivity heightened, Bao-yu scolds Musk and Ripple for being rude to the older servants. After he returns to join the party, he pours wine for all the ladies except Jia Rong’s wife, who belongs to the generation below him. He hesitates when he comes to Dai-yu, knowing she does not drink on this kind of occasion; Dai-yu holds her cup up to his lips and lets him drink for her. Catching this little drama, Xi-feng teases them. Two ballad singers are about to entertain them with the story of a chief minister’s son and his friend’s daughter when Grandmother Jia intervenes. These stories are all the same, she complains: no matter how well-bred the young ladies are, as soon as a presentable young man comes along, out the

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window go all their breeding, their education, and the duty they owe their parents. This does not happen in real life; the writers of these stories are either ignorant or out to malign the upper class, she declares. It is midnight by the time the party moves indoors. Grandmother Jia dismisses the men, leaving Jia Rong, assisted by his new wife, to pour drinks for the ladies. Entertained now by the in-house actresses, Grandmother Jia holds forth on instrumental music in Kun opera. Then they play a game in which a flowering branch of red plum is passed from hand to hand to the beat of a drum; when the drumming stops, the person holding the branch has to tell a joke. A fireworks display marks the end of the evening. There is to be no Visitation this year, as a consort of the emperor’s father has died. Grandmother Jia excuses herself from social gatherings for the rest of the month, leaving Lady Xing, Lady Wang, and Xi-feng to take her place.

COMMENTS The description of the fifteen-day New Year celebration in this and the previous chapter has a distinctly nostalgic feel, as if the author, laboring over every detail, is trying to recapture actual events that took place long ago. This may well be how the Cao clan celebrated the New Year before their downfall, which occurred when Cao Xueqin was about thirteen. The matriarch may represent Cao’s great-grandmother, once the Kangxi Emperor’s wet nurse, an undoubtedly self-assured and charismatic woman who was instrumental in getting her sons placed in some of the most powerful positions in the Qing empire. One of the operas mentioned in this chapter, “the modern sequel to The Story of the Lute,” was written by the author’s grandfather, Cao Yin. Like many wealthy and cultivated men of his time, he maintained an in-house opera troupe to entertain him and his family and their guests. Grandmother Jia rails against young people who, defying their upbringing and neglecting their duty to their parents, wish to choose their own mates. Little does she know this is occurring under her nose among her own grandchildren.

55 Tan-chun Takes Charge of the Household; Xi-feng Shares Her Views of the Cousins with Patience

SUMMARY Xi-feng suffers a miscarriage from which she will not recover until autumn. Lady Wang assigns Li Wan and Tan-chun to take over her responsibilities and also asks Bao-chai to keeps an eye on the garden because the old nannies are liable to take advantage of Li Wan’s sweet temper and Tan-chun’s youth to sleep during the day and drink and gamble at night. Li Wan and Tan-chun set up an office, which the servants call “the jobs room.” A stewardess comes to report that Aunt Zhao, whose brother has died, requests funds to bury him. The stewardess normally would have volunteered the amount paid out under similar circumstances, but she now withholds the information to see how Tan-chun will handle the situation. Tan-chun initially defers to Li Wan, who suggests that, if Aroma was given forty silver taels for her mother’s funeral, the same amount should be given to Aunt Zhao for her brother. Just as the stewardess is about to leave, however, Tan-chun brings up the fact that—as far as she knows—a different scale applies to relatives of house-reared chamber-wives as opposed to ones bought from outside, and she insists the woman look it up. When the stewardess returns with the account book, they learn that families of house-reared chamber-wives get only twenty taels for burial. As Aunt Zhao, like her brother, is “house-reared,” Tan-chun sets the sum at twenty taels. Before long, Aunt Zhao comes charging in, demanding to know why she is not treated as well as Aroma was. Tan-chun says they are simply following precedents. Aunt Zhao tells her she is not just any house-reared chamber-wife—she is Tan-chun’s mother, and the deceased was Tan-chun’s uncle—and accuses Tan-chun of not sticking up for her own flesh and blood. As readers know from chapter 27, Tan-chun, disgusted by her natural mother, acknowledges only Lady Wang as her mother. Sobbing, she now says that, as

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far as she is concerned, the deceased was a mere servant who followed Jia Huan around. Arriving with a message from Xi-feng, Patience sees how angry Tan-chun is and, dropping the lighthearted tone she usually takes with Tanchun, immediately waits on her like a servant. She scolds the other servants for their insolence, threatening retribution when Xi-feng returns. Tan-chun, collecting herself, establishes her authority by denying a request for Jia Huan’s and Jia Lan’s incidental expenses. After she hears Patience’s report, Xi-feng confides that she has always thought Tan-chun, being literate, to be potentially more capable than herself and that she is relieved to have someone else share in taking the heat for enforcing economizing measures. What a shame, she sighs, that the girl was born in the wrong bed (that of a concubine). She gives Patience a rundown of the Jias’ precarious finances and her assessment of the cousins’ personalities. Declining her mistress’s invitation to join her on the kang, Patience stays perched at its edge, with one foot on the ground, while she has lunch with Xi-feng.

COMMENTS In this chapter, the author explores what it takes to run a large household and, by extension, any organization. Li Wan’s approach to management is what Bao-yu advised in the previous chapter: “Be a bit more forbearing with them and they’d give you no trouble.” This does not work. Rules and the willpower to enforce them are necessary; otherwise, the ones who push harder will get more than their share. It is a breach of protocol for Lady Wang to ask Bao-chai, a guest, to keep an eye on the garden, but she wants to give her niece a chance to prove herself. Tan-chun, who normally projects an image of placidity befitting an unmarried daughter, shows another side in this chapter—when pushed, she will stand her ground. Moreover, she has a fine mind for details and is not afraid to exercise authority. Unlike Aunt Zhao, who is always overreaching, Patience is respected because, as she navigates the different roles that she needs to play— maidservant, chamber-wife, and her mistress’s confidante—she, metaphorically speaking, always keeps one foot on the ground.

56 The Girls Put the Garden to Work; Jia Bao-yu Learns That He Has a Double in Zhen Bao-yu

SUMMARY Tan-chun, Li Wan, and Bao-chai discuss how, every month, the buyers draw money on their behalf to purchase cosmetics and hair oil in bulk, half of which are usually unusable. Tan-chun feels this is another area where economy can be exercised. She further says that, when she attended the garden party at the chief steward’s house, she was surprised to learn that his garden is managed by an outside contractor who keeps his family supplied with flowers, fish, and vegetables, in addition to bringing in two hundred taels of silver a year from the sale of the surplus. She figures that Prospect Garden, at least twice the size of the Lais’ garden, should produce about four hundred taels a year. While the Jia family would never dream of letting its garden out on contract, why not put some of the idle old nannies to work growing crops, and let them earn extra income from the proceeds above a certain baseline? The money presently used for gardeners could then be deployed elsewhere. Bao-chai and Li Wan agree it is a good idea. After securing Xi-feng’s approval, the three go over a list of the nannies to select those most suitable to work the farm at Sweet-rice Village, tend the herbs at All-spice Court, and dry the abundant flowers growing everywhere. The question then arises of how to keep track of accounts without involving the central office, which would regard the girls’ plan as an infringement on its authority and, naturally, would want a cut of the profits. Bao-chai observes that the residents of the garden have simple needs such as cosmetics and pet food. Bookkeeping can be kept to a minimum if the nannies take some of the proceeds to buy the supplies and deliver a fixed amount to each apartment. She figures that the money thus saved would be enough to buy a small house or half an acre of land in two years’ time. She is worried, however, that the nannies left out of the lucrative assignments may become resentful, so she

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proposes the establishment of a common pool to be shared by all. This is met with universal enthusiasm. The Zhen family of Nanking, a long-time ally of the Jias, sends four women servants bearing gifts to pay their respects. They reveal that the Zhens have a grandson named Zhen Bao-yu who is the same age as Jia Bao-yu. They cannot believe their eyes when they meet Bao-yu because the two look exactly alike. Bao-yu initially dismisses the possibility that anyone could look exactly like him, but once Shi Xiang-yun suggests playfully that they could be each other’s best friend, he yearns to meet this alter ego. Napping, Bao-yu dreams of meeting this boy who lives in a place identical to his and is in love with a girl just like Lin Dai-yu and who has been dreaming of him.

COMMENTS This chapter continues to explore what it takes to run an organization. In addition to having rules and the willpower to enforce them, its members must be incentivized to keep the organization financially sound, and the less bureaucracy, the better. The exploration may well be the author’s way of expressing his ideas about what makes a good government. Bao-chai not only is savvy about money but also shows circumspection, as she takes care not to outshine Tan-chun. Bao-chai, Tan-chun, and Grandmother Jia share the Confucian virtues of moderation and rationality, and they thrive in a society that rewards fitting in. In contrast, Dai-yu and Skybright suffer because they are sensitive and impulsive. It is a case of sense versus sensibility. The appearance of Zhen Bao-yu reminds readers of the novel’s symbolic dimension. Jia is a pun on “false,” and Zhen is a pun on “true.” Which is true and which is false? Echoing Buddhist metaphysics, the answer is that both are illusionary. Bao-yu’s dream recalls the story, in the Zhuang-zi, of a man waking up from a dream of being a butterfly and wondering if he is not actually a butterfly dreaming of being a man.

57 Nightingale Forces Bao-yu to Declare His Love for Dai-yu; Xing Xiu-yan Is Betrothed to Xue Ke

SUMMARY Bao-yu drops by to see Dai-yu, but she is napping. To prod him to act on his commitment to Dai-yu, Nightingale fibs that Dai-yu will be returning to the South next year to rejoin her paternal relatives. He does not believe her at first, but Nightingale sticks to her story. The news is so shattering that Bao-yu has to be led by the hand back to Green Delights. Panicking, Aroma sends for his old wet nurse, who, seeing that he does not respond to pinching, pronounces him as good as dead. Aroma rushes to the Naiad’s House, demanding to know what Nightingale did to Bao-yu. Arriving at Green Delights to undo the damage, Nightingale is forced to repeat her story to Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang. Bao-yu, waxing delirious, accuses two senior stewardesses, who turn up to see what they can do, of coming to fetch Dai-yu, pointing to a Western toy boat on the shelf as the ship that will take her away. He eventually recovers but contrives to keep Nightingale by his side. One day, when no one else is around, he chides Nightingale for having tricked him. Nightingale admits that Dai-yu no longer has any close paternal relatives, but she presses him on what will happen to Dai-yu if he is betrothed to someone else. Bao-yu declares that his feelings toward Dai-yu will never change, even if he were to turn to ashes and the ashes to smoke. On returning to the Naiad’s House, Nightingale bluntly tells Dai-yu that they must get their future settled while Grandmother Jia is still in good health. Although she pretends to be annoyed, Dai-yu is deeply touched. Aunt Xue proposes a marriage between Xue Ke, her late husband’s nephew, and Xing Xiu-yan, whose impoverished parents are only too happy to oblige. You-shi is enlisted to negotiate the financial settlement. Short of cash because Lady Xing has deducted half of her allowance for her parents’ upkeep, Xiuyan is forced to pawn her winter coat to buy treats for the maidservants in

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Ying-chun’s apartment where she lodges in return for the extra work they claim she has engendered. Hearing of this, Bao-chai makes plans to redeem the coat, which happens to be at one of her family’s pawnshops. Dropping in on Dai-yu, Bao-chai finds her mother in the act of telling Dai-yu that she is just as fond of her as she is of her own daughter, whereupon Dai-yu declares she would be glad to be adopted. Bao-chai teases that her mother already has another role in mind for Dai-yu, that of a daughter-in-law. Laughing, Aunt Xue protests she would never inflict her unruly son on Dai-yu and jokes that she should perhaps suggest to Grandmother Jia that she betroth Dai-yu to Bao-yu. This prompts Nightingale to dart forward and urge Aunt Xue to do just that, but Aunt Xue only teases her.

COMMENTS Nightingale realizes that, until a betrothal is arranged, her mistress is in an extremely precarious position and that only Bao-yu can force the issue. But Bao-yu, used to getting his own way, thinks that his love for Dai-yu is plain enough for all to see and that his wish will naturally be honored. The account of Xing Xiu-yan’s betrothal reminds readers that a proper betrothal involves two families, as well as a third party to negotiate the financial settlement. Dai-yu has no family to speak for her and no dowry. In talking to Dai-yu about the “unseen thread that binds,” Aunt Xue is simply trying to caution Dai-yu that things do not always turn out as one expects. When Bao-chai, in an attempt to change the subject, brings up the absurd notion of marrying Dai-yu to Xue Pan, Aunt Xue is forced to up the ante and suggest a match between Dai-yu and Bao-yu. Nightingale takes her at her word, but Aunt Xue clearly has no intention of helping Dai-yu’s cause. She has every reason to want a marriage between Bao-chai and Bao-yu, as she and her daughter and her son are all very comfortable in the Jia household.

58 A Dowager Consort’s Death Disrupts the Jia Household; the Child Actresses Stay On as Maidservants

SUMMARY The death of the Dowager Consort of the late emperor causes major disruptions in the Jia household. The senior ladies are required to take part in an elaborate mourning ceremony that lasts nearly two months and culminates in a funeral procession to bury her in the late emperor’s mausoleum some ten days’ journey from the capital. This necessitates the redeployment of a large number of reliable servants. Additionally, persons of rank are prohibited by edict from hosting theatrical entertainments for a year, prompting the Jia family to disband its opera troupe. The child actresses are given the choice of returning “home” or staying on as servants. All but three choose to stay, rather than face an uncertain future in the hands of the families that had previously sold them. When they first arrived at Peach Tree Court, each child had been assigned a foster mother, hired from outside, to care for them. The ones leaving are sent to live with these foster mothers until their families can retrieve them. Of those staying, Parfumée, trained to play the leading lady, is assigned to Bao-yu, and Nénuphar, the “leading man,” is assigned to Dai-yu; Bao-chai gets the second leading lady, Étamine. On Spring Cleaning Day, when families honor their dead, Bao-yu comes upon Nénuphar burning paper offerings, which is forbidden in Prospect Garden. To shield her from being punished by her foster mother, he contends that the girl was acting on his orders. After the foster mother leaves, he asks Nénuphar to whom she was making the offering. Nénuphar says Parfumée can tell him in private. Meanwhile, back at Green Delights, Parfumée is having a fight with her foster mother. She complains that she should get better treatment from someone who appropriates her entire allowance, and her foster mother in turn accuses her of being an ingrate. Aroma’s attempt at intervention only provokes the

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woman to strike Parfumée. Musk tells her sternly that it is not her place to punish a maidservant, but the sight of the tearful and disheveled Parfumée—so at odds with her elegant stage persona—makes Musk laugh aloud. To Parfumée’s surprise, Bao-yu goes out of his way to make her feel at home. She tells him that Nénuphar’s offering was for Pivoine, who, before her death, had played “leading lady” to Nénuphar’s “leading man.” The two became so accustomed to acting as lovers that the habit carried over into real life. After Étamine took over Pivoine’s roles, Nénuphar behaved the same way toward her. Teased about this by other child actresses, Nénuphar explained that she had not forgotten Pivoine, just as a man remarrying after losing his first wife remains faithful to her as long as he keeps her memory alive. Bao-yu asks Parfumée to tell Nénuphar that there is no need for paper offerings; she should show reverence for the dead by simply lighting incense in a burner, as he himself does.

COMMENTS This chapter, introduces two new groups of individuals whose fierce rivalry is the main subject of this chapter, as well as chapters 59, 60, 61, 71, 73, 74, and 77. The child actresses, chosen for their good looks and precocious talents, are popular with both the cousins and their young maidservants, who are inclined to indulge them. Having previously joined in a number of celebrations in the garden, they are familiar with its unspoken rules. In contrast, their foster mothers are totally disoriented in their new surroundings. Moreover, they have trouble coming to terms with the idea that their young charges are no longer under their thumbs, making them more prone to anger. Fueled by envy and resentment, the rival groups gradually draw others into the fray, and, by the time the dust settles, the garden has ceased to be a haven for the cousins. In the paper-burning episode, Nénuphar finds in Bao-yu “a kindred spirit”—meaning that they are both homosexual/bisexual. This is stated matter-of-factly. The author approves of all acts of devotion, regardless of class and gender.

59 Conflicts Break Out Between the Ex-Actresses and Their Foster Mothers

SUMMARY Escorted by Cousin Zhen and Jia Lian, the senior Jia ladies join the funeral cortège for the Dowager Consort on its long trip to the mausoleum. Lai Da, the chief steward, orders increased security in their absence: unoccupied rooms are shut up, the main entrances are locked, and the entire compound is sealed off at night. In addition, Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife (Crimson’s mother) conducts a party of some ten or more women to patrol the garden at sundown. To help Shi Xiang-yun avert an outbreak of eczema on her face, Bao-chai sends Oriole to borrow some orris root powder from Dai-yu. Seeing an excuse to visit Nénuphar, Étamine volunteers to accompany Oriole to the Naiad’s House. As they walk along the embankment, Oriole breaks off a few willow branches and shows Étamine how to weave a flower basket. Nénuphar, reluctant to part from Étamine, accompanies them on their way back. The trio runs into Swallow, one of Bao-yu’s junior maids. Her mother is Parfumée’s foster mother, and her aunt is Nénuphar’s foster mother. Swallow wants to know what Nénuphar did to make her Aunt Xia (Mamma Xia) so angry. Nénuphar says that she did nothing wrong and that these foster mothers are simply grumpy because, financially, they are now worse off than when they lived at Pear Tree Court. Swallow says it is not her place to criticize her aunt, but it does seem that these old women care for nothing except money and that her mother, too, had quarreled with Parfumée. She quotes Bao-yu on women: a girl, married, is like a pearl that has lost its luster, and, once aged, she turns into the eye of a dead fish. She warns the others that they are in the territory of another of her aunts, who, having been put in charge of that part of the garden, watches it like a hawk. No sooner has Swallow spoken than this aunt appears, brandishing a cane. Seeing the broken willow twigs and freshly picked flowers with which Oriole

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is making her baskets, she vents her anger on Swallow. When Oriole tries to reason with her, she hits Swallow with her cane, telling the girl that her own mother hates her. As if to confirm this, Swallow’s mother emerges and, still indignant that her daughter did not take her side against Parfumée, accuses her of putting on airs and slaps her. Swallow runs into Green Delights seeking protection, prompting Musk to beg reinforcements from Patience, who sends a message back telling them to dismiss Swallow’s mother and give her forty strokes of the bamboo. Sobered, the woman pleads for mercy. She is allowed to stay on condition that there is no more shouting and hitting. When Patience comes by later, she pronounces the entire household to be in a state of mutiny, as similar incidents are breaking out all over. Nevertheless, she concurs with Bao-yu’s attitude that, “where mercy is possible, mercy should be shown.”

COMMENTS Not knowing how angry Swallow’s aunt is, Oriole teases her for scolding Swallow, leading to a confrontation. A more conventional response would be to plead leniency with the aunt—even though Swallow has done nothing wrong— for it is understood that children must be made to submit to their elders, no matter who is right. Had Oriole done this, Swallow’s aunt might well have been mollified. With Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang gone and Xi-feng still sick in bed, Patience has become the final arbiter of disputes. Back in chapter 56, she and Bao-chai had expressed a fear that the women put in charge of making the garden more productive might abuse their power; this has now come to pass. The measures taken by Lai Da have secured the Jia compound against incursion from the outside—but not from the troubles erupting within.

60 The Ex-Actresses Gang Up to Assault Aunt Zhao; Parfumée Tries to Help Fivey Join Bao-yu’s Staff

SUMMARY Jia Huan is at Green Delights when Swallow brings back a packet of orris powder for Parfumée from Étamine. He asks for a sample. Not wishing to share her gift, Parfumée offers to give him some from her own supply but, finding none, gives him ordinary face powder instead. When Aunt Zhao learns that her son was deceived, she presses him to confront Parfumée. Annoyed, Jia Huan challenges her to confront Parfumée herself—that is, he says, if she is not afraid of Tan-chun. His comment hits a very sore spot. Aunt Zhao charges into the garden, where she runs into Nénuphar’s foster mother, Mamma Xia, who, still steaming from her quarrel with Nénuphar, eggs Aunt Zhao on to challenge the “little painted actresses.” Emboldened by Mamma Xia’s pledge of support, Aunt Zhao throws the packet of powder in Parfumée’s face, calling her a prostitute and a bit of bought goods with no right to discriminate against Jia Huan, who is a master just like Bao-yu. Parfumée protests that she is not a prostitute, and, as for “bought goods,” she says, Aunt Zhao is no better than she. Aunt Zhao hits the child, and Parfumée retaliates by butting her head into Aunt Zhao’s midriff. Nénuphar and Étamine, as well as Shi Xiang-yun’s Althée and Xue Bao-qin’s Cardamone, all rally around Parfumée, pinning Aunt Zhao down and pummeling her. Tan-chun, You-shi, Li Wan, and Patience come to Aunt Zhao’s rescue. They entice her into the office, where Tan-chun lectures her against lowering herself to the level of the child actresses. After Aunt Zhao leaves, fuming, Tan-chun asks around to find out who incited her to commit this rash act. Artémisie, the child actress assigned to her, says it was Mamma Xia. One of Tan-chun’s junior maids trades this information concerning Mamma Xia with the latter’s granddaughter Ciggy in exchange for fetching a piece of sweet for her. Ciggy dutifully warns Mamma Xia to watch out for the snitch.

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Ciggy is outside the kitchen when Parfumée goes in with a request from Bao-yu about his dinner. Coming out, she asks Ciggy teasingly for a taste of the sweet; when Ciggy replies tartly, Parfumée insults her. It so happens that Cook Liu, who had befriended Parfumée back when she was cooking at Pear Tree Court, is hoping to get her beautiful but frail daughter, Fivey, on Bao-yu’s staff with Parfumée’s help. Parfumée assures her that Bao-yu is only biding his time to put in this request. Parfumée now asks Bao-yu for some essence of roses to give to Fivey, and Bao-yu lets her take the bottle along with what remains in it, which Cook Liu then shares with her brother. In return for the essence of roses, Cook Liu’s sister-in-law gives her a packet of medicinal Lycoperdon snow, which her husband, as a gatekeeper for the Jias, received as a tip from a guest.

COMMENTS This chapter is a study in clique politics. People typically form cliques to take a stand against perceived common enemies. Animosity escalates as members on both sides goad one another into ever more aggressive behavior by exaggerating the vileness of the opposition, and bystanders are often drawn unwittingly into the fray. While the actresses harness Bao-yu’s kindness to advance themselves and their sympathizers, the foster mothers enlist Aunt Zhao’s aid. Information serves as a form of currency, and gifts are used to cement relationships. It is hard to avoid wondering if, in describing the servants’ clique politics with such relish, the author is not taking aim at the bureaucratic infighting and the court intrigues of his time. Qiangwei xiao, a medicinal powder whose main ingredient is rose petals, is translated by David Hawkes as “orris root”—its closest Western equivalent. Hawkes has also substituted Lycoperdon for fuling, a white mushroom widely used in Chinese medicine. The distinction between actresses and prostitutes was not always clear in premodern China. Actresses were often pressured by wealthy patrons to confer sexual favors. This is behind the sneers of “whores” hurled at the child actresses by their foster mothers.

61 Fivey Is Accused of Theft; Chess Tries to Replace Cook Liu with Her Own Aunt

SUMMARY Annoyed by a special order of egg custard from Ying-chun’s chief maid, Chess, Cook Liu tells Lotus, the junior maid who is the messenger, that eggs are in short supply, but Lotus finds some in the cupboard and accuses her of playing favorites. Chess later returns with several junior maids and trashes Cook Liu’s kitchen. Meanwhile, Cook Liu’s daughter, Fivey, sneaks into the garden to give Parfumée a share of the Lycoperdon snow that her uncle received as a tip, and Swallow promises to deliver the packet for her. Unfortunately, Fivey is caught by the nighttime patrol led by Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife, who suspects her of stealing from Lady Wang’s apartment, where various items, including some essence of roses, have been missing. At this point, Lotus and Tan-chun’s maid Ciggy— who had had a run-in with Parfumée in the kitchen earlier that afternoon— arrive on the scene to bolster the case against Fivey. Lotus says she saw a bottle of essence of roses in Cook Liu’s cupboard. Finding not only this incriminating evidence but also some Lycoperdon snow, the stewardesses take Fivey into custody for the night while Patience investigates the matter. Parfumée and Aroma corroborate Fivey’s story about the bottle of essence of roses, and Skybright speculates that the missing items in Lady Wang’s apartment might have been pilfered by Sunset for Jia Huan. Patience concurs but reveals that Sunset has already shifted the blame onto Silver. She dreads getting Tan-chun involved in interrogating Lady Wang’s staff, which would likely lead to another confrontation with Aunt Zhao. To save Tan-chun from this awkward situation, Bao-yu offers to take the rap, saying he did it on a lark. With this settled, Patience summons Silver and Sunset to tell them that someone has confessed to the theft but that she believes the confession was made under duress. To avoid getting someone hurt, she says, she has decided

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to accept Bao-yu’s offer to take responsibility for the missing items but asks Silver and Sunset to promise that this will not happen again. Guilt stricken, Sunset confesses that Aunt Zhao pressured her to sneak them out for Jia Huan. Patience and Aroma instruct Sunset to keep this quiet for Tan-chun’s sake. By the time Patience brings a very grateful Fivey back to Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife, the latter has already taken Cook Liu into custody and put Chess’s aunt in charge of the kitchen. Laughing, Patience tells her the news. When Xi-feng hears her report, she says that she would have made Lady Wang’s staff kneel in the sun on broken china all day without food or drink until someone confessed. Further, Cook Liu should have been dismissed, she opines, because “when flies gather on an egg, it’s generally a sign that there’s a crack in it.” Patience responds that it is not worth Xi-feng’s while to make new enemies.

COMMENTS In chapter 52, a kitchen was installed in Prospect Garden to save the cousins the trouble of traipsing outside in the winter to join Grandmother Jia or Lady Wang at mealtimes. The meals are now delivered to the youngsters’ apartments. Trouble arises when they and their chief maids start to make special requests, turning the kitchen into a battleground for competing claims of privilege, and Cook Liu is caught in the middle. Chess’s ulterior motive in picking a fight with Cook Liu becomes clear: she wants the job for her aunt. By hiring Chess’s aunt and accepting her presents, Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife has unwittingly aligned herself with the foster mothers’ faction against the actresses and their sympathizers. The headstrong Chess will play a pivotal role in the ruin of Prospect Garden. Sunset, previously seen only as someone devoted to the pathetic Jia Huan, shows her mettle in this chapter. Xi-feng’s approach to management is to rule by fear, whereas Patience’s impulse is to be as merciful as possible while putting the troublemakers on notice. She reminds Xi-feng that, as she belongs to Jia She and Lady Xing’s branch of the family, she should resist squandering her energy and social capital on other people.

62 A Garden Party Is Held to Celebrate Bao-yu, Xue Bao-qin, Xing Xiu-yan, and Patience’s Birthdays

SUMMARY On his birthday, Bao-yu rises at dawn to make offerings in the main courtyard to heaven and earth, after which he kowtows to his ancestors in the ancestral hall at the Ning mansion and to his absent grandmother and parents from the terrace. Then he goes around the compound to kowtow to senior family members, as well as to all his former nannies. Only then is he ready to receive felicitations from his cousins and the maidservants. It is discovered that the birthdays of Patience, Xue Bao-qin, and Xing Xiu-yan also fall on the same day. A big party is held at a summerhouse in the garden, where they play a quotation-guessing game, as well as a raucous game of Guess Fingers—in which both players put their hands down and yell out a number simultaneously, with victory going to the player who guesses the total number of fingers correctly. In both games, the loser is made to drink. Shi Xiang-yun drinks so much that she wanders off and falls asleep on a stone bench, where she is later found covered by petals from head to toe, a swarm of bees and butterflies hovering over her. Sitting under a flower arbor, Dai-yu and Bao-yu chat and watch, from afar, as Tan-chun responds nonchalantly when Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife requests to fire one of Xi-chun’s maids. She seems coolly detached, Dai-yu remarks. Bao-yu tells her about all the economizing measures his half sister has taken. Dai-yu says that she, too, has noticed how the household is living beyond its means, to which Bao-yu rejoins that he does not think there is any need for the two of them to economize. Shying away from the sensitive subject of her financial dependence, she walks toward Bao-chai just as Aroma arrives with two teacups on a tray, intended for Bao-yu and Dai-yu. Bao-yu takes one, and Baochai helps herself to Dai-yu’s.

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Peeved that she was not seated among the cousins or the senior maids, Parfumée leaves the party. Looking for her back in Green Delights, Bao-yu promises her that not only will she be seated at the celebration that evening but also her friends Nénuphar and Étamine will be invited. Parfumée has asked Cook Liu to fix her something for lunch because she does not like noodles. When the food arrives, it is so fancy and delectable that Bao-yu helps himself to what she does not deign to eat. Caltrop falls into a puddle and soils the new skirt that Aunt Xue gave her. Bao-yu remembers that Aroma has a skirt just like it and makes Caltrop stand still on the spot while Aroma helps her change into it.

COMMENTS The gaiety of Prospect Garden reaches a new peak at this collective birthday party, where, in the absence of adults, the denizens give free rein to their natural impulses, with the spotlight being thrown on the free-spirited Shi Xiangyun and Caltrop. There is, nevertheless, an undercurrent of anxiety. To guard their paradise against the outside world, Bao-chai makes sure the gate to the garden is secured, hinting that several scandals are brewing. The cousins close ranks as soon as Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife, perceived as an intruder, appears. The verses cited in the games—mostly lines from well-known poems—are fraught with symbolic meaning. For example, Dai-yu’s quatrain about a goose with a broken wing hints at her being left behind by her peers, and Shi Xiangyun’s about a lone boat secured by an iron chain presages her widowhood. The vignette of the two cups of tea is also symbolic. Chinese newlyweds toast each other with cups of tea. That Dai-yu allows Bao-chai to take the cup of tea intended for her hints that Bao-chai, and not she, will marry Bao-yu. Noodles are eaten on birthdays because, being long, they symbolize longevity. Parfumée chafes against her current status as a maidservant. She feels entitled to be treated like a lady—a role that she used to play as a child actress.

63 The Party Continues Into the Night; Jia Rong, in Mourning, Flirts with the You Sisters

SUMMARY For their private party celebrating Bao-yu’s birthday, his maidservants pool their money to buy snacks and ask Patience to send over two gallons of wine. Since it is hot, Bao-yu convinces everyone to take off their outer garments. In similar tunics and trousers, Bao-yu and Parfumée look like they could be a pair of twins. Bao-chai, Dai-yu, Shi Xiang-yun, Tan-chun, Li Wan, and Caltrop are persuaded to join the party. Everyone takes turns drawing fortune-telling cards, each with a different kind of flower painted on it. The cards also tell them how much to drink and what to do. After the guests depart, Bao-yu and his maidservants get extremely drunk. Parfumée passes out and wakes up the next morning to find herself lying next to Bao-yu. Adamantina has sent Bao-yu a birthday greeting signed “The Dweller Beyond the Threshold.” Eager to respond in a similarly whimsical tone, he consults Xing Xiu-yan, who happens to have learned to read and write from Adamantina when her family rented rooms in the temple where Adamantina served her novitiate. She suggests that Bao-yu humbly call himself “The Dweller Behind the Threshold.” In an ironic turn of events, Jia Jing dies of a metallic substance he ingested in his quest for immortality. With her husband and son away, it falls to Youshi to attend to all the funerary arrangements. She asks for help from her stepmother, who arrives with her two unmarried daughters from a previous marriage. Before long, Cousin Zhen and Jia Rong, excused by the emperor from the rest of the Dowager Consort’s funerary rituals, rush home to make a big show of their grief for the deceased. As soon as he can, however, Jia Rong goes off to flirt shamelessly with his mother’s stepsisters, You Er-jie and You San-jie, knowing full well that his father has had an adulterous liaison with Er-jie.

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COMMENTS Pairing Bao-yu with Parfumée highlights the idea that this is a gathering from which gender and class distinctions are banished. It also highlights Bao-yu’s androgyny. The card that Bao-chai picks features a peony with the caption “Empress of the Garden.” Bao-chai’s social position in the garden is unrivaled, and she exudes the steely imperturbability required of a Confucian queen. She is, moreover, fated to become the future matriarch. Tan-chun’s card predicts she will marry into nobility, Li Wan’s likens her to a plum flower blooming unseen, and Shi Xiang-yun’s simply says she enjoys sleeping. Bao-yu instinctively hides Musk’s card, which foretells the end of the rose’s blooming. The verse that Caltrop draws is the first half of a couplet in a twelfth-century poem; the rest of the couplet reads, “The envious wind and rain beats it down savagely.” Dai-yu’s card, showing a melancholic hibiscus, tells her, “Your own self, not the East Wind, is your undoing.” On Aroma’s card is a spray of peach blossoms, symbolizing felicity in marriage. A Buddhist theme running through this novel is that man—though not, as the Greeks believed, a plaything of the gods—has little control over his destiny, which is the working out of karma accumulated over many lifetimes. Bao-yu’s spiritual journey continues. He is transfixed by the aria sung by Parfumée from an opera about a man’s conversion to Buddhism and remains pensive through the merrymaking. The next morning he is excited to learn that Adamantina sent him a note and appreciates the message imbedded in her pen name, taken from a poem that reminds us that everyone ends up in the grave. By calling himself “The Dweller Behind the Threshold,” he acknowledges that he is still inside “the threshold” of the world, yet he implies that one day he may step over it to become an outsider. You-shi’s father was a low-level official, but her stepmother is of dubious social background. She and her unmarried daughters are dependent on the Jia family’s charity.

64 Dai-yu Writes About Beauties in History; Jia Lian Is Urged to Take Er-jie as His Second Wife

SUMMARY Bao-yu drops by to see Dai-yu and is told that she has been crying, writing poems, and burning incense as offerings. Bewildered by her refusal to say what bothers her and dejected by his inability to relieve her suffering, Bao-yu starts to cry, which sets Dai-yu weeping afresh. He impulsively snatches the paper on the desk to see what she was writing just as Bao-chai enters the room. Dai-yu explains that her poems are about women famous for their beauty or intelligence, and she does not want Bao-yu to see them simply because he is liable to pass them around. Bao-yu admits he has indeed copied some of the girls’ poems onto a fan, but, ever since they warned him that poems written by women in private are not meant for circulation, he has been careful not to carry that fan outside the garden. Dai-yu shares her poems with them. Jia Jing’s coffin is carried back to the clan temple in the suburb for the customary Hundred Day services. As it happens, Cousin Zhen is short of cash to pay for the funeral. Jia Lian, eager for an opportunity to see Er-jie, with whom he has been flirting, offers to retrieve some money that You-shi has just given to her stepmother and make up the shortfall himself. Accompanied by Jia Rong on his trip to the Ning mansion, Jia Lian confesses his admiration for Er-jie, whereupon Jia Rong urges him to make her his second wife. Er-jie, he explains, is betrothed to a family that has fallen on hard times and would be only too happy to be released from a lifetime of poverty. He suggests Jia Lian install Er-jie in a house nearby, letting Xi-feng know only after everything is settled. Since Xi-feng has not been able to produce a son, Jia Lian has the perfect excuse. Jia Lian is so blinded by his lust that he fails to see how wildly unrealistic this plan is. Never mind that he is in mourning, that secret marriages are frowned on, that he has a strict father and an extremely jealous wife, and that his nephew has an ulterior motive—Jia Rong, who also has designs on

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Er-jie, would enjoy better access if she were Jia Lian’s wife and not his father’s mistress. Er-jie proves to be adept at the art of whetting a man’s appetite, and Jia Lian cannot wait to get his hands on her. Cousin Zhen does not object, being done with Er-jie and ready to move on to San-jie. You-shi’s attempt to dissuade her menfolk from this reckless scheme proves unsuccessful, and old Mrs. You is in no position to reject the proposal, especially after Jia Rong promises that Jia Lian will make Er-jie his chief wife following Xi-feng’s imminent demise. Jia Lian hires a couple totally loyal to him as servants for Er-jie—Bao Er, whose first wife committed suicide after her dalliance with Jia Lian was discovered, and his new wife, the Mattress, whose first husband, the alcoholic cook, has died (see chapters 44 and 21, respectively).

COMMENTS Bao-chai either misses or pretends not to understand the grim point that Dai-yu makes about how beautiful or intelligent women in Chinese history tended to be tragic figures, punished for being disruptive forces. Xi-shi is said to have been drowned by a king’s subjects for having seduced him. Yu Ji killed herself rather than be taken captive by her lover’s enemies. Ming Fei refused to bribe the court painter, who then portrayed her as ugly, and so was given away by her emperor to a nomad chieftain. Green Pearl plunged to her death when her husband blamed her for his misfortunes. Dai-yu finds a heroine in the fictive Red Duster, who is brave enough to take matters in her own hands, something that Dai-yu could never bring herself to do. The sensational tale of the two You sisters, spanning four and a half chapters, is among the most memorable of the entire novel.

65 Jia Lian Secretly Installs You Er-jie in a Second Household; You San-jie Enthralls Cousin Zhen

SUMMARY Jia Lian secretly installs You Er-jie as his second wife in a house within walking distance of the Jia compound. His love for the gentle You Er-jie is undiminished, and everything seems to be working out. One evening Cousin Zhen decides to visit the You sisters in their new quarters when Jia Lian is not there. Jia Lian comes back unexpectedly, but he pretends nothing is amiss. Their horses, however, dislike each other so much that they make a ruckus, forcing the pages to tie them up on opposite sides of the stable. Jia Lian is about to make love to Er-jie when she expresses her concern that Cousin Zhen is taking advantage of San-jie. Jia Lian responds that the solution is for Jia Zhen to take her as a concubine. Determined to please Er-jie, the intoxicated Jia Lian bursts into the room where Cousin Zhen is having a drink with San-jie and insists on drinking to their joint happiness. San-jie leaps to her feet, fixes Jia Lian with a withering look, and says neither she nor her sister can be bought with stinking money. She excoriates him for being so afraid of Xi-feng and then, throwing her arms around his neck, challenges him to drink with her. Jia Lian and Cousin Zhen are taken aback but, at the same time, utterly spellbound, especially after San-jie lets her hair loose and sheds some of her outer clothes, revealing tantalizing glimpses of flesh. Done with abusing them, she dismisses them peremptorily, bolts the door, and goes to bed. Even though San-jie continues to treat Cousin Zhen with contempt, he cannot resist her summons whenever it pleases her to call him, and her demands grow ever more extravagant. Her mother and sister try to make her tone down her behavior, but San-jie points out scornfully that there’s no telling what will become of them once Jia Lian’s wife finds out about the second marriage, so they must get what they can while the getting is good. Worried that her sister might upset their comfortable arrangement, Er-jie is coaxing

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San-jie to reveal whom she might like to marry when Jia Lian’s page Joker appears with a summons for Jia Lian from his father. Jia Lian takes off, leaving Joker behind, and Er-jie takes the chance to ask Joker about the women in the Jia household. Everyone hates Xi-feng, confides Joker, except Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang, and they all like Patience, who sometimes does the servants a kindness behind her mistress’s back. Er-jie does not quite believe him and says she is thinking of paying Xi-feng a visit. Joker declares it is a horrible idea. He predicts Xi-feng will act sweetly and then stab Er-jie in the back.

COMMENTS Horses that need tying up at the opposite sides of the stable make an apt metaphor for You Er-jie and Wang Xi-feng. In Er-jie and San-jie, the author juxtaposes two sisters with markedly different temperaments. Er-jie is yielding and coquettish, San-jie steely and uncompromising. She regards her mother and Er-jie as hopelessly naïve. Realizing they are trapped, she makes ready to fight back with all her might. Up until the Manchus invaded China in the seventeenth century, Chinese men, as well as women, wore their hair combed back into topknots or buns. The Manchus imposed their hairstyle on all the men, who were forced to shave the front of their scalp and wear a braided pigtail (queue) at the back. Only monks were exempt. However, the author wants to keep the time period of the story ambiguous. The only—perhaps inadvertent—mention of a man’s queue is found in the next chapter, unless one counts Bao-yu’s outrageous multiple braids. Through Chinese history, having one’s hair hang loose was a sign of disrespect except, of course, in bed, as Er-jie does with her “billowing black clouds” in this chapter. Joker calls Dai-yu and Bao-chai “Miss Wood” and “Miss Snow” because Daiyu’s surname, Lin, means “wood,” and “snow” is a pun on Bao-chai’s surname, Xue.

66 You San-jie Kills Herself with a Sword; Liu Xiang-lian Goes Off with a Crippled Taoist

SUMMARY Er-jie tells Jia Lian that the man San-jie wants to marry is Liu Xiang-lian, whom the sisters met five years earlier when he played the male lead in a troupe of amateur actors performing at their grandmother’s birthday. Jia Lian praises San-jie’s choice. But Liu Xiang-lian is a cold fish, he warns; Bao-yu is one of his very few friends. Also, since beating up Xue Pan, Xiang-lian has left town and may not return for years. San-jie vows to wait for him. Her decision made, she is a changed person. Traveling on business for his father, Jia Lian is astonished to run into Liu Xiang-lian and Xue Pan together at the head of a caravan. Xue Pan explains that he and his companions were on their way home from a successful business trip when they were attacked by bandits and would have been killed had Xiang-lian not come to their rescue. Xiang-lian is on his way to visit his aunt, after which Xue Pan will find him a new house and a nice wife back in the capital, where they will both settle down as family men. Jia Lian declares his new sister-in-law to be just the woman for Xiang-lian, who responds that he wants to marry a stunningly beautiful girl but is willing to compromise. Jia Lian assures him that San-jie is one of the most beautiful women ever to be born. As a token of his commitment, Xiang-lian hands over a family heirloom—a pair of Duck and Drake swords housed in a jeweled scabbard—and promises to be back in a month. Upon reaching the capital, Xiang-lian has second thoughts and consults Bao-yu. If San-jie is such a desirable woman, he asks, why would Jia Lian be so eager to press her on him? Jia Lian’s relationship to Er-jie also sounds dubious. “The only clean things about that Ning house are the stone lions that stand outside the gate!” he exclaims. Bao-yu feels he is in no position to defend his cousins, as Xiang-lian’s accusation is largely true.

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Xiang-lian goes to call on Jia Lian at his secondary household, claiming that, unbeknownst to him, his aunt had already arranged a betrothal for him, so he must take back his pledge. Jia Lian is indignant, but this only strengthens Xiang-lian’s resolve. Overhearing them, San-jie guesses that this change of mind must have to do with her reputed promiscuity. She snatches the twin swords down from the wall and rushes out tearfully to return Xiang-lian’s pledge. As Xiang-lian takes hold of the scabbard, San-jie whips out the Duck sword and slashes her own throat. Xiang-lian is heartbroken to realize he missed a chance to marry an extraordinary woman. Later San-jie appears in a vision to bid him farewell. Her love was folly, she tells him, and she must now report to the fairy Disenchantment. When Xiang-lian comes to, a crippled Taoist is chuckling over him. Cutting off his long queue with the Drake sword to show that he is renouncing the world, Xiang-lian takes off with the Taoist, never to be seen again.

COMMENTS San-jie fell in love with Liu Xiang-lian’s stage persona rather than with the man himself. In going off with the Taoist, Xiang-lian is setting an example for his good friend Bao-yu. Xiang-lian is a prototypical xia, a popular figure in Chinese fiction and drama. A xia is a skilled fighter and an avenger of wrongs who comes and goes as he pleases, scornful of worldly success but prizing honor above everything— traits shared by knights errant in European medieval tales. Unlike his European counterpart, however, the xia is not a nobleman with a horse and may be a lowly butcher, an itinerant physician, or even a woman living quietly in the community, revealing their prowess only when it is called for. The favored weapon of a xia is the sword, and there is a long tradition of sword dance performed by women. San-jie’s suicide may have been inspired by the combination of strength, grace, swiftness, and danger embodied in the sword dance.

67 Bao-chai Gives Away the Presents from Her Brother; Xi-feng Discovers Jia Lian’s Second Marriage

SUMMARY Aunt Xue is excited at the prospect of arranging a house and a wedding for Liu Xiang-lian when the news of San-jie’s suicide and Xiang-lian’s disappearance reaches her. Unperturbed, Bao-chai urges her mother to focus on expressing her gratitude to the employees who accompanied Xue Pan on his successful business trip. Xue Pan has brought back two cases of gifts for his mother and Bao-chai—expensive fabrics and imported household goods, as well as knickknacks and toys from Soochow (Suzhou), including a tiny clay figurine made to look like Xue Pan, which makes Bao-chai laugh. She gives away most of the presents and makes a point of sending a large selection of Soochow toys to Dai-yu. On receiving them, Dai-yu becomes terribly homesick, and Bao-yu feels powerless to help her. Back from delivering the presents to Xi-feng, Oriole whispers in Bao-chai’s ear that Xi-feng looked angry. Bao-chai says they should mind their own business. Dropping in on Xi-feng, Aroma is startled to hear her yelling something about being treated like a criminal. Xi-feng resumes an appearance of normality as soon as she catches sight of Aroma, but Aroma overhears Patience telling Brightie, the steward, to come back later. She therefore cuts short her visit. It turns out that Brightie has been summoned because Patience told Xi-feng that she overheard him silencing two pages—Jia Lian’s Joker and one of Jia Zhen’s pages—as they gossiped about how much prettier and nicer the new mistress was than the old one. Brightie admits to hearing the two pages talking about a new mistress but claims not to know anything more, so Joker is summoned. As soon as Joker hears Xi-feng’s belligerent voice and sees her angry face, he knows the game is up. He drops to his knees and knocks his head on the ground to show contrition, and he then proceeds to slap his own face. Xi-feng

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waits until he slaps himself more than a dozen times before she lets him tell her what he knows. This includes Jia Rong’s offer to act as go-between, Er-jie’s previous betrothal to Zhang Hua, and San-jie’s suicide. Xi-feng orders Joker not to let on to his master that the secret is out. After dismissing Joker and Brightie, Xi-feng charts out a course of action, her rage mounting.

COMMENTS In this chapter, the author shows us what takes place after San-jie’s suicide through a series of vignettes involving different sets of people. The first vignette features people mourning San-jie—old Mrs. You, Er-jie, Cousin Zhen, Jia Lian, and Liu Xiang-lian. Next we are shown how Aunt Xue, Bao-chai, and Xue Pan and his employees react to the news. Characteristically, Baochai keeps her cool and focuses on the tasks at hand. She urges her mother to keep busy while she occupies herself with distributing the articles Xue Pan brought back. The gifts lead us to Dai-yu, Bao-yu, Aunt Zhao, Lady Wang, Skybright, Aroma, and, finally, Xi-feng, who has just discovered Jia Lian’s second marriage. Over the course of this panoramic tour, we learn that Dai-yu remains unpopular among many members of the Jia household. Presented with Baochai’s gifts to Jia Huan, Aunt Zhao’s first thought is how kind Bao-chai is, in contrast to the standoffish Dai-yu. When Skybright hears Bao-yu saying he is going to ask Aroma if she’d mind going over and having a word with Dai-yu, her response is “Oh dear! Who’s in for it this time?” We also see that Aroma is now widely acknowledged as Bao-yu’s concubine rather than a maidservant, and she conducts herself accordingly. When one of the gardeners tries to ingratiate herself with Aroma, she urges the gardener to set an example for the younger servants. Xi-feng rises to her feet to greet Aroma and extends to her the courtesy of an equal. There is a strong element of possessiveness in Xi-feng’s feelings for Jia Lian. She is furious not only because she feels betrayed but also because someone else has dared take what is hers—her husband.

68 Xi-feng Lures You Er-jie Into the Rong Compound and Humiliates Jia Rong with a Bogus Lawsuit

SUMMARY With Jia Lian away on a long trip, Wang Xi-feng renovates an apartment abutting hers and then, dressed austerely in white and silver, surprises Er-jie with a visit. She takes Er-jie’s hand in hers and complains of Jia Lian hiding his second marriage from her, claiming that, as she herself is unable to bear him a son, she is, in fact, very much in favor of his taking a second wife. She invites Er-jie to move into the Rong mansion where they can live like sisters and look after Jia Lian together. Yearning for respectability, the naïve and gentle Er-jie is completely taken in. She gives Xi-feng full control—even over the valuables Jia Lian has given her and others that he entrusted to her safekeeping. By this time, nearly all the Jias except the matriarch know about Jia Lian’s second marriage. Xi-feng asks Li Wan to put Er-jie up, explaining that, as Jia Lian married her during the mourning period for the Dowager Consort, their marriage must be concealed until that is over. To humiliate Jia Rong, Xi-feng drags him into a court case. She sends Brightie to bribe Zhang Hua—Er-jie’s erstwhile fiancé—to bring a case against Jia Lian in the Court of Censors for pressuring his parents to break off the engagement. Zhang Hua is too intimidated to sue Jia Lian or Jia Rong but agrees to sue Brightie for putting Jia Lian up to mischief. At court, Brightie denies being the instigator, whereupon Zhang Hua, as instructed, states that the real culprit was Jia Rong, whom he dares not sue. Meanwhile, Xi-feng sends a kinsman to bribe the chief censor, an old friend of her uncle Wang Zi-teng, and tell him that the case is simply a ruse to give Jia Rong a scare. Terrified that Jia Rong has been summoned to court, Cousin Zhen dispatches a trusted servant to appear in his stead and sends a bribe to the chief censor at once. Meanwhile, Xi-feng arrives at the Ning house to make a scene. Accusing Jia Rong and his mother of betraying her, she spits in You-shi’s face,

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strikes Jia Rong, and makes him slap himself in front of all the servants. She also complains that she is out 500 taels in connection with the court case (when she spent only 320). After being promised reimbursement, she convinces You-shi to fall in line with her strategy of telling Grandmother Jia that marrying Er-jie to Jia Lian was her own idea and that she has invited Er-jie to live in the garden until the marriage can be properly solemnized. Jia Rong and You-shi act as if Xi-feng has done them a great favor.

COMMENTS Xi-feng scripts, directs, and stars in an elaborate drama to accomplish several objectives at once—to isolate Er-jie, put You-shi on the defensive so she will not come to Er-jie’s aid, punish Jia Lian and Jia Rong, advance her own reputation as a good wife, and make some good money on the side. Although he is not shown in the narrative—but only alluded to as Lady Wang’s and Aunt Xue’s brother or as the uncle of their children and of Wang Xi-feng—Wang Zi-teng is the true alpha male of the novel. Jia Zheng, the only Jia male who holds real office, never rises above the fifth out of nine ranks. In contrast, Wang Zi-teng is already commander-in-chief of the northern provinces in chapter 4, and he will rise to the zenith of Chinese officialdom, the Grand Secretariat, by chapter 95. He is the reason that Xue Pan and Xi-feng feel they can operate outside the law with impunity. Even though he remains “offstage,” readers are reminded of his importance by the seriousness with which everyone in the Jia household regards their social duties to him and his family. David Hawkes frankly admits in appendix IV that he killed off the old Mrs. You in this chapter for the sake of consistency—she is unaccountably absent in the remaining narrative. Her death is not in the Chinese original.

69 Xi-feng, Feigning Kindness, Drives Er-jie to Her Death

SUMMARY After presenting Er-jie to Grandmother Jia as a concubine she had arranged for Jia Lian, Xi-feng sends her agents to promise Zhang Hua that, if he asserts his prior claim, he will get Er-jie back and have her trousseau as well. Then, feigning agitation, Xi-feng comes to Grandmother Jia with the news that Zhang Hua wants his fiancée back, but the matriarch surprises her with the order to see what she can do to keep Er-jie. Stymied for once, Xi-feng confers with Jia Rong, who knows Xi-feng wants to get rid of Er-jie but also realizes how absurd it would look for the Jia clan to hand over one of its women to a beggar. In the end, Cousin Zhen pays Zhang Hua and his father off to leave town. Afraid that Zhang Hua might talk, Xi-feng instructs Brightie to have Zhang Hua killed. Brightie, however, is unwilling to commit murder for Xi-feng’s sake. He hides out for several days before reporting back that Zhang Hua was already killed by a bandit and his father died shortly afterward. Jia Lian comes home to find everything changed. He braces himself to face a wrathful Xi-feng but finds himself greeted with wifely tenderness. Meanwhile, his father, pleased at the success of his mission, gives him a seventeen-year-old girl named Autumn as a concubine. When Jia Lian gloats about this to Xi-feng, she calmly dispatches two servants and a carriage to collect the girl. Behind the scenes, however, Xi-feng gets to work undermining Er-jie’s sense of self-worth by telling her that rumors of her premarital dalliance with Cousin Zhen have reached Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang. Meanwhile, she starves her by sending her inedible food. Patience’s attempts to smuggle food to Er-jie are discovered by Autumn, who reports her to Xi-feng. Beguiled by Xi-feng’s consummate performance and infatuated with his new concubine, Jia Lian notices nothing, and the servants, seeing that Grandmother Jia has

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taken a dislike to Er-jie, pile on their scorn. Er-jie falls ill. One night San-jie comes to her in a dream, proffering her sword and urging Er-jie to kill Xi-feng, but Er-jie blames herself for her misfortunes and refuses to add to her sins. When she finally has a chance to tell Jia Lian that she is pregnant, the doctor he sends for misdiagnoses her condition as menstrual blockage and prescribes a strong medicine that results in a miscarriage. The fetus, recognizably male, would have given the family a badly needed heir. Patience is overwhelmed with guilt for her role in Er-jie’s downfall (by telling Xi-feng what she overheard). She comes to comfort Er-jie, who comforts her back, saying that Xi-feng would have found out in any case. After Patience leaves, Er-jie kills herself by swallowing a piece of gold. Xi-feng refuses to give Jia Lian money for the funeral, but Patience takes two hundred taels of silver from Xi-feng’s chest and passes it to him surreptitiously.

COMMENTS Xi-feng’s cruelty to Er-jie and her order to have Zhang Hua killed alienate even her most loyal lieutenants, Patience and Brightie. Er-jie is a greater threat to Patience’s status than to Xi-feng’s. That Patience should risk Xi-feng’s wrath to aid Er-jie is thus all the more impressive. Thanks perhaps to the cult of the Virgin Mary, there are not many wicked women in Western literature except witches and stepmothers in fairy tales. William Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth invokes the spirits to unsex her before committing her heinous crimes. In contrast, Chinese history and literature are densely populated with vindictive wives who primarily direct their fury not at their husbands but at the other women. Then, as now, when a wife lost her husband’s affections to another woman, she also risked losing her financial security and social standing. This was further complicated in premodern China by the fact that jealousy in a wife was considered a valid cause for driving her out of the house or returning her in disgrace to her natal family— although this rarely happened. The need to repress or camouflage a perfectly natural emotion undoubtedly made its eruption all the more vicious.

70 The Cousins Release Their Kites; Bao-yu, Though Deeply Troubled, Catches Up on His Studies

SUMMARY Grandmother Jia not only denies Jia Lian’s wish to bury Er-jie in the ancestral grounds but also forbids him from placing her remains in the family temple during the mourning period. San-jie’s suicide, Liu Xiang-lian’s disappearance, Er-jie’s death at Xi-feng’s hands, and the deterioration in Fivey’s health caused by her night of detention all weigh heavily on Bao-yu. He is beginning to look, act, and talk like a half-wit. Not daring to report this to Grandmother Jia, Aroma and the other maids do their best to keep his spirits up. One morning Bao-yu wakes up to find his maids tickling each other in bed and joins the fray until his cousins call him away to look at a good poem they’ve discovered. As soon as Bao-yu reads “The Flower of the Peach,” he knows that Dai-yu is the poet; he falls silent because, underneath the lighthearted tone, it is all about death and decay. The others, however, have nothing but praise. They propose a revival of their poetry club, renaming it the Peach-Flower Club. But just as they are trying to decide on a theme for the first session, they are called away to greet Wang Zi-teng’s wife, who stays for dinner. The ensuing weeks are taken up by Tan-chun’s birthday, a visit to Wang Zi-teng’s residence related to his daughter’s engagement, and—in anticipation of Jia Zheng’s homecoming—a workshop in which everyone forges Bao-yu’s calligraphy to enable him to produce enough to show he has been studying. By the time the club gets together, the peach blossoms are gone; they settle on composing song lyrics about willow floss. The noise of a kite crashing takes them outdoors, where they elect to fly kites instead. It is believed that cutting a kite loose will send one’s bad luck off with it. When Dai-yu is reluctant to let go of hers, which is shaped like a pretty lady, her maid Snowgoose snips the string. Bao-yu has received two special kites as gifts, but Skybright has flown one off, and Aroma has given the other

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to Jia Huan. He ends up flying a “pretty lady” just like Dai-yu’s, which he sends off after hers. The string of Tan-chun’s phoenix kite gets tangled up with one that appears in the sky, and the two fly off companionably together. All the cousins have their turns. Knowing Bao-yu is behind in his schoolwork, the girls no longer invite him to their gatherings. Dai-yu pretends to be asleep whenever he comes by. Thrown onto his own resources, Bao-yu manages to get some work done by the time his father returns in the autumn.

COMMENTS This chapter may be compared to a modulating bridge marking the transition of a piece of music from a major to a minor key. It frames the rest of the narrative, which grows much darker for the cousins. The poetry gathering is repeatedly postponed for various Confucian duties. When they finally get together, spring is nearly over, taking with it their buoyant spirits. The verses that they compose and the kites that they release hint at their upcoming dispersion. Dai-yu’s “The Flower of the Peach” is written in a poetic genre called xing, a form of ballad distinguished by its conversational tone that gives it the feel of a folk song. The other poems belong to a genre called song lyric, or ci, because the metrical patterns to which they are set originally come from tunes, most of which have long been lost, leaving only patterns dictating rhyme, line length, stanza length, number of stanzas, and so forth as templates for new poems. The cousins draw lots to find out which template they must use. Their poems are all sad except for the one by Bao-chai, who, with her Confucian insistence on being positive, finds something upbeat to say about willow floss. David Hawkes uses the British term revision to describe Bao-yu’s act of going over texts that he must learn; American readers would use the term review.

71 Jia Zheng Comes Home for Grandmother Jia’s Birthday; Faithful Catches Chess in Flagrante

SUMMARY Jia Zheng, granted a month’s rest, is home for the eight-day celebration of Grandmother Jia’s eightieth birthday. Male guests are entertained at the Ning mansion and female guests at the Rong mansion. Several large buildings in Prospect Garden are requisitioned as rest areas for the ladies, who include members of the imperial family. Exhausted by the first day’s pomp and circumstance, Grandmother Jia appears only occasionally at subsequent festivities. Having waited on her all day, You-shi is ravenous by evening and goes to look for a bite in Prospect Garden. Upset to see the gates still open and all the candles blazing, she has her maid fetch the women on duty. When none is found, she sends her maid to look for one of the stewardesses. The two women on duty at the corner-house refuse to take orders from You-shi’s maid, so Aroma sends a junior maid at Green Delights to look for a stewardess. Running into Zhou Rui’s wife, the girl informs her about her errand. This prompts Mrs. Zhou to report this to Xi-feng, who instructs her to have the two women tied up at the end of the festivities so You-shi can punish them as she sees fit. But the self-important Mrs. Zhou orders the women bound at once and sends a boy to tell the chief stewardess that she is wanted immediately. Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife rushes into the garden to see You-shi, only to be told that the matter has been settled. On her way out, she runs into Aunt Zhao, whose indignation on her behalf at being summoned so late at night, adds fuel to the fire. Mrs. Lin is further waylaid by the daughters of the imprisoned women, who implore her to help. Flustered, she tells the girls to plead their case with Lady Xing. Lady Xing has been nursing a grievance against Xi-feng ever since the Faithful fiasco (chapters 46 and 47). The next evening, just before leaving the party, she scolds Xi-feng in front of all the ladies and commands her to release

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the two women, giving Xi-feng no chance to explain. To make matters worse, Lady Wang sides with Lady Xing and faults Xi-feng for marring the birthday celebrations over such a trifling matter. Xi-feng returns to her apartment in tears. Grandmother Jia, learning from Faithful why Xi-feng was crying, observes that this is Lady Xing’s way of venting her resentment. When an errand for Grandmother Jia takes her to Tan-chun’s residence, Faithful expresses her sympathy for Xi-feng to Li Wan, You-shi, Tan-chun, Bao-yu, and a pair of distantly related clan sisters who happen to be there. Tan-chun says she wishes she lived in a smaller, less complicated household even if it meant being poorer. On the contrary, says Bao-yu, they should focus on enjoying their wealth and position. With life so uncertain, all he cares about now is being able to enjoy the girls’ company; even if he died the next day, he would at least have lived exactly as he pleased. Everyone laughs. On her way out of Prospect Garden, Faithful finds a secluded spot to relieve herself and notices Ying-chun’s chief maid, Chess, behind a nearby bush. Thinking Chess is there for the same purpose, she calls her out in a teasing way. But Chess is there on a tryst with her cousin. Terrified at being caught, the lovers throw themselves on Faithful’s mercy.

COMMENTS In contrast to the spontaneous gaiety of Bao-yu’s birthday in chapters 62 and 63, Grandmother Jia’s birthday celebration is all ritual, which even she does not enjoy. The author of the novel does not readily let his readers off the hook. Just as we are prepared to loathe Wang Xi-feng, he casts her in a sympathetic light. The battle lines are drawn. United on one side are the cousins, Grandmother Jia, Xi-feng, and their maids, as well as Cook Liu and her daughter, Fivey; on the other side are Lady Wang, Lady Xing, Aunt Zhao, Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife, and the older woman servants.

72 Jia Lian Is Driven to Pawning Grandmother Jia’s Valuables; Sunset Is Promised to a Wastrel

SUMMARY Faithful resolves not to report Chess and her cousin, as an offense involving both illicit entry and sexual delinquency could cost them their lives. When Chess hears later that her cousin has disappeared, she is so agitated at his cowardice that she falls ill. Meanwhile, Patience confides to Faithful that Xi-feng, who has been ill, suffers from abnormal menstrual bleeding but refuses to see a doctor. Faithful is alarmed because her sister died from a similar condition. Jia Lian is pleased to find Faithful visiting with Patience. He wants Faithful to slip him a few of Grandmother Jia’s valuables that he can pawn to tide him over, but Faithful is called away before he finishes talking. Jia Lian presses Xi-feng to make his case with Faithful, promising to do anything in return, at which point Patience says Xi-feng does need a couple of hundred taels of silver for something she has in mind. Jia Lian scoffs at being extorted for so much in exchange for a few words when Xi-feng has thousands of taels at her disposal. This provokes Xi-feng to warn him not to touch her money. Then she discloses that the money is for making offerings at Er-jie’s grave on the anniversary of her death. This shuts Jia Lian up. Brightie’s wife comes to ask for Xi-feng’s help in securing Lady Wang’s maid Sunset as a bride for their son. Xi-feng deliberately remains silent until Jia Lian volunteers to send someone to approach Sunset’s father. Xi-feng then says she will talk with Sunset’s mother, but, in return, Brightie must exert himself to collect all the money she lent out. Money is now so tight, she adds, that, until she suggested pawning some large, useless bronzes in the storeroom, Lady Wang was worried how they could possibly pay for Grandmother Jia’s birthday celebration.

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Their conversation is interrupted by a eunuch from the palace coming to ask for a loan. Signaling Jia Lian to let her handle the eunuch, Xi-feng acts as if there is no problem and instructs Brightie’s wife to get the money. Catching on, Brightie’s wife replies that there is none to be had. Xi-feng then orders Patience to pawn two gold necklaces for a total of four hundred taels, half of which she gives to the eunuch. After he leaves, Jia Lian says with a sigh that what the Jia family needs is a windfall of forty or fifty thousand taels. Lin Zhi-xiao comes to report that Jia Yu-cun has been demoted and then stays on to impress upon Jia Lian the urgency of economizing. Jia Lian concurs but remarks that Jia Zheng, home for a month, is in no mood to discuss business. He asks the steward to persuade Sunset’s father to marry her to Brightie’s son. Lin Zhi-xiao protests that the boy drinks and gets into all kinds of mischief. However, by the time Jia Lian sees Xi-feng again that night, Sunset’s mother, flattered by Xi-feng’s attention, has already given her consent. Hearing that she has been promised to an ugly wastrel and knowing that Aunt Zhao intends her to be a concubine for Jia Huan, Sunset sends her sister to beg Aunt Zhao to intervene. Aunt Zhao tries to prod Jia Huan into speaking up for himself, and, when she fails, she goes to Jia Zheng. But Jia Zheng says his sons are too young to be discussing marriage.

COMMENTS Xi-feng is increasingly haunted by her mistreatment of Er-jie, which explains her planned offering. Notwithstanding their differences, her marriage with Jia Lian works. They understand each other, talk candidly, and act in concert. By pawning her jewelry in the eunuch’s presence, Xi-feng demonstrates her willingness to comply with his request while, at the same time, discouraging him from coming back. The observant Lin Zhi-xiao sees in Jia Yu-cun’s demotion a sign that the family’s influence is waning—something that Jia Lian fails to grasp. But the other Jia men are even more oblivious, so it falls squarely on the young shoulders of Jia Lian and Xi-feng to keep the household afloat.

73 A Maidservant Shows Lady Xing a Piece of Erotica; Ying-chun Refuses to Discipline Her Staff

SUMMARY Panic stricken that his father may test him on his studies, Bao-yu is keeping his maids up late at night as he tries to make up for lost time when a junior maid runs in to report a man was seen jumping down from the garden wall. No man is found, but Skybright makes a big fuss in order that Bao-yu can claim the shock has left him too ill to meet with his father. Grandmother Jia, however, takes the false alarm seriously, worried not only about robbery but also about the girls’ reputations. Tan-chun confesses that, in Xi-feng’s absence, discipline among the servants has grown lax, leading to an increase in gambling activities. Outraged, Grandmother Jia orders an investigation. The three principal organizers—Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife’s cousin, Cook Liu’s sister, and Ying-chun’s old wet nurse—are each given forty strokes of the heavy bamboo and dismissed. A slow-witted maidservant named Simple picks up a purse embroidered with a picture of a naked couple making love and shows it to Lady Xing. Shocked, Lady Xing hides it in her sleeve before going on to Ying-chun’s quarters to scold her for not controlling her old wet nurse. The nurse would have needed money to organize the gambling ring, and Lady Xing wonders where the money came from. Why, she asks, can’t Ying-chun measure up to her cousin Tan-chun, also the daughter of a concubine? Ying-chun simply hangs her head. After Lady Xing leaves, Ying-chun’s maid Tangerine demands to know why Ying-chun never looked into the disappearance of her hair ornament, a pearl-and-gold phoenix; she now suspects the old wet nurse of pawning it and threatens to report the case to Xi-feng. Overhearing this, the wet nurse’s daughter-in-law, Zhu-er’s wife, rushes in, promising to restore the ornament, and implores Ying-chun to intervene on the culprit’s behalf. Tangerine rebukes her for hinting that the ornament will be redeemed only if Ying-chun comes

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to the culprit’s rescue. This prompts Zhu-er’s wife to make the wild allegation that the root cause of the thefts is the fact that Lady Xing confiscates half of Xing Xiu-yan’s allowance, which results in a consistent shortfall at Yingchun’s establishment that the maids have had to make up. Uneasy that her stepmother’s name might be dragged into the dispute, Ying-chun tells them to stop arguing, saying she does not care about the ornament and, if anyone should ask, she will say that she lost it herself. But Tangerine, worried at being blamed, continues to expostulate, and Chess rises from her sickbed to take her side. Bao-chai, Dai-yu, Bao-qin, and Tan-chun, on a mission to cheer up Yingchun, enter the courtyard to the sounds of their raucous spat. Peeking in, Tanchun laughs to see Ying-chun, her nose in a Taoist book, seemingly oblivious to the racket just a few feet away. The shouting stops as soon as the cousins enter, but Tan-chun sends for Patience and insists that the daughter-in-law divulge all the relevant details. Teased about her passivity, Ying-chun explains complacently that, while it is not in her power to help anyone, she will not exert herself to make things worse for anyone either.

COMMENTS Civil service examination candidates were required to compose formulaic essays on topics drawn from the Confucian Four Books; for much of Chinese history, they were also required to write on a topic drawn from one of the ancient Five Classics. These form the bulk of Bao-yu’s studies. The Art of War, which Dai-yu cites in this chapter, is a book on military strategy written in the fifth century BCE. Up to this point, Ying-chun has been depicted as a sweet, gentle girl of mediocre poetic talent. Watching her in action in this chapter, however, one develops a certain affection for her. She values her peace of mind and refuses to get entangled in other people’s business. Hers is a kind of passive resistance. The fourteen-year-old, slow-witted Simple, ignorant about sex and therefore amoral and nonjudgmental, is a character much beloved by Chinese readers. Having her discover the purse lends an air of comic innocence to this episode.

74 Lady Wang Turns Against Skybright; a Raid Is Conducted on Prospect Garden

SUMMARY Lady Xing sends the purse with erotic embroidery on to Lady Wang, who assumes that it belongs to the only young couple in the Rong mansion, Xi-feng and Jia Lian. Xi-feng points out that the cheaply made purse looks like something a servant might own. She suggests that Lady Wang conduct a secret investigation in the garden and proposes dismissing some of the more sexually mature maidservants for the sake of economy, as well as to prevent problems of this sort from recurring. Wang Shan-bao’s wife (who came with Lady Xing into the Jia household) wins Lady Wang’s favor when she describes Skybright as an uppity coquette. This reinforces Lady Wang’s impression of Skybright as just the kind of sly minx likely to corrupt Bao-yu. Disheveled from having just woken up, the sick Skybright is led to Lady Wang, who denounces her for looking like a trollop. Quizzed about Bao-yu, Skybright has the presence of mind to reply that, as she was assigned to Bao-yu’s quarters by Grandmother Jia, for whom she still does a lot of sewing, she sees very little of him. Xi-feng suggests that Lady Wang allow Mrs. Wang to lead the raid, figuring that, if anything should go wrong, the blame will fall on the woman. That evening Mrs. Wang, accompanied by Xi-feng and Zhou Rui’s wife (who came with Lady Wang into the Jia household), charges into the garden. When Skybright returned from her interrogation in tears, Aroma knew trouble was coming. She now sets an example by opening her own trunks and boxes first, but Skybright angrily turns her trunk upside down to expose its contents and calls Mrs. Wang a “self-important, meddlesome old busybody,” to Xi-feng’s secret delight. Xi-feng diverts the search party from Bao-chai’s residence on the grounds that the girl is a guest and manages to calm Mrs. Wang when she finds items belonging to Bao-yu in Dai-yu’s residence. Having been tipped off, Tan-chun

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stands ready at her door with the sarcastic remark that she should be searched instead of her maids because anything her maids steal is automatically handed over to her. Mrs. Wang has heard something of Tan-chun’s reputation but refuses to believe that she can be intimidated by an unmarried young girl whose mother is a concubine. Taking a corner of Tan-chun’s jacket, she turns it back, saying, with a grin, “There, I have searched Miss Tan.” Tan-chun smacks her right in the face and tells her that, unlike Ying-chun, she cannot be bullied. Xi-feng is immensely amused. After searching Li Wan’s maids, the group proceeds to Xi-chun’s residence, where they find some men’s articles in Picture’s trunk. Picture tearfully explains that these things, given to her brother by Cousin Zhen, were smuggled to her for safekeeping. Terrified, Xi-chun tells them to go ahead and punish Picture. When the search party arrives at Ying-chun’s, Xi-feng watches Mrs. Wang intently, knowing that she is Chess’s maternal grandmother. Sure enough, the woman riffles through a few items at the top of Chess’s trunk and shuts it up again. Zhou Rui’s wife insists they do a more thorough job. Out come some men’s socks and slippers, a “Loving Couple ornament,” and a letter from Chess’s cousin. Xi-feng, who knows enough characters to be able to read the letter, reads it aloud gleefully—the author urges Chess to meet him in the garden, saying the item in the bag shows what he is dreaming about. Everyone laughs except Mrs. Wang, who is mortified. After assigning two women to watch over Chess, who is strangely quiet, Xi-feng returns to her apartment and falls seriously ill from exhaustion. The next morning Xi-chun asks her sister-in-law, You-shi, to take Picture away. From now on, she declares, she wants nothing more to do with the scandal-prone Ning House. You-shi is shocked.

COMMENTS Lady Wang unwittingly betrays her dislike of Lin Dai-yu by referring to Skybright as the girl with “something of your Cousin Lin about the eyes.” Xi-chun, who prides herself on her integrity, does not care to be tainted by her brother’s dubious dealings.

75 The Zhen Clan of Nanking Is Disgraced; the Jia Men Take to Gambling

SUMMARY After leaving Xi-chun’s residence in an indignant mood, You-shi goes to visit Li Wan, who is ill. While she is there, Bao-chai drops in to announce she is moving out of the garden temporarily to look after her mother, who has also taken ill. They are joined by Tan-chun and Shi Xiang-yun. Still angry over what occurred the night before, Tan-chun suggests that Bao-chai move out for good because the garden has now become strife-ridden. She then proceeds to give an account of the raid. From Li Wan’s residence, You-shi and Tan-chun go together to pay their respects to Grandmother Jia. They find her much shaken by the news that the Zhen family, a long-time ally of the Jias, has been charged with criminal offenses and its property searched and confiscated. On her way back to her apartment, You-shi spies on her husband through a window. Jia Zhen has taken up archery—one of the few diversions allowed during the customary three-year mourning period for one’s father—and is now organizing regular shooting tournaments for wealthy young men at the Ning mansion. Their dinners, provided by the contestants in rotation, have turned into lavish drinking and gambling parties. Three gambling games are currently in progress. You-shi is shocked to see Lady Xing’s younger brother, nicknamed “Uncle Dumbo,” bullying a pair of male prostitutes and ranting against his sister for cheating him out of his inheritance. The following evening—the night before Mid-Autumn—You-shi and Cousin Zhen are having an intimate family dinner in All-Scents Garden when they hear a mournful sigh coming from the foot of the garden wall, followed by the sound of a door opening and closing in the ancestral temple beyond the wall. The following evening, they join Grandmother Jia and her brood in their Mid-Autumn celebration at a pavilion on a hill in Prospect Garden. To amuse the matriarch, Jia Zheng tells a joke about a hen-pecked husband, and Jia She

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begins another about a mother whose heart is askew before realizing that the matriarch might take it personally—an “off-center heart” being a folk idiom for a parent who favors one child over another. Jia Zheng and Jia She argue over the merit of a poem that Jia Huan has composed until Grandmother Jia dismisses the older men so that the rest of the company can relax and enjoy themselves.

COMMENTS In this chapter, readers follow You-shi as she drops in on Li Wan, pays her respects to Grandmother Jia, spies on the men back at the Ning mansion, enjoys an intimate family dinner at All-Scents Garden, and, finally, attends the matriarch’s Mid-Autumn party in Prospect Garden. Things are falling apart. The Jias’ allies, Jia yu-cun as well as the Zhen clan, are in disgrace. Financial distress has reached a point where the food at Grandmother Jia’s apartment has to be rationed. Xi-feng, Skybright, Li Wan, and Aunt Xue have all fallen ill from stress. Meanwhile, the menfolk take to gambling, oblivious to or insouciant about the family’s failing fortunes—as shown by Jia She’s blithe assurance to his nephew that a comfortable life lies ahead of him. All-Scents Garden was where Jia Rong’s first wife, Qin-shi, spent a great deal of her time before her death. Even in death, she is anxious about the clan’s future (chapter 13), and it is she who is sighing for the Jia clan. Some scholars hold that Grandmother Jia is not the birth mother of Jia She, who may be a concubine’s son or may have been adopted from a relative. (It was common for a couple without a son, as Grandmother Jia and her husband may have been earlier, to adopt the younger son of a relative as their heir.) This view is based partly on the fact that the main residence in the Rong mansion is occupied not by Jia She but by his younger brother, Jia Zheng. Jia Cong—seen also in a few other places in the novel—appears to be a young cousin who joins Jia family gatherings occasionally.

76 Grandmother Jia Resists Ending the Mid-Autumn Party; Shi Xiang-yun Commiserates with Dai-yu

SUMMARY At the Mid-Autumn celebration, Grandmother Jia is saddened by the absence of Xi-feng and Li Wan, both of whom are sick, as well as Aunt Xue and Baochai, who are holding their own family reunion this year. Nevertheless, she insists on staying up late into the night, forcing the rest of the party to stay up with her. She calls for flute music, which, floating up from the cassia trees below to the hilltop where they are sitting, enthralls them all. Thinking a slower tempo might be even better, she gives instructions to the flautist, but the resulting sound is so mournful that everyone has to hide their uneasiness with forced laughter and small talk while the old lady herself drifts off to sleep. It is two in the morning by the time the party breaks up, and all the young people except Tan-chun have long since slipped away. Noticing Dai-yu crying in a corner of the terrace, Shi Xiang-yun, an orphan herself, tries to comfort her and suggests they compose a linked-verse poem with which they can shame the others the next morning. The two descend to the foot of the hill, where, sitting on two bamboo stools, they versify in turn with a great deal of good-natured ribbing. Between the full moon above and its brilliant reflection on the lake below, they feel like two mermaids in an undersea crystal palace. Suddenly, they see a dark shape in the middle of the lake. When Xiang-yun tosses a pebble at it, a white stork starts up and, with a loud squawk, flaps its way across the water. Unbeknownst to them, their verses are overheard by Adamantina, who has been wandering around the garden to enjoy the moon. Hearing their lines about a stork and a dead muse, she cuts in, telling them they must stop before going too far, and invites them back to her Green Bower Hermitage for tea. Then she asks them to dictate the couplets they have already completed; after she writes them down, she adds couplets of her own to bring the poem to a

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satisfying close. Xiang-yun and Dai-yu are filled with gratitude and admiration. To avoid disturbing Li Wan, with whom she is staying, Xiang-yun spends the night at the Naiad’s House, sharing Dai-yu’s bed. Xiang-yun has trouble sleeping in her new surroundings; Dai-yu confesses she rarely gets more than ten nights of good sleep a year.

COMMENTS Grandmother Jia is troubled by the Zhen clan’s downfall, signs of financial distress at the Jia household, the dissipation of the Jia men, and illness among the Jia women. Refusing to call it a night is her way of hanging onto the good times. Tan-chun, who alone is conscious of the impending crisis, sticks it out with her. Linked verse, the form Lin Dai-yu and Shi Xiang-yun choose for their versification, is the same one used by the Crab-flower Club in chapter 50—when Grandmother Jia and the cousins made merry in a garden blanketed in snow. The two girls, well matched in poetic prowess, enjoy criticizing and poking fun at each other’s lines. Although Xiang-yun’s poetry lacks the depth of Daiyu’s, she is quicker at invention. They begin by describing a joyful gathering— with pulsating music, flying wine cups, scintillating stars, and girls feasting and playing games—but, as they move on to their immediate surroundings, the mood turns somber, with lines such as “Slowly the talk and laughter fade to silence— / Leaving a moonscape hushed and desolate. . . .” Adamantina, endowed with a sixth sense, has a premonition when she hears “A stork’s dark shape crosses the cold bright water— / Where, moon-embalmed, a dead muse lies in state.” In the original text, the stork is a crane, which, in Taoist mythology, bears the deceased away on its back. Shihun, which David Hawkes translated as “muse,” means “poetry spirit.” Dai-yu, who breathes poetry and views everything through a poetic lens, is herself an embodiment of poetry.

77 Chess and the Ex-Actresses Are Expelled; Bao-yu and Skybright Bid Their Final Farewell

SUMMARY Lady Wang has difficulty coming up with the ginseng prescribed for Xi-feng’s illness and is grateful when Bao-chai offers to get some from her family business’s supplier. Apprised of Chess’s misconduct, she orders the girl to be taken away, and Bao-yu is shocked to see Chess being forcefully dragged out of the garden. Just as he fears, his mother proceeds to drive out the ailing Skybright too. Lady Wang also dismisses Citronella, who once shamelessly told Bao-yu that people with the same birthday, like the two of them, are destined to become husband and wife. Lady Wang then gives all the remaining ex-actresses to their foster mothers to do with them what they will. Finally, she inspects Bao-yu’s things and confiscates anything that looks suspicious. Bao-yu flings himself on his bed and cries, wondering who has been tattling to his mother and accuses Aroma of betraying him. Aroma advises him to wait until things calm down and then approach his grandmother about bringing Skybright back. In the meantime, she assures him, she will send Skybright her clothes and some money. Bao-yu, however, is certain that Skybright, who has been unable to eat for days, will not survive the ordeal. That evening Bao-yu persuades an old woman on duty at the garden’s rear gate to take him to see Skybright, who is staying with her cousin—who sold her at age ten—and his wife. The couple is not pleased at being saddled with Skybright, ailing and in disgrace, and Bao-yu finds her lying unattended on a kang. Surprised and delighted but also anguished to see him, Skybright grips his hand, and they sob together. She keeps coughing and begs for a cup of tea. Fumbling around with the greasy and smelly utensils on the stove, he hesitates to give her the murky tea, but she gulps it down greedily, making him ashamed to be so fastidious. What a pity, he remarks, that the long nails of which she is so proud might break due to her poor health. With a supreme

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effort, Skybright half bites and half tears two of her fingernails and gives them to Bao-yu as keepsakes. Then she takes off her red chemise and gives it to him. In return, Bao-yu takes off his shirt, helps her put it on, and puts her chemise on himself. Skybright says, with bitterness, that, given her bad reputation, she should have done something to earn it. Overhearing part of their conversation and assuming that Bao-yu has come looking for sex, the sluttish wife of Skybright’s cousin comes in and tries to seduce him. She drags him into another room, pulls him on top of herself, and, gripping him tightly between her legs, begins to undress him; she releases him only when she hears Cook Liu and Fivey arrive with clothes and some money from Aroma. This is totally beyond Bao-yu’s experience; he flees, running all the way back into the garden. Early the next morning Bao-yu sees Skybright coming into the room to bid him good-bye and is certain then that she just died. Unfortunately, he is prevented from inquiring after her due to a summons from his father, who is taking him, Jia Huan, and Jia Lan to a literary gathering. Meanwhile, Lady Wang is told that Parfumée, Nénuphar, and Étamine have gone on a hunger strike; they would rather become nuns than be taken away by their foster mothers. Mother Euergesia of the Water-moon Priory persuades Lady Wang to let her have them.

COMMENTS The author has set Skybright up as a double for Dai-yu—both are attractive, impetuous, consumptive, sharp-tongued, and disliked by Lady Wang. Someone has been acting as Lady Wang’s informant, and it may very well be Aroma. Parfumée, Nénuphar, and Étamine are determined that their foster mothers should not make money off their misfortune. Having formed a strong bond with each other, they are probably better off staying together under “the holy old fraud,” Mother Euergesia (chapter 15), than being married off to strangers or, worse yet, sold to a brothel.

78 Lady Wang Lies About Skybright; Bao-yu Writes an Elegy to the Hibiscus Spirit

SUMMARY Lady Wang informs Grandmother Jia that she has dismissed all the ex-actresses, as well as Skybright, citing her ill health and alleged laziness as reasons. She also reports on Aroma’s informal promotion as Bao-yu’s concubine. Grandmother Jia responds that she considered Skybright an excellent maid and had intended to give the girl to Bao-yu, whereas Aroma always struck her as dull, but she will defer to Lady Wang. She says she cannot understand why Bao-yu spends all his time with his maids. She had thought, at first, that the attraction might be sexual, but, since that does not appear to be the case, she is forced to conclude that Bao-yu must have been a maid in a previous life and should have been born a girl. Surprised to learn that Bao-chai has moved out of the garden, Lady Wang summons her for an explanation. Bao-chai says she wishes to keep her mother company and help with the preparations for Xue Pan’s wedding. She tells Lady Wang that the garden has too many people and urges retrenchment. Bao-yu, hurrying back from his father’s, grills the junior maids for news of Skybright and is told that she died early that morning after crying for her mother. A sharp little maid knows intuitively what Bao-yu wants to hear and says Skybright had asked her to tell Bao-yu that she was being called away by the Jade Emperor to look after the flowers. Bao-yu demands to know what kind of flower, and the maid, taking a cue from the hibiscus blooming behind him, says it was the hibiscus. Skybright’s remains have been removed for cremation by the time Bao-yu arrives to pay his last respects. It dawns on him that—with Chess, Picture, and the ex-actresses gone; Skybright dead; Bao-chai moved out; and Ying-chun about to be married—the garden community is breaking up before his very eyes. He is soon summoned again by his father, who, to show off his sons

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and grandson to his friends, asks them to compose poems about Fourth Sister Lin, a heroic and loyal woman who, along with other beautiful ladies, was trained in the military arts by the governor of Qing-zhou for his amusement. When the governor was killed by marauding bandits, Fourth Sister Lin led her cohort to avenge his death and perished in battle. Having composed a ballad to his father’s satisfaction, Bao-yu returns to Green Delights to write an elegy to the Spirit of the Hibiscus on a piece of silk, which he then hangs on a hibiscus plant and reads aloud tearfully, attended by the fabricating little maid. He concludes the ceremony by burning his elegy, scattering flowers, and pouring tea on the ground as a libation. Just as he is about to leave, a female figure emerges from behind the bushes, giving the maid a fright.

COMMENTS The author toys again with the boundary between reality and illusion in this chapter, which begins with two lies. Lady Wang lies about why she dismissed Skybright, and the little maid lies about how Skybright died. This is followed by the story of a group of women glorified for taking their farcical military training seriously and going willingly to their deaths. The chapter ends with Bao-yu, eager to believe the tale the maid spun for him, making an offering to the Spirit of the Hibiscus. Chinese elegies are customarily written in a florid, archaic style, and the elegy for Skybright is accordingly translated into archaic English. In it, Bao-yu compares Skybright to various natural phenomena, as well as to figures in history who have been tragically wronged. He vents his anger against her enemies—presumably including his mother—and imagines Skybright in a chariot streaking triumphantly across the sky. The Chinese original is full of stately parallel couplets, but there are also stretches in which long passages alternate with short, staccato lines, conveying the vivid feeling of a voice choked by overpowering emotion. “Wuhu aizai, Receive this offering!” is the cry of grief with which a Chinese elegy typically concludes.

79 Jia She Arranges a Hasty Marriage for Ying-chun; Xue Pan Weds a Conceited Girl

SUMMARY The person emerging from behind the hibiscus bushes is none other than Dai-yu, who praises Bao-yu’s elegy. She suggests, however, that he change the phrase “crimson-curtained bed,” which sounds clichéd, to “rosy-misted casement,” but Bao-yu says he cannot do that because it is Dai-yu’s windows, not his, that are shaded by rose-colored gauze (chapter 40). In that case, he suggests, the line should be “I by my rosy-misted casement seem most cruelly afflicted;  /  And you beneath the yellow earth seem most cruelly ill-fated.” Dai-yu is taken aback by the way he says these words, as though he were addressing them matter-of-factly to her, already dead, and, in her agitated attempt to change the subject, starts coughing. Jia She arranges for Ying-chun to marry the scion of a military family, ignoring Jia Zheng’s objection that the family is short on education and breeding. Appalled at the unseemly haste with which she is being married off, Bao-yu takes to wandering around Ying-chun’s deserted residence. One day, just as his thoughts are coalescing into a poem in which he likens his cousins to plants nipped by the autumn wind, he runs into Caltrop. Caltrop is excited about Xue Pan’s upcoming wedding, naïvely assuming that, as his concubine, she will gain a companion in his wife. When Bao-yu tells Caltrop he is worried for her sake, Caltrop is indignant. The accumulated shock of the raid on the garden, the summary dismissal of Chess and all the ex-actresses, Skybright’s death, and Ying-chun’s departure is hurting Bao-yu’s health; the doctor orders a hundred days of rest, as a result of which he is unable to attend Ying-chun’s and Xue Pan’s weddings. Xue Pan’s bride, Xia Jin-gui, is the spoiled and conceited only child of a widow from a family of imperial purveyors that supplies all the cassia plants at court. Because her name means “golden cassia,” she prohibits her maids to

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mention the word cassia; instead, they must call it “Chang E’s flower,” thus equating her with the moon goddess. Any maid caught absentmindedly uttering her name is in for a savage beating. Jin-gui sets out to subdue Xue Pan and establish her power over Aunt Xue and Bao-chai. Infatuated by his new bride, Xue Pan succumbs, and Aunt Xue gives in to her, but Bao-chai eludes her grasp.

COMMENTS Dai-yu, who emerges from behind the hibiscus bush, is the real Spirit of the Hibiscus. Readers may recall that, at Bao-yu’s birthday in chapter 63, she was the one to draw the card picturing the hibiscus. Bao-yu, who has a presentiment that she will die young, is subconsciously addressing his elegy to her. Xue Pan—an only son, fatherless since childhood and spoiled by his mother— has more than met his match in Xia Jin-gui—an only daughter, also fatherless since childhood and spoiled by her mother. Both are coarse and violent, but he, at least, can be shamed, while she is utterly incapable of self-reflection. For much of its recorded history, China had a basic government structure that remained largely unchanged. The emperor, assisted by a prime minister, ran the country through six boards: (1) Personnel—for the maintenance of the bureaucracy; (2) Revenue—for tax collection; (3) Rites—for ceremonies of state, religious ceremonies, and the administration of the civil service examinations; (4) War—for military affairs; (5) Punishments—for the judicial and penal systems; and (6) Works—for public construction. Ying-chun’s future husband is being considered for promotion at the Board of War. Jia Zheng is an official at the Board of Works. The women who fought the bandits in chapter 78 are expected to receive posthumous honors from the Board of Rites. The Xue family and Jin-gui’s family are both imperial purveyors under a special bureau responsible for the upkeep of the imperial household. In real life, Cao Xueqin’s family amassed its wealth from procuring textiles for the imperial household.

80 Xia Jin-gui Turns the Xue Family Upside Down; Ying-chun’s Husband Treats Her Like a Slave

SUMMARY Jealous of Caltrop, Xia Jin-gui lets Xue Pan sleep with her maid Moonbeam and then contrives to get Caltrop to walk in on Xue Pan and Moonbeam as they are making love. This turns Xue Pan against Caltrop. Next Jin-gui feigns illness and blames it on Caltrop. Enraged, Xue Pan beats Caltrop savagely. When Aunt Xue tries to intervene, Jin-gui screams at her. Aunt Xue is so exasperated that she is ready to sell Caltrop just to keep the peace in the household, but Bao-chai intercedes. Sad that she never managed to have a child in all the years she spent with Xue Pan, Caltrop slowly wastes away. With Caltrop out of the way, Jin-gui turns on Moonbeam, who responds to her mistress’s antics by shrieking and rolling on the floor. When he can no longer stand the ruckus, Xue Pan slips out of the house and takes refuge elsewhere, making everyone feel sorry for him. This does not stop Jin-gui from enjoying herself. She gathers people around her to play cards and dice, but her favorite pastime is to gnaw on poultry bones. Ducks and chickens are slaughtered every day and their bones crisp-fried so that she can gnaw on them, sometimes yelling profanities as she works on the bones. Aunt Xue and Baochai can only weep dispiritedly in their separate rooms. Once his enforced confinement is over, Bao-yu goes over to check out Xia Jin-gui. He marvels that a delicate and beautiful girl like her should have such an appalling personality. Sent by Grandmother Jia to make offerings at a Taoist temple, he amuses himself by consulting the head priest about a cure for jealousy in women. The oily-tongued Father Wang makes him and Tealeaf laugh by recommending a concoction of pear, sugar, and dried citrus peel, saying it is good for the lungs and the stomach, and, if a woman drinks it every morning, she will eventually die—and there is no jealousy after death.

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Ying-chun sends a plea to be invited for a visit. She confides to Lady Wang and Bao-yu that she learned her father gave her away to clear a five-thousandtael debt, and that her violent husband treats her like a slave girl. This saddens Lady Wang, but all she can do is to comfort Ying-chun with the idea that newly married couples often go through a difficult period. She prohibits Bao-yu from letting Grandmother Jia know that Ying-chun is maltreated.

COMMENTS Bao-yu’s disillusionment with life deepens. He used to think that a beautiful soul lies behind every beautiful face. Now he knows better. That Xia Jin-gui yells at her mother-in-law—whom, in Chinese culture, she is supposed to honor above her own mother—shows she has no sense of shame. Her weird fondness for gnawing bones confirms her as less than human, a cartoonish, beautiful, narcissistic monster created by the author solely to amuse readers and to advance the plot—like a vampire! The English translation of the novel by David Hawkes and John Minford is divided into five volumes, with chapters 54 to 80 making up the third volume. In the Chinese text, every chapter except the last closes with this sentence: “To know what happens next, you will have to read on.” Hawkes merely adds one line at the end of this chapter, in Latin: “Here ends the third part of The Story of the Stone.” That the novel does not end with chapter 80 is beyond question. Yet, when the book was first published, decades after the author’s death, the narrative from chapter 81 onward had to be patched together from tattered manuscripts. This has prompted critics to question how much of the rest of the novel can be attributed to Cao Xueqin. As we argue in the introduction, the quality of the writing, the consistency of its tone and characters’ behavior, and the fact that nearly all the narrative and symbolic threads are neatly tied up by the end suggest to us that, far from veering off on their own, whatever work the editors did was in close keeping with the author’s intent.

81 Bao-yu Learns the Limits of the Matriarch’s Power; He Is Sent Back to the Clan School

SUMMARY While growing up, Bao-yu was under the impression that his grandmother’s wishes would always be carried out, so he is shocked to learn from his mother that even the matriarch is powerless to help the newly married Ying-chun. His sense that life is transient is reinforced by a second-century poem and a fourth-century prose piece he reads. Joining Tan-chun, Xing Xiu-yan, and the Li sisters to fish in the garden, he breaks the fishing rod in two by carelessly yanking the line when it gets snared on a rock. Meanwhile, Grandmother Jia, Lady Wang, and Xi-feng discuss the violent fits that Bao-yu and Xi-feng suffered (in chapter 25) and finally figure out that they were caused by a spell cast by Mother Ma and that Aunt Zhao had hired her to do it. Feeling it is time for Bao-yu to prepare seriously for the upcoming civil service examinations, Jia Zheng sends Bao-yu back to the clan school and urges the teacher to be stern with him. In addition to memorizing the classics and practicing calligraphy, Bao-yu must now study model essays of the type he will be called on to produce in the examinations. Further, he will be asked every afternoon to explain to the teacher what he has learned that day. Glancing around him, Bao-yu is dismayed to see only uncouth faces and mourns anew the death of his friend Qin Zhong, who had been with him when he last attended the school (chapter 9).

COMMENTS Fishing in this chapter is a metaphor for seeking a mate. All four girls catch a fish and eventually marry suitable men, but a compatible mate eludes Bao-yu.

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Cao Cao was a second-century warlord as widely admired for his genius as he was reviled for his lack of scruples. Bao-yu learns from his poem that even a man as powerful as Cao Cao came to realize the futility of all human striving—a Taoist sentiment. The prose piece Bao-yu reads is steeped in Zen Buddhism. Although he has previously experienced distress over one thing or another, this is the first time Bao-yu has a general sense that life itself is bleak. To give readers a flavor of the amusing interchanges between Bao-yu and his teacher, John Minford, the translator of the last forty chapters of the novel, renders the passages the teacher quotes from the Chinese classics into Latin. Just as serious literature in Europe was for centuries written in Latin long after it ceased to be commonly spoken, the Chinese literary language remained the medium for writing about serious subjects long after the spoken language evolved away from it. Thus, eighteenth-century Chinese schoolboys, like their counterparts in Europe, were made to read and write a language that they did not speak. The difference is that Latin, supplanted by the vernacular languages of Europe by the end of the seventeenth century, is rarely used today. In China, the literary language was not replaced until the twentieth century, by which time it had become so deeply embedded in the culture that the language today is still liberally sprinkled with expressions in literary Chinese. Teaching in the classroom consisted primarily of having the students recite the texts aloud over and over again, and each region developed a plainchant tradition in its own dialect. This is why Jia Zheng makes a point of saying that the tutor his friend has recommended for Bao-yu is “a Southerner like ourselves.” Due in large part to Confucianism, which places one’s teacher on the same level as one’s father, teachers enjoy a high status in Chinese society. Note that the brawl in chapter 9 broke out in the teacher’s absence. The students could misbehave behind the teacher’s back, but they would not have dared to show disrespect outright. Although Jia Zheng does not have a high opinion of Jia Dai-ru, who is merely an employee of the clan school, he nonetheless waits until the teacher is seated before he sits down, and he bows as he departs.

82 Aroma Probes Dai-yu on Concubines; Dai-yu Coughs Up Blood on Waking from a Nightmare

SUMMARY Bao-yu visits Dai-yu and complains that he hates the formulaic essays he is made to read and write. But Dai-yu counters that they are not all bad, putting him even more out of sorts. His is further rattled by the news that his mother has threatened his maidservants, telling them that, if he neglects his studies, what happened to Skybright and Chess will happen to them. At school the next day, the teacher lays a trap for Bao-yu by asking him to discuss two passages from the Analects. In one, Confucius says the young should be respected, for there’s no telling how far they may go in life, whereas men in their forties and fifties have reached their limits—which sounds like a jab at his teacher. In the other, he says he has never met anyone in whom the desire for virtue is as strong as the desire for sensual pleasures—which sounds like a criticism of Bao-yu himself. After Bao-yu reluctantly gives his interpretation, the teacher urges him to take advantage of his youth and make something of himself. Assuming that Dai-yu will become Bao-yu’s wife, Aroma drops in to see her and makes some remarks deploring the abuses that Caltrop and You Er-jie suffered—to sound out how Dai-yu might treat her in the future as Bao-yu’s concubine. Dai-yu senses Aroma is hinting at something, but, not sure what it is, she replies that there must be a winner in every family affair, either the East Wind prevailing over the West Wind or vice versa, which does not reassure Aroma. They are interrupted by Aunt Xue’s servant, who is bringing a gift of lychees for Dai-yu. She exclaims crudely that Dai-yu is indeed as pretty as people say and that only Bao-yu could be worthy of her. Dai-yu has a nightmare in which her father is still living. His new wife engages Dai-yu to a widower and sends Jia Yu-cun to fetch her. Wang Xi-feng, Lady Xing, Lady Wang, and Bao-chai all come to congratulate her and smile cryptically when she protests that it cannot be true. When she begs

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Grandmother Jia to intercede, the matriarch tells her she can’t possibly stay with the Jias forever and orders Faithful to take her away, complaining “She is wearing me out.” Dai-yu goes to plead with Bao-yu, who says she can stay because she was originally betrothed to him. When she asks for assurance, he takes out a knife, cuts open his chest, and fumbles around for his heart. Blood gushes out from the gaping wound. Terrified that someone might see, Dai-yu presses him tightly to her, as Bao-yu sinks to the ground. With a scream, Dai-yu wakes up choking, her heart pounding and her pillow drenched in sweat. The next morning Nightingale and Snowgoose find blood in Dai-yu’s spittoon. They try to keep this from her, but she is not fooled. Alarmed upon hearing this, Tan-chun and Shi Xiang-yun drop in to see Dai-yu.

COMMENTS Dai-yu’s nightmare is surely one of the most remarkable pieces of pre-Freudian literature, anticipating Freud’s theories of dreams and the subconscious by a century and a half. The nightmare is triggered by the servant’s boorish compliment, by Daiyu’s unease over the motive behind Aroma’s probing, and by her conversation with Bao-yu, in which her former tutor, Jia Yu-cun, came up, reminding her once again that she is an outsider in the Jia household. Subconsciously, Dai-yu senses that Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang do not want Bao-yu to marry her. She also suspects the others of not being forthright with her. She wants Bao-yu to reassure her of his love and, at some level, wishes to see him sacrifice himself for their illicit (in Grandmother Jia’s view) love. She wakes up shaken because the dream has brought to the surface her deepest fears and wishes. Mao Zedong famously quoted Dai-yu’s remark about the East Wind versus the West Wind in a 1957 speech in Moscow when comparing the Communist bloc and the imperial West, implying that, in a contest between rivals, one side has to lose.

83 The Matriarch Is Told of Dai-yu’s Condition; Yuan-chun’s Illness Alarms the Jia Elders

SUMMARY After her nightmare, Dai-yu becomes momentarily paranoid and mistakes the insults that an old woman servant hurls at her granddaughter as being directed at herself. Shi Xiang-yun is so shocked that she takes Dai-yu’s hand in hers and weeps helplessly. Tan-chun goes out and scolds the woman and assures Dai-yu that, as cousins, they will stick by one another. Both urge Dai-yu to get well quickly so that they can restart the poetry club. Dai-yu says she is not certain whether she will pull through but pleads with them not to tell Grandmother Jia how sick she is. Aroma, visiting Dai-yu on Bao-yu’s behalf, divulges that Bao-yu screamed in the night about being stabbed in the heart by a knife. Without giving away her own dream, Dai-yu asks Aroma not to mention to Bao-yu how ill she is so as not to affect his schoolwork. Hearing the latest report on Dai-yu’s condition, Grandmother Jia remarks that her trouble is that she is too high-strung. She gives orders for the doctor, who is coming to see Bao-yu, to see Dai-yu as well. Dr. Wang pronounces Dai-yu to be dangerously ill: a hyperactive liver is obstructing the flow of her humors, thus weakening her heart, spleen, and lungs. Symptoms include the excessive production of phlegm, an upsurge and ejection of blood, dizzy spells, loss of appetite, fitful sleep, and extreme irritability. Zhou Rui’s wife tells Xi-feng that Dai-yu is now nothing but skin and bones and relays Nightingale’s request for an emergency advance to meet unexpected expenses. Xi-feng says that, to avoid setting a precedent, she will send Nightingale a few taels of her own and complains that some people are blaming her for the precarious state of the Jias’ finances. Mrs. Zhou hastens to reassure her that everyone knows she is capable and doing her best, and then she repeats an

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amusing ditty that has been going around town about how the Jias are living beyond their means. Xi-feng does not find this at all funny. Palace eunuchs arrive to announce that Yuan-chun is ill and that the emperor will allow four ladies from her family to visit her. To everyone’s relief, Yuan-chun recovers within three days. In Xue Pan’s absence, Xia Jin-gui continues her catfights with Moonbeam and verbal abuse of Aunt Xue and Bao-chai. Aunt Xue suffers a heart attack.

COMMENTS In telling us that Bao-yu has a corresponding dream, the author reminds us that he and Dai-yu share a mystical bond. Grandmother Jia’s reaction to Dai-yu’s illness, blaming her for her condition, shows that she is indeed growing weary of her high-strung granddaughter. No blame attaches to Bao-yu even though he is also sick. Traditional Chinese medicine is holistic. Body and mind are viewed as one integrated whole, and wellness depends on the balanced interplay of the wu xing, loosely translated as “the five elements”—represented by metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, which complement as well as act against each other. In the Chinese model of the workings of both the human body and the cosmos, wood feeds fire, fire creates earth (in the form of ashes), earth produces metal, metal becomes water (when melted), and water nourishes wood. Conversely, however, wood breaks up earth, earth subdues water (by absorbing it), water quenches fire, fire melts metal, and metal chops wood. In medicine, the liver, which regulates the flow of bodily fluids and gases, is associated with wood; the spleen, which regulates temper and digestion, with earth; the lungs, which control breathing, with metal; the heart, which gives vitality, with fire; and the kidneys, which govern reproduction and excretion, with water. The malfunctioning of any of these five major organs will affect the functioning of other organs, in addition to influencing the person’s mental state, which in turn influences the organs. Thus, obstruction of the liver leads to frustration and anger, causing that organ to become distended and encroach upon the spleen, which results in a loss of appetite, and this in turn leads to a host of other physical and psychological problems.

84 Jia Zheng Considers a Bride for Bao-yu; the Matriarch Is Pleased When Bao-chai Is Suggested

SUMMARY Now that Yuan-chun has recovered, Grandmother Jia is free to turn her attention to arranging a marriage for Bao-yu. Checking up on Bao-yu’s progress, Jia Zheng asks to see his schoolwork. Bao-yu shows him his attempts at the crucial opening lines of three different examination essays (in the so-called eight-legged form). Jia Zheng scoffs at the first two but is impressed by the originality of the third. He has Bao-yu write about a passage in Mencius and is pleasantly surprised by the result. Aunt Xue tells Grandmother Jia that Xia Jin-gui has been trying unsuccessfully to provoke Bao-chai into quarreling with her, whereupon the matriarch—in the presence of Lady Wang, Xi-feng, and Bao-yu—praises Bao-chai, predicting that she will be a treasure to her future in-laws and compares Dai-yu unfavorably with her. Meanwhile, Jia Zheng expresses his satisfaction with Baoyu’s progress to his literary friends, prompting one of them to suggest a match with the daughter of a wealthy official related by marriage to Lady Xing’s elder brother. However, Lady Xing says the girl’s parents require her future husband to live with them, which, of course, would be out of the question for Bao-yu. Overhearing the discussion, Xi-feng laughingly scolds Grandmother Jia, Lady Wang, and Lady Xing for overlooking a prime in-house candidate and reminds them that Bao-chai has a gold locket to match Bao-yu’s jade. Jia Huan clumsily spills some costly medicine meant for Qiao-jie, and Xi-feng swears at him and his mother.

COMMENTS The author has concocted a myth in which, in spite of his love for Dai-yu, Bao-yu must marry Bao-chai. Dai-yu is sent into the human world with a debt

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to Bao-yu that must be repaid in tears (chapter 1), and his marrying Bao-chai would certainly provide her with plenty of reasons for crying. The inscription the scabby-headed monk had engraved on Bao-chai’s gold piece matches the one on the jade that Bao-yu was born with (chapter 8), showing they are predestined to be married. At the same time, however, the author lovingly spins a realistic tale in which, given the temperaments of the people involved and the society in which they live, a marriage between Bao-yu and Bao-chai is inevitable. Grandmother Jia, who has the final say, wants a girl who will exert a steadying influence over Bao-yu, as Lady Wang does with Jia Zheng, and who can one day preside over the complicated Jia household with aplomb. Bao-chai won the matriarch over soon after she arrived in the household, just as Daiyu’s constant quarreling with Bao-yu was beginning to annoy the old lady. However, rather than imposing her will, she wants the decision to be a consensual one among the senior family members, so she states her criteria and leaves it to the others to draw their conclusions. Neither Bao-yu’s parents nor Aunt Xue nor Bao-chai herself could have any objection. Jia Zheng is now satisfied that Bao-yu is mature enough to be married, and the candidate proposed by his friend has proved unsuitable. Lady Wang has, all along, preferred her own niece and has, against protocol, given Bao-chai every opportunity to shine. She betrays her dislike of Dai-yu by comparing her with Skybright (chapter 74). Aunt Xue is very comfortable in the Jia household, where she has come to depend on Lady Wang, Xi-feng, and the Jia men for advice and moral support. Bao-chai has always liked Bao-yu, even though she is aware of his preference for Dai-yu. She, too, is comfortable in the Jia household. The alternative is to be married off to a stranger and to have to adjust to unknown, possibly hostile, surroundings. Thus, the stars are aligned for the marriage: the only problem is that the groom might object. Aroma alone knows how risky it is to force Bao-yu to marry anyone other than Dai-yu, but the decision is not hers to make. She is troubled in any case by how she, as a concubine, might be treated by Dai-yu (chapter 82), whereas Bao-chai has gone out of her way to be nice to her.

85 Bao-yu Is Kept in the Dark About His Betrothal; Jia Zheng Receives a Promotion

SUMMARY On the Prince of Bei-jing’s birthday, Jia She and Jia Zheng bring Cousin Zhen, Jia Lian, and Bao-yu along to pay their respects. The prince comes out to greet them but is interested only in talking with Bao-yu. He gives orders for the others to be taken to a reception but has a meal prepared separately for Bao-yu, with whom he shares the news, still to be publicly announced, that Jia Zheng has received a promotion. He also gives Bao-yu a curious gift—a jade specially made to look like Bao-yu’s magic jade. Bao-yu shows his new jade to Grandmother Jia and remarks that his magic jade emitted a rosy glow the other night. Before Grandmother Jia can stop her, Xi-feng blurts out, “No doubt this heralds the Big Event. . . .” When Bao-yu later shares his puzzlement about this remark with Aroma, Aroma secretly wonders if it concerns his marriage. She drops in on Nightingale to see if she knows anything, but Nightingale is busy. On her way back, she runs into Jia Yun, who is waiting for a response to his note congratulating Bao-yu on his father’s promotion, as well as his upcoming betrothal. Aroma sends him away brusquely. When he reads the note, Bao-yu is so angry at Jia Yun for sticking his nose into his personal affairs that he spits in Jia Yun’s face upon seeing him the next morning. Hoping for the customary tips, a crowd has gathered in front of the Jia compound to congratulate Jia Zheng on his promotion. Bao-yu’s teacher even lets him out early from school. As a congratulatory gift, Lady Wang’s second brother, Wang Zi-sheng, arranges for a troupe of young actors to perform at the Rong mansion, which is packed with well-wishers on the day of the performance. It happens to be Dai-yu’s birthday, and she arrives in an ethereal new outfit that evokes the popular image of the moon goddess, Chang E. By

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coincidence, one of the operas is about Chang E returning to earth to be with her mortal lover, only to die before she can marry him. An urgent message sends Aunt Xue hurrying home, where she is confronted with the news that Xue Pan is in prison on a charge of murder and faces a death sentence. Her impulse is to bribe the victim’s family, but Baochai insists on dispatching Xue Ke to find out the facts first. Three days later a report from Xue Ke arrives, saying that Xue Pan has bungled his plea by admitting to intentional homicide rather than manslaughter. He suggests Aunt Xue send him five hundred taels to try to get Xue Pan off.

COMMENTS Bao-yu has been a frequent visitor at the prince’s palace (chapters 24 and 33) ever since they first met (chapters 14 and 15). Here he is singled out again for favor, probably to the envy and bewilderment of his father, uncle, and cousins. That Xi-feng openly tells Bao-yu his glowing jade “heralds the Big Event”— the upcoming wedding of which he is still ignorant—indicates that there is, so far, no conspiracy to keep him in the dark. The elders have simply not yet figured out how to break the news to him. In any case, Aunt Xue wants to wait until Xue Pan—nominally the head of the Xue family—returns home before finalizing the betrothal. However, Bao-yu’s possible betrothal to the Zhang daughter must have leaked out, prompting Jia Yun to offer his rash congratulations. Bao-chai now excuses herself from all Jia gatherings because a future bride is not supposed to show herself to her intended or his family until the nuptials are over. Jia Zheng started his official career as an undersecretary at the Board of Works. After a successful tour in the provinces as a commissioner of education, he is promoted to permanent secretary—a position with real administrative responsibilities, a fifth-rank position in a bureaucracy with nine ranks.

86 Xue Pan’s Murder Charge Is Reduced; Dai-yu Teaches Bao-yu About Music

SUMMARY Aunt Xue learns that Xue Pan killed a waiter at a bar by smashing a cup against his head for making eyes at Jiang Yu-han (Bijou). She sends Xue Ke five hundred taels to tip the staff at the magistrate’s court, hire a scrivener to draft an appeal, and bribe the witnesses. Meanwhile, Jia Zheng arranges for someone to have a word with the judge, and Jia Lian follows up by negotiating a price with him. Reopening the case, the judge makes a show of disbelieving Xue Pan until the coroner testifies that the wound is consistent with an accidental collision. He then silences the objections of the victim’s mother by instructing the law clerk, as well as the victim’s uncle, to explain the coroner’s (altered) report to her. Xue Pan is now convicted of accidental manslaughter, a lesser charge punishable by a fine. Grandmother Jia has a dream in which Yuan-chun warns her that their family’s prosperity is coming to an end. She has Yuan-chun’s horoscope read by a fortune-teller. He predicts that Yuan-chun will die when the tiger meets the hare, in the Mao month of the Yin year. Bao-yu pricks up his ears when Aunt Xue mentions Jiang Yu-han in her account of Xue Pan’s misadventure. Later he drops in on Dai-yu and finds her poring over a tablature for the qin. Elated to discover that she knows how to play the qin, he begs her to teach him. A maidservant appears with a potted orchid that Lady Wang has sent to Dai-yu. She says another orchid has been sent to Bao-yu’s residence.

COMMENTS The presiding officer of the district court, translated as “judge” in this chapter, is a magistrate in the Chinese text. In premodern China, the magistrate of a

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district also sat as judge. Readers will recall that Jia Yu-cun, acting as magistrate, covers up Xue Pan’s act of manslaughter as a favor to the powerful Jia and Wang clans in chapter 4, and, in chapter 48, trumps up a charge against a man whose antique fans Jia She covets. Wang Xi-feng instigates a bogus lawsuit, in chapter 68, to humiliate Jia Rong, knowing she can get away with it because the presiding officer is a friend of her powerful uncle, Wang Zi-teng. This chapter depicts another miscarriage of justice. In Chinese astrology, the universe revolves around ten “heavenly stems” and twelve “earthly branches”; each of the latter is associated with an animal. When the fortune-teller predicts that Yuan-chun will die when the tiger meets the hare, he means her death will fall in the month of Mao (associated with the hare) in the next Yin year (associated with the tiger). It is curious that Lady Wang should send Dai-yu and Bao-yu each a potted orchid. Perhaps she wants to put them off the scent now that wedding plans are in the works for Bao-yu and Bao-chai. Oblivious to the fact that their fate is already sealed, Bao-yu and Dai-yu enjoy a lovely visit discussing qin music. The qin is a long, flat, hollow wooden box with seven strings stretched lengthwise across its smooth upper surface. The person playing the qin plucks a string with their right hand and uses their left hand to press down on or slide along that string. To guide the fingers of the left hand, thirteen studs are inlaid at intervals determined by simple fractions of the total length of the instrument. With its strings of twisted silk, a traditional qin makes a sound that is very soft, making it suitable for intimate settings. It is said that only a kindred spirit who understands the player’s inner thoughts can truly appreciate the music they play. The traditional notation for qin music is called simplified character notation (jianzipu), using Chinese characters with some of the strokes eliminated. This explains why Bao-yu is puzzled by what appear to be miswritten characters mixed in with numerals.

87 Dai-yu Plays a Tune That Snaps Her Qin String; Adamantina Has a Horrific Dream Vision

SUMMARY Bao-chai writes Dai-yu a note lamenting her family’s misfortunes and her own isolation. She calls Dai-yu a kindred spirit and gives no hint that she has agreed to be Bao-yu’s wife. Following an idle chat with her cousins about cassia blooming in the South, Dai-yu tries to imagine what life would have been like had she stayed there instead of living here with the Jias, where she has to be on her best behavior at all times. She bursts into tears at the sight of several objects connected with Bao-yu—the used handkerchiefs he sent to her (chapter 34) and various items that she has half destroyed in her quarrels with him. Moved by Bao-chai’s letter, she writes back to her in lyrics that she sets to qin melodies. Bao-yu drops in on Xi-chun, surprising her and Adamantina in a game of Go. Adamantina blushes at Bao-yu’s playful suggestion that she has now joined the mortals in their dusty realm. When she asks him where he has just come from, it is his turn to be tongue-tied and red in the face, petrified at having to say something suitably Buddhist in response. Xi-chun chastises him for his shyness, which further disconcerts Adamantina, who feels herself blushing again. Finally, she takes her leave and, being afraid of getting lost on her way back to the Green Bower Hermitage, accepts Bao-yu’s offer to be her guide. They stop outside Dai-yu’s window to listen to her song that she addresses to Bao-chai, accompanying herself on the qin. Adamantina is shaken by the piercing music, which—as she fears—ultimately causes a string on the qin to snap. She walks off in agitation, much to Bao-yu’s confusion. That night Adamantina is startled out of her meditation by a loud clattering on the roof. Going out to look, she sees only the moon shining through a curtain of haze. All of a sudden two cats appear, wailing to each other, and her mind flashes back to her conversation with Bao-yu that afternoon. She

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tries to calm herself but finds her heart is racing, her ears are burning, and the couch on which she sits is starting to sway. She sees herself surrounded by matchmakers and young noblemen, being hustled toward a bridal carriage, after which she is kidnapped and mauled by a gang of ruffians, so she screams for help. When the old nuns and lay sisters come hurrying in, they find her frothing at the mouth, arms outstretched. She wakes up from her coma only to cry out that she wants to go home. A doctor diagnoses the problem as “cardiac orb affording entrance to a vagrant evil spirit.” Adamantina improves somewhat after taking a dose of his medicine, but she never fully recovers. Hearing of Adamantina’s malady, Xi-chun scoffs that, if she were a nun, she would not be tempted by evil spirits. Wishing she were indeed free to become a nun, she diverts herself instead by reading about the tactics of Go masters.

COMMENTS Bao-chai is being disingenuous in her note to Dai-yu, although it must be argued that she is not free to make known her betrothal to Bao-yu until it has been finalized. Dai-yu addresses her song to Bao-chai, but it is overheard by Bao-yu and Adamantina, her true kindred spirits. A string snapping is a bad omen. Adamantina, already filled with foreboding about Dai-yu’s fate because of her morbid reference to “moon-embalmed, a dead muse lies in state” (chapter 76), interprets the snapping string as a portent of Dai-yu’s death. It is ironic that Adamantina, who strives for an impossibly high standard of purity, should be susceptible to the invasion of evil spirits—presumably due to an excessively heavy load of bad karma accumulated in previous lives. In contrast, Xi-chun, with little apparent effort, is able to achieve a level of detachment that eludes Adamantina. It is worth noting that Xi-chun has been fond of all things Buddhist since childhood and that she is in the process of painting Prospect Garden from the viewpoint of someone looking down into it from outside.

88 Li Wan Is Consoled by Jia Lan’s Achievement; Zhou Rui Is Kicked and Jia Yun Is Humiliated

SUMMARY In anticipation of her eighty-first birthday, Grandmother Jia pledges to hold a nine-day mass and commissions several thousand handwritten copies of the Diamond Sutra. She also wants several hundred copies of the Heart Sutra written out by women in the Jia household. Faithful brings a roll of paper over to Xi-chun, who is happy to do her share. Asked if she will participate in the copying, Faithful replies that she is out of practice with the brush but that she performs her own little act of devotion every night because she feels bound to Grandmother Jia by some karmic connection forged in a past life. Grandmother Jia is playing backgammon with Li Wan when Bao-yu comes to pay his respects. He reports that Jia Lan is doing very well in school. Li Wan is moved to tears by the matriarch’s acknowledgment of the good job she has done raising the boy alone. Cousin Zhen, left in charge of Rong mansion business while Jia Zheng and Jia Lian are away, does not want to bother checking the inventory when a bailiff arrives with produce from the family farm and delegates the task to Zhou Rui. Jia Lian’s trusted servant Bao Er questions Zhou Rui’s honesty, and the two get into an argument. Annoyed, Cousin Zhen orders both servants out of his sight. Soon after, Zhou Rui’s adopted son He San—the shiftless alcoholic Wang Xi-feng had wanted to dismiss in chapter 45—is heard picking a fight with Bao Er. Cousin Zhen has the two tied up and demands to see Zhou Rui, but Zhou Rui makes himself scarce. When Jia Lian arrives home, he has Zhou Rui seized and proceeds to kick him, whereupon Cousin Zhen orders his men to give Bao Er and He San fifty lashes each and send them packing. The rest of the menservants are shocked. Eager to take advantage of Jia Zheng’s new job at the Board of Works, Jia Yun goes around promising work to contractors and negotiating commissions

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for himself. To gain access to Jia Zheng, he tries to ingratiate himself with Xi-feng with a gift of fashionable embroideries, but she tells him she has no influence in matters of this sort and orders him to take his presents back. Humiliated, he turns to flattery and tries complimenting her daughter, but Qiao-jie bursts into tears at his approach. Forced to beat a hasty retreat, Jia Yun manages, on the way out, to press a few of the embroideries on Crimson, who is still in love with him (chapters 24, 25, and 26). Patience tells Xi-feng that the Water-moon prioress has been having difficulty with her new novices and, as a result, suffered a seizure in which she had the bizarre sensation of a noose tightening round her neck. Shortly afterward, a maid reports that an eerie sigh was heard to come from an empty building. Insisting that she does not believe in such things, Xi-feng scolds the maid for being superstitious. Nevertheless, she is so uneasy that she asks Patience and Autumn to keep her company that night.

COMMENTS Backgammon, one of the world’s oldest board games, was introduced in China as early as the third century, probably from India. Readers are reminded that Li Wan, portrayed thus far as a retiring character, has been valiantly raising her son on her own. The prioress evidently got more than she bargained for when she took in the erstwhile actresses as novices, expecting them to wait on her (chapter 77). The menservants’ confidence in their masters is badly shaken by Cousin Zhen’s capricious dismissal of Jia Lian’s trusted Bao Er and by Jia Lian’s rough treatment of Lady Wang’s long-time manservant Zhou Rui: neither bothered to look into the merits of the case before taking action. The sense that their masters are capricious leads to a dangerous “anything goes” mentality among the servants. Furthermore, Zhou Rui, Bao Er, He San, and Jia Yun now all bear a grudge against the Jias.

89 The Snapped String Unnerves Bao-yu; Hearing He Is Betrothed, Dai-yu Stops Eating

SUMMARY Jia Zheng is kept very busy at the Board of Works all winter long by the flooding of the Yellow River in Honan (Henan Province). When the weather suddenly turns cold, Aroma sends a bundle of warm clothes along with Bao-yu to school; upon opening it up, he is distressed to see the snow cape Skybright once mended for him. Feigning illness, he asks to be excused from school the following day. He orders a room cleared the next morning and shuts himself up to write a poem to Skybright, which he offers to her with incense. His task completed, he goes to see Dai-yu. She is at her desk making a copy of the sutra commissioned by Grandmother Jia. While waiting for her to finish, he admires a drawing of the moon goddess, Chang E, rendered in the manner of an eleventh-century artist, before turning to admire Dai-yu herself. He overheard her singing the other day, he says, trying to get her to open up. There is much he wants to tell her but worries she might take what he says in the wrong way. Meanwhile, Dai-yu hesitates to say anything for fear of coming across as sarcastic. Her silence makes Bao-yu even more nervous. He finally excuses himself, leaving Dai-yu bewildered. Snowgoose tells Nightingale that she heard Bao-yu is engaged to be married to a prefect’s daughter. Going into Dai-yu’s room, they find her in her chair, faint and out of breath, and realize she must have overheard their conversation, but neither dares say a word. Dai-yu resolves to starve herself to death rather than witness the event. The next morning she takes up her brush to continue copying the sutra. Eyes brimming with tears, she says that she may as well keep herself busy, adding “And in days to come you will have my writing to remember me by.” Nightingale bursts into tears. Having stopped eating and taking her medicine, Dai-yu starts to waste away. Bao-yu comes to visit after school whenever he can. There are a million

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things she wants to tell him, but they all seem inappropriate. He wishes dearly to have a heart-to-heart talk with her but fears he may give offense and aggravate her illness. Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang are concerned but attribute Dai-yu’s condition to her already frail health.

COMMENTS The breakdown in communication between Bao-yu and Dai-yu in this chapter stands in sharp contrast to the situation in chapter 32, when, after Bao-yu avowed his love for her, Dai-yu stopped him from saying anything further because, she said, she already understood. The crane fairy, phoenix tail, dragon’s pool, and goose foot are different parts of the qin. Jia Zheng’s assignment at the Board of Works has to do with the dikes that contain the Yellow River—a major concern of China’s rulers since time immemorial. The North China Plain is covered by a yellowish, fine-grained soil deposited by wind over eons. The watercourse that flows through this plain is named the Yellow River for the color of this wind-borne silt. The constant buildup of silt causes the riverbed to rise every year, and people living along the river respond by constructing ever higher dikes until, inevitably, the dikes fail to hold, inundating the surrounding area with a slurry of water and sand. In exceptionally bad years, the river may even change course, as the water seeks another channel to the ocean. Any change in the river’s course is catastrophic because not only are many people drowned but also the disruption in food production usually leads to mass starvation. After 1949, the Chinese government constructed a large dam upstream and widened the dikes downstream, and, as a result, the danger of flooding and catastrophic changes in the river’s course has been much reduced. Dikes bursting under the pressure of accumulated silt make an apt metaphor for the calamity about to befall the Jia clan.

90 Hearing the Bride Is to Be a Cousin, Dai-yu Rallies; the Matriarch Bans Talk of the Betrothal

SUMMARY Dai-yu’s health has deteriorated so much that she appears to be in a coma. Believing her to be on the verge of death, Nightingale rushes to inform Grandmother Jia, Lady Wang, and Xi-feng. Left alone with Dai-yu, the frightened Snowgoose is relieved when Tan-chun’s chief maid, Scribe, arrives to see how Dai-yu is doing. Scribe reports that she hears Bao-yu will not be betrothed to a prefect’s daughter after all, as Grandmother Jia wants him to marry someone from within the garden. Upon her return, Nightingale is appalled to find the two gossiping in Dai-yu’s presence, but Dai-yu, who has overheard them, is showing signs of renewed life. By the time Grandmother Jia, Lady Wang, Li Wan, and Xi-feng arrive on the scene, Dai-yu has revived to the point of being able to say a few words in response to their inquiries. Suspecting that Dai-yu’s fluctuating health has something to do with her attachment to Bao-yu, Grandmother Jia suggests separating the two by moving Bao-yu out of the garden, but Lady Wang feels that this would only raise suspicion; instead, she proposes marrying them both off as quickly as possible. It is agreed that a husband should be found for Dai-yu as soon as Bao-yu is wed. To avoid further aggravating Dai-yu’s illness, the matriarch prohibits the maidservants from talking about the betrothal. During an inspection tour of the garden, Xi-feng hears an old woman shouting at Xing Xiu-yan’s maid for questioning her about a missing item, saying she answers only to Li Wan. Xi-feng is ready to dismiss the insolent woman at once but relents when Xiu-yan pleads for mercy. The missing item turns out to be an old padded jacket belonging to Xiu-yan. Looking around, Xi-feng notices that Xiu-yan does not have adequate clothes for the winter, so she sends over a parcel of her own clothes, which Xiu-yan has to be persuaded to accept. When Aunt Xue and Bao-chai hear of Xiu-yan’s humiliation, they

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bemoan the fact that Xue Ke has to wait until Xue Pan’s court case is settled before he can marry her. Xue Ke is sitting in his room, self-consciously writing a poem to express his love for Xiu-yan, when Moonbeam enters with a tray of sweetmeats and a jug of wine from Xia Jin-gui to thank him for the trouble he is taking on behalf of Xue Pan. Xue Ke accepts the sweetmeats but tells Moonbeam to take the wine back. However, she insists on leaving it, adding flirtatiously that Xia Jingui may come to thank him in person. All this inappropriate attention from his first cousin’s womenfolk makes Xue Ke nervous. Just as he is wondering whether Moonbeam is acting on her own or if Xia Jin-gui is trying to seduce him, he hears laughter outside the window.

COMMENTS It does not cross Dai-yu’s mind that Bao-chai could be the cousin whom Grandmother Jia wants for Bao-yu’s bride. Her nightmare has come true: Grandmother Jia wants to send her away, and she is the target of a conspiracy of silence. To Nightingale’s way of thinking, Dai-yu and Bao-yu are the ideal couple because they love each other deeply, but Grandmother Jia is moved by less sentimental considerations. Xing Xiu-yan shows herself to be a girl with dignity and a keen sense of her own individuality. She has, after all, studied with Adamantina. The three most moving death scenes in the novel are all lightened by comedies of seduction, which prevent the narrative from sinking into sentimentality. Sandwiched between Qin-shi’s illness and her death is Jia Rui’s absurd attempt to woo Wang Xi-feng (chapters 11 and 12). Similarly, the comic farce of a silly woman trying to vamp Bao-yu comes between his heartbreaking farewell to Skybright and her death (chapters 77 and 78). A droll account of romantic entrapment now unfolds between Dai-yu’s illness and her tragic death.

91 A Timetable Is Set for Bao-yu’s Wedding; Dai-yu and Bao-yu Communicate by Talking Zen

SUMMARY Moonbeam teases Xue Ke through a peephole in his window, in hopes of seducing him, but Xue Ke simply blows out the lamp and goes to bed. She returns the next morning, alluringly disheveled in her nightclothes, to pick up the uneaten sweetmeats. When Xia Jin-gui hears how her overtures were met with indifference, she begins to get cold feet: not only has she failed to charm Xue Ke, but also she is in danger of looking foolish to her maidservant. She decides to take Moonbeam into her confidence. Together they hatch a new plan to get Xue Ke drunk, create a scene, and blackmail him into acquiescence. Over the next few days, Moonbeam acts very proper each time she sees Xue Ke, making him think he might have imagined the earlier incident, while Jin-gui pursues him aggressively, making him uncomfortable. Jin-gui also enlists her newly adopted brother, Xia San, to aid her scheme. Meanwhile, a circuit court judge has overturned Xue Pan’s sentence as too light, plunging his family into turmoil anew. Xue Pan believes that nothing less than a personal word with the judge and a large bribe would do now. Aunt Xue appeals to Lady Wang, who urges Jia Zheng to do his part, adding that, for the sake of Bao-chai, who has fallen ill from anxiety and overwork, they must get the marriage settled. Jia Zheng agrees to fix a date for the betrothal in the winter, with gifts to be exchanged early the following year and the wedding to take place in the autumn. Lady Wang is going over the timetable with Grandmother Jia when Bao-yu enters the room, so they change the subject abruptly. Their behavior strikes Bao-yu as odd, and he expresses his perplexity to Dai-yu that evening, wondering if Aunt Xue is offended because he has not visited Bao-chai during her illness. He tried, he says, but, for some reason, his grandmother, mother, and father refused to let him go; however, he does not think Bao-chai is mad at

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him. Dai-yu says he cannot be sure, but, when Bao-yu gets agitated, she assures him that she was only teasing and that Aunt Xue is probably just preoccupied with Xue Pan. Relieved, Bao-yu says even the Buddha, as great as he is, has to bow to a single flower. Taking advantage of this turn in their conversation to probe Bao-yu’s commitment to her, Dai-yu asks him, in the form of a Zen riddle, what it matters if Bao-chai likes him or not or if he likes Bao-chai or not. Bao-yu is quiet for a few minutes and then, laughing heartily, replies, “If the Seas of Paradise were mine, with my simple gourd I’d be content”—meaning that, if he had access to all the women in the world, he would be contented with a single one. “What if your gourd is carried away by the stream?” Dai-yu asks, to which Bao-yu answers that the gourd will hold its own course. But what would happen, she presses further, if the flow stops and his precious cargo sinks? Bao-yu answers that, like a catkin caught in a puddle, he would just stay there. Dai-yu reminds him that the first rule of Zen is not to lie. When Bao-yu swears he is telling the truth, she falls silent. At this moment, they hear the cawing of a crow—usually thought of as a bad omen—and Bao-yu wonders what the sound portends. Dai-yu says man’s fate is not to be decided by the cries of a bird. A maidservant comes to call Bao-yu away, and Dai-yu makes no attempt to detain him.

COMMENTS Moonbeam is able to make a peephole in the window because it is made of paper. Traditionally, Chinese windows were constructed with thin wooden slats spaced closely together, often to form pleasing patterns, and then covered with oiled paper to let in some light while giving privacy. The paper, easily damaged, was also easily replaced. After being unable to communicate for weeks, Bao-yu and Dai-yu find a way to express themselves through the language of Zen Buddhism.

92 Bao-yu Discusses Noble Women with Qiao-jie; Chess and Her Cousin Commit Double Suicide

SUMMARY Grandmother Jia calls for a gathering to celebrate the beginning of the season of Lessening Cold. While they wait for the others to arrive, Qiao-jie tells Bao-yu that she has mastered over three thousand characters, has finished reading the Girl’s Classic of Filial Piety, and is now studying Lives of Noble Women Present and Past. Bao-yu goes over some of the moral exemplars with her and then proceeds to tell her stories about beautiful women. He is stopped short by his grandmother, who does not want him filling the girl’s head with romantic tales. Xi-feng is detained by Brightie’s wife, who is seeking help on behalf of Chess’s mother. It turns out that Pan You-an, Chess’s cousin, had come to see Chess, and her mother had struck him angrily for getting Chess into trouble, but Chess vowed she would marry him and no one else. Livid, the mother declared she would never allow this to happen, whereupon Chess promptly killed herself. Only then did Pan You-an reveal that he had become a wealthy man. Satisfied that Chess was true to him, he gave her mother a lot of gold and precious stones, went away briefly, and, returning with two coffins, also committed suicide. As a result, Chess’s mother is now in trouble with the magistrate. Xi-feng promises to send Brightie to help her sort things out. Feng Zi-ying arrives with two curios, touting them as impressive gifts that the Jias might use to curry favor with the higher-ups: a Mother Pearl, which attracts smaller pearls to itself like a magnet, and a diaphanous Byssus net, which unfolds to the size of a hall, making it perfect for mosquito netting. When Xi-feng sees them, she says that, apart from the fact that they do not have extra cash lying around for such items, she has concluded that the best way to secure the clan’s future against ruin is by investing in trust-land. There follows a discussion about fluctuating fortunes. Jia Zheng remarks that, like

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the Mother Pearl, a man with influence shelters many others under him and that, when he is in trouble, so are they. Jia She scoffs at the idea that the Jias have anything to fear. Feng Zi-ying concurs, pointing to Yuan-chun’s ability to look after their interests at court, their wide network of connections, and the impeccable lives they lead.

COMMENTS Qiao-jie’s age is a one of the inconsistencies found in the novel. Depicted as a young child in chapter 88, she is suddenly quite grown up in this chapter and, by chapter 104, is ready to be married off. These inconsistencies are probably due to the fact that the last third of the novel as we know it today was patched together from different manuscript versions. Qiao-jie’s nursemaid, Nannie Li, is a different person than Bao-yu’s former wet nurse—their names are written differently in Chinese. John Minford’s translation has Grandmother Jia saying that Xi-feng “can’t read a word,” whereas the phrase “bu rende zi” in the Chinese text covers a range of skill from being totally illiterate to being able to recognize the most commonly used characters. The latter is consistent with Xi-feng being able to read Pan You-an’s letter in chapter 74. Juxtaposed against the accounts of exemplary women, many of whom mutilated themselves for the sake of virtue, Chess’s death begs the question of whether she is, in her own way, just as noble. She died not for her parents, her husband, or the preservation of her honor but in a struggle for self-determination. Feng Zi-ying, the dashing son of a general in chapters 26 and 28, has now evidently fallen on hard times and is forced to peddle curios. Of the three factors that Feng cites as shielding the Jias, readers already knows the third—that they live impeccable lives—to be untrue. The first two are unraveling. Both Jia Zheng and Xi-feng have presentiments of an impending catastrophe. Xi-feng must have the words of Qin-shi’s ghost (chapter 13) in mind when she advocates investing in trust-land.

93 Bao-yu Identifies with Jiang Yu-Han; Jia Qin Is Caught Seducing the Young Novices

SUMMARY Wagons delivering rent payments in the form of produce to the Rong house have been arbitrarily seized by a highway patrol. Neither Zhou Rui nor Brightie can be found. Bao-yu learns Jiang Yu-han (Bijou) is now quite wealthy but cannot tear himself away from the stage; he now manages a new opera troupe and is still acting—though now only in male roles. Bao-yu thinks to himself that whoever marries Jiang Yu-han will be a lucky girl. Watching him perform the male lead in The Queen of the Flowers, a mesmerized Bao-yu identifies fully with Jiang as a man capable of infinite tenderness for a woman. The exiled Zhen family sends a burly servant named Bao Yong to see Jia Zheng about employment. He tells Jia Zheng that the Zhen family’s son, Zhen Bao-yu, used to spend all his time playing with girls, but then he suffered a grave illness—during which he had a vision of being led through a great archway by a lady and shown girls turning into ghosts and skeletons. Since then he has become totally focused on his studies. Spurned by Parfumée, now a novice at the Water-moon Priory, Jia Qin has taken to cavorting with the young nuns under his care at the Temple of the Iron Threshold. Posters lambasting the Rong house for putting him in charge of the nuns appear in the neighborhood. Furious, Jia Zheng sends the chief steward, Lai Da, to bring all the novices back to the garden. But Jia Lian, hoping to protect his childhood buddy from punishment, tells Jia Qin to deny everything and orders Lai Da to sell the novices off immediately. After giving Jia Qin a piece of his mind, Lai Da asks if he has made any enemies; Jia Qin cannot think of anyone who would go out of his way to hurt him.

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COMMENTS Zhen Bao-yu—Jia Bao-yu’s doppelgänger (chapter 56)—evidently had an experience similar to the one our Bao-yu went through in the Land of Illusion (chapter 5), but, unlike our Bao-yu, he has come away chastened. The Oil Peddler Claims the Queen of the Flowers is a Kun opera about an oil peddler who saves up for an entire year to enjoy one night with a courtesan so celebrated for her beauty that she is called the Queen of the Flowers. Unfortunately, she returns to the bordello that night inebriated from drinking with other customers. Rather than take advantage of her, he stays and looks after her. She is so moved that she marries him. The story contains several puns that are lost in translation. Like Bao-yu’s first male friend, the oil peddler is called Qin Zhong (albeit the second character is written differently). Watching Jiang Yu-han playing the oil peddler, Bao-yu knows for certain that he, too, is a qing zhong (passion incarnate). Jiang Yu-han’s personal name has one character in common with Bao-yu; the other, which means “lotus,” is strongly associated with Buddhism and reincarnation. After Bao-yu becomes a monk, Jiang Yu-han will serve as the avatar who fulfills Bao-yu’s obligation to Aroma as a husband by marrying her (chapter 120). Since Aroma’s family name is Hua (flower), Jiang Yu-han as the oil peddler will indeed claim the Queen of the Flowers! Finally, Aroma’s marriage to an actor fulfills the future prophesied for her in chapter 5. At the end of the chapter, readers are left wondering who would go out of their way to hurt Jia Qin—or, if not him, then the Rong house? Zhou Rui is a prime suspect. He and his wife were used to getting special consideration because of their special relationship with Lady Wang, so it must have been mortifying for him to have his adopted son dismissed and he himself tied up like a criminal and kicked by Jia Lian (chapter 88). Although he is responsible for collecting rents (chapter 6), he is nowhere to be found when the wagons are seized. His son-in-law, the antique dealer (chapter 7), stands to gain from the dispersal of the Jia family’s treasures in the event of a financial collapse.

94 Crab-flower Trees Bloom Out of Season; Bao-yu’s Jade Mysteriously Disappears

SUMMARY Jia Lian decides to consult Lady Wang about selling the young novices. She says that would be inhumane; instead, he should interview them one by one to find out if they have any relatives left and return them to any family they might still have. Annoyed to hear that Bao-yu still appears to be interested in the Miss Fu whose family has long set its mind on marrying her to him (chapter 35), Nightingale resolves to stop worrying about Bao-yu and Dai-yu and just focus on doing her job. The household is in a state of excitement. Several crab-flower trees that were blighted earlier in the year have suddenly burst into bloom at Green Delights. Li Wan remarks that it must augur blissful news for Bao-yu. Dai-yu, under the illusion that she is to be his bride, tells a story about the lives of plants following the fortunes of people. Tan-chun thinks to herself that nothing so unnatural could possibly be good. Jia She wants these trees of evil omen cut down, while Jia Zheng, ever the rational Confucian, says they should be ignored. But Grandmother Jia, determined to enjoy the flowers, calls for a party. Xi-feng, also worried that this may be ominous, sends over two rolls of red silk to decorate the trees in hopes of turning the luck. Bao-yu, rushing to change into proper attire to welcome Grandmother Jia to Green Delights, has managed to lose his magic jade. When it is nowhere to be found, Jia Huan is interrogated, which naturally provokes a scene. Distressed by all the trouble he is causing, Bao-yu says he must have lost it on a trip to town. It is agreed by all to keep the upsetting news from Grandmother Jia and Jia Zheng while the search continues. Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife sends her husband out to consult a word diviner, who guesses right away that he has come to ask about a missing item. The character

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he picks randomly is shang (reward), which has three components—small, mouth, and cowry shell—and the diviner guesses, again correctly, that the missing item is a treasure small enough to fit in the mouth. He goes on to say that the top two-thirds of shang resembles the character for “to pawn” and that adding a “man” radical to the left side of shang would turn it into “ to redeem.” This means the lost object may be redeemed from a pawnshop. Servants are therefore sent out to search for the jade among pawnshops in the neighborhood.

COMMENTS Lady Wang’s proposal for the dispersal of the novices shows that, despite her blind spots, she is basically a decent person. Bao-yu’s magic jade, with which he was born, represents his spirit. With its disappearance, Bao-yu is left with a vacuous physical self. It is a stretch for the word diviner to claim that the top two-thirds of the character shang resembles “to pawn” and arbitrary of him to add the “man” radical to the character. Actually, like most Chinese characters, shang has two halves, one related to its meaning and the other related to its sound. Breaking down the character in the middle, the bottom is a cowry shell, representing treasure or money, while the top is a character pronounced shang, as in he shang, meaning “monk.” The magic jade is eventually returned by a monk. The Chinese folk practice of word divination, using free association of words and images, sometimes works by tapping into the subconscious minds of the people concerned. The crab-flower tree blooming out of season is indeed a bad omen for the Jia clan, for the two persons on which the clan relies for political support—Yuan-chun at court and Lady Wang’s brother Wang Zi-teng in the bureaucracy—soon die, one after the other. Traditionally, an unusual phenomenon always prompts speculation as to whether it is a good or a bad omen—a useful practice in an agricultural society in which unseasonal weather patterns, odd botanical developments, or strange movements of insects, animals, and birds are often early signs of flood, drought, earthquake, or ecological changes.

95 Yuan-chun Passes Away in the Palace; Bao-yu Turns Into a Simpleton

SUMMARY Xing Xiu-yan enlists Adamantina to use her psychic powers to find Bao-yu’s missing magic jade. The two hold a double-handled planchette wand together and let it move across a tray of sand. The resulting writing says cryptically that the missing object has gone to Greensickness Peak, where it is lying at the foot of an old pine, and enjoins the readers to “Follow me and laugh to see / Your journey at an End!” Aroma interprets the message to mean that the jade is somewhere in the garden and proceeds to turn over every stone. Yuan-chun dies childless in the palace, at age forty-three, in the Yin month of the Mao year. While the Board of Works is attending to the details of her funeral arrangements, everyone in the Jia family holding an official rank is kept busy with daily visits to the palace. Meanwhile, Bao-yu grows increasingly morose, listless, and silent. Aroma pleads with Dai-yu to talk to him, but she declines, thinking that, as his future bride, it would not be proper for her to see him. The next time Grandmother Jia sees Bao-yu, which is after the funeral, he is able to respond to her only when prodded by Aroma. Lady Wang realizes then that they can no longer keep the loss of the magic jade a secret. To shield Aroma from charges of negligence, she repeats Bao-yu’s story about losing it on a trip into town. Grandmother Jia is beside herself. She dispatches Jia Lian to place posters around town describing the jade in detail and promising a reward of ten thousand taels of silver for its return and five thousand for information leading to its recovery. She also moves Bao-yu into her own apartment so that she can keep an eye on him. On his way home that evening, Jia Zheng is appalled to overhear two men discussing a get-rich-quick scheme to take advantage of the Jia family reward. After getting the full story from a servant and without telling Grandmother Jia, he orders the posters to be taken down, but someone else has already done

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this. A couple of days later a man shows up claiming to have found the lost jade. The stone looks familiar to Jia Lian, and he is ecstatic. However, neither the matriarch nor Lady Wang nor Xi-feng can confirm this, so they show it to Bao-yu. Bao-yu drops it on the ground and says, with a strange smile on his face, that they are trying to fool him. Grandmother Jia feels sorry for the man, who must have gone to considerable expense to manufacture a fake. She tells Jia Lian to give him a few taels of silver, remarking that, if the man is treated harshly, no one else will dare come forward with anything.

COMMENTS The spirit that Adamantina invokes for the planchette (a version of the Ouija board) is one of the Eight Taoist Immortals, Iron Crutch Li, who is usually depicted as a beggar carrying a gourd on his back and leaning on an iron crutch. Readers may recall that when Bao-yu’s good friend Liu Xiang-lian became a monk, he went off with a crippled Taoist (chapter 66). The last line of the planchette’s message, translated more literally, reads: “Enter our gate and, laughing, you will see it”—the gate suggesting a temple gate. Thus, it would appear that the crippled Taoist and the Buddhist monk have taken the jade back to Greensickness Peak, where they first found it (chapter 1) and that the message is an invitation to enter the spiritual realm. Back in chapter 86, the fortune-teller predicted that Yuan-chun would die when the tiger meets the hare—that is, she would die in the month of Mao (associated with hares) the next Yin year (associated with tigers). As it turns out, she dies in the Yin month of the Mao year. The fortune-teller—like the word diviner in the previous chapter—misread the signs and was only half right.

96 Wang Zi-teng Dies on His Way to the Capital; a Hasty Wedding Is Set Before Jia Zheng Departs

SUMMARY Wang Zi-teng dies on his way to the capital to take up his new post at the Grand Secretariat. The news of her brother’s sudden death hits Lady Wang hard when she is already coping with Yuan-chun’s death and with Bao-yu losing his wits. Meanwhile, Jia Zheng’s new appointment as grain intendant of Kiangsi (Jiangxi) Province requires him to leave in a few days. Grandmother Jia proposes they arrange a wedding for Bao-yu and Bao-chai before Jia Zheng’s departure. This goes against protocol: the Jias are in mourning, the head of the bride’s family is in prison, and the groom is ill. However, the matriarch says that there is no telling how long Jia Zheng will be away or how long Bao-yu can survive without the marriage to turn his luck. She hopes Bao-chai’s gold locket will somehow call back Bao-yu’s lost jade and, thus, his health. It is to be a simple wedding, with the banquet postponed until the mourning period is over. Jia Zheng asks to see Bao-yu and is shocked by his emaciated appearance and dullness. He wonders whether the Xues will agree to the marriage now, but Grandmother Jia says to leave things to her. Despite his misgivings, Jia Zheng designates a building in a courtyard behind Lady Wang’s quarters to be refurbished for the new couple. Happy that Bao-chai is the bride, Aroma is nevertheless afraid that, rather than turning Bao-yu’s luck, the wedding may just kill him. She fears Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang do not fully understand how deeply Bao-yu cares for Dai-yu. She goes to tell Lady Wang what she knows: how Bao-yu tried to smash his jade when he felt it offended Dai-yu (chapter 29); how, mistaking Aroma for Dai-yu, he blurted out his avowal of love (chapter 32); and how he fell ill when Nightingale tricked him into thinking that Dai-yu was leaving (chapter 57). Lady Wang reports this to Grandmother Jia, who, after a long silence, says they have run into an insurmountable obstacle. Xi-feng comes up

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with the idea of duping Bao-yu into believing that he is marrying Dai-yu. Even though the matriarch feels the scheme will be hard on Bao-chai, she sees no other way out. A couple of days later Dai-yu goes to visit Grandmother Jia, accompanied by Nightingale, but sends her back for a handkerchief. Going on alone, Dai-yu comes upon Simple, the slow-witted girl who picked up the erotic purse in chapter 73, who is sobbing. Simple tells Dai-yu that she was slapped by her sister, Pearl, who works for Grandmother Jia, for mentioning Bao-yu’s upcoming marriage to Bao-chai. She goes on to say that, as soon as the two are married, the family will arrange a husband for Dai-yu. Utterly disoriented, Dai-yu goes straight to Grandmother Jia’s apartment to look for Bao-yu and finds him alone except for the servants. Gazing at her fixedly, Bao-yu breaks out in a series of silly laughs. Dai-yu sits down and, smiling, stares back at him. Suddenly, she asks, “Bao-yu, why are you sick?” Bao-yu laughs and says, “I’m sick because of Miss Lin.” Aroma and Nightingale try frantically to change the subject, but the two continue to stare at each other, smiling like a pair of idiots. Aroma eventually asks Ripple to help Nightingale escort Dai-yu home. Still smiling and nodding to Bao-yu, Dai-yu agrees to leave at once, saying “Of course. It’s time.” But as soon as she reaches the Naiad’s House, she slumps forward and cries out, as a stream of blood gushes from her mouth.

COMMENTS Simple, again, plays the fool who reveals the truth because she is not smart enough to conceal it. The burst of energy that Dai-yu experiences, enabling her to confront Bao-yu, rings true: pumped with adrenalin, people often take decisive action following a psychological blow. The two staring and smiling stupidly at each other also rings true—absurdly helpless in their respective situations, they nevertheless feel compelled to present a smiling face to the world.

97 Bao-yu Is Tricked Into Marrying Bao-chai; Dai-yu Burns Her Poems and Dies

SUMMARY Having learned that Bao-yu will be married to Bao-chai, Dai-yu resolves to die quickly. Barely conscious by the time Grandmother Jia, Lady Wang, and Xi-feng come to see her, she manages to utter “Grandmother! Your love for me has been in vain.” The matriarch, though urging Dai-yu not to be afraid, nevertheless orders graveclothes and a coffin to be made ready, as everyone will be busy with the wedding in the following days and, in any case, preparing for death may forestall it. Hearing what passed between Bao-yu and Dai-yu that morning, she remarks that a decent family does not tolerate unseemly romantic attachments and that Dai-yu should expect no sympathy if she is suffering from lovesickness. When Xi-feng tells Bao-yu that he will soon marry Dai-yu, his reaction is that he must hurry over to set Dai-yu’s mind at rest. Having been persuaded that, as his bride-to-be, Dai-yu would be too embarrassed to receive him, he declares that, once they are married, Dai-yu will return his heart and put it back in its proper place. Aunt Xue is told that, given Xue Pan’s absence, the usual bridal trousseau will not be expected and that she should nevertheless send Xue Ke to bring Xue Pan up to date and assure him the Jias will do their best to get his case settled. Though worried that Bao-chai may be upset at the makeshift wedding, Aunt Xue is in no position to object, her family now being wholly dependent on the Jias’ goodwill. Told of these hasty arrangements, Bao-chai hangs her head and cries. In an attempt to make things as proper as possible, Aunt Xue instructs Xue Ke to inscribe Bao-chai’s horoscope on gold-splash paper and present it to the Jias; she is informed that the gift exchange will take place the very next day. Xi-feng makes sure the gifts are delivered along a circuitous

Bao-yu greets his bride before their wedding as she steps off her sedan chair. Her head is completely covered.

Dai-yu, in a closet bed, consigns her poems to the flames before her death.

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route far away from the Naiad’s House. In happy anticipation of the wedding, Bao-yu’s health improves visibly. Nightingale gives Faithful regular updates on Dai-yu’s condition, but Faithful reports little of this to the busy matriarch. Dismayed that no one has come to comfort her as her death draws near, Dai-yu orders Nightingale to light a fire in the brazier and flings her poems, along with the used handkerchiefs Bao-yu gave her, into the flames. The next day, when it is clear that Dai-yu cannot hold on any longer, Nightingale goes to look for Grandmother Jia, but the maids on duty answer in unison that they do not know where she is. Turning to look for Bao-yu, she finds Green Delights empty. His page confirms her bitter suspicion that Bao-yu is getting married right at that moment. It finally dawns on Nightingale that Li Wan, excluded from weddings as a widow, is the only one who can help her now. Li Wan comes immediately and orders the sobbing Nightingale to get Dai-yu bathed and changed into her graveclothes. To their consternation, Patience and Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife arrive to ask Nightingale to attend the wedding (the better to convince Bao-yu that the bride is Dai-yu). “Can’t you even wait until she is dead?” cries Nightingale. Patience breaks the impasse by suggesting they take Snowgoose instead. Bao-yu is in an ecstatic state through the ceremony. Servants are enlisted to play some impromptu music as the bride is carried into the hall in a palanquin. But when he lifts up the bridal veil, he is stunned to see Bao-chai. He cries out that he must find Dai-yu and has to be sedated and helped to bed. Bao-chai acts as if she has heard nothing, and Jia Zheng remains in the dark about the subterfuge.

COMMENTS As death approaches, Dai-yu fiercely reclaims her dignity. The scene is the most powerful in the entire novel. Neither Aunt Xue nor Bao-chai has been told of the trick being played on Bao-yu. Bao-chai must feel profoundly humiliated on her wedding night. Although initially glad to have been chosen as Bao-yu’s bride, she continued with the betrothal chiefly out of a sense of duty after Bao-yu became deranged.

98 Bao-chai Tells Bao-yu That Dai-yu Is Dead; Bao-yu Improves After Mourning for Dai-yu

SUMMARY Bao-yu’s condition deteriorates rapidly after the wedding; by the ninth day, when newlyweds are supposed to call on the bride’s parents, he is no longer able to recognize anyone. The couple is carried in sedan chairs to see Aunt Xue, who has begun to regret the marriage. A down-and-out medical practitioner, operating out of a dilapidated temple, diagnoses Bao-yu’s ailment as a case of severe emotional shock aggravated by improper care. After taking his prescription, Bao-yu regains enough lucidity to question Aroma about Daiyu’s whereabouts. Aroma tells him that Dai-yu is ill, whereupon Bao-yu asks her to tell his grandmother that, since Dai-yu and he are both dying, he wishes to have a room prepared so that they may die together. Overhearing the conversation, Bao-chai tells Bao-yu bluntly that Dai-yu is dead. Bao-yu cries out that it can’t be true. Bao-chai assures him that it is and calmly explains that his grandmother and mother, knowing how fond he is of Dai-yu, have kept the truth from him. At this, Bao-yu howls and slumps back onto his bed. He dreams that a man tells him that his time is not yet up and that, in any case, Dai-yu has returned to the Land of Illusion—so if he really wants to find her, he must cultivate his spiritual nature. Grandmother Jia, Lady Wang, and Oriole all scold Bao-chai for acting recklessly, but Bao-yu begins to improve after this. Aroma, initially resentful of Bao-chai’s interference, now tells Bao-yu that his father chose Bao-chai for his bride because he felt Dai-yu was too temperamental and unlikely to live long. Even though his grief is not assuaged, Bao-yu becomes slowly reconciled to the idea of being married to the gentle and devoted Bao-chai. Dai-yu’s last wish was to be buried in her hometown of Soochow (Suzhou) in the South, for she did not consider herself a member of the Jia family. Her last words were “Bao-yu! Bao-yu! How could you . . .,” showing that she felt

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betrayed by him. Tan-chun, Li Wan, and Nightingale were with her when she expired, at the very moment that the nuptials concluded. Xi-feng was informed only the following morning. Grandmother Jia wept at the news, blaming herself but also blaming Dai-yu for her foolish obstinacy. She remarked that, while Dai-yu was her daughter’s child, Bao-yu is a Jia; she had her priorities. Before Bao-yu was finally told the cruel truth, he claimed to have seen Dai-yu, who said she was returning to the South, so he exacted a promise from his grandmother to dissuade Dai-yu from leaving. After his health improves, Bao-yu clamors to be allowed to mourn Dai-yu in front of her coffin. Grandmother Jia eventually agrees, but she, Lady Wang, Xi-feng, and Li Wan make sure to arrive ahead of him at the Naiad’s House. On entering, Bao-yu howls with pain, and the assembled company, including Bao-chai, weeps along with him. He insists on hearing a full account of Daiyu’s last days from Nightingale, and Tan-chun takes the opportunity to mention Dai-yu’s dying wish. Instead of consoling him, Bao-chai continues to act stern with Bao-yu, and he, not wishing to offend her, tries to moderate his grief. By the time the mourning period for Yuan-chun is over, Bao-yu is sufficiently recovered for Grandmother Jia to propose a party to celebrate the consummation of his marriage. Aunt Xue is pleased.

COMMENTS Bao-chai’s shock therapy works. She delivers the bitter truth to Bao-yu, along with a frank acknowledgment of his affection for Dai-yu. In stressing his duty to his family, Bao-chai gives him a reason to go on living. By forcing him to show consideration for her feelings, she dislodges him from his single-minded fixation on Dai-yu. Thus, Bao-chai is fulfilling Grandmother Jia’s expectations for her as a wife capable of managing Bao-yu. It is disingenuous of Xi-feng and Aroma to tell Bao-yu that Jia Zheng was responsible for choosing Bao-chai as his wife when, in fact, he had nothing to do with this decision. They do so knowing that, to Bao-yu, his father represents an impersonal and implacable authority.

99 Bao-yu Is Reconciled to Accepting Bao-chai; Jia Zheng Turns a Blind Eye to Misdeeds

SUMMARY Grandmother Jia is depressed when Dai-yu’s name comes up in her conversation with Aunt Xue. To cheer them up, Xi-feng tells them she just witnessed Bao-yu falling on top of Bao-chai after he tugged on her dress, trying to get her to talk with him. The matriarch expresses satisfaction that they seem to be getting along. Bao-yu’s health is returning, but his mind remains dull, and he feels restive. The ladies forbid him to go into the garden, which is now largely deserted, as Bao-qin has moved in with Aunt Xue and Xing Xiu-yan with Lady Xing, and Shi Xiang-yun has returned to her uncle, now back in the capital. Grandmother Jia plans to move the remaining residents—Li Wan, Tan-chun, and Xi-chun—into her quarters. Jia Zheng, whose only previous experience working in the provinces was a stint as a commissioner of education, is determined to be incorruptible in his new post. As grain intendant of Kiangsi (Jiangxi) Province, he is responsible for collecting and transporting the taxes in the form of grains that the province is expected to hand over to the central government. He begins by taking a complete inventory of the government granaries and issues a public notice that abuses of any kind will be rigorously prosecuted. This disappoints his local staff, who are used to making extra money on the side, as well as the members of his own retinue, eager to get rich now that their master has landed a lucrative post. One by one, the local employees leave. Moreover, the local magistrates hesitate to hand over the grain to him in the absence of the usual “negotiations.” Jia Zheng has brought with him a porter by the name of Li Shi, who now hatches a plan with the local granary clerk to change the situation. The staff stage a rolling work stoppage. When Jia Zheng sounds the gong to signal he is

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As grain intendant, Jia Zheng has an official entourage that includes a bugler who announces his presence.

about to go out, there is no answering signal from the drum in the main hall. Only one attendant is waiting when he steps outside, and the chair-bearers take their time to assemble. Instead of a large band, only one drummer and one bugler show up to accompany him on his journey. Jia Zheng demands an explanation but gets one excuse after another. To make things worse, the cook asks for more money. Forced to dig into his own pocket to keep things running, Jia Zheng sends Li Shi to fetch extra funds from home. The wily porter now impresses upon Jia Zheng the importance of pleasing the viceroy and other local officials. He observes that the staff need to make money on the side—and Jia Zheng himself should do likewise—and he points out that, of all his friends and relatives, the ones he admires are in disgrace, whereas the flexible ones are thriving. Li Shi offers to do the dirty work for him without his knowledge, and Jia Zheng feels that he has no choice but to acquiesce. Some of his aides resign in protest against the encroaching corruption, but the yamen is running smoothly again. A high official posted in the South, whom Jia Zheng knew back in the capital, renews his proposal for a match between his son and Tan-chun.

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Meanwhile, Jia Zheng reads in the government gazette that Xue Pan faces execution in the fall. This worries him, as he had been the one to pressure the presiding magistrate into revising the original verdict.

COMMENTS During the Qing dynasty, low-level corruption among the poorly paid yamen clerks and runners was generally viewed as a form of tipping to motivate them to do their tasks. Officials recruited through the civil service, on the other hand, risked censure, demotion, or worse if they were caught receiving bribes. The temptation was, however, difficult to resist because salaries were low and there were lots of subtle and indirect ways to benefit from a government position other than by outright fraud or extortion. By refusing to get his own hands dirty, Jia Zheng allows worse things to happen under his nose.

100 Tan-chun Is Betrothed to Be Married Afar; Efforts to Save Xue Pan Bankrupt His Family

SUMMARY The viceroy—who, as it turns out, is related to the family asking for Tan-chun’s hand—encourages Jia Zheng to accept the marriage proposal. So Jia Zheng sends a servant back to the capital to inform Grandmother Jia of the proposed marriage and to find out more about Xue Pan’s case. Meanwhile, Bao-chai tries to console her mother over Xue Pan’s impending execution. Aunt Xue divulges that the Xue family has been struck from the list of court purveyors and that their efforts to save Xue Pan have drained their finances. Most distressing of all, some of their employees have absconded with the family’s assets. Xia Jin-gui keeps up a litany of complaints about her misfortune of having married Xue Pan while redoubling her efforts to seduce Xue Ke. One day Caltrop stumbles upon Jin-gui cornering Xue Ke in a compromising position. Xue Ke luckily escapes, but this leaves Jin-gui even more hostile toward Caltrop. Trying to console Grandmother Jia over Tan-chun’s imminent departure, Lady Wang tells the matriarch that a local marriage does not guarantee happiness. Ying-chun’s husband does not even give her enough to eat, she confides, and every time the couple quarrels, he reminds her that the Jias owe him money. She says she has sent some servants over with food and clothes, but Ying-chun begged them not to bring her any more because her husband would only accuse her of complaining and give her another beating. Her parents, Jia She and Lady Xing, refuse to intervene. Tan-chun’s upcoming departure for China’s remote maritime frontier saddens Bao-chai and Aroma. Aunt Zhao, on the other hand, is happy to be rid of a daughter who has never respected her and secretly hopes she will be as miserable as Ying-chun. Bao-yu is beginning to wonder if Dai-yu might really have been a fairy who, in death, has returned to her heavenly abode. Pressed to agree with him,

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Tan-chun retorts that this is probably another of his fanciful ideas but confirms that she did hear music when Dai-yu was dying. Bao-yu seizes on this as confirmation of his hunch. He asks Grandmother Jia to reassign Nightingale— who has been cool to him since Dai-yu’s death—to his apartment. Far from being upset at Nightingale for her indifferent manner, Bao-chai praises her for her loyalty to Dai-yu. In contrast, she finds Snowgoose silly and thoughtless and asks Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang to marry her off to one of the pages. Preparations for Tan-chun’s trousseau begin in earnest, for the groom’s family is sending a furnished barge to pick her up. Bao-yu seems to be taking his sister’s departure as a personal rejection, but, far from humoring him, Baochai gives him a stern lecture on how he is not the only person in the world with feelings and how his cousins cannot stay around and become old maids just to keep him company.

COMMENTS With Wang Zi-teng gone and the Xue family on the verge of bankruptcy, the Xue employees see no point in hanging around and make off with what they can. Their behavior, foreshadowing what will happen to the Jias, calls to mind the reference in chapter 92 to the Mother Pearl losing its efficacy and to the prediction made by the Qin-shi’s ghost in chapter 13 that, “when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter.” Qin-shi’s ghost also said, “When the Three Springs have gone, the flowering time will end, / And each one for himself as best he must fend.” Three of the four cousins with chun (spring) in their names—Yuan-chun, Ying-chun, and Tan-chun—are either gone or about to leave. The end is near. The hostile relationship between Tan-chun and Aunt Zhao illustrates what happens when the daughter of a despised concubine tries to break free from her birth mother. Having engaged our sympathy for Dai-yu, the author now compels us to admire Bao-chai, who is as calm and sensible as her aunt, Lady Wang, but wiser. Both women deal with life as it is, not as they wish it to be.

101 Wang Zi-teng’s Debt Strains the Wang Clan; Anxious, Xi-feng Entrusts Qiao-jie to Patience

SUMMARY On a cold moonlit night, Xi-feng is walking across the desolate Prospect Garden when a dog appears and sniffs at her. Suddenly, she is accosted by a shadowy figure who asks why Xi-feng failed to heed her warning about preparing against hard times. The realization that the figure must be Qin-shi’s ghost causes Xi-feng to trip on a stone, and she suffers a restless night. The next morning, as Patience is giving her a massage, Xi-feng says she knows that she is dying but that she shouldn’t complain. She observes that, in her twenty-five years, her every whim has been satisfied and no one has ever got the better of her. Her only concern is for her daughter. She begs Patience to take care of Qiao-jie in the event of her early death. An ill-tempered Jia Lian enters to inform Xi-feng that he has been busy trying to cover up a large deficit left by her late uncle Wang Zi-teng at his last post. Meanwhile, her brother Wang Ren has been greedily raking in cash gifts by holding a memorial service for one uncle (Wang Zi-teng) and a party to celebrate the birthday of another (Wang Zi-sheng) when it is not, in fact, the latter’s birthday. Neither Xi-feng nor her brother appreciates his efforts on their behalf, Jia Lian grouses, but Patience reminds him how often the hardworking Xi-feng has taken the blame for him. Feeling an outsider in his own home, Jia Lian takes off in a huff. Not wanting to attend the bogus celebrations for Wang Zi-sheng, Xi-feng drops in on Bao-chai and Bao-yu. Bao-chai is combing her hair, as Bao-yu looks on, muttering that what he is wearing is not as nice as the peacock cape his grandmother gave him to wear to Wang Zi-sheng’s previous birthday. Aroma explains to Xi-feng that he does not wear that cape any more because it reminds him of Skybright (chapter 52). To cheer Bao-yu up, Xi-feng

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reiterates her promise to arrange for Fivey, who resembles Skybright, to serve as one of his maids. A nun from a convent patronized by the Jia ladies arrives to invite Grandmother Jia to a purification mass requested by the widow of Wang Zi-teng, whose spirit has been haunting his former residence. Xi-feng, shaken by her encounter in the garden, goes along to have her fortune told. The wooden stick that falls out of the bamboo tube as she shakes it—the one that will tell her fortune—is inscribed as follows: “Wang Xi-feng comes home to rest, in finery arrayed”—a reference to the triumphant return of a man in the Han dynasty, also named Wang Xi-feng, after winning honors in the civil service examinations. The nun says this probably means Jia Zheng, being posted in the South, will invite Xi-feng to visit her native city of Nanking. Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang are delighted with this interpretation; Bao-chai, who thinks otherwise, keeps it to herself.

COMMENTS The Wang clan has no able men left to defend its interests. Wang Zi-teng has died, leaving a huge debt. Wang Zi-sheng is so odious that, in response to a gift from him, Xi-feng makes a mental note to reciprocate as quickly as possible so as not to remain beholden to him (chapter 85). Wang Ren’s name is a pun on the “scoundrel” that he is. It is believed that, when a person readily sees ghosts, his days among the living are numbered. The author casts Xi-feng in a sympathetic light by portraying her as an anxious mother. In her desperation, Xi-feng turns to the occult and clings to the favorable interpretation of the fortune she draws. But returning home dressed in finery can also mean being conveyed home for burial in fine graveclothes. Another line from the same fortune—“The bee culls nectar from a hundred flowers, / Honey for some, but for himself a thankless task”—describes Xi-feng’s life perfectly. Driven by a need to prove that she is superior, Xi-feng works herself to death, but only Grandmother Jia and Patience appreciate her efforts.

102 An Exorcism Is Performed in the Garden; Jia Zheng Is Demoted for His Underlings’ Abuses

SUMMARY Lady Wang has a heart-to-heart talk with Bao-chai in her role as the motherin-law. She advises Bao-chai not to hold herself back for fear of offending anyone because the weight of the entire household will, in time, rest on her shoulders. She also alerts Bao-chai that Xi-feng will be installing Fivey—a girl who looks flirtatious—in their apartment. After seeing Tan-chun off on her journey to her future home, You-shi takes a short cut in the twilight through the desolate Prospect Garden. She comes down with a fever and becomes delirious. Jia Rong suggests consulting a Taoist priest. With six throws of some coins from a cylinder, the Taoist comes up with a pair of trigrams (three lines each, made up of either broken or unbroken lines). Interpreting these according to yin-yang and wu xing principles, he predicts that You-shi will improve but that Cousin Zhen and Jia Rong will also fall ill. Using a diviner compass to relate their horoscopes to the heavenly bodies, he deduces that You-shi’s illness was caused by an encounter with a spirit at sunset but that she, Cousin Zhen, and Jia Rong will all recover in due course. Cousin Zhen and Jia Rong see a connection between You-shi’s illness and other incidents in the garden: Xi-feng falling sick after seeing a hairy monster, Skybright becoming a hibiscus fairy, and music being heard in the air at Dai-yu’s death. Hearing that Prospect Garden may be haunted, the caretakers invent a series of spooky sightings in order to get themselves evacuated, as a result of which the garden becomes completely overgrown and overtaken by wildlife. Jia She refuses to believe that the garden is haunted and goes to inspect it with several armed servants. When something bright flashes by with a whooshing sound, one of the boys shouts that he has seen a monster. Other servants, bent on mischief, confirm the sighting. Shaken, Jia She hires a Taoist

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pontiff and a legion of priests and deacons to perform an all-day exorcism. A host of heavenly bodies and generals, both historical and celestial, is invoked, and an abundance of incense sticks, holy water, bells, drums, gongs, and banners is deployed, along with a magic sword and a demon whip. The ceremony culminates with the invisible spirits being trapped in jars that are then sealed and taken back to the temple for safekeeping. Jia Rong and the younger generation laugh privately at the elaborate pantomime, and a page reveals that the monster that frightened Jia She earlier was nothing more than a pheasant. Jia Zheng is impeached for failing to control his underlings’ corruption, but, thanks to a special dispensation, he is only demoted and allowed to return to his desk job. Jia She reacts to this with incomprehension—he had thought that the Jias were so well connected that such a thing could not possibly happen.

COMMENTS In this chapter, readers are challenged to distinguish between real and false. Xi-feng’s encounter with Qin-shi’s ghost is credible because the ghost has appeared to her before (chapter 13) and because it was commonly accepted that the spirit of a dying person may come to bid farewell to a loved one. (See also Skybright appearing to Bao-yu and Dai-yu appearing to him, in chapters 77 and 98, at their respective deaths.) But readers already know that the hairy monster Xi-feng allegedly saw was, in fact, a dog (chapter 101); that Skybright turning into a hibiscus spirit was the invention of a junior maid (chapter 78); and that the mysterious music heard at Dai-yu’s death was played by an impromptu band of servants as accompaniment to Bao-yu’s wedding (chapter 97). The author is clearly fascinated by the theatrical practices of popular Taoism, which he describes lovingly but does not take seriously. What is indisputable is that, with the loss of two powerful Jia allies—Yuan-chun at court and Wang Zi-teng in the bureaucracy—and their finances running low, an undercurrent of panic is running rampant among the Jia men; the fear of ghosts is but one manifestation of this panic.

103 Xia Jin-gui Mistakenly Poisons Herself; Jia Yu-cun Happens on Zhen Shi-yin at a Derelict Temple

SUMMARY Lady Wang tells Jia Lian that, far from being upset about her husband’s demotion, she is relieved because Jia Zheng is not cut out to be a provincial administrator. Their conversation is interrupted by a servant sent by Aunt Xue to report that Xia Jin-gui has suddenly died from poisoning and to beg for help in sorting out the situation. In recent weeks, Jin-gui had, to Aunt Xue’s surprise, been extremely nice to the ailing Caltrop. The two were having soup together when Jin-gui suddenly collapsed, writhing and clutching her stomach, as blood streamed from her nose and eyes. Moonbeam accuses Caltrop of poisoning her mistress, so Aunt Xue has Caltrop bound. Bao-chai insists that Moonbeam also be tied up and advises her mother to notify Jin-gui’s family at once while Jia Lian offers to inform the authorities. On his return from the Board of Punishments, Jia Lian finds Mrs. Xia assaulting Aunt Xue and her adopted son, Xia San, fighting with Aunt Xue’s servants. Jia Lian orders his own servants to drag Xia San away and directs the ladies to tidy the place before the officers arrive to conduct an inquest. This completely discombobulates Mrs. Xia, who has come to raise hell but now allows herself to be led into Jin-gui’s room, where she wails upon seeing her daughter’s blood-splattered corpse. Aunt Xue remarks that it looks like arsenic poisoning and wonders who might have brought the poison into the house. Remembering Jin-gui had asked Xia San to buy her some arsenic for killing mice, Moonbeam says Caltrop must have seen her mistress store it in one of her jewel boxes. A search of Jin-gui’s boxes and trunks reveals them to be empty, whereupon Moonbeam is forced to divulge that Jin-gui habitually took things with her whenever she visited her mother. This prompts Bao-chai to propose detaining Mrs. Xia and Xia San as well as suspected accomplices. Fearing that Xia San may be

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implicated, Mrs. Xia suggests that Moonbeam must have been the one who purchased the arsenic. Enraged, Moonbeam reports overhearing Mrs. Xia urge her daughter to get what she can out of the Xues and then find herself another husband. Mrs. Xia retaliates by threatening to testify that Moonbeam poisoned Jin-gui. Terrified of the prospect of being tortured—the standard court procedure for exacting confessions—Moonbeam now tells all. Jealous of Caltrop, she had put extra salt into her bowl of soup, but when that bowl had somehow wound up in front of Jin-gui, she surreptitiously switched the bowls, not realizing there was poison in the other one. Thus, Jin-gui died from the poison that she had intended for Caltrop. Mrs. Xia is forced to apologize, and the inquest is called off. On an inspection tour of the capital, the newly appointed mayor, Jia Yu-cun, comes upon Zhen Shi-yin living in a ramshackle shed on the grounds of a dilapidated Taoist temple by a ford. He fails to recognize his former benefactor until Zhen quotes a couplet that Yu-cun had written while still a poor lodger at the Bottle-gourd Temple (chapter 1). To Yu-cun’s question, “Are you not Mr. Zhen?” the Taoist replies, “Truth is fiction and fiction is truth,” playing on the puns in their names, Zhen (true) and Jia (false). Yu-cun offers to let Zhen move in with him, but Zhen pretends not to know what he is talking about and urges him to cross the river before the approaching storm.

COMMENTS The melodramatic death of Xia Jin-gui brings her story to a close. Aside from providing comic relief, her presence has exposed previously unsuspected sides of Bao-chai, Xue Pan, and Aunt Xue. Jin-gui also hastens Bao-yu’s enlightenment by destroying his illusions about pretty girls (chapter 80). Zhen Shi-yin uses a Buddhist expression for crossing “to the other side” of the river. Seeing that Jia Yu-cun is not yet ready to leave worldly strivings behind, Zhen says he hopes to see him again at the ford at some future time.

104 Jia Yun and Ni Er Vow Revenge on the Jias; Bao-yu Wants Nightingale to Know He Was Tricked

SUMMARY Soon after Jia Yu-cun parts company with Zhen Shi-yin, the decrepit temple bursts into flames. No trace of the old man is to be found, and, hearing this, Yu-cun surmises that, as a Taoist immortal, he must have simply etherealized. Ni Er—the racketeer otherwise known as the Drunken Diamond, to whom Jia Yun owes money (chapter 24)—is jailed for having drunkenly insulted Jia Yun-cun. His daughter asks Jia Yun to use his influence with the mighty Jia clan to spring Ni Er out of jail, but Jia Yun is unable to see Jia Lian; the servants, knowing that he is out of favor with their master, turn him away. Rather than risk further unpleasantness with Xi-feng (chapter 88), Jia Yun tries to see Bao-yu but is surprised to find Prospect Garden locked up. Mortified, he vows revenge. Ni Er, who is released without Jia Yun’s help, now also holds a grudge against the Jias. Learning that it was a Jia who took You Er-jie from her fiancé (chapter 68), he vows to use this knowledge against the family. Summoned to the palace, Jia Yu-cun runs into Jia Zheng, who has been granted an audience to discuss his impeachment. Jia Zheng is taken aback when the emperor questions him about two Jia men recently accused of malfeasance. Fortunately, only one is distantly related to the clan. Nonetheless, his friends at court advise him to keep an eye on his nephews, Cousin Zhen and Jia Lian. Back at home, Jia Zheng is happy to see Bao-yu regaining some weight, Jia Lan turning into a cultured young man, and a poised Bao-chai settling into married life. Only Jia Huan shows no improvement. Lady Wang fibs that Dai-yu is absent due to illness but later, in the privacy of their apartment, tells Jia Zheng about his niece’s death. He is quite affected by the news, and they both shed tears.

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Bao-yu is so upset to hear his mother speak of Dai-yu’s “illness” that he weeps all the way back to his quarters. Pretending he needs to study, he sends Bao-chai to bed and tells Aroma that he wants to speak with Nightingale: he needs to know why Dai-yu burned her poems and how she felt about him at her death. He is not even certain that Dai-yu is dead and wonders if she has simply etherealized into an immortal. Nightingale has been frosty with him, and he begs Aroma to explain to her that he was tricked into marrying Baochai. Aroma promises to approach Nightingale the next morning.

COMMENTS Taoist immortals are said to be able to transform themselves into ether and disappear into a gourd. A gourd, when it is properly dried and its top sliced off, can be fitted with a stopper and turned into the perfect travel flask, especially if, while still growing, its middle has been tied to make it develop a “waist” for easy suspension. In the previous chapter, when Jia Yu-cun asks why he lives in such a dilapidated place, Zhen Shi-yin’s response that “a bottle-gourd is ample for my needs” has two possible meanings: a bottle gourd is all he needs for his ascetic life, and, as an immortal, he can etherealize and vanish into the bottle gourd anytime. Even though Jia Yun feels excluded by the Jias, Ni Er sees him as one of them. The two miscreants surnamed Jia, about whom the emperor asks Jia Zheng, are the same individuals mentioned in the gazette in chapter 101. Caring deeply for her husband despite knowing his weaknesses (chapter 103), Lady Wang gently breaks the news of Dai-yu’s death to him in private, and Jia Zheng, once again, shows his tender side by his grief. Bao-yu is tormented by the thought that Dai-yu died thinking he was disloyal to her, but he has to hide his distress so as not to offend Bao-chai. The only person who understands his predicament is Aroma, but she pretends not to know why he is upset, for it is in her interest to suppress any such feelings in Bao-yu.

105 The Secret Police Conduct a Raid of the Jia Compound; Four Jia Men Are Arrested

SUMMARY Jia Zheng’s homecoming party is rudely interrupted by the arrival of Commissioner Zhao, the Prince of Xi-ping, and a detachment of aides and guards who have come to conduct a search and make a complete inventory of Jia She’s assets because he has been indicted for having connived with an official to harm a defenseless citizen. It turns out that another search is already in progress at the Ning mansion, as Cousin Zhen has been indicted on a separate charge. The Prince of Xi-ping tries to exempt Jia Zheng’s apartment from the search, arguing that the two brothers keep separate establishments, but Commissioner Zhao insists on searching the entire mansion because the same person, Jia Lian, manages both households. Having been overridden, the Prince of Xi-ping orders the guards to at least give the ladies in the inner rooms some advance warning so that they have time to withdraw. Several articles of clothing restricted for palace use and a large number of usurious promissory notes have already been seized by the time the much more sympathetic Prince of Bei-jing appears with a second imperial edict authorizing him to dismiss Commissioner Zhao and supervise the rest of the search. Grateful for his intervention, Jia Zheng volunteers that, even though he and Jia She maintain separate households, the family estate has not, in fact, been divided. The Prince of Xi-ping warns him that, whereas the forbidden garments can be explained away, the promissory notes will pose a problem. Bao-yu, who had earlier left the men’s side of the party, is with the ladies in Grandmother Jia’s apartment when news of the raid reaches them. Lady Xing and Lady Wang go into shock, while Xi-feng and Grandmother Jia collapse in a faint. A detailed inventory of the valuables found in the mansion lists numerous antique porcelains and articles of aloeswood, gold, and jade; chests crammed

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with paintings, calligraphy, and other objects of art; large quantities of utensils in jade, agate, glass, gold, silver, brass, and pewter; a profusion of rare furs, sumptuous garments, and precious fabrics; and an assortment of clocks, watches, and pearls. Jia Lian is detained along with his father, the promissory notes having been found in his apartment. With both husband and son arrested and her apartment padlocked with the maids still inside it, Lady Xing feels that her world has collapsed. Li Wan hastens to make room for her in her quarters, and Lady Wang sends some of her own maidservants to wait on her. The rest of the Jia men are released but ordered to remain in the compound. Jia Zheng is sitting in his study, wondering what to do next, when he hears Big Jiao yelling in the courtyard that Cousin Zhen and Jia Rong have been led away in chains, the ladies manhandled, and the slaves penned together like pigs. Big Jiao, who had slipped out of the Ning mansion by claiming to be from the Rong house, is shocked to find that things are just as bad over here. Xue Ke, making his usual inquiries about Xue Pan’s case at the Board of Punishments, learns that Cousin Zhen has been charged with corrupting the sons of noble families and with taking the fiancée of another man as his concubine and then driving her to her death, that Bao Er and a man named Zhang have been called as witnesses, and that the chief censor may also be implicated.

COMMENTS Cousin Zhen’s main offense concerns You Er-jie, who was taken as a concubine not by him but by Jia Lian. The chief censor is implicated for accepting bribes to quash the lawsuit brought by Er-jie’s fiancé (chapter 68). Jia She’s crime is related to Jia Yu-cun’s bogus charge against an old man in order to seize his antique fans that Jia She coveted (chapter 48). The raid on the Jia compound following Yuan-chun’s death mirrors the real-life raid on Cao Xueqin’s family compound following the death of their patron, the Kangxi Emperor.

106 Jia Zheng Realizes His Family Faces Financial Ruin; the Matriarch Begs Heaven to Punish Her

SUMMARY Thanks to the intercession of the two princes, Jia Zheng is reinstated as undersecretary and his property returned to him. Jia Lian is released, but the apartment he shares with Xi-feng has been ransacked and their life savings confiscated. Jia Zheng demands to know who was responsible for issuing the usurious promissory notes, but all Jia Lian can do is refer him to Zhou Rui and Brightie, who have been acting as Xi-feng’s agents. Seeing how sick Xi-feng is, Jia Lian cannot bring himself to berate her for getting him in trouble. However, when Patience suggests calling a doctor for her, he retorts, “I’m only alive by the skin of my teeth, do you expect me to bother on her behalf?” and leaves in a rage. Xi-feng tells Patience that she wishes she could die right then and there: she has brought shame on the family—and all for nothing, as it turns out. She is also afraid that Jia Lian’s involvement in Er-jie’s death will be discovered. Luckily, Grandmother Jia is unaware of Xi-feng’s role in the family’s disgrace and gives her some money. The matriarch makes sure that Lady Xing’s needs are taken care of and dispatches a carriage to fetch You Shi, Jia Rong’s second wife, and Cousin Zhen’s two concubines—the only people left in the entire Ning mansion. Jia Lian resorts to selling off some of the clan’s landholdings in the countryside to meet household expenses. Seeing the Jias reduced to such desperate remedies, the servants milk the estates for what they can get. As night approaches, Grandmother Jia gives orders for incense to be lit in front of all the Buddha statues throughout the mansion and a large bundle of joss sticks kindled in a giant brazier in the courtyard, where, kneeling and knocking her head on the ground, she begs heaven to punish her in place of her descendants. When Lady Wang, Bao-yu, and Bao-chai come to pay their respects, the sight of Grandmother Jia still weeping moves them all to tears.

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Bao-chai sobs over her brother’s imminent execution and her own uncertain future as wife to a moronic husband. Bao-yu cries over his grandmother’s sadness, his parents’ sorrows, the departure of his sisters and cousins, and, above all, the death of Dai-yu. Their sobbing infects the maids, who each cry for their own reasons. Alarmed by their wailing, the serving women on night duty alert Jia Zheng, who comes and scolds them all for upsetting Grandmother Jia. At this, they all fall silent and stare at each other in amazement. They are still in a state of bewilderment when messengers arrive from the Shi household to announce Xiang-yun’s wedding. Realizing that she is in no shape to attend this happy event, Grandmother Jia weeps afresh. A glance at the ledger tells Jia Zheng that his family has been living beyond its means for years. Income has shrunk while expenses have grown exponentially. There are more than two hundred names on the register of domestics remaining in service at the Rong mansion. Jia Zheng cannot find Bao Er, the servant who incriminated Cousin Zhen, on the register and is told that Bao Er used to work for Cousin Zhen and that, in any case, the register is incomplete because many of the servants have their own servants.

COMMENTS To Grandmother Jia’s way of thinking, the men in her family not only broke the law but also transgressed against heaven. This will bring retribution, which she pleads with heaven to visit on her instead of on her descendants. The pathos of this scene, which highlights the matriarch’s humanity, contrasts sharply with the solemn grandeur of the scene in chapter 53 when she led the entire clan in performing the ancestral rites. The Jias are so disoriented by their sudden reversal of fortune that they succumb to mass hysteria. The author prevents the sobbing from descending into sentimentality with the wry observation that, although they are all crying together, each is crying over their personal sorrows.

107 Jia She and Cousin Zhen Go Into Exile; Grandmother Jia Distributes Her Possessions

SUMMARY Jia She is sentenced to penal servitude on the Mongolian border while Jia Zhen is banished to the maritime frontier; both are stripped of their hereditary rank and their property seized. Lady Xing’s bitterness at her husband’s exile is exacerbated by her certainty that henceforth her stepson and daughter-in-law, Jia Lian and Xi-feng, will grow even closer to Jia Zheng’s branch of the family. Cousin Zhen is not found guilty of depriving Zhang Hua of his intended wife or of driving You Er-jie to suicide, but he is held responsible for the secret burial of You San-jie. Although Jia Rong is acquitted on account of his youth, You-shi is embittered by the idea that her husband is punished while Jia Lian—the real culprit in the death of her stepsisters—has got off relatively unscathed. She—as well as her son, Jia Rong, his second wife, and Cousin Zhen’s concubines—will all now live on the charity of the Rong house. When Grandmother Jia is told that there is no money for household expenses, let alone for Jia She’s and Cousin Zhen’s arduous journeys into exile, she orders her personal possessions brought out and distributed in the presence of the men. Two thousand taels of silver are given to Jia She to cover his needs and one thousand to Lady Xing for living expenses. Cousin Zhen gets one thousand and You-shi two thousand to enable her to make separate food arrangements for herself and her family while living in the Rong household. Xi-feng receives three thousand taels for her personal use, but not a penny goes to Jia Lian. Five hundred is set aside for Jia Lian to take Dai-yu’s coffin for burial in her native city of Soochow. The matriarch also divides up her clothing and jewelry among Jia She, Cousin Zhen, Jia Lian, Jia Rong, and their wives. She promises Jia Zheng that he will receive his fair share in due course but gives him some gold in the meantime to settle existing debts. Of the remaining gold and silver, several thousand taels go to Bao-yu and another

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sum to Li Wan. Her remaining assets, she says, may be used to pay for her funeral, and whatever is left can go to her maids. She demands a reduction in the household staff and authorizes Jia Lian to sort out the family estates in the country. When the men fall on their knees in gratitude, Grandmother Jia says she was aware, all along, that the family was living beyond its means but had hoped they could muddle through. She proudly declares that, as much as she enjoyed a sumptuous lifestyle, she is fully capable of handling poverty. Awed by his mother’s practical sense and decisiveness, Jia Zheng becomes all the more conscious of his own ineffectuality. Rather than being elated that the emperor conferred on him the hereditary title he had taken away from Jia She, he is troubled at having benefited from his brother’s misfortune. As Jia Lian struggles with the family’s finances, the servants who have become wealthy fear he may ask them for money while others continue to exploit their masters’ plight. Bao Yong—the former Zhen family servant taken in by Jia Zheng—is ostracized for refusing to go along with their schemes. One day, hearing that Jia Yu-cun has turned against the Jias, Bao Yong drunkenly curses him in the street. Jia Zheng promptly reassigns him to guard Prospect Garden, where he is less likely to cause trouble.

COMMENTS Grandmother Jia shows her mettle in a time of crisis. Instead of panicking, she calmly takes in the situation, sets her priorities, and averts a total calamity. The needs of Jia She and Cousin Zhen come first, but she also provides for the wives they are leaving behind. Creditors need to be repaid, but she does not forget Dai-yu’s last wish. Xi-feng and Bao-yu, her two favorites, receive a disproportionate share. She apparently holds Jia Lian responsible for mismanagement, as she does not give him a penny.

108 The Matriarch Hosts a Surprise Birthday Party; Bao-yu Wails for Dai-yu in the Desolate Garden

SUMMARY Shi Xiang-yun, now happily married, comes to visit for a few days. She and Grandmother Jia weep together over Dai-yu’s death, and the old lady brings her up-to-date on all the latest news. Xiang-yun is shocked to see how everyone has changed, especially Xi-feng, who seems to have lost her zest for living and even looks different. Grandmother Jia praises Bao-chai for her calm composure, noting how unlike she is to Dai-yu, who was always quick to take offense. To cheer everyone up, the two plot a surprise birthday party for Baochai, funded by a hundred taels of silver from the matriarch’s savings. Bao-chai and Bao-yu, told only that Aunt Xue is in Grandmother Jia’s apartment, are surprised to find Bao-qin, Caltrop, and Li Wan’s sister and nieces all assembled there. They are soon joined by Ying-chun, whose husband is allowing her to attend now that Jia She’s hereditary title has been revoked and conferred on Jia Zheng. Peeved that a celebration should be held when they are so miserable, Lady Xing and You-shi join the party reluctantly. Only Xing Xiu-yan is absent, as she has to avoid Aunt Xue, who is standing in as her future mother-in-law. Bao-yu marvels to see Xiang-yun still as forthright as ever. But, to Grandmother Jia’s dismay, no one seems to be in a partying mood. Bao-yu whispers to her that, rather than urging people to talk and risk having them say something upsetting, they should play a game. Faithful is called in to preside over a game of dice in which everyone takes a turn throwing four dice and thinking of a song title that fits the resulting combination. Then the next person has to think of a line from The Standard Poets to match the song title. The dice that Li Wan throws result in a combination known as “The Twelve Beauties.” Bao-yu is suddenly reminded of the Twelve Beauties in his dream (chapter 5) and, sensing he is about to cry, hurriedly excuses himself. He

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makes his way into Prospect Garden and heads straight for the Naiad’s House, despite Aroma’s attempts to stop him. There he beseeches Dai-yu to forgive him, telling her that he has been true to her in his heart. A contingent of serving women come to drag him back to the dinner table, where Aroma is roundly scolded for failing to do her duty. Xi-feng, still unnerved by her recent encounter in the garden (chapter 101), accuses him of being reckless; Xiangyun counters that this is not recklessness but devotion (to Dai-yu), which upsets Lady Wang. Grandmother Jia blames Bao-yu for spoiling the party but says indulgently that, if he must go to the garden again, he should at least take more people along.

COMMENTS Everyone struggles to reclaim their former selves, but the conversation keeps reverting to their current situations. Even at play, they cannot help but bring up phrases that suggest forced gaiety, flight, futile effort, and so forth. When it is Bao-yu’s turn to come up with a song title that matches “Zhang Chang Painting His Wife’s Eyebrows”—an allusion to the story of a scholar-official who loves his wife so much that he helps her paint her eyebrows every day before leaving for work—Bao-yu chooses to pay the forfeit instead. Though only a house-reared slave (chapter 46), Faithful is literate (see her conversation with Xi-chun in chapter 88). The matriarch must have taken an early liking to Faithful and arranged for her to study alongside the daughters of the family. The last time he was allowed to mourn for Dai-yu, Bao-yu did so surrounded by his grandmother, mother, and bride (chapter 98). He has not had the opportunity, until now, to apologize to Dai-yu and tell her the truth about his marriage. Bao-chai’s birthday party in this chapter is contrasted with the merrier one in chapter 22; Faithful presides over the game being played here, as she did on a much happier occasion in chapter 40.

109 Bao-yu’s Attempt at Intimacy Is Rebuffed by Fivey; Guilt Stricken, He Makes It Up to Bao-chai

SUMMARY Bao-chai extracts from Aroma a description of what Bao-yu did in the garden. Knowing he is listening, she tells Aroma that a dead person is oblivious to the infatuations of the living and observes that, if Dai-yu had indeed turned into a fairy, she would no longer deign to mingle with mere mortals. Catching on to Bao-chai’s tactic, Aroma responds that she is certain Dai-yu’s spirit is not in the garden because, even though they were close, Dai-yu has never once appeared to her in a dream. This prompts Bao-yu to wonder why Dai-yu has never appeared in his dreams either. However, since he has just managed to express his feelings directly to her, perhaps she may condescend to appear to him this once. So he arranges to sleep in the outer room that night, and Bao-chai does nothing to stop him. Neither Bao-chai nor Aroma is able to sleep a wink, whereas Bao-yu falls sound asleep after a silent prayer. The next morning Bao-chai overhears Bao-yu recite lines from a poem in which the eighth-century Xuanzong Emperor laments that his deceased consort, Yang Gui-fei, never appears in his dreams, and she proceeds to tease him. When Bao-yu decides to try again, Bao-chai assigns Fivey and Musk to look after him. Watching the two maids make their beds, Bao-yu is reminded of the time when he watched Skybright and Musk in a similar situation (chapter 51). He recalls Xi-feng’s saying that Fivey is the spitting image of Skybright, as well as Skybright’s dying words to him—“If I had known in advance that it would be like this, I might have behaved rather differently” (chapter 77)—and looks at Fivey lovingly. Knowing that Lady Wang has dismissed some of Bao-yu’s maids for flirting with him, Fivey is alarmed. When Bao-yu asks whether she was there when he visited Skybright on her deathbed, she simply nods, whereupon Bao-yu takes her hand in his and asks if she heard Skybright’s last words to him, repeating them verbatim. Fivey replies that, if Skybright had indeed said

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that, she should have been ashamed. Bao-yu is annoyed, but suddenly realizing that Fivey might not be warm enough, he insists she take a silk padded jacket of his. When she refuses, he tells her that he is actually hoping to meet a fairy and that, if she sits by his side, he will tell her the whole story. Fivey threatens to report his behavior to Bao-chai. Ashamed at the thought that Bao-chai may have overheard his nocturnal conversation with Fivey, Bao-yu resolves to make it up to her. As for Bao-chai, she is afraid that he will persist in his strange notions if he continues to sleep in the outer room and resolves to win him over. The two consummate their marriage the following night, and a child is conceived. When Bao-yu sees Grandmother Jia the next morning, she gives him a jade ring that once belonged to her great-grandfather and was given to her by her father as a wedding gift. Jia Zheng, she teases, will be very jealous when he hears of this. She falls ill a few days later. Adamantina, stunningly ethereal in a nun’s outfit, pays her a surprise visit. When the matriarch fails to improve, the Jia household braces for the inevitable, even as they keep her in dark about Ying-chun’s death.

COMMENTS Bao-yu and Dai-yu’s story shares uncanny similarities with the star-crossed romance between Heathcliff and Cathy in Wuthering Heights—two eccentrics, thrown together in childhood, become soul mates and share a secret, unconsummated love that continues beyond the grave. One may ask why these two stories, written on opposite sides of the globe some one hundred years apart, have such a tenacious hold on the imagination of successive generations. The story of how Bao-yu and Bao-chai consummate their marriage is convincing. Having let Bao-yu indulge in his grief for Dai-yu, Bao-chai now realizes she must win his affection, if only to make married life tolerable, and Bao-yu, ashamed that he flirted with Fivey, wishes to make it up to her.

110 The Matriarch Dies with a Smile on Her Face; Lady Xing Makes Life Difficult for Xi-feng

SUMMARY With one final burst of energy, Grandmother Jia expresses her satisfaction with her long life and affirms the goodness of her children and grandchildren. She extracts a promise from Bao-yu to do his best for the family and exhorts young Jia Lan to bring honor to his mother. She tells Xi-feng that she needs to relax and make her peace with fate. After faulting Shi Xiang-yun for not coming to see her off, she sighs as she gazes at Bao-chai and dies smiling. Jia Zheng is granted the customary three-year leave to mourn his mother, and the emperor authorizes a gift of a thousand taels of silver in condolence. Seeing how the family remains in the emperor’s favor, relatives and friends stream in to pay their last respects. Jia Lian is tasked with taking care of “outside” business for the funeral, and Xi-feng, despite being ill, is charged with things on the “inside.” She discovers, however, that she is seriously short of staff. Jia Lian tells her that Jia Zheng wants to save money to construct a memorial building on the ancestral burial grounds in the South—a proposal enthusiastically endorsed by Lady Xing. Meanwhile, there is no money even to pay for the awning and the pallbearers because the emperor’s cash gift has yet to be disbursed. Xi-feng is forced to supervise the surly kitchen staff in person. Lady Xing scolds her for keeping the guests waiting for food, but there are simply not enough utensils with which to serve the food because those belonging to the matriarch are being used by Lady Xing and You-shi. Xi-feng is reduced to asking Lady Wang’s maids to let her borrow their mistress’s dinner service. Lady Xing views every tael saved on the funeral as a contribution not only to the family’s reserves but also to her own security. With Grandmother Jia gone, she is now, strictly speaking, the ranking female in the family, and she takes advantage of Jia Zheng’s respect for hierarchy to assert her authority.

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Unaware that the funds have not been released, Faithful accuses Xi-feng of cutting corners and being disloyal to Grandmother Jia; Lady Xing and Lady Wang join in the criticism, rather than acknowledging their own roles in the crisis. Xi-feng hesitates to complain about money, as her husband is supposed to be in charge. She is hindered by the crowd from talking privately with Lady Wang. Li Wan alone feels sorry for Xi-feng. She explains Xi-feng’s predicament to Faithful and orders her maids to do their best to help her. Shi Xiang-yun did not visit Grandmother Jia on her deathbed because her husband, whom she loves dearly, is dying of tuberculosis. Arriving on the day before the final wake, she weeps inconsolably. Bao-yu cannot help but notice how attractive Xiang-yun looks without her makeup and wearing white. Mourning also becomes Bao-qin and Bao-chai, and Bao-yu wonders how pretty Dai-yu would have looked, had she been there. Taking advantage of the occasion, he wails with total abandon. The following day an utterly exhausted Xi-feng is simply hoping to muddle through when a young maid rushes in to say Lady Xing has accused her of hiding with her feet up and is looking for her. Xi-feng vomits up a stream of blood and sinks to the ground.

COMMENTS Grandmother Jia’s death scene is distinguished by what she does not say. Her sigh speaks volumes about the pity she feels for Bao-chai. This chapter is ostensibly about the matriarch’s death and funeral, but the real focus is Xi-feng. Only a few months earlier, in chapter 101, Xi-feng had said that, even if she were to die soon, she would not complain because she has lived a full life and bowed down to no one. But now she has finally been bested by Lady Xing, who relishes the opportunity to torment her. Xi-feng’s power emanated from Grandmother Jia; with the matriarch dead, even her aunt, Lady Wang, has withdrawn her support. She is further disgraced by the impossible task of managing Grandmother Jia’s funeral without sufficient resources.

111 A Ghost Shows Faithful How to Hang Herself; the Matriarch’s Apartment Is Looted

SUMMARY As the family prepares for Grandmother Jia’s wake, Faithful cries out that she wants to go with the matriarch, but no one takes her seriously. Although Jia She is not home to carry out his earlier threat of forcing himself on her (chapter 46), Faithful knows that her fate now rests with Lady Xing, whom she distrusts. Just as she is wondering what to do, she sees, in the dim light of the matriarch’s inner room, a woman poised to hang herself with a sash. Not in the least frightened, Faithful realizes it is Qin-shi showing her the way. She places the lock of hair that, years earlier, she had cut from her head (chapter 46) inside the bosom of her dress and, after one last fit of weeping, hangs herself. Her wandering soul catches up to the apparition, who reveals that she herself was once sent down into the human world as a lover par excellence to induce the lovesick to settle their debts of passion. As she is now returning to the Paradise of Love, the fairy Disenchantment has chosen Faithful to be her replacement. Faithful protests that she is insufficiently passionate to be the presiding spirit of the Tribunal of Love, but the apparition assures her that she is fully qualified. So Faithful goes with her to see the fairy Disenchantment. Faithful’s suicide leaves the entire household in shock, but Jia Zheng regards it as a noble act and orders a coffin made so that she may be buried alongside Grandmother Jia. Her sister-in-law prattles on about what a lucky girl Faithful is to have won such glory until one of the Jias’ woman servants shuts her up. Jia Zheng suggests the younger generation pay homage to Faithful, and Bao-yu, full of admiration for her courage, is delighted to be able to kowtow to Faithful. Bao-chai kowtows several times, sobbing with heartfelt grief. Some of the people at the funeral think the young couple must be mad to pay obeisance to a servant.

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Bao Yong gives chase to the robbers he finds ransacking Grandmother Jia’s apartment during her funeral.

Jia Lian puts Jia Yun in charge of the Rong mansion while the family accompanies the two coffins to their temporary resting place at the Temple of the Iron Threshold. As Xi-feng is too sick to join them, You-shi orders Xi-chun to stay behind to keep her company. At a local gambling den, Zhou Rui’s foster son, He San—who used to hang out at the Rong mansion (chapter 88)—is grumbling as usual about the Jias when one of the gamblers proposes that they rob the mansion while everyone is at the funeral; all He San needs to do is to show the way to his pirate friends who happen to be in town. After ransacking the matriarch’s room, they snoop around and spot the beautiful Adamantina—whom Xi-chun had asked to stay the night—meditating alone. They are about to kick in the door to grab her when they hear footsteps and escape onto the rooftop. Alerted by the noise, the former Zhen servant Bao Yong rushes over from the garden with a club to chase the intruders, killing one. Jia Yun and Lin Zhi-xiao arrive belatedly to find He San’s corpse on the ground.

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COMMENTS That the apparition showing Faithful how to hang herself is identified as Qinshi is further proof that, in the original manuscript, Qin-shi dies from suicide. (See David Hawkes’s introduction to volume 1.) The apparition says she is the fairy Disenchantment’s younger sister, which is Qin-shi’s identity in Bao-yu’s dream in chapter 5. It has been alleged that the last third of the novel is a forgery, but it is difficult to imagine someone other than the author remembering to incorporate the detail about Faithful’s hair from chapter 46 into the scene of her suicide. Killing oneself to show devotion or to preserve one’s integrity is viewed in Chinese culture as an act of moral courage. Jia Zheng, the proper Confucian, lauds Faithful’s suicide, but Bao-chai and the women who rebuke the sister-inlaw see it as a tragedy. The author seems to be conflicted on this issue.

112 Adamantina Is Abducted by Pirates; Xi-chun Resolves to Become a Nun

SUMMARY Distraught that the robbery took place while she was supposed to be in charge, Xi-chun is convinced that You-shi had planned it to humiliate her. Bao Yong, who had tried to stop Adamantina from entering the Jia household the previous night, now accuses her of colluding with the intruders. Meanwhile, having caught sight of the beautiful Adamantina, one of the pirates decides to come back for her. Jia Yun rushes over to the Temple of the Iron Threshold to report on the robbery, only to be blamed by Jia Lian for failing to organize an effective night watch. Jia Zheng worries that they do not even know what was taken. Faithful, now dead, was the only person who knew what was in the matriarch’s chests and boxes. Returning home, Jia Lian grows even angrier when he learns that the killed intruder is none other than Zhou Rui’s foster son. Lin Zhi-xiao comes to Jia Yun’s defense, explaining that he had no control over the inner quarters because of the strict rule forbidding any man to set foot inside unless someone expressly sends for him. Jia Lian thanks Bao Yong for chasing the robbers away, and the maids eventually cobble together a list of the missing items. Early the next morning, Adamantina is meditating by herself when the aroma of strange-smelling incense wafts into the room and renders her incapable of movement or speech. She looks on helplessly as a man with a glistening knife enters and, after fondling her briefly, hoists her onto his back. Using a rope ladder, he climbs over the garden wall and puts her in a cart waiting on the other side. Slipping out of the city, the kidnapper heads for the southern coast with his prize. When Adamantina is discovered missing, the nuns at the Green Bower Hermitage have to beg Bao Yong to let them in to see Xi-chun. He repeats his

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accusation that Adamantina was in cahoots with the robbers. Meanwhile, even before learning of this new development, Xi-chun has become very depressed, worried that her best friend, offended by Bao Yong’s accusations, may never come to see her again. But now she feels utterly alone, with Adamantina gone; her parents, Ying-chun, and Grandmother Jia dead; Shi Xiang-yun so busy; and Tan-chun so far away. She starts cutting her hair off to signal her resolve to become a nun, and it is all her maids can do to persuade her to pin up the remaining hair. They agree not to let anyone else know that Adamantina was spending the night at Xi-chun’s apartment when she disappeared. Alarmed by the robbery, the rest of the Jia family decides to return home immediately from the Temple of the Iron Threshold. Just as they are about to leave, Aunt Zhao suddenly starts behaving like a woman possessed, babbling incoherently about going with Grandmother Jia. They leave Jia Huan and a few older women behind to stay with her.

COMMENTS It is ironic that Adamantina, who abhors impurity of any kind, should end up physically defiled, a fate that Buddhists would attribute to bad karma from previous lives. One by one, the predictions for the Twelve Beauties are fulfilled (see chapter 5, as well as the appendix to volume 1 of David Hawkes’s translation). Yuan-chun expired “when hare met tiger.” Dai-yu died abandoned and alone. Tan-chun is married to someone far away. Ying-chun perished at the hand of a wolf-like brute. Shi Xiang-yun’s marriage, though happy, is short-lived. Adamantina is a jade (her name in Chinese means “splendid jade”) that has been dropped into the muck. Xi-chun has decided to sleep alone by Buddha’s lamp. Wang Xi-feng, whose name means “phoenix,” is trapped by her own cunning. Bao-chai is already submerged in self-denial. And Qin-shi is confirmed as the lover par excellence who set this whole process going. Only Li Wan and Qiaojie have not worked out their destinies. Of the fates of the girls whom Bao-yu was shown in the “supplementary registers,” Skybright has been driven to death by slander, but the fates of Aroma and Caltrop have yet to fully unfold.

113 Grannie Liu Playfully Offers to Be Qiao-jie’s Matchmaker; Nightingale Takes Pity on Bao-yu

SUMMARY All through the night, Aunt Zhao alternately raves and begs for forgiveness until she loses her voice and, her face horribly contorted, she sinks into a coma from which she never wakes. Jia Huan is so distraught at his mother’s death that the others fuss over him and leave the corpse unattended. Jia Zheng’s other concubine, Aunt Zhou, thinks morbidly to herself that such is the pathetic end of a concubine, even one who has given the family a son. The consensus is that Aunt Zhao has been called to the tribunal in hell and that Xi-feng, whom Aunt Zhao singled out as her accuser, will follow her. Xi-feng is distressed that, since their return from the Temple of the Iron Threshold, neither Lady Xing nor Lady Wang has come to see her and Jia Lian has studiously ignored her. All she wants now is a speedy death, and this frame of mind renders her susceptible to visitations by malign spirits. When Er-jie appears in a dream to tell her that Jia Lian claims Xi-feng has ruined his life, Xi-feng thanks Er-jie abjectly for coming and apologizes for her past pettiness. Hearing Xi-feng mumbling in her sleep, Patience wakes her up. Though frightened, Xi-feng cannot bring herself to express her fears to Patience. Having heard of the matriarch’s death, Grannie Liu comes to pay her respects with her granddaughter, who is Qiao-jie’s age. She is shocked to see how ill Xi-feng looks. When Qiao-jie chaffs Grannie Liu for forgetting to bring her some crickets, Grannie Liu invites the girl to her farm, where she can have all the crickets she wants. Xi-feng playfully proposes that Grannie Liu take Qiao-jie back with her. This prompts the peasant woman to offer her services as matchmaker because, she says, there are also wealthy folks in her village with vast landholdings and hundreds of cattle. When Xi-feng urges her to go ahead, Grannie Liu professes to be joking, saying that, even if Xi-feng was willing, the senior ladies would surely object. She expresses her gratitude

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Reclining on a kang, the ailing Xi-feng confides in Grannie Liu while her daughter chats with the peasant woman’s granddaughter.

to the Jias for their past generosity, which has enabled her family to buy a piece of land, dig a well, and grow vegetables and fruits. Xi-feng suffers another bad spell during this visit. Dismissing the maids, she confides to Grannie Liu that she has been seeing spirits, and the peasant woman promises to pray for her. When Grannie Liu refuses to accept a bracelet as compensation, Xi-feng, deeply touched by her sincerity, suggests that she leave her granddaughter behind for an extended stay. Adamantina’s abduction deepens Bao-yu’s sense of the fickleness of life. He is determined, that evening, to make Nightingale understand that he did not betray Dai-yu. Sneaking into the west wing, he whispers outside Nightingale’s window that he wants to talk to her, but Nightingale tells him he can very well talk to her in the morning. Disheartened, Bao-yu begs to be allowed to ask just one question. When Nightingale, relenting, tells him to go on, Bao-yu is suddenly at a loss for words and simply beseeches her to tell him what he has done wrong. Nightingale starts to cry, and so does Bao-yu. Passing by at this moment, Musk scolds Bao-yu for his foolishness and Nightingale for her

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cruelty. Neither Bao-yu nor Nightingale can sleep that night, but Nightingale has a change of heart. She takes pity on Bao-yu, sees the futility of attachments, and recognizes that everything is predestined.

COMMENTS A person is often more comfortable sharing his innermost feelings with an outsider than with someone close. No one is closer to Xi-feng than Patience, yet Xi-feng cannot bring herself to tell Patience of her fears. She confides, instead, in Grannie Liu, whom she once viewed as a plaything but whose friendship she now cherishes. Aunt Zhou’s chilling observation about Aunt Zhao’s death is about the only account of her in the entire novel, yet it elicits a powerful sympathy for her, as well as for the pathetic Aunt Zhao, from readers. Nightingale’s epiphany prepares her for the vows she will take as a nun.

114 Xi-feng Dies Babbling of the Register; Wang Ren and Qiao-jie Antagonize Each Other

SUMMARY Xi-feng dies babbling that she is off to Jinling (another name for Nanjing) to be entered on the Register. This reminds Bao-yu of his dream in the Land of Illusion (chapter 5). Should he ever have another dream like that, he tells Aroma, he will make sure to pay closer attention to what the Register says so that he can predict the future. Bao-chai gives Bao-yu an account of Xue Ke and Xing Xiu-yan’s simple wedding. Because Lady Xing was making life intolerable for Xiu-yan, Aunt Xue, standing in for the groom’s parents, decided to move the wedding forward in spite of Xue Pan’s absence and Grandmother Jia’s recent death. No Jia relative was invited because the family was in mourning, and no Wang relative was invited because there was no one respectable in that family to invite. The newlyweds have been wonderful to Aunt Xue and Caltrop, and all four of them are about to move out of the Jia compound into the only house that the Xues still own. At Xi-feng’s wake, her brother, Wang Ren, makes a snide remark about the shabbiness of her funeral considering his sister had devoted her entire life to the Jia family. Pulling Qiao-jie aside, he tells her that her father is untrustworthy and, from now on, she should listen only to him, her uncle. Qiaojie explains that her father wanted a nice funeral but that there is simply no money. Patience stops Wang Ren when he presses Qiao-jie on just how much money is left. Jia Lian, meanwhile, is worried sick about money. Patience offers to let him pawn her few possessions to pay for the funeral. Deeply grateful, Jia Lian henceforth makes a point of discussing everything with Patience, which infuriates Autumn, who feels that, having been given to Jia Lian by his father, she outranks Patience.

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Jia Zheng has a long conversation with his only remaining literary retainer, who tells him that the servants have been enriching themselves at the Jias’ expense and urges him to make an audit of the accounts and ask the stewards to return some of the money. But Jia Zheng is horrified at the thought of taking money from his stewards. The accounts have probably been doctored, he concedes, but his family will just have to tighten its belt. Zhen Ying-jia, the father of Bao-yu’s namesake, pays Jia Zheng a visit. He has been reinstated by the emperor, who, knowing he is familiar with the southern coast, wishes him to take part in the maritime campaign. Jia Zheng tells him that Tan-chun’s father-in-law is the regional commandant but that he has not heard from her for some time because marauding pirates have cut off all lines of communication. He asks Mr. Zhen to carry a letter to Tan-chun for him. When Jia Lian and Bao-yu come to see him out, Mr. Zhen is stunned: Bao-yu not only looks exactly like his son but also carries himself in exactly the same way.

COMMENTS In her delirium, the dying Xi-feng asks for a boat and a sedan chair. Jia Lian goes to fetch paper ones, which—layered with metallic foil and folded into shapes resembling gold and silver ingots, boats, houses, and so forth—are burnt as offerings to the dead. In the end, Xi-feng dies a death nearly as sad as that of her old adversary, Aunt Zhao. Women in premodern China were expected to cut ties to their natal families once they were married. The only right retained by a woman’s natal family was that of raising questions if foul play was suspected in her death. It was therefore imperative that the natal family be notified upon her death. Readers may recall that, when Xia Jin-gui died, Bao-chai reminded Aunt Xue to notify her mother. Wang Ren is the Wang family’s representative at Xi-feng’s wake. Jia Zheng’s conversation with his literary retainer shows why he is so ineffectual. He largely sees his responsibility as that of following precedents and striking the right poses. He would prefer to muddle along rather than face unpleasant facts.

115 Xi-chun Declares She Intends to Take Vows; Bao-yu Relapses After Meeting His Look-Alike

SUMMARY Xi-chun’s maid tells two visiting nuns that her mistress has not eaten for days and is refusing to get up from bed altogether. But Xi-chun sits up as soon as the nuns enter her room. One of them asks if it is true that Adamantina ran off with a man. Outraged that anyone should spread such malicious gossip, Xi-chun tells them Adamantina was abducted by ruffians. She proceeds to ask what a nun’s life is like. They tell her that nuns have to endure a hard life, but, by keeping up their devotions, they may hope to be reborn as men instead of women, who, once married, are slaves to their husbands. This resonates with Xi-chun, who shares with them how badly she has been treated by You-shi, how she feels hopeless and wretched, and how she has always wanted to be a nun. The nuns, secretly delighted, feign alarm to avoid being accused of enticing Xi-chun into joining them. Xi-chun’s maid reports the conversation to You-shi, who dismisses it as Xi-chun’s ploy to challenge her authority in Cousin Zhen’s absence. Dismayed at You-shi’s indifference, the maid goes to see Lady Xing and Lady Wang, who try in vain to talk Xi-chun out of her plan. Lady Zhen and Zhen Bao-yu arrive in the capital and come to pay their respects. Impressed by Zhen Bao-yu, Jia Zheng calls his sons in to show them how an exemplary young man conducts himself. Bao-yu is very excited to finally meet his alter ego—having already dreamt of meeting him (chapter 56)—but Zhen Bao-yu turns out to be a disappointing bore, spouting banal clichés like any other “career worm,” and our Bao-yu is further disgusted to hear his nephew, Jia Lan, chiming in eagerly. On seeing Zhen Bao-yu, Nightingale muses that, were Dai-yu alive, she might perhaps be willing to settle on him for a husband in lieu of Jia Bao-yu. It so happens that Zhen Bao-yu’s parents are indeed looking for a bride for their son. Lady Wang proposes to match him with the younger of Li Wan’s cousins, Li Qi.

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Bao-yu confides his disappointment in his look-alike to Bao-chai, only to be lectured on how he should behave more like this young paragon. Exasperated, Bao-yu sinks into another stupor. He soon stops eating and eventually falls into a coma. Even the doctor gives up on him. Jia Lian is wondering how they could possibly pay for yet another funeral when a burly monk shows up at the gate promising to return Bao-yu’s jade in exchange for ten thousand taels of silver. Before the family has a chance to respond, the monk crashes into Bao-yu’s room and shows Lady Wang and the other ladies the jade in his hand. Then, holding it out to Bao-yu, he whispers in his ear that his jade has come back. No sooner has he spoken than Bao-yu revives. Alert and sitting up, he exclaims, “We are reunited at last!” Lady Wang offers to pawn everything in their possession to pay the monk and tells Jia Zheng to play for time while she works out a plan. Watching Bao-yu as he devours a bowl of rice, Musk marvels at the jade’s magic power and blurts out, “Thank goodness you never managed to smash it to pieces!” This reminds Bao-yu of his confrontation with Dai-yu in their youthful days (chapter 29). Tossing the jade aside, he falls unconscious.

COMMENTS Having seen through the transience of worldly attachments and material wealth, Xi-chun and Bao-yu both feel profoundly estranged from their surroundings. Xi-chun has had no one to talk to since Adamantina’s disappearance. She is misunderstood by You-shi, Lady Xing, and Lady Wang and even by the visiting nuns. Since Dai-yu’s death, Bao-yu has, from time to time, hoped that Bao-chai might understand him, and he has also entertained high hopes of finding a kindred spirit in Zhen Bao-yu. But he is sorely disappointed on both fronts. Only the monk can save him now.

116 Bao-yu Has a Second Dream of Revelations; His Father Takes the Coffins to the South for Burial

SUMMARY While Bao-yu is unconscious, a monk conducts his spirit to an archway that he remembers from his dream from years ago (chapter 5). There Faithful beckons him toward a building where the Registers are kept. The meaning of the first entry eludes Bao-yu, but the second entry, predicting the time of Yuanchun’s death, strikes him as accurate, so he carefully commits the rest to memory. Then Faithful tells him that Dai-yu wishes to see him. After evading You San-jie and her sword, he is met by a messenger with a strong resemblance to Skybright who addresses him as the Divine Luminescent Page-in-Waiting and escorts him to the queen’s palace, where Dai-yu sits on the throne. Overjoyed, Bao-yu rushes forward and, calling her “Coz,” cries out how much he has missed her. He is promptly expelled from the palace by a scandalized lady-in-waiting. Now lost, he runs into Xi-feng, who morphs into Qin-shi, and then finds himself being chased by guards in yellow turbans and by his other girl cousins, who have all turned into ghoulish monsters. Fortunately, the monk comes to his rescue. After lecturing him on how emotional attachments are roadblocks to enlightenment, the monk gives him a shove and sends him stumbling. When Bao-yu opens his eyes, he is back in his bed, surrounded by his family. Bao-yu chuckles over every detail of his dream. Relieved that he has come back from the brink of death, Lady Wang wonders aloud how the monk could have found the jade. Bao-chai opines that the monk must have taken it in the first place and suggests that the word diviner misread the word shang as meaning “to pawn” when in fact it should have been read as “monk.” (See the “Comments” on chapter 94.) Xi-chun recalls that Adamantina’s planchette had urged Bao-yu to enter the Buddhist gate, but she doubts whether Bao-yu is capable of squeezing through. (See the “Comments” on chapter 95.)

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Remembering what the Register says about Xi-chun, then what is predicted for Aroma, he sighs and then bursts into tears. Watching Bao-yu by turns chuckling, sighing, and shedding tears, his family assumes he is having another of his fits. Jia Zheng and Jia Rong embark on the long journey to take the coffins for burial in the South. Meanwhile, Nightingale and Fivey notice, to their astonishment, that Bao-yu has become indifferent to all the women.

COMMENTS This chapter should be read in conjunction with chapter 5 and with the appendix of volume 1 of David Hawkes’s translation, in which the oracular pronouncements about the main female characters are explained. Whereas the inscription over the archway in chapter 5 read “The Land of Illusion,” it now reads “The Paradise of Truth.” Where the couplet down the sides of the arch referred to the fictitious, now it speaks of the real. Where the palace gate said “Seas of Pain and Skies of Passion,” it now says “Blessing for the Virtuous; Misfortune for the Wicked,” and so forth. Bao-yu, traveling through the same dreamscape, reads in it different messages. He has attained enlightenment—a state beyond joy and sorrow. Bao-yu understands the flower and the mat refer to Aroma (whose surname means “flower” and whose given name sounds like “mat”), and he is saddened to learn that she will marry an actor. But he fails to grasp that the snowcovered gold pin refers to Bao-chai (whose name means “precious hairpin”), who will lead the mirthless life of, effectively, a widow. It is brilliant of the author to have Nightingale and Fivey—not Bao-chai, Aroma, or Lady Wang—be the first to notice that Bao-yu is a changed man after his dream. Those closest to a person are liable to be blinded by their habitual perceptions. There are two errors in the translation of Jia Zheng’s statement to Jia Lian. He is taking not three, but five, coffins to the South: those of Grandmother Jia, Faithful, Jia Jing, Qin-shi, and Dai-yu. Dai-yu is going to be buried, not with the matriarch in Nanking, but in her native Soochow according to her dying wish.

117 Bao-yu Reaches an Agreement with the Monk; Jia Lian Leaves Jia Qiang and Jia Yun in Charge

SUMMARY Hearing the monk has returned, Bao-yu rushes out to meet him and recognizes him as the scabby-headed monk in his dream. He asks the monk if he has recently been to the Land of Illusion, whereupon the monk asks him where his jade comes from and mocks him for his ignorance. Realizing that the monk knows everything about him, Bao-yu offers to return the jade to him. As he comes back with the jade, Aroma catches hold of him and hangs on for dear life. He realizes it is futile to struggle when Lady Wang also arrives on the scene with Bao-chai. He tells his mother that this was merely his ploy to get the monk to accept whatever the family offers. Baochai, who suspects the monk of having supernatural powers, takes the jade away from Bao-yu but agrees to let him talk to the monk. Sent to keep an eye on them, Tealeaf reports that the two laughed a great deal as they discussed Great Fable Mountain, Greensickness Peak, the Land of Illusion, and severing earthly ties. None of this makes sense to Lady Wang, but Bao-chai is dumbstruck. Upon his return, Bao-yu simply says that they had a serious conversation and that the monk left after they reached an understanding. Then he jokingly repeats a proverb: “When one son becomes a monk, the souls of seven generations of ancestors go to Heaven,” which gives Lady Wang and Bao-chai fresh cause for alarm. Jia Lian has to leave for the frontiers to see his father because Jia She has fallen ill with pneumonia. He puts Jia Qiang and Jia Yun in charge of outside businesses and entrusts Qiao-jie to Lady Wang, as he does not trust his stepmother, Lady Xing. He also tells Lady Wang that something must be done with the Green Bower Hermitage now that Adamantina is gone. Lady Wang warns him not to mention this to Xi-chun, who is intent on becoming a nun. If Xi-chun is that determined, rejoins Jia Lian, they should simply let her take

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the vows. Lady Wang raises the issue with You-shi, Xi-chun’s senior next-ofkin. You-shi eventually agrees to take on the responsibility of letting Xi-chun do what she wishes on the condition that she stays on the family premises. Jia Qiang and Jia Yun exploit their temporary position to hold drinking and gambling parties in the outer study. Before long, they are pawning or selling Jia valuables to subsidize their activities. At one of these gatherings, Jia Huan, Wang Ren, and Jia Yun are airing their grievances against Xi-feng and Qiao-jie when a singing girl asks if the thirteen-year-old Qiao-jie is pretty because she has heard that a “Mongol” prince is looking for a concubine. This gives Wang Ren an idea. Meanwhile, news comes that Jia Yu-cun has been charged with extortion and brought to the High Court in chains and that another man has been arrested for killing an abducted girl, which sets everyone wondering if the girl was Adamantina.

COMMENTS Bao-yu is held back from joining the monk by two people: Aroma, the person most physically intimate with him, to whom he owes the obligations of a husband, and Lady Wang, to whom he owes the obligations of a son. Jia Qiang, Jia Yun, Xing De-quan, and Wang Ren all bear grudges against the Jia clan even though, as poor relatives, they have benefited from its bounty. Jia Qiang, an orphan brought up by Cousin Zhen, was forced to move out due to some ugly rumors (chapter 9). Jia Yun has fallen out with Xi-feng and Bao-yu and feels ill-used by Jia Lian (chapters 24, 26, 85, 88,104, and 112). Xing De-quan (Uncle Dumbo) believes himself to have been cheated out of his inheritance by his sister, Lady Xing (chapter 75). The ne’er-do-well Wang Ren feels snubbed by his brother-in-law, Jia Lian, and his niece, Qiao-jie. (chapters 101 and 114). John Minford translates waifan wangye as “Mongol” prince, but the Chinese term does not signify the prince’s ethnicity, only that he is enfeoffed in a distant land.

118 Qiao-jie Is Offered to a “Mongol” Prince; Bao-yu Studies to Discharge His Filial Obligations

SUMMARY Xi-chun’s maids are unwilling to accompany her into the religious life, but Nightingale volunteers. To everyone’s surprise, instead of grieving, Bao-yu approves of their renunciation of worldly ties. Suspecting him of planning to follow the same path, Lady Wang, Bao-chai, and Aroma are reduced to tears, but Bao-yu says nothing to comfort them. Their fears are confirmed when he says to Nightingale, “I never thought that you would be the first of us to be saved.” Jia Zheng’s journey to the South is impeded by congestion in the canal caused by the boats of the triumphant returning army. While he welcomes the news that, with the victory, Tan-chun’s father-in-law is bringing his family back to the capital, Jia Zheng finds himself short of cash due to the traffic delay. Thanks to the Jias’ munificence over the years, the son of Lai Da, the Jia’s chief steward, is now magistrate of a nearby town, so Jia Zheng asks him for a loan of five hundred taels of silver. When the younger Lai sends him fifty taels and a letter pleading poverty, Jia Zheng returns them angrily. The man adds another hundred taels, which Jia Zheng also returns. Realizing his son has committed a grave faux pas, Lai Da instructs him to relinquish his post. Jia Yun, Jia Huan, Wang Ren, and Uncle Dumbo (Xing De-quan) conspire to offer Qiao-jie as a concubine to the “Mongol” prince. Jia Yun tells Lady Xing that an important prince is proposing a marriage and convinces her to let the prince’s ladies have a look at Qiao-jie. Patience’s suspicions are aroused when the ladies boldly scrutinize Qiao-jie from head to toe with appraising eyes. Horrified to learn the true story from the other servants, Patience pleads with Lady Wang to save the girl. Lady Wang tells Lady Xing what she heard, but Lady Xing insists that her brother and Wang Ren cannot possibly be mistaken

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and that, as Qiao-jie’s grandmother, the decision is hers alone. Lady Wang is so distressed that she suffers chest pains. Meanwhile, Lady Wang receives Jia Zheng’s letter informing her of his delay and urging her to make sure that Bao-yu and Jia Lan are preparing for the upcoming civil service examinations. Knowing Bao-yu cannot be tempted with wealth and glory, Bao-chai appeals to his sense of family duty, and this works. Putting away his books on Taoism and Buddhism, Bao-yu mutters that, in any case, one does not need to read sutras to understand Buddhist enlightenment or to practice Taoist alchemy to enter a higher plane. Convinced that Bao-yu has finally given up on becoming a monk, Aroma and Bao-chai now worry that he may revert to being foolish with the girls. So they let Fivey go and, with the exception of the trusty Oriole, keep all the other maids away from him.

COMMENTS Nearly all the long-distance travel in the novel takes place on the Grand Canal. A man-made waterway more than a thousand miles long, it was the main transportation artery connecting northern and southern China prior to the modern era. The passage Bao-yu cites about the heart of a newborn child is from Mencius, one of the Confucian Four Books. His muttered comments about the “True Buddha Mind” show that he subscribes to Zen Buddhism, a sect that teaches the possibility of “spontaneous enlightenment” unmediated by any teachings. It may be assumed that, when the “Mongol” prince’s ladies made their inspection of Qiao-jie, they would have paid special attention to her feet because dainty feet were a mark of beauty in premodern China. From roughly the fourteenth to the nineteenth century, binding a girl’s feet so that they remained tiny was a common practice among Han women above the peasant class, but the Manchus never took up this cruel custom. Since the novel avoids indications of the period in which it is set, no mention is made of Qiao-jie’s feet or, for that matter, any female feet. That Bao-chai and Aroma totally misjudge Bao-yu and are still worried about his attraction to pretty girls is a wonderfully humorous touch.

119 Bao-yu Is Missing After the Examinations; the Emperor Declares a General Amnesty

SUMMARY Before setting off with Jia Lan to take the examinations, Bao-yu behaves strangely, kowtowing to Lady Wang, Li Wan, and Bao-chai as if he is bidding them a final farewell. Oddly enough, Lady Wang reacts as if he is indeed leaving for good. Everyone else thinks he is simply confused, but Bao-chai is filled with foreboding. Jia Huan, who is not taking the examinations because he is supposed to be in mourning for his mother, asks Lady Xing for Qiao-jie’s horoscope so that the transaction with the prince can be completed, and Lady Xing tells Patience to get Qiao-jie ready. Neither Patience nor Lady Wang can think of a way to save Qiao-jie. When Grannie Liu arrives unexpectedly, Patience insists they tell her what is happening because she is, after all, Qiao-jie’s “godmother” (chapter 42). Inspired by the plot of a popular story, Grannie Liu proposes smuggling Qiao-jie out of the Jia compound and hiding her in the countryside until Jia Lian returns. A carriage is arranged to take the peasant woman and her “granddaughter” home, and Patience hops in at the last minute. Eager to do Patience a good turn, the servants conspire to keep Lady Xing in the dark. As it happens, the “Mongol” prince, who is merely looking to add a concubine to his harem, backs out upon learning that Qiao-jie is from a noble family. The examinations over, the Jia household is thrown into turmoil when Jia Lan returns alone without Bao-yu, who seems to have vanished. It falls on Tanchun, now back in the capital, to restore some semblance of calm. When the examination results are released, showing that Bao-yu placed 7th and Jia Lan 130th, the happy news is met with mixed feelings. Xi-chun observes that it is not easy for a grown man to be lost unless he is determined to leave the world behind. To comfort Lady Wang, Tan-chun remarks that there has always been something unusual about Bao-yu and that whatever happens is the result of

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karma accumulated over many lifetimes. Listening to her words, Bao-chai is glum, but Aroma faints in distress. Seeing two Jias from Nanking listed on the roll of successful candidates, the emperor asks if they are related to the late Imperial Consort. On being told that they are, he orders the Jias’ cases to be reexamined. Jia She and Cousin Zhen are pardoned, their confiscated properties are returned, and Cousin Zhen’s hereditary title is restored. Jia Zheng, who gets to keep the title that used to be Jia She’s, is reinstated to his position of permanent secretary at the Board of Works. Meanwhile, to celebrate the military victory on the coast, the emperor declares a general amnesty. This is good news for Xue Pan, whose death sentence is now commuted to a fine. Jia Lian returns from visiting his father on the frontier just in time to receive the emperor’s edict. Grateful to Patience for protecting Qiao-jie in his absence, he eventually promotes her to be his proper wife. Lady Wang tactfully overlooks Lady Xing’s role in the debacle related to the “Mongol” prince, laying all the blame on Jia Yun and Wang Ren. Ashamed of herself, Lady Xing mends her ways.

COMMENTS Lady Wang’s response to Bao-yu’s farewell shows that she subconsciously knows he is leaving for good. It is no surprise that Bao-yu should do well on the examinations; he told Bao-chai, in the previous chapter, that, once he put his mind to it, the rest would come easily. He was also confident that Jia Lan (whose personal name means “orchid”) would excel because, in his dream, he saw Li Wan in court dress, and the accompanying poem reads “when all’s done, her Orchid was the best.” The Orphan of Zhao is a popular story in which a doctor smuggles an infant out of the palace inside his medicine box to save him from being killed. Humorously, Lady Wang, the most decorous character in the novel, agrees with great reluctance to Grannie Liu’s stratagem but comes to relish her acting role.

120 Bao-yu Bids His Father Farewell and Vanishes in the Snow; Aroma Marries the Actor Jiang Yu-han

SUMMARY Jia Zheng is sitting in the cabin of his boat one snowy day, writing a letter home, when he looks up and sees a bald man in a crimson cape on the deck kowtowing to him. Hurrying out, he is stunned to see that the man is none other than Bao-yu. His son meets his gaze with mingled joy and sorrow but is soon hurried off by a Buddhist monk and a Taoist. The three stride away in the snow, singing a song about returning to Greensickness Peak. Jia Zheng runs after them but loses them around a hill. Reluctantly, he comes to terms with the idea that his son must have been a higher being sent down into the world to experience the trials of human life. Jia Zheng’s letter describing this strange encounter reaches home just as Aunt Xue and Xue Pan, now out of prison, are visiting. They weep as Jia Lan reads the letter aloud. Lady Wang feels especially sorry for Bao-chai, but Aunt Xue comforts her with the thought that, like Li Wan, she may one day be rewarded for raising her child alone. Xue Pan promotes Caltrop to be his proper wife, and Jia Lian approves Qiao-jie’s betrothal to the son of a wealthy family in Grannie Liu’s village. Aroma presents a special problem because, having never been declared to be Bao-yu’s concubine, she cannot stay on as his widow. The Jias provide her with a dowry and ask her family to arrange a marriage for her. They find her a handsome man who owns property and has never been married. Aroma’s devotion to Bao-yu is such that only the fear of inconveniencing the Jias and hurting her brother’s feelings prevents her from committing suicide. On her wedding night, she weeps nonstop, but the bridegroom wins her over with his gentleness. Jiang Yu-han recognizes, among her belongings, the red cummerbund that he had given to Bao-yu years earlier. When he shows her the green

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sash that Bao-yu had given him, Aroma comes to realize that their marriage is predestined. The newly released Jia Yu-cun comes across Zhen Shi-yin again (chapter 103). The latter reveals that Bao-yu has returned to being a stone and predicts that the chastened Jia family will prosper anew as orchid (Jia Lan) and cassia (presumably Bao-yu’s son, to be named Gui, meaning “cassia”) come into bloom. Then he excuses himself to receive the spirit of his daughter Ying-lian (Caltrop), who is about to die giving birth to Xue Pan’s son (see the “Comments” on chapter 48). One day the Taoist Vanitas discovers that a whole new section has been added to the inscription on the stone. Copying it all down so that his fellow humans might learn from the stone’s experiences, he shows the manuscript to Jia Yu-cun. Yu-cun swears that everything in it is true and suggests that he take it to Cao Xueqin, who agrees to transmit the story to the rest of the world.

COMMENTS Chapter 120 should be read in conjunction with chapter 1, which establishes the mythological framework for the story. Nearly all the narrative strands are now gathered together to bring the novel to a grand finale. In accordance with the Buddhist teaching that one should discharge one’s worldly obligations before becoming a monk, Bao-yu repays his family by honoring it with his examination success and leaving it with an heir. His avatar Jiang Yu-han (chapter 93) marries Aroma, who would otherwise have been cast adrift. Jia Zheng, who personifies Confucianism, finally acknowledges the legitimacy of Buddhism and Taoism. The ruling class and the peasantry come together in Qiao-jie’s betrothal. Bao-chai’s pregnancy and the birth of Xue Pan’s son signify revitalization. Bao-yu’s vanishing into the pristine snow symbolizes a cleansing. The author plays one last joke on his readers. By calling the story a “tall tale,” which, in Chinese, sounds exactly like “as Jia Yu-cun says,” he prompts us to wonder if the name of Zhen Shi-yin, with whom Jia Yu-cun is constantly paired, is a pun on “real events well concealed.”

Selected Bibliography

SELECTED WORKS IN ENGLISH This guide is keyed to The Story of the Stone: A Chinese Novel by Cao Xueqin in Five Volumes, published by Penguin Books between 1973 and 1986 in Harmondsworth, England. The first three volumes were translated by David Hawkes and the last two by John Minford. For a discussion of the controversy surrounding Cao Xueqin’s authorship, see Hawkes’s introduction to the first volume. Brook, Timothy. Vermeer’s Hat: The Seventeenth Century and the Dawn of the Global World. New York: Bloomsbury, 2008. Cahill, James. Pictures for Use and Pleasure: Vernacular Painting in High Qing China. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2010. Elliott, Mark C. Emperor Qianlong: Son of Heaven, Man of the World. New York: Longman, 2009. ——. The Manchu Way: The Eight Banners and Ethnic Identity in Late Imperial China. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001. Elman, Benjamin A. A Cultural History of Civil Examinations in Late Imperial China. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2000. Goetzmann, William N. Money Changes Everything: How Finance Made Civilization Possible. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2016. Graham, A. C. Chuang-Tzu: The Inner Chapters. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett, 2001. Hansen, Valerie. The Silk Road: A New History with Documents. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016. Hsia, C. T. The Classic Chinese Novel: A Critical Introduction. New York: Columbia University Press, 1968.

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SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Knechtges, David. “Gradually Entering the Realm of Delight: Food and Drink in Early Medieval China.” Journal of the American Oriental Society 117, no. 2 (1997): 229–39. Lee, Haiyan. “Chinese Feelings: Notes on a Ritual Theory of Emotion.” Wenshan Review of Literature and Culture 9, no. 2 (2016): 1–37. Levy, Dore J. Ideal and Actual in The Story of the Stone. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999. Li, Wai-yee. Enchantment and Disenchantment: Love and Illusion in Chinese Literature. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1993. Liu, James J. Y. “The Knight Errant in Chinese Literature: A Lecture Delivered on January 23, 1961.” Journal of the Hong Kong Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society 1 (1960–1961): 30–41. Miyazaki, Ichisada. China’s Examination Hell: The Civil Service Examinations of Imperial China. Trans. Conrad Schirokauer. New York: Weatherhill, 1976. Plaks, Andrew H. Archetype and Allegory in The Dream of the Red Chamber. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1976. Rolston, David L. How to Read the Chinese Novel. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2016. ——. Traditional Chinese Fiction and Fiction Commentary: Reading and Writing Between the Lines. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1997. Schonebaum, Andrew, and Tina Lu, eds. Approaches to Teaching The Story of the Stone (Dream of the Red Chamber). New York: Modern Language Association, 2012. Spence, Jonathan D. Emperor of China: Self Portrait of K’ang-hsi. New York: Knopf, 1974. ——. Ts’ao Yin and the K’ang-hsi Emperor: Bondservant and Master. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1966. Stone, Donald. “ ‘That Roar Which Lies on the Other Side of Silence’: Comparing Hong lou meng, Middlemarch, and Other Masterpieces of Western Narrative.” In Cross-Cultural Studies: China and the World: A Festschrift in Honor of Professor Zhang Longxi, ed. Qian Suoqiao, 194–206. Boston: Brill, 2015. von Glahn, Richard. The Economic History of China: From Antiquity to the Nineteenth Century. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2016. Wood, Frances. The Silk Road: Two Thousand Years in the Heart of Asia. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2002.

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY



259

Wu, Yenna. The Chinese Virago: A Literary Theme. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1995. Yu, Anthony C. Rereading The Stone: Desire and the Making of Fiction in Dream of the Red Chamber. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1997. Yu, Ying-shih. Chinese History and Culture. Vol. 1, Sixth Century B.C.E. to Seventeenth Century. With the editorial assistance of Josephine Chiu-Duke and Michael S. Duke. New York: Columbia University Press, 2016.

SELECTED WORKS IN CHINESE This guide is largely based on Bai Xianyong xishuo honglou meng Ձ܏ର࢜М ‫ ْ࣍ی‬by Pai Hsien-yung Ձ܏ର. Taipei: Shibao wenhua chuban qiye gufen youxian gongsi, 2016 (standard character edition); Guilin: Guangxi shifan daxue chubanshe, 2017 (simplified character edition). For a collection of essays by eminent twentieth-century Chinese scholars on the authorship and relative merits of the various editions of the novel, see Zhengben qingyuan shuo honglou Ԝӆ֜੅М‫࣍ی‬, ed. Pai Hsien-yung. Taipei: Shibao wenhua chuban qiye gufen youxian gongsi, 2018 (standard character edition); Guilin: Guangxi shifan daxue chubanshe, 2019 (simplified character edition). Chow Tse-tsung ‫ر‬೫྾. Honglou meng an: Qiyuan hongxue lunwen ji ‫ْ࣍ی‬ଈ: ৤ࡩ‫ی‬ѹ‫ں‬ҹओ. Hong Kong: Zhongwen daxue chubanshe, 2001. Feng Qiyong ᫄Էᑳ. Lun Gengchen ben ‫ں‬ᠧᜳӆ. Shanghai: Shanghai wenyi chubanshe, 1978. Gao Yang ҙ‫ݷ‬. Honglou yijia yan ‫࣍ی‬ϣрߞ.Taipei: Lianjing chuban shiye gufen youxian gongsi, 2005. Hu Shih ഐ޶. Hu Shi lun zhongguo gudian xiaoshuo ഐ޶‫ں‬ЅлࣲਹЩМ. Wuhan: Changjiang wenyi chubanshe, 1987. Huang Yi-long ࢶϣహ. Erchongzou: Hongxue yu qingshi de duihua ԏԳᄊ: ‫ی‬ѹ ӿ֜੗ϡхҧ. Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 2015. Lin Yutang ৆‫ܭ‬இ. Pingxin lun Gao E ‫כ‬К‫ں‬ҙぎ. Taipei: Zhuanji wenxue chubanshe, 1969. Plaks, Andrew H. Ꮁԥၔ. Honglou meng piyu pianquan ‫ܬ౓࣐ٓێ‬ണҪ. Beijing: Beijing daxue chubanshe, 2003. Wang Guowei ࣼл‫ۆ‬. Hongloumeng pinglun ‫ںْ߰࣍ی‬. Hangzhou: Zhejiang guji chubanshe, 2012. Originally published in Jiaoyu shijie, 1904.

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SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Yu Pingbo ℯ‫כ‬ᐑ. Yu Pingbo lun honglou meng ℯ‫כ‬ᐑ‫ْ࣍یں‬. Shanghai: Shanghai guji chubanshe, 1988. Yu Ying-shi ൑߭Ж. Honglou meng de liangge shijie ‫ْ࣍ی‬ϡҔϫԒ֎. Taipei: Lianjing chuban shiye gongsi, 1978. Zhao Gang ᕿᬹ. Honglou meng xintan ‫ْ࣍ی‬Ј෬. Taipei: Chengzhong chubanshe, 1971. Zhou Ruchang ‫ر‬὎ቾ. Honglou meng xinzheng ‫ْ࣍ی‬Јᤆ. Beijing: Renmin wenxue chubanshe, 1976.

Index

Abbot Zhang ᔉ䘧຿, 63–64 Abject Apology 䉴㤞䂟㔾 (Kang Jinzhi ᒋ䘆 П), 65 actors, xx, 71–72, 101–2, 139, 177–78. See also Jiang Yu-han; Liu Xiang-lian actresses, xx, 49, 52, 66, 78; ganging up of, 127–30, 161–63, 184; purchase and expulsion of, 33–34, 36, 123–24, 161–63, 165; status of, 50, 116, 123, 127–28. See also Charmante; Étamine; Nénuphar; Parfumée Adamantina ཭⥝, 36, 107–8, 230; abduction by pirate, 234, 237–38, 240, 245, 250; and Jia Bao-yu, 89–90, 108, 133–34, 181, 240; and Jia Xi-chun, 182, 234, 237–38, 245, 247; and Lin Dai-yu, 159–60, 181–82; predictions for 12, 238; psychic powers of, 160, 181–182, 197–98, 247; and Shi Xiang-yun, 159–60; as “unshaven nun,” 90; and Xing Xiu-yan, 133, 188, 197 ages of characters: Aroma, 14; Autumn, 145; inconsistencies of, 14; Jia Bao-yu, 14, 52, 120; Jia She’s concubine, 101; Jia Yun, 53; Lai Da’s son, 97; the Prince of Beijing, 32; Qiao-jie, 192, 250; Qin Zhong, 15; Simple, 154; Wang Xi-feng, 5, 213; Xue Bao-chai, 49 alcohol. See drinking All-Scents Garden ः㢇೦, 157–58 All-spice Court 㯙㬾䰶, 51, 103, 119 Althée 㩉ᅬ, 127 Amaryllis Eyot, the building on, ㎈䣺ῧ, 51 Analects (Selected Sayings of Confucius) 䂪 䁲, 64, 171

ancestors, xv, 28, 27–28, 72, 249; rites for, 113–14, 131 androgyny, 66, 70, 106, 107–8, 133–34 antiques, 87, 89, 103, 221–222 antique dealer, 3–4, 15, 194 architecture, 36–37. See also Prospect Garden Aroma 㢅㽆Ҏ: as chief maid, xx, 10, 85, 194; and Faithful, 115, and Grandmother Jia, 13, 115, 163; and Jia Bao-yu after his marriage 205–6, 220, 229, 248, 249–52; and Jia Bao-yu before his marriage, 13–14, 43–48, 66, 69–70, 73–74; as Jia Bao-yu’s unofficial concubine, 13–14, 44, 77–78, 163, 171, 176, 199, 255; and Jia Bao-yu’s betrothal, 176, 177, 199; and Jiang Yu-han (Bijou), 32, 61–62, 193–94, 255–56; and Jia Tan-chun, 211; and Lady Wang, 73–74, 76, 75–76, 161–62, 163, 197; and Lin Dai-yu, 48, 64, 69–70, 73–74, 171, 197, 205, 220, 229; marriage of, 255–56; and Musk, 47; and Nannie Li, 17, 45; and natal Hua family, 43, 109, 115, 117; and Patience, 85; predictions for, 12, 62, 134, 194, 238, 248, 255–56; and Shi Xiang-yun, 67–68, 69, 115; and Skybright, 67, 79, 161; and Wang Xi-feng, 109–10, 141–42; and Xue Bao-chai, 47–48, 70, 73–74, 76, 205, 229, 249, 251–52 Artémisie㡒ᅬ, 127 Art of War, The ᄿᄤ݉⊩ (Sunzi/Sun Tzu/Sun Wuᄿᄤ/ᄿ℺), 154 astrology. See fortune-telling Aunt Xia ໣ယᄤ, 123, 125, 127

262



INDEX

Aunt Xue 㭯ྼཛྷ, xix, 157–58; and Caltrop, 132, 167, 243; and Grandmother Jia, 82–83, 108, 175, 206–7; and Jia Bao-yu, 17, 176, 178, 189–90, 203; and Lady Xing, 121; and Lady Wang, 9, 16, 189; and Lin Dai-yu, 17–18, 122; and Wang Xi-feng, 10; and Xia Jin-gui, 166–68, 174–75, 217; and Xing Xiu-yan, 121, 187–88, 243; and Xue Bao-chai, 122, 141, 163, 201, 205–6, 211, 217, 255; and Xue Bao-qin, 105, 108, 207; and Xue Ke, 105, 121, 178, 201; and Xue Pan, 9, 74, 102, 141, 178, 201, 255 Aunt Zhao 䍭ྼ࿬, xix, 81, 149–50; assaulted by child actresses, 127; and Grandmother Jia, 169; illness and death of, 238–39, 244; and Jia Bao-yu, 55–56; and Jia Huan, 45–46, 60, 127, 130, 152, 238–39; and Jia Tan-chun, 59–60, 117–118, 127, 129, 211; and Jia Zheng, 152, 239; and Lady Wang, 55, 169; and Lin Dai-yu, 142; and Wang Xi-feng, 45, 55–56, 93, 169, 239; and Xue Bao-chai, 142. See also Mother Ma; Sunset Aunt Zhou ਼ྼ࿬, 75, 81, 93, 239, 241 author. See Cao Xueqin Autobiography (Franklin), 78 Autumn ⾟Ḥ, 145, 184, 243 Autumn Studio ⾟᥽䭔᳌唟/⾟⠑唟, 51 baijiu ⱑ䜦, 82 Bailiff Wu ⚣䘆ᄱ/⚣㥞丁, 113 ballad ℠, 164 Bao-chai. See Xue Bao-chai Bao-er 入Ѡ, 96, 136, 183–84, 222, 224 Bao-er’s wife 入Ѡᆊⱘ, 95–96, 101 Bao Yong ࢛ࣙ, 193, 226, 234, 237–38 Bao-yu. See Jia Bao-yu beds. See closet-beds; kang Bencao gangmu ᴀ㤝㎅Ⳃ(Compendium of Materia Medica; Li Shizhen ᴢᰖ⦡),22 Big Jiao ⛺໻, 15–16, 22, 222 Bijou ⧾ᅬ. See Jiang Yu-han bird’s nest, edible, 97–98

birthdays: Grandmother Jia’s, 149–52, 183; Jia Bao-yu’s, 131, 133; Jia Jing’s, 21, 23; Jia Tan-chun’s 147; Lin Dai-yu’s, 177; Prince of Bei-jing’s, 177; Wang Xi-feng’s 93–94, 95; Wang Zi-sheng’s, 112, 213; Xue Bao-chai’s, 49, 227–28; Xue Pan’s, 61–62, 65 Black Mountain 咥ቅᴥ, 113 blonde girl, 111–112 bottle-gourd 㨿㯚, 220 Bottle-gourd Temple 㨿㯚ᒳ, 218 bribes, 25, 31–32, 96, 143–44, 179–80 Brightie ՚ᯎ‫ܦ‬/ᯎ‫ ܦ‬31–32, 141–43, 145–46, 151–52, 191, 193, 223 Brightie’s wife ՚ᯎ‫ܦ‬ᆊⱘ, 33, 152, 191 Buddhism ԯᆊ: Buddha, xvi, xxi–xxiii, 96, 223, 252; and Caltrop, 104; incarnation, xxii, 28, 30, 194, 256; and Jia Bao-yu, 1, 49–50, 55–56, 134, 190, 218, 251–52, 255–56; Guanyin, 85; and Lin Dai-yu, 3, 190; lotus, 102, 194; meditation, 181; and monk, scabby-headed, xvi, xix, 1, 17, 55, 246, 249; and Nightingale, 241, 251; reincarnation, 28; rewards and retributions, 85, 223–24, 238; sutras, 183, 252; Zen Buddhism, 49–50, 170, 190, 252. See also Adamantina; Jia Xi-chun; nuns and novices bureaucracy. See government bureaus “bu rende zi” ϡ䁡ᕫᄫ, 192 Byssus net 兿㍗ᐇ, 191 calendars, 24 calligraphy, 20, 51, 63, 147, 169, 222 Caltrop 佭㧅 (Zhen Ying-lian ⫘㣅㫂): and Aunt Xue, 132, 167, 243; and Buddhism, 104; and Jia Bao-yu, 132, 165; and Lin Dai-yu; 53–54, 103–4; and Moonbeam, 167, 217–18; and poetry, 103–5; predictions for, 1, 12, 134, 238; and Xia Jin-gui 165, 167, 211, 217–18; and Xue Bao-chai, 103, 167; and Xue Pan, 9, 103–4, 165, 167, 255–56; and Zhen Shi-yin, 10, 256 canal, 105, 251–52 Cao Cao ᳍᪡, 170

INDEX Cao Xueqin ᳍䲾㢍, 1, 256; ideal community, vision of, 106; and last forty chapters, xvii–xviii, 168, 235; novel’s parallels to his family’s history and his world, xvi-xvii, 10, 34, 40–41, 100, 112, 116, 166, 222; revisions related to Qin-shi’s death, 12, 21; techniques of, xxiii, 72, 94, 100, 112, 138, 224; treatment of sexuality, 13–14 Cao Xi ᳍⪑, xvi Cao Yin ᳍ᆙ, xvi, 116 capital, the, xxiv Cardamone 䈚ᅬ, 127 Celestial Fragrance Pavilion ໽佭ῧ, 28 Chang E Ⴚ࿹, 166, 177–78, 185 Charmante 啘ᅬ, 70, 78 Cheng Hua ៤࣪, 89–90 Cheng Yi edition ⿟Эᴀ, xviii chenxiang ≝佭, 94 Chess ৌẟ, 129–30, 154; and Jia Bao-yu, 161, 163, 165, 171; and Jia Ying-chun, 154, 156; and Pan You-an 150–51, 156, 161, 191–92 Chess’s cousin (Pan You-an ┬জᅝ), 150–51, 156, 161, 191–92 Chess’s mother, 191 Christ, xxii, 96 chun ᯹, 212 ci 䀲 (lyrics), 134, 147–48, 164–65 Ciggy ᇣ㷀‫ܦ‬, 127–29 Citronella 㬭佭, 47, 161 civil service examinations, 92, 154, 166; and Jia Bao-yu, xv, xviii, 4, 19, 169, 252–54, 256; and Jia Huan, 253; and Jia Lan, 253; and Jia Yu-cun, 2 cloak, Russian peacock-feather, 112 clocks, xxiv, 112, 222 closet-beds ᱪ䭷, 7, 111–112 Commissioner Zhao 䍭ූᅬ, 221 Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao gangmu ᴀ㤝㎅Ⳃ; Li Shizhen ᴢᰖ⦡), 22 concubinage, 3, 10, 23, 48, 86, 96, 239; children of, 46, 56, 117, 153, 156, 211–12; Jia Yuanchun as Imperial Concubine, xix, 33,



263

39–41, 113–14, 174, 197; of “Mongol” prince, 251–54; relation with chief wife, 46, 171. See also Aroma; Aunt Zhao; Aunt Zhou; Autumn; Caltrop; Faithful; Patience; You Er-jie Confucianism ‫ۦ‬ᆊ, xvi, xxii–xxiii, 2; canon of, 19, 154, 252; Confucius, 64, 171; and Grandma Jia, 64, 120; and homosexuality, 19–20; and Jia Tan-chun, 118, 120; and Jia Zheng, 37, 170, 195, 231, 235, 256; and Li Wan, 51, 86, 183, 255; and Xue Bao-chai, 17, 74, 120, 134, 148 Cook Liu ᷇ᆊႇ်/᷇ᆊⱘ, 128–30, 132, 153, 162 cosmetics, 44, 47, 70, 96, 119 court (imperial), xviii; astronomer for, 24; dress for, 254; flowers for, 165–66; novelties in, 112; physician for, 91–92; political interests of 191–92, 219–20. See also emperor; eunuchs; Jia Yuan-chun court (judicial), 9, 103, 143–44, 178–80, 189, 217–18, 250. See also government offices courtesans, 61–62, 194 Cousin Zhen (Jia Zhen 䊜⦡), xix, 219; downfall of, 143, 145, 221–222, 225; and Grandmother Jia, 225; as head of household, 113, 125; and Jia Jing, 23, 133; and Jia Lian, 135–37; and Jia Qin, 113; and Jia Rong, 27–28, 143; with menservants, 183–84; pardoned, 254; and Picture, 156; and Qin-shi, 16, 21, 27–28, 157; and Wang Xi-feng, 27, 29, 143–45; and You Er-jie, 133, 136, 225; and You San-jie, 137, 225; and Youshi, 27–28, 157, 215 Crab-flower Club ⍋Ẵ⼒, 79–80, 97, 106, 147–48 Crimson ᇣ㑶, 53–54, 56–60, 125, 184 Crimson Pearl Flower ㍇⦴ҭ㤝, 1 Dai-yu. See Lin Dai-yu death, 188; of Aroma’s mother, 115; of Aunt Zhao, 239; of Aunt Zhao’s brother, 117; of Caltrop, 256; of Chess and her cousin,

264



INDEX

death (continued ) 191–92; of Dowager Consort, 123; of Faithful, 233; of Faithful’s mother, 115; of Fourth Sister Lin, 164; of Golden, 70; of Grandmother Jia, 231–32; of He San, 234; hun, 28, 30; of Jia Rui, 25–26; of Jia Yingchun, 230; of Jia Yuan-chun, 197; of Lin Dai-yu, 201, 203; of Lin Dai-yu’s father, 29; of Pivoine, 124; of Qin-shi, 27–28; of Qin Zhong, 33–34; of Skybright, 162; of Wang Xi-feng, 243–44; of Wang Zi-teng, 199; of Xia Jin-gui, 217–18; of You Er-jie, 146, 151–52. See also ghosts; mourning rituals; suicide Diamond 䞥࠯ (Ni Er ‫׾‬Ѡ), 53, 219–20 Diamond Sutra 䞥࠯㍧ (unknown), 183 Disenchantment (fairy) 䄺ᑏҭྥ, 11–13, 44, 68, 140, 233, 235 divination. See fortune-telling Divine Luminescent Stone-in-Waiting ⼲⨯ա 㗙, 60, 247 Doctor Wang (Mr. Wang) ⥟໾䝿/⥟໻໿, 91, 110, 173. See also medicine Dostoevsky, Fyodor, xxii Double Fifth ッज㆔, xxiv, 62, 66–67 Double Nine 䞡䱑㆔, xxiv, 83 Dowager Consort 㗕໾བྷ, 123, 125, 133, 143 Dream of the Red Chamber, The ㋙ῧ໶ (Dream of the Red Mansion, The; Cao Xueqin ᳍䲾㢍), xv, 12. See also Story of the Stone, The dreams: Adamantina’s, 181–182; Caltrop’s, 103; Crimson’s, 54; Faithful’s, 233; Grandmother Jia’s, 179; Jia Bao-yu’s, 35, 120, 173, 227, 229; Jia Bao-yu’s prophetic, 11–12, 77, 205, 238, 243, 247–48, 254; Jia Rui’s, 25–26; Lin Dai-yu’s, 172–73; Liu Xiang-lian’s 140; in The Peony Pavilion, 52; in The South Branch, 64; Wang Xi-feng’s, 27–28, 72, 239–40, 243–44; Xuanzong Emperor’s, 229; You Er-jie’s, 146; Zhen Baoyu’s, 1, 193; Zhen Shi-yin’s, 1. See also ghosts drinking (alcohol): alcoholics, 47, 136, 183; drunkenness, 11, 15, 29, 58, 87, 89–90,

96, 102, 133, 137, 194; games for, 61, 88; at parties, 39, 67, 95, 115–16, 133, 157, 250; types of alcohol, 43, 83 Duck and Drake swords 勯勺ࡡ, 139–40 Dumbo, Uncle. See Xing De-quan Dweller Behind the Threshold ₏ܻҎ, 133–34 Dweller Beyond the Threshold ₏໪Ҏ, 133 Ebenash ⳳⳳ೟, 111 education 19–20, 170; of women, 3, 86, 118, 133, 156, 191–92, 228 eight-legged essay ܿ㙵᭛, 175 Eight Taoist Immortals ܿҭ, 198 elegy 䁘. See under poetry embroidery and sewing, 17, 59, 77, 112, 153, 155, 184 Emerald ⹻⮩, 67–68 emperors, 113, 123, 166; historical, xvi–xix, 14, 40–41, 116, 222, 229; intervention in Jia affairs, 133, 254; and Jia Yuan-chun, xix, 33, 39, 174, 254; and Jia Zheng, 4, 219–20, 226, 231; and Lin Dai-yu’s family, 4; and the Prince of Bei-jing, 31; and Zhen Ying-jia, 244 ephedra 咏咘, 110 essence of roses ⥿⩄䴆, 128–29 Étamine 㬞ᅬ, 123–25, 127, 132 eunuchs ໾ⲷ, 28, 39, 152, 174 exorcism, 91, 215–16 expenses. See silver taels fairy ҭ, 11–12, 211, 229–30. See also Disenchantment Faithful 勯勺: and Chess, 150–51; death and aftermath, 233, 235, 247–48; games, role in, 87, 227; and Grandmother Jia, 85, 99–100, 115, 183, 232, 237; and Jia Bao-yu, 99, 115, 233, 247; and Jia Lian, 99, 151; and Jia She, 99–100; and Jia Zheng, 233, 235, 248; and Lady Xing, 99, 150; and Lin Dai-yu, 172, 203; literacy of, 183, 228; name, origin of, xx; and Shi Xiang-yun, 67–68; and Wang

INDEX Xi-feng, 89, 101, 150, 232; and Xue Baochai, 233, 235 family. See ancestors; kinship system fans, 67, 69, 103, 135, 180, 222 fate, xxiii, 11–12, 62, 64, 175–76, 256 Father Wang ⥟ϔ䊐, 167 Feng Zi-ying 侂㋿㣅, 61, 191–92 festivals, xxiv; Double Fifth, 62, 66–67; Double Nine, 83; Grain in Ear, 59; Lantern Festival, 39, 49–50, 114–16; Lucky Seventh (Double Seven) Day, 91; Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, 24, 157–59; New Year (Lunar) 43, 45–46, 113–14; Nibbansday, 44; Spring Cleaning Day, 123 fireworks, 115–16 Five Classics Ѩ㍧, 154 five forces/phases/agents/elements Ѩ㸠, 22, 174, 215 Fivey Ѩ‫ܦ‬, 128, 129–30; and Bao-yu, 147, 162, 214, 229–30, 248, 252 flowers: cassia (osmanthus fragans), 61, 83, 159, 165–66, 181, 256; chrysanthemum, 80, 81, 87; citronella, 47; crab-flower (malus spectabilis), 79, 195–96; empathy with, 52, 58, 60; hibiscus, 134, 163–66; lotus, 102, 104, 194; orchid, 179–80, 254, 256; peach blossoms, 51, 134, 147; peony, 134; plum blossoms, 89, 107–8, 116, 134; rose, 66, 78, 127–29, 134 foot binding, 252 fortune-telling: astrology, 198; card-drawing 134; horoscope, 108, 179–80, 201, 215, 253; omens, 181–182, 196; planchette (Ouija board), 197–98, 247; sticks or coins thrown, 214–15; word divining, 195–96, 247. See also riddles foster mothers ђ࿬, 123–28, 130, 161–62. See also Mamma Xia Four Books ಯ᳌, 19, 154, 252; Analects, 64, 171; Mencius, 175, 252 Four Springs ಯ᯹, 4 Fourth Sister Lin ᵫಯ࿬, 164 Franklin, Benjamin, 78



265

Freud, Sigmund, xxiii, 172 funerals. See mourning rituals gambling, 43, 45–46, 153, 157–58, 234, 250. See also games games: backgammon 184; cards, 98, 101, 133–34; dominoes, 88; fingers games, 131: Go, 16, 53, 181–182; with jokes, 116; with kites, 147–48; mahjong, 88; with phrases, 61, 88, 131–32, 227–28; with poetry, 61, 79–80, 88, 107, 131–32, 159–60, 227–28. See also riddles gāthā, 49 gender segregation, 5, 20, 23, 30, 52, 58, 72, 149, 221, 237 ghosts 儐, 27–28, 86, 162, 192–93, 205–6, 212–16, 233, 235. See also death; Qin Shi ginseng Ҏগ, 25, 161 girls, coming of age, 49; purchase and sale of, 36, 43, 45–46, 123, 127–28, 161, 168, 193, 195, 251–52; as concubines, 10, 101, 145 Girl’s Classic of Filial Piety ཇᄱ㍧ (Zheng 䜁⇣), 191 glass, 98, 222 Go ೡẟ, 16, 53, 181–82 gold and jade 䞥⷇㎷. See under jade (Jia Bao yu’s) Golden 䞥䞻, 65–67, 70–72, 75, 77, 93–94 gold locket 䞥䥪, 17, 63–64, 76, 175–76, 199 gourds, 190, 198, 218, 220 government bureaus: Board (Ministry) of Works, 166, 177–78, 183, 185–86, 197, 254; Board of Personnel, 166; Board of Punishments, 166, 217–18, 222; Board of Revenue, 166; Board of Rites, 166; Board of War, 166; Secretariat, 144, 199; yamen, 208–9. See also court Grain in Ear Ѹ㡦。㆔, xxiv, 59 grain intendant of Kiangsi ∳㽓㊻䘧, 199 Grand Canal ໻䘟⊇, 252 Grandmother Jia 䊜↡, xv, xviii–xxi; and Aroma, 13, 115, 163; assets of, 151, 225–26; and Aunt Xue, 82–83, 108, 175, 206–7; and Aunt Zhao, 169; birthdays of, 149–52, 183;

266



INDEX

Grandmother Jia 䊜↡ (continued ) Confucianism of, 64, 120; and Cousin Zhen, 225–26; death and aftermath, 231–35, 237–40, 243, 248; and Faithful, 85, 99–100, 115, 183, 232, 237; on fate, 64, 231; and Grannie Liu, 14, 85–86, 89, 239; and Jia Bao-yu before his marriage, 5, 62, 71, 77, 112, 163, 169, 197, 199; and Jia Bao-yu, post-marriage, 206–7, 212, 225, 228, 230–31; and Jia Bao-yu’s jade, 197; Jia Bao-yu’s marriage, role in, 76, 108, 175–76, 187–88, 199, 206; on Jia Bao-yu’s sexuality, 163; and Jia Lan, 183, 231; and Jia Lian, 95–96, 101, 151, 197–98, 225–26; and Jia She, 50, 99–101, 157–58, 225–26; and Jia Tan-chun, 153, 160, 207, 211–12; and Jia Zheng, 49–50, 71, 77, 149, 197, 224–25, 230, 248; and Lady Wang, 151, 163, 223–24; and Lady Xing, 99, 101, 150, 223, 225; and Lin Dai-yu before her death, 5–7, 11, 121–22, 172–76, 188, 201, and Lin Dai-yu after her death, 206–7, 225–26, 228; and Li Wan, 93, 183, 226; on marriage, 115–16; parties, attending, 81–82, 107–08, 113–16, 227–28; parties, hosting, 49–50, 87, 93–94, 157–59, 191, 195; and physicians, 91–92; and Nightingale, 6, 62, 203; and Qiao Jie, 191; and Shi Xiang-yun, 105–6, 224, 232; and Skybright, 155–56, 163; and Wang Xi-feng, 5, 95, 101, 145, 150, 192, 223, 231; and Xue Bao-chai, 49, 76, 82, 87–88, 175–76, 205, 227, 231–32; and Xue Bao-qin, 105, 108; and You-shi, 93, 225 Grand Secretariat ܻ䭷, 199 Grannie Liu ࡝ྐྵྐྵ, 13–15, 92; and Jia Bao-yu, 85–86, 89–90; in Prospect Garden, xv, 86–88; and Qiao-jie, 91, 239, 253–56; and Wang Xi-feng, 13, 85, 87, 89, 91, 239–241 Green Bower Hermitage ⃇㖴ᒉ, 89, 249 Green Delights, House of ᗵ㋙䰶, 51, 75, 89–90, 96, 119, 126, 195, 203 Green Pearl ㍴⦴, 136 Greensickness Peak 䴦ඖቅ, 1–2, 197–98, 249

gua ऺ, 68, 215 gui Ḗ, 83 hairstyles, xxiv, 138 Han ⓶, 252 handkerchiefs, 54, 57–60, 62, 65, 73, 96, 181, 200, 203 Hawkes, David 䳡‫ܟ‬ᗱ, xviii, xx, 11, 21, 28, 50, 80, 88, 168; explanations of Jia Bao-yu’s dreams of revelation, 12, 238, 248; on Mrs. You’s death, 144; on Qin Shi’s death, 235 haze diaphene 䒳✭㕙, 87, 165 Heart Sutra ᖗ㍧ (unknown), 183 He San ԩϝ (Zhou Rui’s adopted son), 97, 183–84, 234, 237 homosexuality. See under sexuality Honglou meng ㋙ῧ໶ (Dream of the Red Mansion/Dream of the Red Chamber; Cao Xueqin ᳍䲾㢍), xv, 12. See also Story of the Stone, The House of Green Delights. See Green Delights, House of huangjiu 咘䜦, 82 hun 儖, 28, 30. See also death; ghosts I Ching (Yijing, Book of Changes) ᯧ㍧ (unknown), 26, 68 Idiot, The (Dostoevsky) xxii immortality, 26, 133, 198, 220. See also death incense, 50, 79, 113, 216; as offering, 93–94, 124, 135, 185, 223; as sedative, 237 income sources. See silver taels India, 28, 184 Iron Crutch Li 䨉ᢤᴢ, 198 Jade Emperor ⥝ⱛ⠎/⥝ⱛ໻Ᏹ, 163 jade, Jia Bao-yu’s, xxii, 177–78; and Adamantina, 90, 108; gold and jade pairing, 17, 62, 64, 67, 69, 74, 77, 175–76, 199; and Grandmother Jia, 197–98; and Lin Dai-yu, 5, 62, 64, 69, 246; loss and recovery of, 195–98, 246, 247, 249; and the monk, 3, 55–56, 246, 249–50; origin of, 1, 3; and

INDEX Prince of Bei-jing, 31–32, 177; and Xue Baochai, 17–18, 74, 76–77, 175–76 jealousy, 50, 71, 82, 96, 105, 146, 167, 218. See also under Lin Dai-yu; Wang Xi-feng Jesuits, 98, 112 Jesus Christ, xxii, 96 jia ‫؛‬/䊜, 2, 120, 218, 256 Jia Bao-yu 䊜ᇊ⥝, xviii–xxiii, 5, 104; as aesthete, 51, 102; and Aunt Xue, 17, 176, 178, 189–90, 203; and Aunt Zhao, 55; Buddhism of, 1, 49–50, 56, 134, 190, 218, 251–52, 255–56; birthday of, 14, 51, 131, 133; and Caltrop, 131, 165; Charmante, 70, 78; dreams of 11–12, 35, 205, 238, 243, 245, 247–48; and Chess, 161, 163, 165, 171; education of, xviii, 4, 19, 147–48, 153, 169–71, 252–54, 256; enlightenment of, 70, 78, 168, 170, 240, 247–50; and Faithful, 99–100, 114, 233, 247; and Fivey, 162, 213–14, 229–30, 248, 252; girls, tenderness toward, 12, 44, 111–12, 65–66, 75–76, 78, 94, 96, 102, 132, 167; and Golden, 65–66, 71–72, 93–94; illness of, 55, 121, 147, 165, 196–99, 203, 205– 7, 246; and Jia Huan, 45, 56, 71, 195; and Jia Lan, 245; and Jiang Yu-han, 71–72; and Jia Rong, 2; and Jia Tan-chun, 59, 129–31, 212, 253–54; and Jia Xi-chun, 181, 247–48, 251, 253; and Jia Ying-chun, 163, 168–69; and Jia Yu-cun, 69; and Jia Yuan-chun, 39–40, 51–52, 61–62; and Jia Yun, 53–54, 57–58, 79, 177–78, 219; and Lady Wang, 70, 206, 246, 249–52, 253–54; Lin Dai-yu, dreaming of, 120, 173, 205, 247; Lin Dai-yu, declaring his love directly to, 45–46, 62, 69–70, 190; Lin Dai-yu, expressing his love for, 55, 59, 73–74, 77, 121–22, 147–48, 185–86, 201; Lin Dai-yu, mourning for, 205–6, 211–12, 220, 224, 228, 240–41; Lin Dai-yu, quarrels with, 65–66; and Liu Xiang-lian, 102, 139–40; and Li Wan, 206, 253; look-alike of, 120, 245–46; marriage of, 175–78, 187, 197–98, 203, 207, 229–32; and Musk, 47, 109, 229, 240, 246; and Nannie Li, 17, 43; and Nightingale,



267

57, 121, 206, 212, 220, 240–41, 248; omens regarding, 50, 61, 76, 132, 134, 147, 169, 198; and Oriole, 17, 75–76, 252; and Parfumée, 124, 128, 132–33; and Patience, 96, 131; as poet, 35, 39–40, 49, 51, 63, 79, 81, 107, 163–65; and Prince of Bei-jing, 29–34, 54, 102, 177–78; and Qiao-jie, 191; and Qin-shi, 11–12, 16, 23, 31–32; and Qin Zhong, 31–34, 194; and scabby-headed monk, 1, 55–56, 246–47, 249–50, 255; sexuality of, 11–14, 16, 31–32, 62, 70, 107–8, 133–34, 163; and Shi Xiang-yun, 45–47, 64, 67–70 227, 232; and Silver, 75–76, 94; and Skybright, 17, 67–68, 109, 111–112, 161–64, 185, 213, 229–30, 247; and Tealeaf, 43, 93–94; and Xing Xiu-yan, 133; and Xue Pan, 58, 61–62, 71, 74, 105. See also Green Delights, House of; jade, Jia Bao-yu’s. See also under Aroma; Grandmother Jia; Jia Zheng; Lin Dai-yu; Wang Xi-feng; Xue Bao-chai Jia Cong 䊜⨂, 158 Jia Dai-ru 䊜ҷ‫ۦ‬, 19, 25, 170 Jia Huan 䌒⪄, xix; and Jia Bao-yu, 45, 56, 71, 195; and Jia Tan-chun, 59–60, 118; and Jia Yuan-chun, 49; and Jia Zheng, 158, 219; and Qiao-jie, 250, 252–53; and Sunset, 55, 129–30; and Wang Xi-feng, 45, 175. See also Aunt Zhao Jia Jing 䊜ᭀ, xix, 21, 23, 26, 133, 135 Jia Lan 䊜㰁, xix, 56, 118, 219; and civil service examinations, 252–53; and Grandmother Jia, 183, 231; and Jia Bao-yu, 245; and Jia Zheng, 49–50, 162, 252; and Li Wan, 183–84, 254, 256 Jia Lian 䊜⩝, xix; as administrator, 51, 53, 152, 179, 183–84, 217, 237, 249–50; and Autumn, 145, 243; and Cousin Zhen, 135–37; and Faithful, 99, 151; and Grandmother Jia, 95–96, 101, 151, 197, 225–26; and Jia Qiang, 33, 249–50; and Jia Qin, 193; and Jia Rong, 135–136, 143–44; and Jia She, 34, 103; and Jia Yun, 53, 234, 237, 249–50; and Lady Wang, 195, 217, 249; and Lady Xing, 225, 249;

268



INDEX

Jia Lian 䊜⩝ (continued ) and Lin Dai-yu, 26, 225; and the Mattress, 47–48, 136; and Patience, 47–48, 95, 146, 213, 243; personality of, 104; and Qiao-jie, 243, 249, 254; and Wang Xi-feng after death of second wife, 146, 151–52, 213, 223, 231, 239, 243–44; before Wang Xi-feng’s discovery of his second marriage, 16, 29, 33–34, 95–96, 141; and You Er-jie, 135–139, 143, 147 Jiang Yu-han 㫷⥝㦵 (Bijou ⧾ᅬ), 71–72, 102, 179; and Aroma, 32, 61–62, 193–94, 255–56 jianzipu ⏯ᄫ䄰, 180 Jia Qiang 䊜㭨: and the child actresses, 33–34, 36, 40, 66, 78; and Jia Rong, 20, 25, 33–34; temporary position of, 249–50 Jia Qin 䊜㢍, 51, 113, 193 Jia Rong 䊜㪝, xx, 222, 248; and Cousin Zhen, 27–28, 133, 143–44; and Jia Bao-yu, 2; and Jia Lian, 135–136, 143–44; and Jia Qiang, 20, 25, 33–34; and Qin-shi, 13; and second wife, 116, 223, 225; and Wang Xi-feng, 13, 16, 143–45; and You Er-jie, 133, 135–136 Jia Rui 䊜⨲, 19–20, 23–26, 188 Jia She 䊜䌺, xix, 6, 215–16; concubines of, 99–101; crimes and punishment of, 103, 165, 221–22, 225–26, 249, 254; and Faithful, 99–100; and Grandmother Jia, 50, 99–101, 157–58, 225–26; and Jia Lian, 34, 103; and Jia Ying-chun, 165, 168, 211; and Jia Zheng, 157–58, 165; and Lady Xing, 99 Jia Tan-chun 䊜᥶᯹, xix, xxi, 51, 87; and Aunt Zhao, 59–60, 117–118, 127, 211–12; and Confucianism, 118, 120; and Grandmother Jia, 153, 160, 207, 211–12; and Jia Bao-yu, 59, 129–30, 131, 212, 253–54; and Jia Huan, 59–60, 118; and Jia Zheng, 59, 206, 244, 251; and Lady Wang, 59, 117, 253–54; and Lin Dai-yu, 173, 206; and Li Wan, 117; marriage of, 187, 206, 211–12, 251; and Patience, 118, 129–30, 154; personality of, 80, 100, 118, 150; and poetry, 79–80; predictions for, 5, 50, 63, 70, 112; and Prospect Garden, 117,

119–20, 153, 155–57; and Wang Xi-feng, 118, 156; and Xue Bao-chai, 119–20, 157, 212 Jia Xi-chun 䊜ᚰ᯹, xx, 4, 5, 51; and Adamantina, 181–82, 234, 237–38, 245–47; and Jia Bao-yu,12, 18, 181, 247–48, 251, 253; as a nun, 16, 182, 238, 245, 249–50; personality of, 80; poetry club, role in, 79; predictions for, 12, 238; and Prospect Garden, 91–92, 97, 106, 108, 156; and You-shi, 234, 237, 245, 250. See also Lotus Pavilion Jia Ying-chun 䊜䖢᯹, xix, 4, 5, 51; death of, 230; and Jia Bao-yu, 12, 18, 163, 168–69; and Jia Tan-chun, 154; and Lady Wang, 168, 211; and Lady Xing, 154; and maidservants, 129, 154, 156; marriage of, 165, 168, 211, 227; predictions for, 12, 50, 238; temperament of, 49, 80, 106 Jia Yuan-chun 䊜‫ܗ‬᯹, 4; and the emperor, xix, 33, 39, 174, 254; gifts to family, 49, 62, 113; illness and death of, 174, 197, 216, 222; and Jia Bao-yu, 39–40, 51, 62; and Jia Zheng, 39; and Lin Dai-yu, 40, 62; and Lady Wang, 39; predictions for, 12, 50, 179–80, 197–98, 238, 247; Visitation of, 33, 35–37, 39–41 Jia Yu-cun 䊜䲼ᴥ, xx; and Jia Bao-yu, 69; and Jia She, 103, 222; and Jia Zheng, 69, 158; and Lin Dai-yu, 3, 171–72; as official, 3–4, 9, 103–4, 151–52, 218, 226, 250; and Zhen Shiyin, 2–4, 9, 218, 256 Jia Yun 䊜㢌; and Crimson, 53–54, 56, 57–58, 60, 184; and Jia Bao-yu, 53–54, 57–58, 79, 177–78, 219; and Jia Lian, 53, 234, 237, 249–50; and Qiao-jie, 184, 251, 253; and Wang Xi-feng, 53–54, 184, 250, Jia Zhen. See Cousin Zhen Jia Zheng 䊜ᬓ, xix, xxiii, 49–50, 144, 191–92; and Aunt Xue, 9, 179; and Aunt Zhao, 152, 239; career of, 79, 177–78, 199, 185–86, 207–9, 216, 223, 254; Confucianism of, 37, 170, 195, 231, 233, 235, 256; and emperors, 4, 219–20, 226, 231; and Faithful, 233, 235, 248;

INDEX and Grandmother Jia, 50, 71, 77, 149, 197, 224–25, 230, 248; after Grandmother Jia’s death, 231–32, 237; as head of household, 193, 197–98, 221–26, 244–45, 248, 251–52; hereditary title, 4, 227, 254; and Jia Bao-yu, 35, 37, 69, 71, 219, 245, 255; and Jia Bao-yu’s education, 19, 147, 169–70, 175, 252; and Jia Bao-yu’s marriage, 175–76, 189, 199, 203, 206; and Jia Huan, 158, 219; and Jia Lan, 49–50, 162, 219, 252; and Jia She, 157–58, 165; and Jia Tan-chun, 59, 206, 244, 251; and Jia Yuan-chun, 39; and Lady Wang, 71, 77, 176, 217, 219–20, 252; and Lin Dai-yu, 219–20, 248; and literary retainers, 35, 175, 244; and Prince of Bei-jing, 31, 177–78, 221; and Wang Xi-feng, 183–84; and Xue Baochai, 189; and the Zhen family, 193, 244 jing ㊒, 26 Jinling 䞥䱉, 12, 243. See also Nanking Joan of Arc, 112 Joker 㟜‫ܦ‬, 138, 141–42 Jokey Jin 䞥ᾂ, 19–21 kang ♩, 7, 16, 25, 118, 161, 240 karma. See fate Kangxi Emperor ᒋ❭ⱛᏱ, xvi–xvii, 14, 40–41, 98, 116, 222 Kingfisher 㖴㐋, 67 kinship system: adoption, 13, 79, 122, 158, 183, 189; daughters-in-law, 15, 82–83, 86; “foster” mothers, 123–24, 161; generational ranking, 4, 6–7, 56, 113–16, 233; “goddaughters,” 59–60, 105, 122, 253; “godmothers,” 55, 253; marriage among powerful clans, 10; women’s natal families, 146, 244; relatives, poor, 53–54, 92, 105–6, 113–14, 250; relatives, maternal, 45–46; relatives, “outer,” 7, 15, 18, 134, 206; “replacement wives,” 7; respect for age, 90; sons, 54; taboos within, xviii, 18. See also concubinage Kun opera ᯚ᳆. See under theater kylin (qilin) 呦味, 63–64, 67, 69–70



269

Lady Macbeth, 146 Lady Wang ⥟໿Ҏ, xix, 196; Aroma, 73–74, 76–78, 161–63, 197; Aunt Xue, 9, 16; Aunt Zhao, 55, 169; and Golden, 65, 70–71, 77; and Grandmother Jia, 151, 163, 223–24; and Jia Bao-yu, 70, 206, 246, 249–54; and Jia Huan, 56; and Jia Tan-chun, 59, 117, 253; and Jia Ying-chun, 168, 211; and Jia Yuan-chun, 39; and Jia Zheng, 71, 176, 217, 219–20, 252; and Lady Xing, 150, 155, 221–222, 232, 251–54; and Lin Dai-yu, 5, 61, 70, 156, 176; and Qiao-jie, 251–54; and Silver, 77; and Skybright, 155, 161, 163; and Sunset, 129, 151; and Wang Xi-feng, 96, 149–50, 232, 239; and Wang Zi-sheng, 177; and Wang Zi-teng, 196, 199, 214; and Xue Bao-chai, 9, 70, 76, 118, 161, 163, 176, 215, 248, 255; and Zhou Rui, 97, 184; and Zhou Rui’s wife, 13 Lady Xing 䙶໿Ҏ, xix, 6–7, 222; and Faithful, 99, 150; and Grandmother Jia, 99–100, 101, 149–50, 223, 225; and Jia Lian, 225, 249; and Jia She, 99; and Jia Ying-chun, 153; and Lady Wang, 149–50, 155, 221–22, 232, 251–54; and Lin Dai-yu, 5–7; and Prospect Garden raid, 153, 155–56; and Qiao-jie, 251–54; and Wang Xi-feng, 5, 96, 99, 105, 149–50, 232, 239; and Xing De-quan, 105, 250, 252; and Xing Xiu-yan, 121–22, 207, 243 Lady Zhen ⫘໿Ҏ, 245 Lai Da 䋈໻, 97, 119, 125–26, 193, 251 Lai Da’s wife 䋈໻ᆊⱘ, 97–98 Lai Shang-rong (Lai Da’s son) 䋈ᇮᾂ, 97–98, 101, 251 lamps, 98 Land of Illusion, The ໾㰯ᑏ๗, 12, 35, 41, 194, 248–49 Lantern Festival ‫ܗ‬ᆉ㆔, xxiv, 39, 49, 114–16 Latin, 170 legal cases. See bribes; court (judicial); government bureaus Leng Zi-xing ‫ދ‬ᄤ㟜, 3, 15 Lessening Cold ⍜ᆦ, 191

270



INDEX

Li Gui ᴢ䊈, 19 Lin Dai-yu ᵫ咯⥝, xviii–xxi, 120; and Adamantina, 159–60, 181–182; and Aroma, 47–48, 64, 69–70, 73–74, 171, 197, 205, 229; and Aunt Xue, 17–18, 122; and Aunt Zhao, 142; birthday of, 177; Buddhism of, 190; and Caltrop, 53–54, 103–4; death of, 201, 203, 205–6, 228, 248; and Faithful, 171, 203; father of, 3, 26, 29, 171; illnesses of, 74–75, 97–98, 160, 172–74, 185, 187, 200; jade, Jia Bao-yu’s, 5, 61, 64, 69, 246; Jia Bao-yu, avowals of love for, 69, 73–74; Jia Bao-yu, intimate time with, 11, 44, 51–52, 55, 98, 115, 131, 165, 179–80; Jia Bao-yu, jealousy over, 17–19, 45–46, 61, 67; Jia Bao-yu, quarrels with, 33–34, 36–37, 57, 64–65, 201; Jia Bao-yu, reconciling with, 62, 65–66, 189–90, 200; Jia Bao-yu, reactions to betrothal of, 185, 187, 189, 195, 200; and Jia Lian, 26, 225; and Jia Tan-chun, 173, 187, 206; and Jia Yuanchun, 40, 62; and Jia Yu-cun, 3, 5, 171–72; and Jia Zheng, 219–20, 248; and Lady Wang, 5, 61, 70, 156, 176; and Li Wan, 203, 206; and music, 179, 181; musings of, 60, 136, 147, 171; mythological origin of, 3–4; natal home of, 26, 66, 121, 141, 181, 205–6, 225; and Nightingale, 6, 65, 121–22, 185, 188, 195, 200, 203, 240–41, 245; nightmare of, 172; omens and predictions for, 1–2, 12, 50, 132, 134, 160, 165, 175–77, 181–182, 238; poems, burning of, 203; poems of, 60, 73–74, 98, 135, 147–48; poetry discussions and competitions, 40, 79–81, 103–4, 107, 109, 159–60, 165; position in family, 6–7, 16, 49, 75, 122, 142, 159, 181; and Skybright, 58, 156, 162, 165; and Shi Xiang-yun, 45–46, 69, 159–60, 173; and Wang Xi-feng, 5–6, 29, 49, 55, 115, 174. See also under Grandmother Jia; Jia Bao-yu; Xue Bao-chai linked verses 㙃হ, 107, 148, 159–60 Lin Zhi-xiao ᵫПᄱ, 59, 152, 195, 234, 237

Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife ᵫПᄱᆊⱘ, 59, 125, 129–32, 149–50, 153, 195, 203 Li Qi ᴢ㎎, 105–6, 169, 245 Li Shi ᴢक‫ܦ‬, 207–8 Li sisters. See Li Wen and Li Qi literary retainers ⏙ᅶ, 17, 35, 91–92, 244 Little Melilot Շ㬭, 57 Liu Xiang-lian ᷇␬㫂, 101–2, 139–42, 147, 198 Lives of Noble Women Present and Past ߫ཇ‫ڇ‬ (Liu Xiang ࡝৥), 191 Li Wan ᴢ㋜, xix, 105, 222; and Confucianism, 51, 86, 255; and Grandmother Jia, 93, 183, 226; and Jia Bao-yu, 206, 253; and Jia Lan, 183–84, 254, 256; and Jia Tan-chun, 117; and Lin Dai-yu, 203, 206; and Patience, 85, 97; predictions for, 12, 134, 238, 254; as president of Crab-flower Club, 79, 107–9; and Wang Xi-feng, 97, 232; and Xue Baochai, 79 Li Wen ᴢ㋟, 105–6, 169 Lotus 㫂㢅‫ܦ‬, 129 Lotus Pavilion 㮩佭ᾁ, 51, 81, 83, 107 Lucky Seventh (Double Seven) Day ϗ໩/вᎻ, xxiv, 91 lunar calendar, 24 Lycoperdon snow㤃㢧䳰, 128–29 lyrics, 134, 147–48, 163–65 maidservants, 10, 77–78, 85–86, 115, 117–118, 123, 224, 226. See also Aroma; Crimson; Faithful; Golden; Nightingale; Patience; Skybright; slaves (hereditary); stewardesses; wet nurses Mamma Xia (Aunt Xia) ໣ယᄤ, 123, 125, 127 management, household, 27, 29, 60, 117–20, 130, 131–32. See also under Wang Xi-feng Manchus ⓓ⌆Ҏ/ⓓҎ, xvi, xxiv, 100, 138, 252 Mao ृ, 179–80, 197–98 Mao Zedong ↯╸ᵅ, xxiii, 172 marriage practices, 14, 76, 175–76, 132; betrothal rituals, 55, 121–22, 178, 189, 197, 201, 203, 253

INDEX Mattress, the ໮ྥ࿬‫ܦ‬, 47–48, 136 medicine: cost of, 61–62, 110; diagnoses, 21–22, 25, 91, 146, 173, 182, 205; doctors, 21, 91–92, 109–10, 146, 165, 182, 205; herbal medicine, 21, 25, 73, 110; quarantine, 47–48, 109. See also Bencao gangmu; Doctor Wang; smallpox; tuberculosis; wu xing; yin and yang Mencius ᄳᄤ (Mengzi/Meng Tzu/Meng Ke ᄳᄤ/ ᄳ䓏), 175, 252 menservants, 10, 17, 86, 103, 183–84, 224, 226, 244. See also Bao Er; Bao Yong; Big Jiao; Brightie; Li Gui; pages; stewards Mid-Autumn Moon Festival Ё⾟㆔, xxiv, 24, 157–59 Minford, John P. 䭨⽣ᖋ, xviii, xx, xxiii, 80, 168, 170, 192 Ming Fei ᯢབྷ, 136 Ministry (Board) of Works. See under government bureaus mirrors, xxiv, 25–26, 50, 89 Miss Fu ٙ⾟㢇, 195 money. See silver taels monk, scabby-headed ⱆ丁੠ᇮ, xvi, xix, xxiii, 1–2, 17, 55, 246, 249–50 Moonbeam ᇊ㷒, 167, 188, 189, 217–18 moon goddess (Chang E Ⴚ࿹), 166, 177–78, 185 Mother Euergesia ᱎ䗮, 31–32, 162, 184 Mother Ma 侀䘧ယ, 55–56, 169 Mother Pearl ↡⦴, 191–92, 212 mourning rituals, 96; for Aunt Zhao, 239; for Dowager Consort, 123, 125; for Faithful, 233; for Golden, 70, 93–94; for Grandmother Jia, 231–32, 233, 248; for Jia Jing, 133, 135, 248; for Jia Yuan-chun, 197; for Lin Dai-yu, 201, 203, 205–6, 228, 248; for Pivoine, 124; for Qin-shi, 23–24, 27–32, 248; for Qin Zhong, 72, 101–2; for Skybright, 163–64, 185; for Wang Xi-feng 243–44, 248; for You Er-jie, 146–47, 151–52. See also under silver taels Mrs. Lai 䋈໻ⱘ↡㽾, 93–94, 97–98



271

music, 116, 148, 159, 179–81, 203, 212, 215. See also under theater Musk 呱᳜, 134; and Bao-yu, 47, 109–10, 229, 240, 246; and the other maids, 67, 111–112, 115, 124, 241 Myshkin, Prince, xxii Naiad’s House ◳␬仼, 51, 59, 121, 200, 203, 206, 228 names of characters: in Chinese, 27–28; puns in, 2, 11, 16, 120, 138, 194, 214, 218, 256; translations of, 1–2, 4, 90, 91, 102, 104, 108, 238, 248, 254 Nanking (Nanjing फҀ), xvi, 10, 99, 243, 254 Nannie Li (Jia Bao-yu’s old wet nurse) ᴢᄋᄋ, 17, 19, 43, 45–46, 121 Nannie Li ᴢ႑ (Qiao-jie’s nurse), 192 nannies, 81, 94, 95, 117, 119–20, 131. See also Mrs. Lai; Nannie Li; Nannie Zhao; wet nurse Nannie Zhao 䍭ჸჸ, 34, 40 Nénuphar 㮩ᅬ, 123–25, 132 New Year (Lunar) ‫ܗ‬ᮺ/ᮄᑈ, xxiv, 43, 45–46, 113–14 Ni Er ‫׾‬Ѡ, 53, 219–20 Nibbansday 㞬ܿ㆔, xxiv, 44 Nightingale ㋿匥, xx; becoming a nun, 241, 251; and Grandmother Jia, 6, 203; and Jia Bao-yu, 57, 121, 206, 212, 220, 240–41, 248; and Lin Dai-yu, 6, 65, 121–22, 172, 185, 188, 200, 203, 240–41, 245; and Xue Bao-chai, 122, 212 Nightmares. See dreams Ning house/Ning-guo house ᆻᑰ/ᆻ೟ᑰ, xv, xix, 15, 27, 29, 113, 139, 156–58, 221–222, 253 Nostalgia Studio ᚐ㋙䒦, 1 nuns and novices, 100, 162, 214, 245–46; Mother Euergesia, 31–32, 162, 184; Nightingale, 241, 251; Sapienta, 31, 33; for Visitation, 36, 51–52, 113, 193; See also Adamantina; Jia Xi-chun Nüwa ཇၻ, 1

272



INDEX

Octet ܿ㸠ᕟ䀽, 40, 80, 103 ointment, 111–112 operas. See under theater Oriole 厃‫ܦ‬, 45, 125–26, 141, 20; and Bao-yu, 17, 75–76, 252 Orphan of Zhao, The 䍭⇣ᄸ‫( ܦ‬Ji Junxiang ㋔৯⼹), 254 orris root (qiangwei xiao), 127–28 pages, 17, 19, 36, 47, 87, 138, 141–42, 212. See also Joker; Tealeaf paintings, 43, 89, 92, 112, 222; Jia Xi-chun’s, 91–92, 97, 106, 108 Pan You-an ┬জᅝ, 150–51, 156, 161, 191 Parfumée 㢇ᅬ: and Aunt Zhao, 127; and Cook Liu, 128, 132; and Fivey, 128–29; and foster mother, 123–26, 162; and Jia Bao-yu, 124, 128, 132, 133; and Jia Qin, 193; and Nénuphar, 123, 125–26 Patience ᑇ‫ܦ‬, xx, 111, 138, 253; as arbiter, 118, 126–27, 129–30, 151, 154, 203; and Aroma, 85; as concubine, 47–48, 95, 146, 213, 243; and Jia Bao-yu, 96, 131; and Jia Tan-chun, 118, 129, 154; and Li Wan, 85, 97; and Qiaojie, 213, 251, 253; and Wang Xi-feng, 23–24, 47–48, 95, 110, 118, 213, 239, 241; and You Er-jie, 146 pawnshop, 121–22, 151–53, 250 Peach-Flower Club ḗ㢅⼒, 147 Peach Tree Court Ṽ佭䰶, 51, 123, 128 Pearl ⦡⦴, 200 peasantry, 14, 89–90, 92, 256 Peony Pavilion, The ⠵Ѝҁ (unknown), 52, 64, 78, 91, 109 Picture བ⬿, 156, 163 pirates, 233, 237–38, 244 Pivoine 㮹ㅵ, 124 plays. See theater po 儘, 28 poetry: and Adamantina, 159–60; ballads, 115, 148, 164; and Caltrop, 103–4, 106; ci (lyrics) 134, 147–48, 163–65; elegies, 164–65; and Jia Tan-chun, 79; linked verses 107,

148, 159–60; quatrains, 39–40, 73, 132; poetry clubs, 79–81, 107, 147–48, 173; poetry competition, 39–40, 79–80, 81, 107; regulated verse (octets), 40, 79–80, 103; and Shi Xiang-yun, 79–81, 107, 159–60; translation of, 80; and women, 80, 136; xing, 148; and Xue Bao-chai, 40, 79–81, 109, 135–136, 148; and Xue Bao-qin, 107, 109, 111; and Xue Ke, 188. See also under games; Jia Bao-yu; Lin Dai-yu Prince of Bei-jing ࣫䴭⥟, 29–34, 54, 94, 98, 102, 177–78, 221 Prince of Xi-ping 㽓ᑇ⥟, 221 Prince of Zhong-shun ᖴ䷚⥟, 71–72 Prospect Garden ໻㾔೦, xv, xxi, 33; construction of, 35, 37, 91–92, 111; desolation of, 124, 163, 207, 213, 215, 219, 228; exorcism of, 215–16; guarding of, 125–26, 129–32, 226; as income source, 119–20, 126; intrusion into, 124, 131–32, 153, 233, 237–38, 240; occupancy of, 51, 54, 163; painting of, 91–92, 97, 107, 182; parties at, 59, 66, 81–82, 107–8, 131–34, 149–50, 157–58; raid of, 155–56; symbolic meanings of, 41, 51, 165; tour of 35, 39, 53, 87–89 prostitutes, 72, 127–28, 157. See also courtesans qi ⇷, 26 qiangwei xiao 㬋㭛⸱, 128 Qianlong Emperor ђ䱚ⱛᏱ, xvii–xviii Qiao-jie Ꮋྤ, xix, 47–48, 255; and Grandmother Jia, 191; and Grannie Liu, 91, 239–40, 253, 255; and Jia Bao-yu, 191; and Jia Huan, 250–51, 253–54; and Jia Lian, 243, 249, 254; and Jia Yun, 184, 251, 254; and Lady Wang, 251–54; and Lady Xing, 249, 251–54; offered to a “Mongol” prince, 250, 251–53; and Patience, 213, 253–54; predictions for, 12; studies of, 191; and Wang Ren, 243, 250, 251; and Wang Xi-feng, 91, 213 qin ⨈, 179–81, 186

INDEX qing zhong ᚙ。, 194 Qin Ke-qing. See Qin-shi Qin-shi ⾺⇣ (Qin Ke-qing ⾺ৃ॓), xx; and Cousin Zhen, 16, 21, 27–28; as ghost, 27–28, 158, 212–13, 216, 233, 235; illness and death, 12, 21–22, 27–28, 188, 233, 235; and Jia Bao-yu, 11–12, 16, 23, 31–32; and Jia Rong, 27–28; mourning for, 23–24, 27–32, 248; predictions for, 12, 21, 238; and Qin Zhong, 21; and Wang Xi-feng, 23–24, 27–28, 192, 213; and You-shi, 21, 28 Qin Zhong (oil peddler) ⾺䞡, 194 Qin Zhong (Qin-shi’s brother) ⾺䧬: death of, 33–34, 72, 101–2; indiscretions of, 194; and Jia Bao-yu 15–16, 19–20, 29, 31–34, 101–2, 169; and Qin-shi, 21, 31–32 quatrains ㌩হ, 39–40, 73, 132 Queen of Flowers, The 䊷⊍䚢⤼Ԩ㢅儕ཇ (Feng Menglong 侂໶啡), 193–94 Raindrop Pavilion Ⓢ㖴ҁ, 59 Red Duster ㋙ᢖ, 136 Registers, Twelve Beauties of Jinling 䞥䱉कѠ䟉 ㈓‫ݞ‬, 12, 227, 238, 243 regulated verse ᕟ䀽, 39–40, 79–80, 103 “Return of the Soul” 䙘儖㿬 (Tang Xianzu ⑃ 乃⼪), 109 riddles, 49–50, 107–10, 124, 190, 201; of the Registers, 12, 238, 247–48. See also fortune-telling Ripple ⾟㒍, 200 Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare), 14 Rong house/Rong-guo house 㤷ᑰ/㤷೑ᑰ, xv, xix, 113, 152, 194, 221–23, 234, 253 Sapientia ᱎ㛑‫ܦ‬, 31, 33 Scribe ա᳌, 187 seating arrangements, 6, 82–83, 94–95, 113–14, 118 Secret Police 䣺㸷䒡, 221–22 servants. See maidservants; menservants; slaves (hereditary) sexuality: androgyny, 66, 70, 106–8, 133–34; in Confucianism, 19–20; drive, 22; female



273

impersonator, 61–62, 72; Grandmother Jia on Jia Bao-yu’s, 163; homosexuality, 16, 19–20, 32, 72, 101–2, 124, 157; precocious 11, 13–14, 16, 31–32, 52; in Taoism, 26; women’s, 52, 109–10 Shakespeare, William, 14, 146 shang 䊲, 196, 247 shang/he shang ᇮ/੠ᇮ, 196, 247 shihun 䀽儖, 160 Shi Xiang-yun৆␬䳆, 81, 207; and Adamantina, 159–60; and Aroma, 67–68, 70, 115; and Faithful, 67–68; and Grandmother Jia, 105–6, 224, 232; and Jia Bao-yu 45–48, 63, 67, 70, 227, 232; and Lin Dai-yu, 45–46, 49, 69, 159–60, 173; marriage of, 227, 232; personality of, 70, 227; and poetry, 79–81, 159–60; predictions for, 12, 131–32, 238; and Xue Bao-chai, 69, 79–80, 105–6 Siddhartha Gautama 䞟䖺ᨽሐ, xxii Silver ⥝䞻, 75–77, 94, 129–30 silver taels 䡔ܽ: bribes, 25, 31, 96, 144, 179–80; concubine, purchase of, 101; conversion to other units, 78; funeral expenses, 117, 146, 231; Grandmother Jia’s assets, 225–26; Grannie Liu, gift to, 13; Jia Bao-yu’s jade, reward for, 197–98, 246; Jia landholdings, income from, 113; Jia She’s debt, 168; Jia Yuan-chun, gift from, 113; Lai Da’s garden, income from, 119–20; living expenses, 78, 89, 119–20; loans, 152, 251; medical expenses, 61, 110; party expenses, 49, 93–94, 227; Prospect Garden, estimated savings at, 119; Rong house deficits, 113, 152; usury, income from, 24, 33, 85, 151 Simple ‫ڏ‬໻ྤ, 153–54, 200 singers, ballad ཇ‫ܦܜ‬, 115 Skybright ᱈䳃, xx, 120, 216; and Aroma, 46, 67, 79, 161; and Grandmother Jia, 155, 163; illness and death of, 158, 161–64; and Jia Bao-yu, 17, 67–68, 73, 109–12, 161–64, 185, 213–14, 229, 247; and Lady Wang, 155–56, 161, 163–64; and Lin Dai-yu, 58–59, 156, 162;

274



INDEX

Skybright ᱈䳃(continued ) predictions for, 12, 238; and Trinket, 112; and Wang Xi-feng, 155 slaves (hereditary), 10, 97, 99–100, 115, 118 smallpox, 47–48 Snowgoose 䲾䲕, 147, 172, 219, 187, 203, 212 Soochow (Suzhou) 㯛Ꮂ, 141, 205 South Branch, The फ᷃໶ (unknown), 64 South Korea, flag of, 68 Spirit of Hibiscus, elegy to 㡭㪝䁘, 164 Spring Cleaning Day ⏙ᯢ㆔, xxiv, 123 Standard Poets, The गᆊ䀽 (unknown), 227 stewards, xx, 4, 97–98, 244. See also Brightie; Lai Da; Lin Zhi-xiao; Zhou Rui stewardesses, xx, 117, 121, 129, 149. See also Lin Zhi-xiao’s wife Story of the Lute, the modern sequel to ᕠ⨉⨊ (Cao Yin ᳍ᆙ), 116 Story of the Stone, The ⷇丁㿬 (Cao Xueqin ᳍䲾㢍), xv–xxv, 168, 235; compilation of, 1, 256; cultural significance of, xv, xviii, xxiii–xxiv; foreshadowing in, 62, 64, 212; humour in, xv, 34, 72, 82, 86–87, 100, 154, 188, 252, 254 (see also Grannie Lui; Wang Xi-feng); life, transitory nature, themes of, xxi, 2, 41, 50; 59, 169–70, 246; reality and illusion, themes of, 2, 41, 110, 164, 216, 218; translation discrepancies in, 12, 48, 50, 52, 71, 83, 128, 144, 160, 248, 250; versions of, xv, xvii–xviii, 12 Su Dongpo 㯛ᵅവ, 83 suicide, xxi, 28, 77–78, 99, 235; of Bao Er’s wife, 96, 136; of Chess and her cousin, 191–92; of Faithful, 233, 235; of Golden, 70–72; of Qin Shi, 235; of You Er-jie, 146, 225; of You Shan-jie, 140–42, 147. See also ghosts Sunset ᔽ䳲, 55, 125–26, 129–30, 151–52 Swallow ᯹➩, 125–26, 129 Sweet Rice Village 』佭ᴥ, 35, 51, 119 sweet-white porcelain ฿ⱑ/⫰ⱑ, 89–90 swords, 139–40

taiji ໾Ὁ, 68 Tan-chun. See Jia Tan-chun Tangerine 㒷‬, 153–54 Taoism, religion of (daojiao) 䘧ᬭ, xvi, xxi–xxiii, 28, 36, 160; Abbot Zhang, 63; I Ching, 26, 68; Father Wang, 167; gourd in, 220; immortality in, 26, 133, 220; and Iron Crutch Li, 198; and Jia Jing, xix, 23, 26, 133; and Jia Rui, 25–26; Taoist temple, 62–63; Tao Te Ching, 26; xing (the five), 22, 174, 215; yin and yang, 22, 26, 67–68, 82, 106, 215; Zhuang-zi, 26, 47, 120 Taoism, philosophy of (daojia) 䘧ᆊ, xvi, xxi– xxiii, 2, 26, 90, 256; and Jia Bao-yu’s path, xxii–xxiii, 2, 47, 49, 140, 170, 251–52, 255–56; and Jia Ying-chun, 154; and Liu Xiang-lian, 140, 198; Taoist (limping), xxiii, 1–2, 25–26, 55, 140, 198; Tao Te Ching, 26; Vanitas, 1, 256; and Zen Buddhism, 50, 170, 190, 252; and Zhen Shi-yin, 1–2, 218, 220, 256; Zhuang-zi, 26, 47, 120 Taoist Immortals, Eight ܿҭ, 198 Taoist (limping) 䎯䎇䘧Ҏ, xxiii, 1–2, 25–26, 55, 140, 198 Tao Te Ching (Daodejing) 䘧ᖋ㍧ (Laozi/Lao Tzu 㗕ᄤ), 26 Tao Yuanming 䱊⏉ᯢ, 83 Tartar, 106 tea, 55, 57, 89, 114, 131–32, 164 Tealeaf 㣫⚳, 19–20, 43, 51, 71, 93–94, 167, 249 Temple of the Iron Threshold 䨉₏ᇎ, 31, 193, 237–38 Temple of the Water Spirit ∈ҭᒉ, 93–94 theater, 78, 177–78; and Jiang Yu-han, 72, 193; Kun opera, xvi, 116, 194; and Liu Xianglian, 101, 139; opera libretti, 51–52, 109–10; opera troupes, xvi, 33, 57, 114, 116, 123, 193; and Parfumée, 123, 134; performances, 23, 40, 49–50, 64, 95, 116; of popular Taoism, 216; xia in, 140. See also Abject Apology; actors; actresses; Jia Qiang; Orphan of Zhao, The; Peony Pavilion; Queen of the

INDEX Flowers, The; South Branch, The; Story of the Lute, The; Western Chamber, The ti ԧ, 28 titles and offices, purchase of, 3–4, 27–28, 45, 97 tobacco, xxiv, 112 toys, 121, 141 tribute system ᳱ䉶, 34, 55–56 trigrams (gua) ऺ, 68, 215 Trinket ๰‫ܦ‬, 57, 59, 112 tuberculosis, 74, 232, Tudipo ೳഄယ, 90 Twelve Beauties of Jinling 䞥䱉कѠ䩫, 12, 227, 238, 243 Two-in-one ‫ݐ‬㕢 (Qin Ke-qing ৃ॓), 11 “Uncle Dumbo.” See Xing De-quan usury, 24, 33, 85, 151, 221, 223 Vanitas ぎぎ䘧Ҏ, 1, 256 viceroy ㆔ᑺՓ, 211 vindictive wives, 145–46 Virgin Mary, 146 visions. See dreams Visitation, Imperial Concubine’s, 39–41, 51–52, 75 waifan wangye ໪㮽⥟⠎, 250 Wang (doctor) ⥟໾䝿/⥟໻໿, 91, 110, 173. See also medicine Wang, Father ⥟ϔ䊐, 167 Wang Ren ⥟ҕ, 213–14, 243–44, 250–51, 254 Wang Shan-bao’s wife ⥟୘ֱᆊⱘ, 155 Wang Wei ⥟㓈, 103–4 Wang Xi-feng ⥟❭勇, xix, 10, 114; and Aroma, 109–10, 141–42; and Aunt Xue, 10; and Aunt Zhao, 45, 55–56, 93, 169, 239; corruption of, 31–34, 85; and Cousin Zhen, 29, 143–45; cruelty of, 23–26, 49, 63, 93–94, 141–46; dreams of, 27–28, 72, 239, 243–44; and Faithful, 101, 150, 232; fears of, 91, 152, 184, 195, 101, 232, 239, 241, 243; friendships of, 23–24, 91, 109–10, 118,



275

173, 213–14, 239–241; and Grandmother Jia, 5, 81, 95–96, 101, 145, 150, 223, 231–32; humiliation of, 149–50, 223, 232, 239; illness and death of, 55, 112, 117, 151, 156, 213–14, 223, 231–32, 239, 243–44, 248; jealousy of, 29, 47–48, 95–96, 142; and Jia Bao-yu and Xue Bao-chai’s marriage, 175, 177–78, 199–201, 206–7, 213; and Jia Huan, 45, 175; and Jia Rong, 13, 16, 143–45; and Jia Rui, 20, 23–26, 188; and Jia Tan-chun, 118, 156; and Jia Yun, 53–54, 184, 250, 251; and Jia Zheng, 31, 51, 183–84; kindness of, 23, 97, 105, 173, 187; and Lady Wang, 96, 149–50, 232, 239; and Lady Xing, 6, 96, 99, 105, 149–50, 232, 239; and Lin Dai-yu, 5–6, 29, 49, 55, 115, 173; and Li Wan, 97, 232; machinations of, 33–34, 51, 53, 99–100, 105, 151–52; management of the Ning household, 15, 27, 29; management of the Rong household, 33-34, 45, 59, 97, 110, 111, 117–118, 130, 155, 173–74; observations of, 29, 191–92; and Patience, 23–24, 47–48, 95, 118, 213, 239, 241; predictions for, 12, 214, 238; and Qiao-jie, 91, 213; and Qin-shi, 23–24, 27–28, 192, 213; and Shi Xiang-yun, 227; and Skybright, 155; wit of, 14, 33–34, 75, 101; and Xing Xiu-yan, 105, 187; and You Er-jie, 135–36, 141–46, 151–52, 223; and You-shi, 93–94, 144. See also under Jia Lian Wang Zi-sheng ⥟ᄤࢱ, 112, 177, 213–14 Wang Zi-teng ⥟ᄤ㝒, 143–44, 147, 180, 196, 199, 212–14, 216 watches, xxiv, 98, 222 Water-moon Priory ∈᳜ᒉ/伙丁ᒉ, 31–32, 162, 184 Wasp Waist Bridge 㳖㝄‟, 57 Western Chamber, The ᳗ⳳ㿬/㽓ᒖ㿬, 51–52, 57, 91, 106, 109 Western objects, xxiv, 89, 98, 111–12, 121, 222 wet nurses ཊ႑, 10, 94, 98, 116. See also Nannie Li; Nannie Zhao wine. See drinking wuhu aizai (expression) ம੐ઔઝ, 164

276



INDEX

wu xing. See xing Wuthering Heights (Brontë), 230 xia մ (knight errant), 140 Xia Jin-gui ໣䞥Ḗ, 165–68, 174–75, 188–89, 211, 217–18; and Xue Ke, 188–89, 211 Xia Jin-gui’s mother (Mrs. Xia) 䞥Ḗⱘ↡㽾, 217–18 Xia San ໣ϝ, 189, 217 Xi-chun. See Jia Xi-chun Xi-feng. See Wang Xi-feng xing (ballad) 㸠, 148 xing, the five Ѩ㸠, 22, 174, 215 Xing De-quan (Uncle Dumbo) 䙶ᖋܼ, 157, 250, 251 Xing Xiu-yan 䙶ቿ⚳, 105–6, 187–88; and Adamantina, 133, 188, 197; and Aunt Xue 121, 187–88, 243; and Jia Bao-yu, 133; and Lady Xing, 121–22, 207, 243; and maidservants, 121–22; and Wang Xi-feng 105, 187; and Xue Bao-chai, 121–22, 243; and Xue Ke; 121, 188, 243 Xi-shi 㽓ᮑ, 136 Xuanzong Emperor ⥘ᅫⱛᏱ, 229 Xue Bao-chai 㭯ᇊ䟉, xix, xxi, 51; and Aroma, 47–48, 69, 74, 76, 205, 229, 249, 251–52; and Aunt Xue, 122, 141, 163, 201, 211, 217, 255; Aunt Zhao, 142; betrothal and wedding, 175–78, 189, 200–201, 203; birthday of, 49, 227–28; Caltrop, 103, 167; Confucianism of, 17–18, 74, 120, 134, 148; and Étamine, 123; and Faithful, 233, 235; and Grandmother Jia, 49, 75–76, 82, 87–88, 175–76, 205–6, 227, 231–32; and jade, Jia Bao-yu’s, 17–18, 74, 76, 77, 175–76; and Jia Bao-yu before their marriage, 17–18, 45–46, 56, 65, 73–77, 92: and Jia Bao-yu post-marriage, 205–7, 212, 219–20, 229–30, 246–49, 251–52; and Jia Tan-chun, 119–20, 157, 212; and Jia Zheng, 189, 219; and Lady Wang, 9, 70, 76, 118, 161, 163, 176, 215, 247–48, 255; and Lin Dai-yu, friendship with, 91–92, 97–98, 181–82; and Lin Dai-yu, rivalry with, 11, 17–18, 45–46,

73–78, 109, 122, 206; and Li Wan, 79; and Oriole, 141, 205; personality of, 9, 66, 80, 81; poetry of, 40, 79, 81, 135–136, 148; predictions for, 12, 50, 62, 132, 134, 238, 248; and Shi Xiang-yun, 69, 79–80, 105–6; and Wang Xi-feng, 175, 213; and Xia Jin-gui, 166–67, 174–75, 217; and Xing Xiu-yan, 121–22, 243; and Xue Pan, 9, 74, 141 Xue Bao-qin 㭯ᇊ⨈, 232; and Aunt Xue, 105, 108, 207; and Grandmother Jia, 105, 108; and poetry, 107, 109, 111 Xue Ke 㭯⾥, 105; and Aunt Xue, 105, 121, 178; and Xia Jin-gui, 188–89, 211; and Xing Xiuyan, 121, 188, 243 Xue Pan 㭯㶴, xix, 19–20, 144; and Aunt Xue, 9, 74, 102, 141, 178, 201, 255; and Caltrop, 103–4, 165, 167, 255–56; and Jia Bao-yu, 58, 61–62, 71, 74, 105; legal problems of, 9, 178– 80, 189–90, 209, 211, 254; and Liu Xianglian, 101–2, 139; and Xia Jin-gui, 165–67, 211, 217; and Xue Bao-chai, 9, 74, 141 Yang Gui-fei ἞䊈བྷ, 65, 229 Yellow River 咘⊇, 185–86 Yin ᆙ, 179–80, 197–98 yin and yang 䱄䱑, 22, 26, 67–68, 82, 106, 215 Ying-chun. See Jia Ying-chun Yongzheng Emperor 䲡ℷⱛᏱ, xvii You Er-jie ᇸѠྤ, 219; and Cousin Zhen, 133, 135–36, 225; and Jia Lian 135–39, 143, 147, 225; and Jia Rong, 133, 135–36; and Patience, 146; and Wang Xi-feng, 141–46, 151–52, 223; and You San-jie, 137–39, 146 You, Mrs. ᇸ㗕࿬, 134, 136–38, 142, 144 You San-jie ᇸϝྤ, 133–34, 136, 141–42, 146–47, 247; and Cousin Zhen, 137, 225; and Liu Xiang-lian, 139–40 You-shi ᇸ⇣, xix, 15, 121, 134, 149; and Cousin Zhen, 27–28, 157, 215; and Grandmother Jia, 93, 225, 227; and Jia Rong, 143, 215; and Jia Xi-chun, 234, 237, 245, 250; and Qin-shi, 21, 27–28; and Wang Xi-feng, 93–94, 143–44

INDEX yu (taro) 㡟, 44 Yuan-chun. See Jia Yuan-chun Yu Ji 㰲࿀, 136 Zhang (daughter of prefect) ᔉᆊྥ࿬, 175, 178, 185, 187 Zhang Chang ᔉᬲ, 228 Zhang Hua ᔉ㧃, 142, 145, 222 zhen ⳳ/⫘, 2, 120, 218, 256 Zhen Bao-yu ⫘ᇊ⥝, 3, 120, 193–94, 244, 246 Zhen clan ⫘ᆊ, 120, 157–58, 160 Zhen Shi-yin ⫘຿䱤, 1–4, 9–10, 218, 220, 256



Zhen Ying-jia ⫘ឝ௝, 244 Zhang (abbot) ᔉ䘧຿, 63–64 Zhao (commissioner) 䍭ූᅬ, 221 Zhen Ying-lian ⫘㣅㫂. See Caltrop Zhou Rui ਼⨲, 15, 97, 183–84, 193–94, 223, 234, 236 Zhou Rui’s wife ਼⨲ᆊⱘ, 13, 15–16, 149, 155–56, 173–74 Zhou Rui’s son. See He San Zhuang-zi 㥞ᄤ (Zhuangzi/Chuang Tzu/ Zhuang Zhou 㥞ᄤ/㥞਼), 26, 47, 120 Zhu-er’s wife ᷅‫ܦ‬ႇ်, 153

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