Table Of ContentA COMPANION TO
Story Stone
The of the
AAAA CCCCHHHAAPTER-BY-CHAPTER GUUIDDEE
SUSAN CHAN EGAN AND PAI HSIEN-YUNG
A COMPANION TO
Story Stone
The of the
A COMPANION TO
Story Stone
The of the
A CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER GUIDE
SUSAN CHAN EGAN
AND PAI HSIEN-YUNG
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
3. Dai-yu’s Arrival at the Jia Household 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 17
9. A Schoolhouse Brawl 19
10. Qin-shi’s Illness Heads Off an Accusation Against Her Brother 21
11. Xi-feng Visits Qin-shi; Jia Rui Flirts with Xi-feng 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
(cid:2)
vi CONTENTS
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
(cid:3)
CONTENTS vii
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 99
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
(cid:2)
viii CONTENTS
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 115
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
(cid:3)
CONTENTS ix
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
