Dream of the Red Chamber (Volume 9)

Author: Quan Yingsheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: When Yuanchun falls ill, Grandma Jia and others hear the news and rush to the palace to visit her. Yuanchun longs for her family but is helpless, being confined in the palace where she has no freedom. Therefore, she cherishes every chance to meet her family. Baoyu has reached the age of marriage, and Grandma Jia is particularly concerned about his marriage and very cautious. For this reason, Grandma Jia specially invites Jia Zheng to discuss the matter. Fengjie also mentions the "Golden Jade Match." Although Miaoyu is a nun, her worldly ties are not yet severed, and she has secretly loved Baoyu in her heart. By chance, she listens to Daiyu playing the lute with Baoyu. From the music, Miaoyu discerns Daiyu's feelings for Baoyu. As a result, Miaoyu's worldly desires stir, leading her to enter a trance during meditation and even develop delusions, causing her to become somewhat mad! When this happens, everyone is astonished. The Jia family and even the streets are talking about the strangeness of the incident, except for the fourth young lady Xichun, who understands its meaning deeply.
As she grows older, Baoyu and Daiyu's feelings for each other have blossomed. They secretly love each other but cannot express their affections as they once did in childhood, so outwardly, they seem less close than before. By chance, Daiyu overhears Baoyu's engagement, and she becomes utterly despondent, refusing to eat in hopes of dying quickly. After learning it was a misunderstanding, Daiyu resolves her doubts, and her condition gradually improves. Grandma Jia is also aware of the situation. In her heart, she ponders that since Siqi was expelled from the Grand View Garden, she has been crying day and night at home. Finally, she longs for her beloved, only to find that a withered hawthorn tree in the Red Chamber suddenly blooms in winter, which surprises everyone. A bad omen hangs over the people, but they pretend to be happy and call it a joyous event. Indeed, Baoyu's life-changing jade— the Spirit-Connecting Jade—disappears suddenly. The entire Jia family panics, desperately searching but finding nothing. Just as they are worried, another terrible news comes from the palace: Yuanchun is gravely ill, with a poor prognosis.