The Story of the Stone, Volume 2: The Crab-Flower Club

Preface

Chapter 27

Beauty Perspiring sports with butterflies by the Raindrop Pavilion; And Beauty Suspiring weeps for fallen blossoms by the Flowers' Grave

Chapter 28

A Crimson cummerbund becomes a pledge of friendship; And a chaplet of medicine-beads becomes a source of embarassment

Chapter 29

In which the greatly blessed pray for yet greater blessings; And the highly strung rise to new heights of passion

Chapter 30

Bao-Chai speaks of a fan and castigates her deriders; Charmante scratches a 'qiang' and mystifies a beholder

Chapter 31

A torn fan is the price of silver laughter; And a lost kylin is the clue to a happy marriage

Chapter 32

Bao-yu demonstrates confusion of mind by his declaration to the wrong person; And Golden shows an unconquerable spirit by ending her humiliation in death

Chapter 33

An envious younger brother puts in a malicious word or two; And a scapegrace elder brother recieves a terrible chatisement

Chapter 34

A wordless message meets with silent understanding; And a groundless imputation leads to undeserved rebukes

Chapter 35

Sulky Silver tastes some lotus-leaf soup; And Golden Oriole knots a flower-patterned fringe

Chapter 36

Bao-chai visits Green Delights and bears strange words from a sleeper; And Bao-yu visits Pear-tree Court and learns hard facts from a performer

Chapter 37

A happy inspiration prompts Tan-chun to found the Crab-flower Club; And an ingenious arrangment enables Bao-chai to settle the chysanthemum poem titles

Chapter 38

River Queen triumphs in her treatment of chysanthemum themes; And Lady Allspice is satirical on the subject of crabs

An inventive old countrywoman tells a story of somewhat questionable veracity; And and impressionable young listener insists on getting to the bottom of the matter

Chapter 40

Lady Jia holds two feasts in one day in the Prospect Garden; And Faithful makes four calls on three dominoes in the Painted Chamber

Chapter 41

Jia Bao-yu tastes some superior tea at Green Bower Hermitage; And Grannie Liu samples the sleeping accommodation at Green Delights

Chapter 42

Lady Allspice wins over a suspicious nature with some well-intentioned advice; And River Queen enhances her reputation as a wit with some amusing sarcasms

Chapter 43

An old woman's whim is the occasion of a birthday collection; And a young man's remorse finds solace in a simple ceremony

Chapter 44

Xi-feng's jealousy is the object of an unexpected provocation; And Patience's toilet is a source of unexpected delight

Chapter 45

Sisterly understanding finds expression in words of sisterly frankness; And autumnal pluviousless is celebrated in verses of autumnal melancholy

Chapter 46

An awkward person is given an awkward mission; And a faithful maid vows faithfulness unto death

Chapter 47

In pursuit of love the Oaf King takes a fearful beating; And from fear of reprisal the Reluctant Playboy makes a hasty getaway

Chapter 48

The Love-Deluded One Turns his thoughts to trade and travel; And the Poetry Enthusiast applies herself to making verses

Chapter 49

Red flowers bloom brighter in dazzling snow; And venison reeks strangely on rosebud lips

Chapter 50

Linked verses in Snowy Rushes Retreat; And lantern riddles in the Spring In Winter Room

Chapter 51

A clever cousin composes some ingenious riddles; And an unskilful physician prescribes a barbarous remedy

Chapter 52

Kind Patience conceals the theft of a Shrimp Whisker bracelet; And brave Skybright repairs the hole in a Peacock Gold snow-cape

Chapter 53

Ning-guo House sacrifices to the ancestors on New Year's Eve; And Rong-guo House entertains the whole family on Fifteenth Night

Appendix I: Regulated Verse

Appendix II: Threesomes with the Dominoes

Appendix III: Unsolved Riddles

Characters in Volume 2

Genealogical Tables