Implicit Criticism
After reading this passage, you’d probably think that Cao Xueqin is actually praising Wang Xifeng:
合族中雖有許多妯娌，也有言語鈍拙的，也有舉止輕浮的，也有羞口羞腳不慣見人的，也有懼貴怯官的，越顯得鳳姐灑爽風流，典則俊雅，真是「萬綠叢中一點紅」了。那裡還把眾人放在眼裡？揮霍指示，任其所為。
Now, there were other sisters-in-law in the family. However, some were poor at speaking, some did not have proper manners, some were so shy that they weren’t able to meet with guests, and some were scared to death of officials.
This only made Wang Xifeng look better in comparison. She was poised and capable, elegantly correct and properly refined. She was truly “a single speck of red in the midst of ten thousand green leaves.”
And so how could Wang Xifeng have cared about any of those other women? She simply waved her hand and issued her commands, and let every action speak for itself.
The truth, however, is that this passage isn’t as straightforward as you might think.
