What's Going On?

What did yesterday's post mean?

What’s Going On?

Okay - yesterday’s post was pretty confusing. Here it is if you haven’t read it yet:

Here’s a brief summary of what happened:

• An inebriated Jia Baoyu goes back to his bedroom after loudly cursing his former wet nurse (Li)

• Jia Baoyu’s maid Qingwen, who we’re meeting for the first time, is frustrated with him for having her painstakingly prepare writing materials, writing three characters, and then leaving.

• Qingwen had hung up those characters above the doorway to his room as he had asked.

• Baoyu holds her hands to warm them as they look up at the sign.

• Lin Daiyu suddenly arrives, and praises his writing.

• Baoyu notes that Hua Xiren, his other personal maid (and prior sexual partner) is asleep in another room.

• Baoyu asked Qingwen about dumplings he had sent for her, and learns that his former wet nurse took them all.

• Baoyu offers tea to Lin Daiyu, only to suddenly discover that she’s gone.

• Baoyu asks about a certain “maple dew tea” that he started to prepare that morning, only to discover that the former wet nurse drank that as well.

• Baoyu smashes his cup into splinters and runs off to tell Grandmother Jia to have Li dismissed.

It’s a lot of action for one little section. And the truth is that there are bits of this that don’t make much sense.

However, I do think we can make at least some sense of the passage if we look closely.