Learning:
The Journey of a Lifetime
A Cloud Chamber of the Mind

2006 Literature Notebook

Bao-yu. [3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8] The Stone.

Wang Xi-feng ("Peppercorn" Feng) (Mrs. Lian): [3, 6, 7, 8] Wife of Jia Lian, a beautiful young woman (about 18 - 19 years old), who is responsible for much of the management of the Rong-guo mansion.

Grandmother Jia. [3, 4, 5, 8] Patriarch of the Jia Rong-guo mansion.

Lady Wang. [ 7, 8] wife of Jia Zheng, mother of Jia Zhu, Yuan-chun and Bao-yu.

Lin Dai-yu. [2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8] Young daughter of Lin Ru-hai. She received tutoring from Jai Yu-cun but now she is being brought up by the Jias of Rong-guo mansion.

Xue Bao-chai. [4, 5, 7, 8] Xue Pan's sister.

Aunt Xue. [4, 7, 8] widowed sister of Lady Wang, mother of Xue Pan and Bao-chai.

Aroma. [3, 6, 8] A personal maid for Bao-yu.

Qin Zhong. [7, 8] younger brother of Qin-shi; Bao-yu's best friend.

Bao-yu and Xi-feng try to persuade Grandmother Jia to have Qin Zhong admitted to the clan's school.

Grandmother Jia, Xi-feng, Lady Wang, Dai-yu and Bao-yu visit the Ning-guo mansion to see some plays. Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang leave early and Bao-yu accompanies them. He then decides to return to visit Bao-chai. She asks to have a close look at the jade that Bao-yu wears around his neck and notices that the inscription is very similar to the one on her necklace. A maid comments that the words for the insciption were given to Bao-chai by a "scabby-headed old monk". Bao-chai is upset that the maid has mentioned this to Bao-yu and quickly tries to change the subject.

Lin Dai-yu arrives and Aunt Zue prepares tea for Bao-chai, Bao-yu and Dai-yu. Bao-yu suggests that they have wine with the food and he soon becomes drunk. Bao-yu and Dai-yu return home, but Bao-yu gets angry with one of his servants and demands she be fired and throws his teacup on the floor smashing it to pieces. Aroma says she did it accidently.

The next morning Qin Zhong arrives to pay his respects and is soon invited to stay and take his schooling in the Rong-guo mansion. It is clear that Qin Zhong comes from a much poored situation and that this will be difficult for his family to support.

The "scabby-headed old monk" keeps appearing in the story. He is from this "other world" of souls and fairies. He is having an influence on the events of the humans that he comes in contact with. It is not clear what significance there is to Bao-chai and Bao-yu both having similar neckpieces. It is also not clear why Bao-chai is trying to hide this fact from Bao-yu.

Making these notes is helping me learn about the characters and the two Jia families and how they interact and help each other.