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

2006 Literature Notebook

Lin Dai-yu. [2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24] 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.

Caltrop. [1, 4, 7, 24] Also known as Zhen Ying-lian. The young girl who was kidnapped when she was young and is now being sold as a slave. She is bought by Xue Pan and becomes his servant.

Bao-yu. [3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24] The Stone.

Faithful. [24] Grandmother Jia's chief maid.

Jia Yun. [24] A poor relation of the Rong-guo Jias employed by Wang Xi-feng.

Lady Xing. [24] Wife of Jia She and mother of Jia Lian.

Wang Xi-feng ("Peppercorn" Feng) (Mrs. Lian): [3, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 24] 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.

Crimson. [24] One of Bao-yu's maids.

Caltrop tries to cheer Dai-yu up.

Bao-yu begins to make a pass at Faithful, but she will have none of it.

Lady Xing and Bao-yu have a pleasant conversation.

Jia Yun manages to get Xi-feng to hire him as a gardner.

Crimson manages to get herself noticed by Bao-yu, causing resentment among the other maids.

I am becoming increasingly fascinated by the story. Every few chapters a few new characters, sometimes relatives, sometimes staff, are introduced and one becomes familiar with the internal politics of running a large communal family compound.