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

2006 Literature Notebook

Bao-yu. [3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25] The Stone.

Jia Huan. [25] Bao-yu's half-brother; the son of Jia Zheng and his concubine, 'Aunt' Zhao.

Wang Xi-feng ("Peppercorn" Feng) (Mrs. Lian): [3, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 24, 25] 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.

Aunt Zhao. [25] Concubine of Jia Zheng and mother of Tan-chun and Jia Huan.

Mother Ma. [25] A Wise Woman; Bao-yu's godmother.

Jia Huan is jealous of Bao-yu, and in a moment of anger spills a molten candle on him, causing severe burns to his face. Aunt Zhue is angered when Xi-feng then criticises her.

Aunt Zhao expresses her dislike of both Bao-yu and Xi-feng to Mother Ma. In exchange for money from Aunt Zhao, Mother Ma agrees to cast a spell on both of them. Almost immediately they both become critically ill.

However the Taoist and Buddhist monk appear and cast another spell to re-establish the power of The Stone to protect Bao-yu from such spirits.

Mother Ma is able to communicate with the evil spirits.

The Taoist and Buddhist monk appear again to interfere with the lives of humans.