From this scene involving (1) Chia Lien's illicit relations with Pao Erh's wife and (2) Lady Dowager's leniency towards Chia Lien's adultery ("He [Chia Lien] is only a boy and as greedy as a cat. This sort of thing can't be helped. All young men go through such stages."), we see that in the feudal era, there was a strong social prejudice against women. Their position in society was extremely low. It was considered wrong for a woman to be jealous of her husband's flirtations with other women. Meanwhile, however, Chia Lien—because he is a man—goes free from all punishment. He is asked only to apologize to his wife. In that era, it was clearly a man's world.
In Chapter 45, Granny Lai arrives with an invitation for Hsi-feng and Lady Dowager, as well as for the other ladies, to come to a feast at her home. (Granny Lai served the predecessors of the Chia family. After retirement, she is still respected and popular. Even Lady Dowager treats her well. That's why her son Lai Ta is now working in the Jung Mansion as a general manager of the servants and housework.) The occasion will celebrate her grandson's being promoted to the post of district magistrate. Hsi-feng promises to come but says that she's not going to bring any presents. She also says that she will keep the son of Chou Jui's wife in her service—only after he receives forty strokes for getting drunk and swearing, as well as for disrupting preparations for her birthday party. Once again, we see Hsi-feng 's strength and power. Later, Pao-chai drops in to chat with Tai-yu, who is suffering from a bad autumn cough. Hoping to cure Tai-yu's illness, Pao-chai sends two serving women to give her a big package of the best quality bird's nest and a packet of fine sugar. This gesture touches Tai-yu so much that she confesses to Pao-chai that she had earlier suspected Pao-chai's motives, but ever since the advice against indiscriminate reading, Tai-yu must admit that she has misjudged her. This heart-to-heart talk strengthens their friendship. The end of the chapter finds Pao-yu coming to visit Tai-yu even though it is raining outside. Tai-yu appreciates Pao-yu's concern very much and, in return, she shows her concern for him, although she feels that there is a certain distance between them.
In Chapter 46, the author focuses first on Elder Master Chia Sheh's lechery. His animal-like amorousness causes him to send his wife, Lady Hsing, to talk to Hsi-feng and arrange for him to obtain Yuan-yang (Lady Dowager's favorite servant girl) for his concubine. First, however, Lady Hsing talks to Yuan-yang, who says that she won't be Elder Master's concubine. Lady Hsing then asks her sister-in-law and her brother Chin Wen-chiang to persuade Yuan yang to give her consent. After further consulting with Hsijen and Ping-erh, Yuan-yang is still firm in her refusal. Her attitude arouses Chia Sheh's rage, and he threatens her, saying, "No matter whom she marries, she will still be within my reach, unless she dies or remains single all her life." Yuan-yang remains unmoved. She declares to Lady Dowager and all present, "My mind's made up. I shall never marry so long as I live, neither Pao-yu with his precious jade, nor someone born with silver or gold, not even a Heavenly King or an Emperor. If your ladyship tries to force me, I'll kill myself rather than marry . . . I mean to serve Your Ladyship till the end of your life." Realizing how destructively stubborn the girl is. Lady Dowager blames Lady Wang for plotting against her in secret. Later, however, Lady Dowager feels apologetic toward Lady Wang and asks Pao-yu to make an apology for her.
Yuan-yang's resistance to being "bought and sold," as it were, is the author's condemnation of the system of slavery in this era; it is also a protest against the corrupt concubine arrangement. The price for Yuan-yang's temporary triumph is great—she loses all hope of happiness. When Lady Dowager dies, she will be at Chia Sheh's mercy.
Lady Hsing's arrival reawakens Lady Dowager's anger and frustration about the concubine issue. Lady Hsing is extremely mortified and humiliated and can only stand by, feeling embarrassed, watching Lady Dowager play cards with Hsi-feng , Lady Wang, and Lady Hsueh, until her son Chia Lien arrives.
Later, Lady Hsing repeats to her husband that Lady Dowager will not give up Yuan-yang, so Chia Sheh purchases a seventeen-year-old girl instead.
On the fourteenth, all of the people who were invited by Granny Lai go to the celebration feast, where everybody is impressed by a certain Liu Hsiang-lien, the son of a good family, who lost both parents at an early age. In particular, Hsueh Pan has been longing to meet this man, mistakenly thinking that the man is a homosexual merely because he acts in romantic operas about young scholars and beauties.
Disgusted with Hsueh Pan's flirtations, Liu Hsiang-lien plays a trick on him. He "invites" Hsueh Pan to meet him by the bridge outside the North Gate. Punctually, both of them slip away from the feast. When Hsueh Pan gets there, however, romance is not the name of the game. Hsiang-lien viciously beats up Hsueh Pan and makes him drink filthy marsh water. Then, to avoid any reprisals, Hsiang-lien runs away, leaving Hsueh Pan in a state of remorse and hatred.
The conflict between Hsueh and Liu is symbolic of the conflict between powerful, aristocratic landlords, who think that they can take whatever they choose, and people who are ineffectual simply because they have little or no social standing. Hsueh Pan's defeat and humiliation is another indication that the feudal society is decaying and becoming less powerful.
When Hsueh Pan learns that Chang Teh-hui, the manager of the Hsueh pawnshop, is going away on business to settle the family's annual accounts in their hometown and that, on his way back, he plans to purchase sacrificial paper and scented fans, Hsueh Pan is determined to go with him, intending to learn practical matters from Chang about transactions and dealings and, at the same time, enjoy some sightseeing. Lady Hsueh is against her son's going, but finally she has to give in to her son's demands. She makes Chang promise to take good care of Hsueh Pan.
Because Hsueh Pan will be away for a year, Pao-chai suggests—to Hsiang ling's great joy—that Hsiang-ling come and live with her in Grand View Garden. Now Pao-chai will have the opportunity to teach Hsiang-ling the art of writing poetry and thereby satisfy Hsiang-ling's lifelong dream.
With Tai-yu's help, Hsiang-ling is taught the rules and the rhyme schemes for writing poetry, and after much hard work and many brain-racked and sleepless nights, Hsiang-ling's poetry improves considerably —to everybody's surprise and satisfaction.
This episode shows us that the author was firmly on the side of talented women in feudal society. In that era, vast numbers of men (and certainly no women) were not allowed to enjoy the freedom of speech, the freedom to gather, or the freedom to read. In this book, however, the author openly discusses how the ladies in Grand View Garden gather together and establish a poetry club, and, here, even a common maid is enthusiastic about learning to write poetry. This "heresy" is a challenge to feudal society—something quite rebellious and extremely dangerous at the time.
Another key concept in this chapter concerns Chia Sheh who, with the help of the upstart Chia Yu-tsun, is determined to buy Stone Idiot's twenty unique fans, all made of rare varieties of bamboo. Stone Idiot, however, swears that he will never sell them. The scoundrel Chia Yu-tsun hears about Chia Sheh's frustration and concocts a scheme. He charges Stone Idiot with owing the government some money, and then he orders him to sell all his property to pay these debts. Thus the fans are seized.
