Pao-chin's unusual talent for composing poems is shown again when she creates ten riddles about the places that she has visited in different provinces. The subtlety of these riddles is admired by all the people present.
Suddenly, Hsi-jen's brother arrives and asks the Chia family's permission to take Hsi-jen home because their mother is ill. In order to send Hsi-jen home properly, Hsi-feng must first arrange for a matron and a couple of young maids to accompany her; in addition, four older attendants escort Hsi-jen's carriage. Hsijen is asked to dress smartly, with good clothes, elegant pearls, and a good hand-stove, the latter supplied by Hsi-feng . When she is ready to leave, Hsi-jen looks more like a lady than a maid.
The Chia family treats Hsi-jen very well, but this does not mean that they consider her an equal. It simply indicates that Hsi-jen is a faithful maid, obedient to her masters and to all the feudal rules and norms of the social system. They treat Hsi-jen generously in order to let her set an example for all of their other maids. At the same time, they have an opportunity to show off their social position and wealth and thereby spread their influence in the country.
During Hsi-jen's absence, Ching-wen and Sheh-yueh are asked to take care of Pao-yu's daily needs. Carelessly, Ching-wen catches cold, and a doctor has to be sent for to treat her mild case of influenza. Ping-erh arrives to have a word with Sheh-yueh and tells her that Mrs. Sung saw Chui-erh steal one of Ping-erh's bracelets. In order to keep the theft from Pao-yu, Ping-erh conceals the theft of the bracelet and makes up a story that the bracelet was loose and fell off in the snow-covered grass. When the snow melts, she'll find it.
Ping-erh does this in order to save face for Pao-yu, but the conversation between Ping-erh and Sheh-yueh is overheard by Pao-yu, who then tells Chingwen about the theft.
Feeling that it is a disgrace to all the maids in Pao-yu's apartment, Ching-wen flares up and jabs Chui-erh with a hairpin and asks Nanny Sung to tell Chui-erh's family to come and take their thieving daughter away. This is Cling-wen's own decision; she does not consult Pao-yu or anybody else. Chui-erh's mother is outraged, but she has to do what she is asked to do.
This incident shows us that Ching-wen is dominated by those in power within the feudal slavery system. After all, the maids are all "sisters," as it were, in the same trench. She should have shown some sympathy for Chui-erh by exhorting her never to steal again—rather than kicking her out forever in the name of the master. Chui-erh's punishment is too extreme and too excessive.
It is important to note, however, that Ching-wen is a clever and intelligent maid who often helps others at the expense of her own interests. When Pao-yu's golden peacock-feather cape (made in Russia and given to him by Lady Dowager) was burned in the back, Ching-wen tried her best to darn it for Pao-yu—in spite of her poor health.
Another episode worth mentioning concerns the subjects for poems suggested by Pao-yu and Pao-chai. Pao-yu suggests writing about the narcissus and the winter-plum, while Pao-chai suggests that the first shih of couplets should be about the Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate, and all the words that rhyme with "Hsien" should be used—not a single one left out. Here, we see that Pao-yu and Pao-chai have completely different tastes in poetry. Pao-yu opts for the unconventional system, while Pao-chai insists on a rigid poetical form, clearly indicative of the degree that feudal officialdom has invaded her soul.
An ancestral sacrifice is to be carried out on New Year's Eve in the Ning Mansion, and people both high and low in breeding (in both Ning and Jung Mansions) are hard at work preparing for the grand event, when Bailiff Wu from Black Mountain Village is announced. He has come to pay his taxes and rent to the Chia family; altogether, there are 36 categories and almost 40,000 items, ranging from poultry and livestock to silver. He has traveled one month and two days in order to arrive at the capital and pay his landlord, yet Chia Chen is not satisfied with the long list of goods. He tells Bailiff Wu, "You're trying to defraud us again. What use is this paltry sum?"
This episode convincingly reflects the sharp conflict between the peasants and the landlords. The landlord's parasitic life relies on the cruel exploitation of the peasants. No matter how wretched the harvests or how much the peasants suffer (regardless of droughts, floods, or hail storms), the master allows no excuse. The peasants simply have to tighten their belts and pay their rent in full to the landlord. This is a key chapter, highlighting the evidence of the landlords' exploitation of the peasants, as well as their greedy and extravagant lifestyles.
From the ancestral sacrifice carried out in the Ning Mansion and the evening banquet given by Lady Dowager for the Lantern Festival in the Jung Mansion, we see the strict forms of the hierarchical system of a feudal family. When the ancestral sacrificial ceremony is held, all the places and seats are arranged for the members of both mansions, according to their generations and their importance. The holy rites and the pious atmosphere permeate the hall; everyone is silent. Nothing can be heard except the sound of kneeling and the rustling of silk and brocade. However, behind this order and magnificence, the contradictions and strife between father and son, between husband and wife, and between a wife and a concubine is intense and intricately woven. Here, in this exquisitely captured ceremony, the author offers us a poignant satire, exposing the gross hypocrisy of feudal ethics.
Afterward, the family members of the Jung and Ning Mansions enjoy the New Year feast and watch opera performances given by the young hired actresses. Then, two storytellers are brought in and asked to tell stories. When the story of "The Phoenix Seeks Its Mate" is suggested, Lady Dowager guesses the ending correctly. In fact, the old lady criticizes the sameness of all these stories. In her opinion, all of these stories are stereotyped; they all deal with talented scholars and lovely ladies. This criticism, however, does not mean that her attitude is the same as the author's, even though Tsao Hsueh-chin was also strongly opposed to stories about talented scholars and lovely ladies.
What Tsao Hsueh-chin valued most in literature were stories that allowed both young men and young women to have the freedom to choose their own spouses. This concept runs counter to the feudal marriage system. Lady Dowager doesn't like the stereotyped stories because she prefers stories that emphasize feudal morality. She dislikes stories about a young lady casting a glance at a handsome young scholar and instantly thinking about marriage, forgetting her parents, and getting up to all sorts of mischief—in short, behaving quite unlike a fine lady. Thus, when Lady Dowager hears the title "The Phoenix Seeks Its Mate," she cashes in on this opportunity to reinforce feudalistic philosophy and morality. Clearly, her attitude is a far cry from the author's.
