Chapter 70

Chapter 70

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**Chapter 70**

**Lin Daiyu Reestablishes the Peach Blossom Poetry Club; Shi Xiangyun Happens to Compose a Lyric on the Willow Catkins**

We have related that Jia Lian had been keeping vigil in the Pear Fragrance Court for seven days and nights, with Buddhist and Taoist monks performing funeral rites without intermission. The Lady Patriarch summoned him and ordered that the coffin not be sent to the family temple. Jia Lian had no choice but to discuss this with Shi Jue. He selected a burial spot immediately above Third Sister You's grave, and the earth was broken. On the day of the funeral, only members of the clan, Wang Xin and his wife, and Madam You with her daughter-in-law attended. Phoenix took no responsibility for any of it and left him to manage everything himself.

Moreover, as the end of the year was approaching, all manner of business had piled up. In addition to this, Lin Zhixiao had submitted a list of eight young menservants, all twenty-five years old and unmarried, who should be married and given quarters of their own. Among the maids there were some who should be released, so that they might be assigned in marriage. After reviewing the list, Phoenix first consulted the Lady Patriarch and Lady Wang. They discussed the matter together. Although there were several who ought to be married off, each had her personal reasons. First, Yuanyang had sworn she would never leave. From that day on, she had not spoken to Baoyu, and she no longer dressed up elaborately. When the others saw how firm she was in her resolve, they did not press her. Second, Hupo was ill and could not be considered this time. Caiyun, having recently quarrelled with Jia Huan, had also contracted an incurable disease. Only the rough-work maids in Phoenix's and Li Wan's quarters had been released; the rest were too young and were allowed to marry on their own outside.

It so happened that Phoenix had been ill for some time, and Li Wan and Tanchun had been too busy managing the household affairs to spare any leisure. Then had come the New Year and other festivals, bringing with them many miscellaneous matters, and the poetry club had been laid aside altogether. Now that mid-spring had arrived and they had some free time, Baoyu was unfortunately distracted by a series of sorrows: Liu Xianglian had become a monk, Third Sister You had cut her throat, Second Sister You had died, and Fifth Sister Liu had fallen ill from grief. One trouble followed another, adding layer upon layer of idle sorrow and aimless resentment. He had become so obsessed with grief that his speech was often incoherent, as if he had contracted some anxiety disorder. This alarmed Xiren and the others, but they did not dare report it to the Lady Patriarch. They could only try every means to amuse and distract him.

One morning, just after he awoke, he heard a constant cackling and laughter from the outer room. Xiren said with a smile, "Quick, go and rescue him—Qingwen and Sheyue are holding down Wendulina and tickling her." Hearing this, Baoyu hurriedly threw on his grey squirrel jacket and came out to look. The three of them had not yet made their beds or put on their outer garments. Qingwen was wearing only a light green silk jacket with narrow panels, red underclothes and red sleeping shoes, her hair hanging loose, and she was sitting astride Xiongnu. Sheyue wore a red silk chest wrap, with old clothes draped over her shoulders, and was tickling Xiongnu's ribs. Xiongnu was lying face up on the kang, wearing a tight-fitting flowered garment, red trousers and green stockings, kicking both feet wildly, laughing so hard she could barely breathe. Baoyu hurried forward, laughing, "The two big ones are ganging up on the little one—let me lend a hand." So saying, he too got onto the kang and began tickling Qingwen. Qingwen, overcome with ticklishness, laughed and hastily released Xiongnu, turning to grapple with Baoyu. Seizing the opportunity, Xiongnu pinned Qingwen down again and began tickling her under the ribs. Xiren said with a laugh, "Be careful you don't catch cold." Watching the four of them tangled together was truly comical.

Presently, Li Wan sent Biyue over: "Last night, Madam left a handkerchief here. I wonder if it might be here?" Little Swallow said, "Yes, yes, it is. I picked it up from the floor. I didn't know whose it was, so I washed it and hung it up to dry—it's not dry yet." Seeing the four of them rolling about in a tangle, Biyue smiled, "It's lively here—chattering and playing together so early in the morning!" Baoyu laughed, "There are plenty of people at your place too. Why don't you play?" Biyue replied, "Our lady doesn't play, and she keeps the two concubines and Miss Qin in check too. Now Miss Qin has gone to wait on the Old Lady, so it's even lonelier. The two concubines will leave after this year, and by next winter they'll all be gone—it will be even loner still. Look at Miss Bao's place—ever since Xiangling left, it's become so much quieter, and Miss Yun is left all by herself."

Just then, Xiangyun also sent Cui Lü over: "Please, Second Master, come quickly and see the fine poem." Baoyu, hearing this, asked eagerly, "What fine poem?" Cui Lü smiled, "The young ladies are all at the Seeping Fragrance Pavilion. You'll know when you get there." Baoyu hurriedly washed and dressed and went out. Sure enough, Daiyu, Baochai, Xiangyun, Baoqin, and Tanchun were all there, holding a poem in their hands. Seeing him arrive, they all laughed, "You're still not up at this hour! Our poetry club has been scattered for a whole year, and no one has taken the initiative. Now it is early spring, when all things are renewed—this is just the time to rouse our spirits and reestablish it." Xiangyun said with a laugh, "When we first started the poetry club, it was autumn, so it couldn't flourish. But now it is spring, when all things meet their season of growth and vitality. Moreover, this peach blossom poem is so good—let's change the Begonia Club to the Peach Blossom Club." Hearing this, Baoyu nodded and said, "Very good." He was eager to read the poem. The others all said, "Let's go visit the Old Farmer of Fragrant Rice right now, and together we decide how to reorganize it." They all rose and set off together for Sweetrice Village. As Baoyu walked, he read the poem on the paper before him. It was entitled "Peach Blossom Ballad":

*Outside the curtain, the east wind softens the peach blossoms;*

*Inside the curtain, morning toilet is lazily put off.*

*Peach blossoms outside, a lady within—*

*The person and the peach blossoms are not far apart.*

*The east wind has a mind to lift the bamboo screen,*

*The blossoms wish to peep at her, but the curtain does not roll up.*

*The peach blossoms outside the curtain bloom as before,*

*But the one inside is thinner than the peach blossoms.*

*The blossoms understand pity, yet the blossoms too are sad—*

*News through the curtain is carried by the wind.*

*The wind passes through the bamboo screen, filling the courtyard with blossoms;*

*Before the courtyard, spring's hues redouble the sorrow.*

*Idle moss covers the courtyard, the gate stands empty and shut;*

*The slanting sun, the railing—she leans there alone.*

*Leaning on the railing, she weeps toward the east wind;*

*Her madam-red skirt steals close to stand by the peach blossoms.*

Peach blossoms, peach leaves in wild profusion,

the flowers burst forth in fresh crimson, the leaves hold their deep jade.

Mist and smoke enfold ten thousand trees,

glowing on towers, lighting walls—red blurred and indistinct.

Heaven's loon has brocade of mandarin ducks,

spring drowsy, about to wake, she shifts her coral pillow.

A maid advances with a golden basin of water,

fragrant spring, shadow steeped, rouge cold.

What resembles this brilliant rouge?

The color of flowers is the tears of men.

If one compares human tears to peach blossons,

tears flow of themselves, flowers charm of themselves.

Tears watching flowers—tears dry easily,

tears dried, spring ends, flowers wither.

Withered flowers screen the withered person,

flowers fly, man weary, dusk comes easily.

A single cuckoo cry—spring has fled entirely,

lonely lattice window, empty trace of the moon!

Baoyu read it and offered no praise—tears simply rolled down his cheeks. He knew at once it came from Daiyu, and so he wept too, but fearing the others would notice, he quickly wiped them away himself. "How did you come by this?" he asked. Baoqin laughed, "Guess who wrote it." Baoyu laughed, "Naturally, the Bamboo Lodge manuscript." Baoqin laughed, "It's mine, actually." Baoyu laughed, "I don't believe it. The tone and manner are utterly unlike the Hengwu style—that's why I don't believe it." Baochai laughed, "So you're not well read. Could it be that Minister Du wrote nothing but 'The clustered chrysanthemums bloom twice, tears of other days'? Even he had lines like 'Red bursting, rain-fattened plums' and 'Water-fringe trailing, wind-borne emerald ribbons'—language of charm." Baoyu laughed, "Granted, that's so. But I know Sister would never permit her sister such mournful lines, and even if the sister had the talent, she would never write them. It's not like Sister Lin, who has known loss and separation—she alone could make such a lament." Everyone laughed when they heard this.

They had already reached Paddy-Scent Village, where they showed the poem to Li Wan—needless to say, she praised it without end. Speaking of the poetry club, they agreed: tomorrow, the second day of the third month, they would formally establish the club, renaming the "Crab Apple Club" the "Peach Blossom Club," with Lin Daiyu as its mistress. Tomorrow after the meal, they would gather at Bamboo Lodge. And so they began to propose subjects. Daiyu said, "Everyone will write a hundred lines on peach blossoms." Baochai said, "That won't do. Peach blossom poems have always be written in the greatest number—even if you write one, it will surely fall into a tired formula. It can't compare with this gushi of yours. We must propose another." Just then a servant reported, "The aunt has come. The young ladies should go out to pay their respects." So they all went forward to see Madame Wang, the wife of Prince Teng, and sat chatting with her. After the meal, she was escorted once more through the garden, amusing herself everywhere. It was not until after the evening meal, when lamps were lit, that she departed.

The next day happened to be Tanchun's birthday. Yuanchun had already sent two young eunuchs with several playthings. The whole family presented birthday gifts—needless to say. After the meal, Tanchun changed into formal robes and made her rounds of greetings. Daiyu said to the others with a laugh, "It seems my club is ill-timed again—I quite forgot these two days are her birthday. Even if there's no feast or opera, we'll all have to spend the day amusing her before Grandmother and Lady Wang—how could we find the leisure?" So they postponed it to the fifth.

That day all the young ladies were in their rooms attending the early morning meal, when a letter from Zheng arrived. Baoyu presented his greetings, then opened the letter that conveyed his respects to the Dowager and read it aloud to her. It contained nothing beyond the usual expressions of duty, with the assurance that he would certainly arrive in the capital in the middle of the sixth month. The remaining letters and communications regarding family affairs were, as always, opened and read by Lian and Lady Wang. When they learned that the return was expected in the sixth or seventh month, everyone was overjoyed. As it happened, Wang Ziteng's daughter had recently been betrothed to the son of the Marquis of Baoning, and the wedding was set for the tenth day of the fifth month. Xifeng was busy making arrangements and was often away from home for three or five days at a time. That day Lady Wang, Wang Ziteng's wife, came again to fetch Xifeng and at the same time invited all her nephews and nieces to spend a day of leisure. The Dowager and Lady Wang directed Baoyu, Tanchun, Lin Daiyu, and Baochai to accompany Xifeng. None dared to refuse, so they returned to their rooms to change their clothes and make themselves ready. The five took their leave and were gone all day, returning only when the lamps were lit.

Baoyu entered Happy Red Court, rested a moment, and Xiren seized the opportunity to work on the situation and persuade him to gather his thoughts a little and, in his spare time, to put his books in order and prepare them. Baoyu counted on his fingers and said, "It's still early." Xiren said, "Books are the first thing, calligraphy the second. When the time comes, even if you have the books, where will your written characters be?" Baoyu smiled and said, "From time to time I have written some good ones. Could it be that none were kept?" Xiren said, "How could they not have been kept? Yesterday when you were not at home, I took them out and counted them. There were only fifty or sixty sheets. With three or four years of effort, can there really be only these few sheets of writing? In my opinion, from tomorrow onward, put away all other thoughts and quickly copy a few sheets every day to make up the shortfall. Even if you cannot do it every day, it should at least look passable." Baoyu, upon hearing this, hastily went through the sheets himself and, finding he truly could not get around it, said, "Starting tomorrow, I must write a hundred characters a day." By then everyone had settled for the night. The next morning, after washing and dressing, he ground ink by the window and carefully copied model characters in regular script. The Dowager, not seeing him, thought he had fallen ill and sent someone to inquire. Baoyu then went to present his greetings and explained the reason for his calligraphy practice, saying he had devoted the early morning hours to writing before attending to anything else, which was why he had come out late. The Dowager, upon hearing this, was greatly pleased and instructed him: "From now on, you may devote yourself entirely to writing and reading. You need not come out. Go and tell your mother about this." Baoyu accordingly went to Lady Wang's room to explain. Lady Wang said: "Grinding your spear at the last moment won't be of any use. Getting so anxious now, writing and studying every day—there's no way to finish it all all at once. If you rush, you'll only rush yourself into illness." Baoyu replied that it would be all right. Meanwhile the Dowager also expressed concern that rushing might bring on illness. Tanchun, Baochai, and the others all laughed and said: "Grandmother need not worry. We cannot take his place in studying the books, but we can in the calligraphy. Each of us will copy a sheet of regular script for him every day, and we'll get past this hurdle. Then Father won't be angry when he arrives home, and he won't rush himself into illness either." When the Dowager heard this, she was overjoyed.

Now Lin Daiyu had heard that when Jia Zheng returned home, he would certainly inquire about Baoyu's studies. Fearing that Baoyu might be distracted and come up short when the time came, she pretended to be out of sorts and did not call a poetry club meeting, nor did she lure him with outside matters. Tanchun and Baochai each copied a sheet of regular script for Baoyu every day, while Baoyu himself redoubled his efforts, sometimes writing two hundred or three hundred characters. By the third month's end, he had gathered together quite a number of sheets. One day he calculated that with fifty more sheets he could just manage to get along. Who should come by but Zijuan, bringing a roll of something for Baoyu? When he opened it, it was a collection of fine characters in the style of Zhong Yao and Wang Xizhi, written in the smallest regular script on old oil-treated bamboo paper, and the handwriting was remarkably similar to his own. Baoyu was so delighted that he bowed to Zijuan and went personally to thank her. Shi Xiangyun and Baoqin had also each copied several sheets and presented them. Though the total still fell short of the required amount, it was enough to get by. Baoyu, reassured, then reviewed the books he was supposed to read several more times. He was studying diligently every day when, as chance would have it, a tidal wave struck the coastal regions, devastating several areas and their inhabitants. The local officials submitted a memorial to the throne, and the Emperor issued an edict ordering Jia Zheng to inspect the disaster areas and provide relief on his way back. Calculating from this, he would not return until the end of winter. When Baoyu heard this, he set aside his books and calligraphy once more and resumed his former wandering ways.

It was now late spring. Shi Xiangyun, feeling listless, saw willow catkins drifting in the air and on a whim composed a short lyric to the tune "Like a Dream," which read:

Is this the last breath of embroidered floss unfurled?

It rolls up half the curtain in a fragrant cloud.

Take it with slender fingers—

In vain the cuckoo cries and swallows are envious.

Stay, stay!

Do not let spring's light slip away.

After composing it, pleased with herself, she wrote it out on a sheet of paper, showed it to Baochai, and then went to find Daiyu. Daiyu read it through and laughed: "Very good—fresh and interesting. But I cannot do it." Xiangyun smiled and said: "We have never written lyrics at any of our clubs. Why don't you call a club meeting tomorrow to write lyrics? Changing the form would be refreshing, wouldn't it?" Daiyu, moved by a sudden impulse, said: "What you say is exactly right. I'll invite them now." So saying, she gave orders to prepare several kinds of fruit and refreshments, while at the same time sending people to invite the others one by one. Then the two of them devised the topic of "Willow Catkins," set several tune patterns to choose from, and wrote them up on the wall.

When the others came to look, they took "willow catkins" as their subject, with each tune restricted to a short lyric. After they had all read Shi Xiangyun's and praised it for a while, Baoyu laughed, "This kind of verse comes easily enough to us; we'll just have to cobble something together." So they drew lots. Baochai drew *Linjiangxian*, Baoqin drew *Xijiangyue*, Tanchun drew *Nankezi*, Daiyu drew *Tangduoling*, and Baoyu drew *Diechianhua*. Zijuan lit a stick of Dream Sweet Incense, and everyone set about composing. Daiyu finished first and wrote it down. Then Baoqin and Baochai both finished soon after. When the three had completed their poems and were reading each other's, Baochai laughed, "Let me finish reading all of yours before I look at mine." Tanchun exclaimed, "Goodness, how fast the incense is burning today—only a third of it remains. I've only got half a stanza." She then asked Baoyu if he had finished. Baoyu had written something, but finding it unsatisfactory, he had rubbed it all out and wanted to start fresh. When he turned to look at the incense, it was almost burned down. Li Wan laughed, "That counts as a loss. Just write out what Ban girl's half stanza is." At this, Tanchun quickly wrote it down. When the others looked, it was only half a *Nankezi*, which read:

Slender threads hang in vain,

Tangled silk trails down in vain.

They can neither bind nor hold—

Let them drift east, west, south, or north, each to its own.

Li Wan laughed, "This is actually quite well done. Why not finish it?" Seeing the incense was gone, Baoyu was willing to concede defeat and refused to force anything mediocre. He set down his pen and came to read the half-stanza. Seeing it unfinished, he was suddenly moved to inspiration and picked up the brush to continue:

Do not grieve when they fall,

I know when they return.

When orioles grow weary and butterflies tire in the fading season—

Even if we meet again next spring, it will be a year hence!

Everyone laughed, "You couldn't manage what was properly yours, yet here you've come up with this. Still good as it is, it doesn't count." With that, they turned to Daiyu's *Tangduoling*:

Powder falls in the Hundred Flowers Isle,

Fragrance fades from the Swallow Tower.

They roll and tumble in pairs into balls.

Their wandering, too, is like a life of misfortune—

Embrace in vain, speak of romance.

Even plants know sorrow,

And youth turns its hair white in an end!

Alas, in this life, who will give up, who will take in?

Married to the spring wind, spring does not care—

Go as you will, endure the lingering.

The others read it and all nodded with emotion. "Too sad," they said, "though undeniably fine." Next they looked at Baoqin's *Xijiangyue*:

Scattered remnants in the Han gardens are few,

Adornments on the Sui embankment are endless.

The work of the three springs is entrusted to the east wind;

Bright moon and plum blossoms—all one dream.

A few places where fallen petals lie in courtyards,

Whose home has fragrant snow behind curtained windows?

South of the river and north of the river—all the same,

Yet for those parted from loved ones, the grief is heaviest of all!

Everyone laughed and said, "That's truly her bold tone. The lines 'A few places' and 'Whose home' are the finest." Baochai laughed, "In the end it's still too mournful. I think willow catkins are originally a frivolous thing, rootless and unbound. But my idea was to go against convention and say something good about them, to avoid the usual pattern. So I cobbled a poem together—it may not suit your tastes." The others laughed, "Don't be too modest. Let us judge it; it's bound to be good." And so they read this *Linjiangxian*:

Before the White Jade Hall, spring dances and whirls,

The east wind rolls it out even and smooth.

Xiangyun laughed first, "What a fine line—'The east wind rolls it out even and smooth!' This one line already rises above the rest." Then she read the rest:

Swarms of bees and armies of butterflies scatter in confusion.

How have they ever followed the dying waters?

Must they surely be cast upon the fragrant dust?

Ten thousand threads, a thousand strands—in the end unchanged,

Let them gather and part as they may.

Laugh not that youth has no roots:

When the fair wind lends its strength often enough,

It will carry me up to the azure clouds!

Everyone slapped the table in delight, declaring, "Truly a magnificent reversal! This is naturally the best. The tender and sorrowful goes to the Princess of the Xiao and Xiang; the charming and graceful goes to Zhenxia; Little Xue and the Ban Guest have failed today and must be punished." Baoqin laughed, "We'll accept our punishment, naturally, but what about the one who handed in a blank page?" Li Wan said, "Don't worry—he'll be soundly punished. Let this serve as a warning for next time."

Before she had finished speaking, there was a crash from the bamboo outside the window, just as if a window lattice had been knocked over. Everyone was startled. The maids went out to look, and a maid outside the curtain shouted, "A large butterfly kite is caught on the bamboo tips!" The maids laughed, "What a fine, well-made kite! I wonder whose string broke when they were flying it. Let's take it down." When Baoyu and the others heard this, they all came out to look. Baoyu laughed, "I recognize this kite. It belongs to Miss Jiaohong from the Master's compound. Take it down and send it back to her." Zijuan laughed, "Surely there aren't identical kites in all the world—could she be the only one who has this kind? Never mind, I'll just take it." Tanchun said, "Zijuan's being petty too. You all have the same kind; picking up someone else's lost kite like this—aren't you afraid of bad luck?" Daiyu laughed, "That's right. Whoever flew it must have been sending away bad fortune. Quick, throw it out. Get ours out, and we'll send away bad fortune too." Zijuan hurriedly ordered the little maids to take the kite out to the old women on duty at the garden gate, so that if anyone came looking for it, they could return it.

The young maids here, hearing about the kite-flying, were all eager to lend a hand—some fetching a pretty lady kite, some carrying stools up high, some tying the spools, some pulling out the winders. Baochai and the others stood before the courtyard gate and ordered the maids to fly them out in the open space beyond. Baochin laughed, "Yours isn't very pretty. It's not as nice as Third Sister's big phoenix with the soft wings." Baochai smiled, "Indeed." She turned back and said to Cui Mo with a laugh, "Bring yours out and fly it too." Cui Mo went off with a grin and fetched it. Baoyu's spirits rose again, and he sent a little maid back home, saying, "Bring the big fish that Mrs. Lai gave me yesterday." The little maid went off for a long time and returned empty-handed, laughing, "Miss Qing flew it yesterday." Baoyu said, "I haven't even flown it once yet." Tanchun laughed, "In any case, it was to send off your bad luck." Baoyu said, "Fine then. Bring the big crab instead." The maid went, and returned with several others carrying a beauty kite and a spool. "Miss Xiyi said she gave the crab to Master San yesterday. This one was just brought by Mrs. Lin—fly this one instead." Baoyu examined it closely; the lady kite was exquisitely made. Delighted, he ordered them to fly it. By now Tanchun's had also been brought out, and Cui Mo with several little maids had already started flying theirs on the hillside over there. Baochin also ordered her big red bat to be fetched. Baochai, in high spirits, brought one out too—a string of seven wild geese—and they all flew them. Only Baoyu's lady kite wouldn't go up. Baoyu said the maids didn't know how to fly it, and he tried himself for quite a while, but it barely rose to the height of a house before falling back down. Baoyu broke into a sweat from anxiety, and everyone laughed. In frustration, he threw it to the ground and pointed at the kite, "If it weren't a lady, I'd stomp it to pieces with one kick!" Daiyu laughed, "It's just that the top string isn't right. Take it out and have someone else restring it for you." Baoyu had someone take it to be restrung and at the same time brought out another to fly. Everyone looked up—those few kites in the sky had all risen into midair.

Presently the maids brought many different kinds of "feeding-dishes" to attach, and they played with them for a while. Zijuan laughed, "This time the wind is strong—Miss, you come and fly it." Daiyu, upon hearing this, padded her hand with a handkerchief, paused a moment, and indeed found the wind strong and forceful. She took the spool, and following the kite's momentum, let it loose—there was a sharp whirring sound, and at once the line ran out completely. Daiyu then offered it to the others to fly. Everyone laughed, "We each have ours—you go first." Daiyu laughed, "Flying it is fun, but I can't bear to do it." Li Wan said, "The point of flying kites is the joy of it, and they say it also sends off bad luck. You ought to fly more, so you can carry away the root of your illness altogether." Zijuan laughed, "Our miss is getting more and more stingy. She flew several in other years, and now suddenly she's reluctant. If you won't fly it, I'll fly it." So saying, she took a small pair of foreign silver scissors from Xueyan's hand and, without leaving a single thread at the root of the spool, snip, cut it clean through. "There—that's carried away the root of your illness for you." The kite floated and drifted, steadily falling back, until after a while it was only the size of an egg, then in the blink of an eye just a speck of black, and then it was gone. Everyone craned their necks and said, "Delightful, delightful!" Baoyu said, "It's a pity not to know where it landed. If it fell where people live and some child found it, that would be fine, but if it fell in some desolate wilderness with no one around, I'd feel lonely for it. I think I'll fly mine too, so they can keep each other company." So he cut his string with scissors and let it fly after the first one. Tanchun was about to cut her phoenix's string when she saw another phoenix in the sky. "I wonder whose that is," she said. Everyone laughed, "Don't cut yours yet—looks like it wants to tangle with yours." As they spoke, the other phoenix drew closer and closer, and tangled with this one. Everyone was about to reel in, but the other party was reeling in too—they were deadlocked. Then another kite appeared, shaped like a door-sized ornate "double happiness" character with rattling firecrackers, ringing like a bell in midair, drawing closer still. Everyone laughed, "This one's come to tangle too. Don't reel in—let the three of them tangle together, that'll be fun!" Sure enough, the "double happiness" kite tangled with the two phoenixes. All three sides reeled in at once in a great tug, but who would have thought—all the lines snapped, and the three kites floated away together. Everyone clapped their hands and laughed, "Delightful! But we don't know whose 'double happiness' that was—how mischievous!" Daiyu said, "My kite has flown away too. I'm tired. I'll go rest." Baochai said, "Wait until we've all flown ours, then we can go home." With that, she watched as all the sisters flew theirs, and then they dispersed. Daiyu returned to her room and lay down to rest. To know what happens next, see the following chapter.