Dream of the Red Chamber, Volume 1

Xi-feng attempts to occupy herself now that her husband Jia Lian has left with Dai-yu on her journey home to see her father. She spends her time talking to her maid Patience late into the night. On one particular night, she struggles to sleep after Patience has finally nodded off. Suddenly, the figure of Qin-shi floats into the room. She has come to say goodbye to Xi-feng, as they were close friends. She asks Xi-feng if she might convey her last wish to her friend, and Xi-feng agrees. Qin-shi’s spirit then offers a brief speech about preparing the family for hardship so that their honor may be preserved. She says, “Honor and disgrace follow each other in unending cycle. No human power can arrest that cycle and hold it permanently” (256). She asks Xi-feng to suggest buying the land around the burial ground of the family. She proposes an investment in the clan school so that if they ever become impoverished, they will still own the land for farming and burials. They will also have the school for studying. In securing the land, the family can maintain its honor and nobility.