In Gao E's continuation of Dream of the Red Chamber, Baoyu marries Xue Baochai in the Jia household, while Lin Daiyu dies unexpectedly. Baoyu's beloved faces many hardships, and by his twenties he has already endured more than his share of suffering. To become a powerful woman in the Jia household, Daiyu first experiences Lin Ruhai's political downfall before entering the Grand View Garden. Though the garden in Nanjing is splendid, and generations of development have left it filled with gold and silver treasures, its residents spend their time discussing Baoyu, who plays with several princes and nobles from official circles. Baoyu feels sorry for the maids working in the household, yet whenever he fights with others, he always proves himself useless. The first few high-ranking maids from the Jia household, while serving Lady Xing and Lady Wang, hope to become maids whom Baoyu will favor. As the maids and young ladies play together, the Jia household's wealth dwindles. To maintain the few businesses that still bring in decent income, servants have to go out and open restaurants for people. Though the household has fallen into decline, much of its wealth was accumulated through generations of service as officials under the emperor, and it needs to be put to use.
This novel and its characters are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental. Do not imitate.
