Old Dreams of the Red Chamber: The Matriarch Worries Herself Sick

The affairs of the mortal world change in an instant. In times of prosperity, flowers bloom in splendid profusion; in times of decline, storms and desolation prevail. Joy turns to sorrow, and people and things change. In the end, it is all a dream, and every illusion returns to emptiness. When I first read Dream of the Red Chamber as a child, I only lamented that the love between Baoyu and Daiyu never came to fruition. Reading it again, I was struck by the tragedy of the family’s rise and fall. The third time, I suddenly understood: it was all one great dream, where truth and falsehood were impossible to tell apart. I have written this book to make up for the regrets of my youth. Please forgive me if anything is amiss. (PS: Since the plot has been changed considerably, this book does not use the Qing Dynasty historical setting favored by current scholarship. It takes place in an alternate history, so please be aware before reading!)