Bu Shiren
卜世仁
“Not a Human Being”
His Story
Jia Yun’s maternal uncle, who keeps a spice shop. In Chapter 24 the nephew comes to ask for a little musk and camphor on credit, meaning to make a present that will buy him work in the Jia household. The uncle refuses at length and pleasantly: stock all sold, accounts all owing, and a lecture on thrift thrown in free. His aunt joins in. The name says the rest — 卜世仁 sounds out as 不是人, not a human being.
In Xiang Li's Hands
A thin man in an olive robe and blue-grey cap, straggling beard, faint set smile, standing on bare paper with his weight back. At his left hand a pale wrapped shape scratched over in dry line: shop goods, kept close. Nothing in the picture is being given.
The Calligraphy
卜世仁 in full, the whole three-character pun spelled out, because shortened to a name alone it would not be funny.
Connections
- Jia Yun 贾芸 — his nephew, refused a few ounces of musk on credit.
- Yinjie 银姐 — his daughter, sent out to borrow while the nephew listens.
- Ni Er 倪二 — the moneylender who gives freely what the uncle withholds.
Others of the same kind · outsider – townsfolk, tenants, tradespeople Liu Xianglian 柳湘莲 · Jiang Yuhan 蒋玉菡 · Liu Laolao 刘姥姥 · Wang Gou'er 王狗儿 · Liu Shi 刘氏 · Ban'er 板儿 · Qing'er 青儿 · Feng Yuan 冯渊 · Ni Er 倪二 · Yinjie 银姐 · Fang Chun 方椿 · Shi Daizi 石呆子 · Yun'er 云儿 · Wu Liang 吴良 and 4 more
Named on these pages Ni Er 倪二 · Yinjie 银姐 · Wu Sao Zi 五嫂子
Dream of the Red Chamber
Xiang Li painted all 413 characters of the novel between 1975 and 1985, the first person to complete the entire cast. See the whole collection · Chinese Empresses
