Caixia
彩霞
“Rose Cloud, Bargained Away”
Her Story
A maid in Lady Wang’s rooms, older than most of them, with an attachment to Jia Huan that Aunt Zhao encourages — a girl secured for her son would be worth having. In Chapter 72 Lady Wang sends her home for having grown up, and Wang Xifeng promises her instead to the son of the steward Wang’er, who drinks. The arrangement is made over her head by people discussing other business. She is not asked.
In Xiang Li's Hands
Full length and quite still, hands lost in her sleeves, a long green-gold robe under a dark red jacket with red cords knotted at the waist. The face is turned down, the mouth set. Behind her, pale green cloud-scrolls and reeds: the 霞 of her name, drained of its colour.
The Calligraphy
彩霞 stands large at the upper right — rose-coloured cloud, the given name entire, and nothing at all about whose household she belongs to.
Connections
- Jia Huan 贾环 — the young master she is attached to, and never given to.
- Wang Xifeng 王熙凤 — settles her marriage to the steward’s son in Chapter 72.
- Xiaoxia 小霞 — her younger sister, also in service at Rongguo House.
Others of the same kind · maid – Wang Xifeng and Lady Wang Ping'er 平儿 · Feng'er 丰儿 · Shanjie 善姐 · Caiming 彩明 · Jinchuan 金钏 · Yuchuan 玉钏 · Caiyun 彩云 · Xiaoxia 小霞
Named on these pages Caiyun 彩云 · Xiaoxia 小霞 · Qian Huai 钱槐 · Wang'er xifu 旺儿媳妇 · Cai Xia Zhi Mu 彩霞之母
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
