Lin Zhixiao jia de
林之孝家的
“The Night Rounds”
Her Story
Chief housekeeper of Rongguo House; with her husband Lin Zhixiao she runs the establishment’s daily business. Xiaohong — Crimson — is her daughter, a fact Wang Xifeng only stumbles on in Chapter 27, and remarks on, so silent a couple having produced so quick a girl. She keeps the night rounds: in Chapter 63 she walks in on Baoyu’s birthday drinking and tells him, politely, that he ought to call the senior maids elder sister rather than by name. She reports; she rarely judges.
In Xiang Li's Hands
Near profile, walking left, head lowered. Slate blue and grey, a cloud-scrolled skirt panel, jade bangles on both wrists. One hand held at her chest, the other reaching out flat and empty. Bare paper, a few loose black strokes at her hem. She is going somewhere, carrying nothing.
The Calligraphy
林大娘 — “Goodwife Lin,” the form used to her face, which grants her seniority while withholding the ledger’s colder 林之孝家的.
Connections
- Lin Zhixiao 林之孝 — her husband, one of Rongguo’s two chief managers.
- Xiaohong 小红 — her daughter, who climbs out of her parents’ obscurity.
- Wang Xifeng 王熙凤 — takes Crimson into her service and learns whose child she is.
- Jia Baoyu 贾宝玉 — whom she corrects on how to address his own maids.
Others of the same kind · servant's wife / senior serving-woman Zhou Rui jia de 周瑞家的 · Lai Da jia de 赖大家的 · Wang Shanbao jia de 王善保家的 · Wu Xindeng xifu 吴新登媳妇 · Wang'er xifu 旺儿媳妇 · Zhang Cai jia de 张材家的 · Zheng Hua jia de 郑华家的 · Wu Xing jia de 吴兴家的 · Laixi jia de 来喜家的 · Qin Xian jia de 秦显家的 · Bao Er jia de 鲍二家的 · Liu jia de 柳家的 · Shan Daniang 单大娘 · Jin Wenxiang xifu 金文翔媳妇 and 10 more
Named on these pages Lin Zhixiao 林之孝 · Cai'er niang 彩儿娘
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
