Ye Ma
叶妈
“Vouched For”
Her Story
Mingyan’s mother, and one of the old women of the Garden staff. In Chapter 56, when the flowers and fragrant herbs need someone to farm them, Baochai puts her name forward — she is honest, and she is close to Ying’er’s mother, so the profit stays inside a circle the household can vouch for. That recommendation is her whole appearance in the novel.
In Xiang Li's Hands
Pale blue, bent forward from the waist, one hand braced on her knee and the other raised to pinch at something too small to see. The face is old and laughing. The only strong colour on the sheet is the red and yellow flowers embroidered on her apron.
The Calligraphy
Inscribed 老叶妈 — the 老 of seniority, the surname, and 妈, a form of address the household gives to its long-serving women rather than a name.
Connections
- Mingyan 茗烟 — her son, Baoyu’s page.
- Xue Baochai 薛宝钗 — who recommends her for the fragrant-herb plot.
- Ying’er 莺儿 — Baochai’s maid; her mother’s friendship with Ye Ma is the reason for the recommendation.
Others of the same kind · servant's wife / senior serving-woman Zhou Rui jia de 周瑞家的 · Lin Zhixiao jia de 林之孝家的 · 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 and 10 more
Named on these pages Zhu Ma 祝妈
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
