Zheng Hua jia de
郑华家的
“One of the Five”
Her Story
One of the five wives of Lady Wang’s dowry servants. In Chapter 74, after the embroidered purse is found in the Garden, Lady Wang calls the five in — Zhou Rui’s wife, Wu Xingdeng’s wife, Zheng Hua’s wife, Laiwang’s wife, Lai Xi’s wife — and they go through the girls’ rooms at night with Xifeng and Wang Shanbao’s wife. Zheng Hua’s wife is named in that list. The novel gives her nothing else.
In Xiang Li's Hands
Two sheets, two different women. The 郑华家的 sheet is plain: a heavy, frank, middle-aged face, brown and mauve, one finger raised mid-argument, a red garment over her arm, bare paper behind. The 郑好媳妇 sheet turns her away from us in turquoise, walking among a flock of white cranes.
The Calligraphy
One sheet carries the ledger form 郑华家的 and the other 郑好媳妇 — a different given name for the husband and a different word for the wife, so the pair may not, strictly, name the same person.
Connections
- Lady Wang 王夫人 — her mistress; she came into the house with Lady Wang’s dowry.
- Zhou Rui’s wife 周瑞家的 — named beside her among the five.
- Wang Shanbao’s wife 王善保家的 — leads the search the five are called in for.
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 · 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
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
