Wang'er xifu
Wang'er xifu 旺儿媳妇 — El dinero puesto a interés. Esposa de Laiwang, uno de los propios sirvientes de Xifeng.
旺儿媳妇
“The Money Put Out at Interest”
Her Story
Wife of Laiwang, one of Xifeng’s own people. Xifeng holds back the household’s monthly allowances and lends the silver out at interest; this woman carries it out and brings the takings back, so that the whole quiet business runs through her hands. In Chapter 72 she asks Xifeng to secure the maid Caixia as a wife for her son. Jia Lian, hearing of it, says the boy is soaked in drink. Xifeng presses on anyway.
In Xiang Li's Hands
Two sheets. In one she crouches by a tall bronze lamp-stand, a wooden washing tub at her side, chin on her hand, worn out. In the other she stands half turned away, holding out a violently patterned red and blue robe. Night work, then someone else’s finery. No sign of the money.
The Calligraphy
Both sheets read 来旺家的 rather than the roster’s 旺儿媳妇 — the fuller form of her husband’s name, and the ledger’s 家的 in place of 媳妇.
Connections
- Wang Xifeng 王熙凤 — her mistress, whose silver she puts out at interest.
- Laiwang 来旺 — her husband, Xifeng’s man among the servants.
- Caixia 彩霞 — the maid she wants for her son.
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 · 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
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
