Zhan Guang

His Story

First among the 清客相公 kept in Jia Zheng’s outer study — men with enough learning to be useful, who live off the household, admire its couplets and make themselves agreeable. In Chapter 8 he and Shan Pinren catch Baoyu on his way through, one seizing his hand, the other his waist, both delighted. His name is the joke: 詹光 sounds like 沾光, to bask in someone else’s light. He is a professional guest.

In Xiang Li's Hands

Full length, and frankly a caricature: drawn-on eyebrows, thin moustache, eyes wide with pleasure, mouth fixed in a grin. Pale blue-green robe, black-lined sleeves flung out, a folded fan in one hand, the other raised in a pinched mid-flattery gesture. Bare paper behind. She paints him as stage comedy.

The Calligraphy

Inscribed 詹光, the two characters of the joke left intact, so the pun on 沾光 is handed to the reader without explanation.

Connections

• Jia Zheng 贾政 — his patron; the studio he attends is Jia Zheng’s.
• Shan Pinren 单聘仁 — fellow hanger-on, with him when they waylay Baoyu in Chapter 8.
• Jia Baoyu 贾宝玉 — the young master whose favour is worth cultivating.

Others of the same kind · literary gentleman (清客) / hanger-on Shan Pinren 单聘仁 · Cheng Rixing 程日兴 · Hu Silai 胡斯来 · Wang Ertiao 王尔调 · Ji Haogu 嵇好古 · Zhan Ziliang 詹子亮

Named on these pages Shan Pinren 单聘仁

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