贾芹
贾芹 贾芹——接手庙宇。另一个贫支的年轻男子，由他母亲的请愿安排。
贾芹
“Given Charge of the Temple”
His Story
Another young man of the poor branch, placed by his mother’s petitioning. In Chapter 23 Wang Xifeng secures him the post of overseer of the young monks and nuns bought for the Imperial Concubine’s visit and lodged at the family temple 铁槛寺, with a monthly allowance to draw against. He runs it as a private pleasure house. Jia Zhen dresses him down for it in Chapter 53. In Chapter 93 an anonymous placard on the Ning gate names him — 贾芹 taken apart into its written components, 西贝草斤 — and he is found at 水月庵 drinking with the nuns.
In Xiang Li's Hands
Robe open to the waist, chest bare, one hand holding out a small green wine cup and the other flung wide: drunk, and mid-sentence. The ground behind him is a spatter of coloured dots, a room after a party. He is the only man in this group she undresses.
The Calligraphy
贾芹, low on the left edge — the full clan name, the same two characters the Chapter 93 placard broke into pieces to shame him with.
Connections
- Wang Xifeng 王熙凤 — arranged the appointment that gave him the temple.
- Jia Zhen 贾珍 — head of the Ning house, who berated him for it in Chapter 53.
- Jia Yun 贾芸 — clan cousin of the same generation, chasing the same patronage.
Others of the same kind · Jia clan – collateral branches Jia Rui 贾瑞 · Jia Dairu 贾代儒 · Jia Qiong 贾琼 · Jia Chang 贾菖 · Jia Ling 贾菱 · Jia Ping 贾萍 · Jia Jun 贾菌 · Jia Yun 贾芸 · Jia Xing 贾荇 · Xiluan 喜鸾 · Sijie'r 四姐儿
Named on these pages Yang Shi 杨氏 · Qinxiang 沁香 · Hexian 鹤仙
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
