吴兴家的

Her Story

One of the five wives of bond servants who came with Lady Wang from her own family when she married into the Jia house — the 陪房, a bride’s private staff and her power base in her husband’s household. The others are Zhou Rui’s wife, Zheng Hua’s wife, Lai Xi’s wife and Lai Wang’s wife. Zhou Rui’s wife the novel follows everywhere. Wu Xing’s wife it does not. She has no personal name; 吴兴家的 means “the one belonging to Wu Xing’s house.”

In Xiang Li's Hands

Three-quarter back view, grey-green robe, plum skirt with an ochre lattice band at the hem. Head thrown back, chin lifted, mouth open — mid-shout or mid-laugh. One pink sleeve lining flares out. Bare paper behind. The whole sheet is one gesture: an upturned face, talking.

The Calligraphy

吴兴家的 runs down the top right corner — a husband’s name and the possessive 家的, no personal name at all, which is exactly what the novel gives her.

Connections

• Lady Wang 王夫人 — the mistress she came with as part of the dowry staff.
• Zhou Rui’s wife 周瑞家的 — the one of the five the novel actually follows.
• Lai Xi’s wife 来喜家的 — another of the five.

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 · 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

Named on these pages Laixi jia de 来喜家的

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