周瑞
周瑞 周瑞 —— 门另一边的名字。王夫人的管家，也是书中联系最广泛的仆人之一——通过其他人。
周瑞
“The Name on the Other Side of the Door”
His Story
Lady Wang’s steward, and one of the best-connected servants in the book — through other people. His wife 周瑞家的 is the one who carries the twelve palace flowers round the Garden in Chapter 7, handing them out and reading everybody’s manners as she goes. His son-in-law is 冷子兴, the antique dealer whose gossip in Chapter 2 lays out the whole Jia family before the reader has entered it. Zhou Rui himself does very little.
In Xiang Li's Hands
The best-dressed man in this whole block of stewards: a grey fur-lined cloak over a dusty-rose robe, black fur cuffs and hem, a red band above the skirt, a bright blue purse hung at his chest, jade on the cap. White whiskers, mouth open in a wide grin. A servant painted at the scale of a master.
The Calligraphy
周瑞 — the man’s own two characters, though the novel almost always says 周瑞家的, “Zhou Rui’s wife.”
Connections
- Lady Wang 王夫人 — his mistress, whose household he stewards.
- Zhou Rui’s wife 周瑞家的 — his wife, who delivers the palace flowers.
- Leng Zixing 冷子兴 — his son-in-law, the antique dealer.
Others of the same kind · steward / manager Lai Da 赖大 · Lai Er 赖二 · Lai Sheng 赖升 · Lai Shangrong 赖尚荣 · Lai Mama 赖嬷嬷 · Lin Zhixiao 林之孝 · Dai Liang 戴良 · Yu Lu 俞禄 · Wang Xin 王信 · Laiwang 来旺 · Jin Cai 金彩 · Jin Wenxiang 金文翔 · Jiao Da 焦大 · Li Shi'er 李十儿 and 8 more
Named on these pages He San 何三 · Leng Zixing 冷子兴
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
