CONTENTS ::
TRANSLATOR’S NOTE, by Eileen Chang
CAST OF MAJOR CHARACTERS, compiled by Eva Hung
CHAPTER 1 :: Simplicity Zhao visits his uncle on Salt Melon Street, and Benevolence Hong makes a match at the Hall of Beauties
CHAPTER 2 :: A callow youth trying a pipe is just good for a laugh, and a virgin courtesan attending a party is unscathed by a gibe
CHAPTER 3 :: A professional name links the new girl to the belles of the family, and etiquette places a young man in the seat of honor
CHAPTER 4 :: Benevolence acts as comprador to help a friend, and Pearlie signals to her girl to curb her jealousy
CHAPTER 5 :: An empty slot is speedily filled by a new love, and a new arrangement is kept from an old flame
CHAPTER 6 :: A playful belle calls her client her son, and a phenomenal girl dominates her madam
CHAPTER 7 :: One girl casts a spell and lays a vicious trap, and another meets a good mate but can’t escape her fate
CHAPTER 8 :: Second Sister retains a treasure box with dark designs, and Green Phoenix refuses a carriage ride with ready wit
CHAPTER 9 :: Little Rouge fells Constance with her fist, and Green Phoenix engages Prosperity in a battle of words
CHAPTER 10 :: A new girl is given strict instructions at her toilet, and old debts are lightly dismissed by a hanger-on
CHAPTER 11 :: The fire bell ringing at night causes a false alarm, and a brother-in-law on a family visit gets a warm welcome
CHAPTER 12 :: A peacemaker is dispatched behind the beloved’s back, and trickery provides cover for an adulterous woman
CHAPTER 13 :: At the deflowering of Jewel, someone waits in the wings, and on the mah-jongg table, a trap is set for Crane Li
CHAPTER 14 :: A lone whoremonger meets rough company, and a gang of conspirators runs a crooked game
CHAPTER 15 :: Bright Pearl attends a party at Civic Peace Alley, and Pragmatic Li smokes opium at the House of Floral Rain
CHAPTER 16 :: A bargain for a rich patron carries hidden consequences, and a game of dominoes serves as a pastime
CHAPTER 17 :: Twin Pearl secretly criticizes her mother, and Benevolence Hong severely reprimands his nephew
CHAPTER 18 :: A lined jacket conveys Jade Tao’s deep love, and an expensive banquet allays White Fragrance’s wrath
CHAPTER 19 :: Deceived by love, Modesty Zhu misreads a hidden motive; plagued by illness, Water Blossom puts on a brave face
CHAPTER 20 :: Water Blossom, aggrieved, rages at the mirror, and Jade Tao, deeply in love, shares her nightmare
CHAPTER 21 :: A prostitute lies about consulting the gods to find a missing article, and a henpecked husband throws a party behind his wife’s back
CHAPTER 22 :: Green Phoenix secures a loan toward her ransom, and Snow Scent is angered by an argument about shopping
CHAPTER 23 :: A young girl overhears things said behind her back, and a jealous wife courts insult in a brothel
CHAPTER 24 :: Constance protects a fellow courtesan to keep the peace, and Simplicity Zhao, a ruined man, feels no regret
CHAPTER 25 :: A fond lover’s chiding revives old memories, and the time of the month delays a tryst
CHAPTER 26 :: Nocturnal sounds show a couple’s real prowess, and a lustful look betrays a woman’s false modesty
CHAPTER 27 :: The drunk who disrupts a tryst empties his stomach, and a whore’s burning hands prove her randy nature
CHAPTER 28 :: A policeman mounts the roof of a gambling den, and a whoremonger shames his family by pulling a ricksha
CHAPTER 29 :: Second Treasure and her friend go in search of her brother, and an adopted relative takes the girls sight-seeing
CHAPTER 30 :: The Zhaos move to new quarters that come with hired help, and an old barber complains about his worthless son in a teahouse
CHAPTER 31 :: An uncle’s reproaches lead to the severing of family ties, and a difference in taste frustrates a would-be matchmaker
CHAPTER 32 :: Gold Flower gets a whipping for imitating her better, and Twin Jade leaves a handkerchief as a token for her lover
CHAPTER 33 :: Little Rouge is unhappy with the jade jewelry, and Lotuson Wang goes on a drunken rampage
CHAPTER 34 :: The wanton shrew gets her just punishment, and the cuckolded lover gets married in revenge
CHAPTER 35 :: Second Treasure, poverty-stricken, takes up the oldest profession, and River Blossom, falling ill, spoils everyone’s fun
CHAPTER 36 :: A strange love feeds on constant squabbling, and a miracle cure depends on the good doctor
CHAPTER 37 :: A willing apprentice is rewarded with torture, and a brothel hand is blackmailed into a loan
CHAPTER 38 :: Second Treasure hopes for wedded bliss in the Shi family, and Harmony Qi hosts a party in Rustic Retreat
CHAPTER 39 :: A drinking game sees ivory sticks fly at the pavilion, and golden carp draw fishing boats to compete on the lake
CHAPTER 40 :: A bridge of magpies joins two stars on Lovers’ Day, and a witty pun is a stone that kills two birds
CHAPTER 41 :: Harsh words in the boudoir kill old loyalties, and a reunion in the garden cures lovesickness
CHAPTER 42 :: Water Blossom, leaving her beloved, departs this world, and Cloud Tao, worried about his brother, faces the funeral
CHAPTER 43 :: An empty room is a potent reminder of lost love, and innocent words affirm that the dead will return
CHAPTER 44 :: Wenjun tricks a rascal and gets off with a song, and Green Phoenix tackles greed by insisting on a low ransom
CHAPTER 45 :: The vile crone changes color when a settlement is overturned, and the child courtesan gets jealous when left on the sidelines
CHAPTER 46 :: Green Fragrance acquires new friends through child’s play, and Jade Tao revisits an old haunt for a memorial service
CHAPTER 47 :: Cloudlet Chen has the good fortune of meeting a benefactor, and Snow Scent gets predictions for a male child
CHAPTER 48 :: Mistake after mistake bars the gates of the mansion, and swindle after swindle exemplifies the ways of the marketplace
CHAPTER 49 :: What’s returned to the owner becomes a target for theft, and a member of the family is marked for extortion
CHAPTER 50 :: A rascal’s tactics are aimed at faultfinding, and a slight interruption brings a beating
CHAPTER 51 :: A fugitive hides from an unwelcome guest, and a slave artiste vies with a courtesan
CHAPTER 52 :: A young woman in a lonely bed dreads an empty room, and hospitality means a shared bed and chatting through the night
CHAPTER 53 :: Flowers of different types are forcibly grafted together, and mating birds are driven asunder by a sudden alarm
CHAPTER 54 :: A faithless lover half-heartedly plights his troth, and an unfaithful woman gets a well-deserved beating
CHAPTER 55 :: Second Treasure is plagued by doubts despite her lover’s promise of marriage, and Verdure Xu is embarrassed for sharing a whore’s bed with his friends
CHAPTER 56 :: Third Pan, the underground prostitute, plots a theft, and Yao, the daytime patron, stays the night
CHAPTER 57 :: Honeyed words pacify a jealous wife, and persistent questions reveal a story of adultery
CHAPTER 58 :: Young Mr. Li throws away his entire fortune, and Third Sister Chu excels at preposterous lies
CHAPTER 59 :: Second Sister employs an old ruse to filch important documents, and Jade Wenjun begs for a poem to boost her fame
CHAPTER 60 :: An old man gets an opium addict for a wife, and the keeper-turned-thief performs a vanishing act
CHAPTER 61 :: An amateur archer shows superb marksmanship, and a clever servant labors over poetic composition
CHAPTER 62 :: Simplicity Zhao’s affair with the servant girl is exposed, and Twin Jade overhears gossip about “wives”
CHAPTER 63 :: Contributions are pooled to facilitate a good match, and wise plans are made to redirect Twin Jade’s feelings
CHAPTER 64 :: Anger makes Second Treasure pawn her bracelet, and a kick in her chest causes internal injuries