紅樓夢

賈老太的外孫女林黛玉孤苦無依，初入大觀園，與賈家二公子寶玉一見鍾情。體弱多病、孤伶一身的林黛玉暫居於賈家瀟湘館。她閒時獨自葬花，常嘆「一朝春盡紅顏老，花落人亡兩不知」，惹得賈寶玉對她既愛且憐。賈寶玉啣玉而生，薛寶釵有金鎖，史湘雲有金麒麟；賈家上下都信「金玉姻緣」，認為賈寶玉將來的妻子，離不開薛寶釵或史湘雲。為選擇門當戶對的薛寶釵為媳，賈母、王熙鳳等人巧使掉包計。黛玉驚悉，心如刀割，並在病榻中焚化詩稿及詩帕後含恨而終。當寶玉發現新娘並非黛玉時，大受刺激，及後獲悉黛玉死訊，更悲慟暈倒。寶玉到瀟湘館哭靈，並逃禪為僧。賈寶玉夢遊太虛，重會已成為「瀟湘妃子」的林黛玉。

Dream of the Red Mansion / Dream of the Red Chamber

Orphan Lin Daiyu is the granddaughter of Lady Dowager Jia. Shortly after moving into the Spectacle Garden, Lin falls in love with Baoyu, the second young master of the Jia family. Baoyu was born with a piece of jade in his mouth. His cousin Xue Baochai has a golden lock, and cousin Shi Xiangyun has a golden chi-lin. The whole family considers the connections between Baoyu’s jade and his cousin’s precious possessions an omen that heis destined to marry one of the two girls. Weak and helpless, Lin lives in Xiaoxiang House, her temporary abode. Lamenting the brief life of flowers and her own fate, sentimental Linspends her spare time burying fallen flowers alone. Her actions fill Baoyu with tender affection.

Lady Dowager Jia and Wang Xifeng mislead Baoyu into thinking that he is to marryLin. Baoyu discovers the deception on the wedding night and is thrown into despair. While Lin is dying, she burns the manuscripts and handkerchiefs bearing the poems she has written for Baoyu. Baoyu faints when he learns of Lin’s death. Mourning his love,Baoyu weeps at Xiaoxiang House, and soon he leaves home to become a monk. In a dream, the young man meets Lin, who reveals herself as an immortal in heaven.