Main triad:
The sickly and high-strung Dai-yu (Black Jade, incarnation of Crimson Pearl Flower “composed of the purest cosmic essences”), the girl-oriented Bao-yu (Magic Jade, incarnation of the Stone and bad-boy and designated heir to the Rung-guo estate) and the sensible, model of a traditional young woman Xue Bao-chai, who will be betrothed to Bao-yu
Some random details
- Bao-chai and Bao-yu’s mothers are sisters
- Bao-chai has an evil brother Xue Pan
Subgroup of illicit love:
Jia Zhen / Cousin Zhen (see back of book “House of Ning-Guo”) who loves his daughter-in-law Qin-shi who is married to his son Jia Rong
Some story segments
- Chpt 7: Big Jiao, an unruly servant, tells everyone of the affair: “father-in-law pokes in the ashes” (183)
- Chpt 10: Qin-chi’s unhealthy condition as a metaphor for illicit love (overheated heart) (from 225)
- Chpt 13: Qin-shi’s death
Subgroup of deadly infatuation:
The beautiful and capable Wang Xi-feng (de facto head of the House of Rong-guo, sometimes called Sister Feng) as object of an ill-fated infatuation for her developed by Jia Rui, amorous grandson of schoolmaster Jia Dai-ru (Chpt 11)
Some details
- Her name means Pheonix, symbol of power
- Xi-feng is of the same generation as Bao-yu, Dai-yu and so on. She is one of the most dynamic females in Story of the Stone, beautiful, intelligent, sometimes very cruel. See Wiki: Dream of the Red Chamber, Masters and Mistresses
Some story segments
- Chpt 11: Jia Rui is smitten with an interest in Xi-feng when he sees her taking care of Qin-chi
- Chpt 12: Jia Rui suffers severely for his infatuation via punishments designed by Xi-feng
Subgroup, homoerotic:
Bao-yu and his ill-fated, very handsome school companion Qin Zhong (younger brother of Qin-shi)
Some story segments
- Chpt 7: Bao-yu and Qin Zhong discover one another
- Chpt 9: the schoolyard fight
- Chpt 15: seen by Bao-yu when he is making love to a woman
- Chpt 16: dies
Subgroup, love on the side?:
Bao-yu and his ever-loyal and service-minded maid Aroma (Xiren, Invading Fragrance)
Some story segments
- Chpt 6, beginning pages: Bao-yu’s initiation into the world of sex is through Aroma