Chapters 23 & 24 Summary

Yuan-chun orders that the girls of the house and Bao-yu be allowed to live in the Prospect Garden during her absence. Jia Zheng calls for Bao-yu to tell the boy he is to be moved into the garden with the girls. As Jia Zheng notices Bao-yu's intelligence and realizes Bao-yu will likely be his only heir, his dislike for the boy decreases. He tells Bao-yu of the plans to move him to the garden with the girls. It is Yuan-chun's hope that this move will encourage the boy to study more.

Bao-yu is first happy with his new living arrangements in the garden. One day, however, he wakes with a feeling of discontentment that will not go away. One day Tealeaf gives Bao-yu a present of romantic, sexual love stories to read. Bao-yu shares one of these books one day with Dai-yu. She...