Chapter 27
Beauty Perspiring sports with butterflies by the Raindrop Pavilion; And Beauty Suspiring weeps for fallen blossoms by the Flowers' Grave

Chapter 28
A Crimson cummerbund becomes a pledge of friendship; And a chaplet of medicine-beads becomes a source of embarassment

Chapter 29
In which the greatly blessed pray for yet greater blessings; And the highly strung rise to new heights of passion

Chapter 30
Bao-Chai speaks of a fan and castigates her deriders; Charmante scratches a 'qiang' and mystifies a beholder

Chapter 31
A torn fan is the price of silver laughter; And a lost kylin is the clue to a happy marriage

Chapter 32
Bao-yu demonstrates confusion of mind by his declaration to the wrong person; And Golden shows an unconquerable spirit by ending her humiliation in death

Chapter 33
An envious younger brother puts in a malicious word or two; And a scapegrace elder brother recieves a terrible chatisement

Chapter 34
A wordless message meets with silent understanding; And a groundless imputation leads to undeserved rebukes

Chapter 35
Sulky Silver tastes some lotus-leaf soup; And Golden Oriole knots a flower-patterned fringe

Chapter 36
Bao-chai visits Green Delights and bears strange words from a sleeper; And Bao-yu visits Pear-tree Court and learns hard facts from a performer

Chapter 37
A happy inspiration prompts Tan-chun to found the Crab-flower Club; And an ingenious arrangment enables Bao-chai to settle the chysanthemum poem titles

Chapter 38
River Queen triumphs in her treatment of chysanthemum themes; And Lady Allspice is satirical on the subject of crabs
An inventive old countrywoman tells a story of somewhat questionable veracity; And and impressionable young listener insists on getting to the bottom of the matter

Chapter 40
Lady Jia holds two feasts in one day in the Prospect Garden; And Faithful makes four calls on three dominoes in the Painted Chamber

Chapter 41
Jia Bao-yu tastes some superior tea at Green Bower Hermitage; And Grannie Liu samples the sleeping accommodation at Green Delights

Chapter 42
Lady Allspice wins over a suspicious nature with some well-intentioned advice; And River Queen enhances her reputation as a wit with some amusing sarcasms

Chapter 43
An old woman's whim is the occasion of a birthday collection; And a young man's remorse finds solace in a simple ceremony

Chapter 44
Xi-feng's jealousy is the object of an unexpected provocation; And Patience's toilet is a source of unexpected delight

Chapter 45
Sisterly understanding finds expression in words of sisterly frankness; And autumnal pluviousless is celebrated in verses of autumnal melancholy

Chapter 46
An awkward person is given an awkward mission; And a faithful maid vows faithfulness unto death

Chapter 47
In pursuit of love the Oaf King takes a fearful beating; And from fear of reprisal the Reluctant Playboy makes a hasty getaway

Chapter 48
The Love-Deluded One Turns his thoughts to trade and travel; And the Poetry Enthusiast applies herself to making verses

Chapter 49
Red flowers bloom brighter in dazzling snow; And venison reeks strangely on rosebud lips

Chapter 50
Linked verses in Snowy Rushes Retreat; And lantern riddles in the Spring In Winter Room

Chapter 51
A clever cousin composes some ingenious riddles; And an unskilful physician prescribes a barbarous remedy

Chapter 52
Kind Patience conceals the theft of a Shrimp Whisker bracelet; And brave Skybright repairs the hole in a Peacock Gold snow-cape

Chapter 53
Ning-guo House sacrifices to the ancestors on New Year's Eve; And Rong-guo House entertains the whole family on Fifteenth Night

Appendix I: Regulated Verse
Appendix II: Threesomes with the Dominoes
Appendix III: Unsolved Riddles
Characters in Volume 2
Genealogical Tables