Xifeng's party
The mood keeps changing in Chapter 44. Xifeng's birthday party is a huge affair, and people seem to be having a good time. They keep pushing drinks on her ("drink one with me" ... "okay now you have to drink one with me too") until she decides to go home and lie down for a bit. Servants on lookout make her suspicious. Naturally her husband Jia Lian is taking the opportunity to spend time with a lover while Xifeng is at her party.
This leads to lots of screaming, and everyone beating up on loyal Ping'er, who's done nothing wrong. Then people running off to the Matriarch, and Jia Lian chasing after Xifeng with a sword (was this in the series? I can't remember, but you'd think I would).
Ping'er runs off in despair... and Baochai wins Least Comforting Person Ever with "She treats you so well most of the time, so what if she beat you today, you should just laugh it off, after all who else can she take it out on?" (in so many words).
Ping'er finds sanctuary at Baoyu's place, where he and Xiren take care of her for a bit. Baoyu, ever the peacemaker, apologizes for his cousins.
The next day everyone laughs at Jia Lian's apologies. Then the discovery that the lover had killed herself, and Jia Lian goes to pay off the family.
I think my head started spinning somewhere in there.
This leads to lots of screaming, and everyone beating up on loyal Ping'er, who's done nothing wrong. Then people running off to the Matriarch, and Jia Lian chasing after Xifeng with a sword (was this in the series? I can't remember, but you'd think I would).
Ping'er runs off in despair... and Baochai wins Least Comforting Person Ever with "She treats you so well most of the time, so what if she beat you today, you should just laugh it off, after all who else can she take it out on?" (in so many words).
Ping'er finds sanctuary at Baoyu's place, where he and Xiren take care of her for a bit. Baoyu, ever the peacemaker, apologizes for his cousins.
The next day everyone laughs at Jia Lian's apologies. Then the discovery that the lover had killed herself, and Jia Lian goes to pay off the family.
I think my head started spinning somewhere in there.