With Xi Ren, Baoyu's chief maid, away visiting her family, the duties of the Yihongyuan Court fell to Qingwen. Anxious to excel in everything, Qingwen attended to all matters personally.
For his uncle's birthday, Baoyu wore a unique Russian-made cloak woven from peacock feathers, a gift from his grandmother. That evening, he returned dejected: the cloak had a hole burnt in it. Fortunately, it was evening, and the grandmother and other ladies of the house did not notice.
A servant hastily took the cloak to professional tailors for overnight repair, as Baoyu needed it the next morning. However, the servant returned to report that no craftsman dared take the job, as none could identify the material.
While everyone was distressed, Qingwen, though ill, managed to sit up. After one glance, she identified it as "peacock gold thread" and declared she could mend it to look as good as new. Even with the correct thread, no one else would attempt it. So Qingwen, with a coat draped over her shoulders, began the work.
Weakened by illness, she felt dizzy and saw stars. Biting her lip, she persevered, pausing to rest every few stitches. She finally finished in the small hours of the morning. Everyone marveled at her work—the damage was almost invisible.