On Baoyu's birthday, the young ladies held a drinking party where they composed poems and enjoyed themselves. Their maids started a game of their own. Xiangling, Xue Pan's concubine, gathered some flowers and plants to play a grass-naming game with the others.
"This is a bodhisattva willow," one said. Another replied, "I have an arhat pine." Suddenly, Douguan claimed she had a "sisters' flower." Xiangling then said, "I have a 'husband-and-wife flower.'"
"Never heard of that," Douguan protested.
"Why?" Xiangling explained. "A single bloom on a stem is called 'lan'; several blooms make 'hui.' Two on one stem, one higher and one lower, is a 'brother flower.' Two blooms side by side are certainly a spouses' flower."
Doubtful, the other girl laughed and challenged her: "Well, then if one is big and the other small, it must be a 'father-and-son flower.' And if they face opposite ways, it's probably an 'enemies flower.' Isn't that right? Xue Pan has been gone for over half a year. I suppose you invented the 'husband-and-wife flower' because you miss him."
Blushing, Xiangling rushed to pinch the sharp-tongued girl, who laughed and begged for help. Seeing the maids laughing, poking, and playfully punching each other, Baoyu joined their excitement, grass in hand.