On Baoyu's birthday the young ladies held a drinking party in which they composed poems and much fun. Their service maids started a game of their own.

Xiang Ling, Xue Fan's concubine（妾，情妇） , collected some flower and grass and began a grass game with the other. "This one is bodhisattva（菩萨） willow," one said. And another one would say, "I have arhat（罗汉） pine."

Suddenly, Dou Guan said she had a sisters flower. Xiang Ling said, "I have a husband and-wife flower." "Never heard of that," the previous girl protested. "why," Xiang Ling explained. "One flower on a stem is called lan, and several flower on a stem make hui. Two on one stem, one up and one down, is a brother flower, and two flowers side is certainly a spouses¹ one." The other girl, however, did not easily give up. Laughing, she challenged, "Well, then if one flower is big and the other one small, then it's a father and son flower; and if two flowers face different ways it's probably an enemies flower. Is that rather? Xue Fan is gone for over half a year. I guess because you miss him you made up that husband and wife flower."

Blushed, Xiang Ling rushed up meaning to pinch（捏） the sharp-tongued girl, who laughed and begged for the other's help. At the sight of the girls' laughing, poking² and punching each other in a friendly manner.