Chapters 9 & 10 Summary

Bao-yu and Qin Zhong start school. Before Bao-yu leaves for school, his father berates him for his lack of study skills in the past. Dao-yu, on the other hand, seems only concerned whether or not Bao-yu will bid farewell to Bao-chai also. Qin Zhong and Bao-yu form deep friendships with Darling and Precious, two other boys who attend the clan school. These four often communicated with each other during studies in a way that they thought the others in the classroom were not aware. One day the school master leaves his grandson in charge of the students while he goes home to attend to business. Because Xue Pan is also not present, the more ill-bred students in the class take the chance to pick on Qin Zhong, Bao-yu, Darling, and Precious.

Qin Zhong and Darling arrange to secretly go outside to talk. They...