Peach not yet fragrant, apricot not yet red—
Braving the cold, she already laughs at the east wind.
Her soul flies to Yu Ridge where spring is hard to tell;
Sunset clouds veil Luofu—the dream cannot get through.
Green sepals add color, melting beside the jeweled torch;
A white fairy, tipsy, straddles the fading rainbow.
This is clearly no ordinary hue—
Dark or light, she stands amid the ice and snow.
English titles, text, and notes are AI-assisted for reading only; for scholarship cite the Chinese and authoritative editions.
Annotation
In Chapter 50, after the linked-verse poetry at Reed Snow Cottage, Li Wan assigned Xing Xiuyan, Li Wen, and Xue Baoqin each to compose a poem on red plum blossoms. This is Xing Xiuyan's poem, on the theme of 'visiting Miaoyu to beg for red plum.' 'Braving the cold, she laughs at the east wind' symbolizes Xiuyan's noble character despite poverty.
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