Chapter 19: Daiyu Burns Her Poems
Daiyu's health had been growing worse with each passing month. She coughed frequently, and her face had become pale and thin. The doctor said she needed rest and peace, but peace was the one thing the Jia mansion could no longer provide. Rumors were spreading about Baoyu's marriage, and Daiyu knew in her heart that she was not the chosen bride.
One cold autumn night, Daiyu sat alone in her room. The wind howled outside, and the bamboo trees swayed in the darkness. She opened a wooden box and took out all the poems she had written over the years. Each piece of paper held a memory of her life in the garden, of the poetry club, of her love for Baoyu.
"What use are these words now?" she whispered to herself. She lit a small fire in the bronze basin and began to burn the poems one by one. The flames rose and consumed the paper, turning her beautiful words into ash. Tears fell from her eyes, but she did not stop.
Zijuan found her and tried to save the remaining poems, but Daiyu held her back. "Let them go," she said softly. "Everything must go." The fire burned until there was nothing left but gray ash. Daiyu's poems, her memories, and her hopes all disappeared into the cold night air.
That night, Daiyu made a quiet decision. She would not fight against her fate. She had loved Baoyu with all her heart, and that love had been the most beautiful thing in her life. Now it was time to let go, to return to the earth like the flowers she had buried in the spring.