Moment in Peking may not be best novel in China Republic period; still, it stays the profoundest English novel written by a Chinese. Its author Lin Yutang may not be the greatest writer; but he was true, true toward his Time and toward his heart.

At first Lin wanted to translate Red Chamber Dream into English, then decided to create a new “classic background novel of modern China”. Therefore, you can often see reflections of the “Red Chamber Dream”.

e.g. Grandmother of Tseng is similar to Jia Paoyu’s grandmother (贾母) , religious and dignified at the family top.

Mr. Tseng to Paoyu’s father (贾政), an austere household and Confucian official.

Mr. Yao to the bald monk in Red Chamber Dream, both of whom played a clue and influence to the fates of the young. Cao Xueqin expressed his Buddhist mind through the bald mank, while Lin Yutang  endowed Mr. Yao with his faith in Taoism and Chuangtse.

Yao Mochow is the same as 薛宝钗, fleshy and gentle like soil, steady and practical like earth.

Unlike sister Mochow, Yao Mulan resembles 探春, in combination of Taiyu’s passion and Paotsa’s capability. Mulan is the author’s ideal as well as mine. She’s is a daughter of a Toaist, a child of Nature, and often a “whimsy” as her husband Sunya called. Her subtle love when standing together with Lifu on the summit of Tai Moutain, and her brave love when rescuing Lifu from prison, touched me to tears.

As for Kung Lifu, with his integrity as sandalwood and  his impetuosity as a horse, is more like 柳湘莲 than Jia Paoyu.

The true “Paoyu” should be Afei, sentimental towards girls. Afei’s “Taiyu” is Redjade. At last, Redjade threw herself into lake for love.

There are also outstanding bondmaids in the book as in Red Chamber Dream. Dimfragrance was sold in childhood, but unlike 香菱，she harvests a peaceful life with the young master Chinya. Similar to 晴雯“心比天高命比纸薄”,  Silverscreen proclaims: “I am not in the class of young ladies with parents to look after me, and I must look after myself and marry with my own consent.”

In the Garden of Quiet and Suitability, “Four Beauties” (Mannia, Mulan, Mochow, and Redjade) and “Four Monkey Cries” (Lifu, Sunya, Afei, and Paku—I think Chinya better) talk fervently about renaissance, democracy and communism, while “金陵十二钗” hold poem parties in 大观园。Time does change! The writer Cao Xueqin felt deep pain of a degrading dynasty, while Lin filled his heart the fresh gust of a new era, and took a more liberal view on the changes. Lin hated greedy warlords, corrupt officials, and “literary prostitutes”; he warmly praised the young and the masses during social revolutions.

 “We the pioneers of today shall be outmoded and shall be thrown by the wayside by the advancing generation ten years from now. And we shall gladly make way for those coming behind,” said Lin.