且說金輝聽了巧娘的言語，明是開脫小姐，暗裡卻是葬送佳蕙。佳蕙既有污行，小姐焉能清白呢？真是「君子可欺以其方」。那知後來金公見了玉釵，便把佳蕙拋開，竟自追問小姐，生生的把個千金小姐險些兒喪了性命。可見他的計謀狠毒。言雖如此，巧娘說「焉知不是佳蕙那丫頭」這句話，說的何嘗不是呢？他卻有個心思，以為要害小姐，必先剪除了佳蕙。佳蕙既除，然後再害小姐就容易了。偏偏的遇見個心急性拗的金輝，不容分說，又搭著個純孝的小姐不敢強辯，因此這件事倒鬧的蒙混了。
且说金辉听了巧娘的言语，明是开脱小姐，暗里却是葬送佳蕙。佳蕙既有污行，小姐焉能清白呢？真是「君子可欺以其方」。那知后来金公见了玉钗，便把佳蕙抛开，竟自追问小姐，生生的把个千金小姐险些儿丧了性命。可见他的计谋狠毒。言虽如此，巧娘说「焉知不是佳蕙那丫头」这句话，说的何尝不是呢？他却有个心思，以为要害小姐，必先剪除了佳蕙。佳蕙既除，然后再害小姐就容易了。偏偏的遇见个心急性拗的金辉，不容分说，又搭着个纯孝的小姐不敢强辩，因此这件事倒闹的蒙混了。
Now, Qiaoniang’s words to Jin Hui seemed on the face of it to clear the young lady, but underneath they were meant to ruin Jiahui. And if Jiahui had misbehaved, how could her young lady be spotless? Truly, ‘a gentleman can be deceived by what seems right.’ Who could have guessed that later, once Lord Jin found the jade hairpin, he would put Jiahui aside altogether and go straight after his daughter, so that a young lady worth a thousand in gold very nearly lost her life? That shows how vicious the scheme was. Even so, when Qiaoniang said, ‘Who knows but it may be that maid Jiahui,’ was she so far wrong? But she had a plan in mind: to harm the young lady, she must first get rid of Jiahui. With Jiahui out of the way, harming the young lady afterwards would be easy. As luck would have it, she came up against Jin Hui, a hasty, stubborn man who would not hear a word of explanation, and on top of that a young lady so perfectly filial that she dared not argue back. That is how the whole affair came to be muddled.
且說金輝到了內書房安歇，一夜不曾合眼。到了次日，悄悄到了外書房一看，可巧施俊今日又會文去了。金公便在書房搜查，就在書箱內搜出一枝玉釵，仔細留神，正是給女兒的東西。這一氣非同小可，轉身來到正室，見了何氏，問道：「我曾給過牡丹一對玉釵，現在那裡？」何氏道：「既然給了女兒，必是女兒收著。」金輝道：「要來，我看。」何氏便叫丫環到小姐那裡去取。去不多時，只見丫環拿了一枝玉釵回來，稟道：「奴婢方才到小姐那裡取釵，小姐找了半天，在鏡箱內找了一枝。問佳蕙時，佳蕙病的昏昏沉沉，也不知那一枝那裡去了。小姐說：『待找著那一枝，即刻送來。』」金輝聽了，哼了一聲，將丫環叱退，對夫人道：「你養的好女兒！豈有此理！」何氏道：「女兒丟了玉釵，容他慢慢找去。老爺何必生氣？」金公冷笑道：「再要找時，除非到書房找這一枝去。」何氏聽了詫異道：「老爺何出此言？」金公便將手帕扇墜擲與何氏，道：「這都是你養的好女兒作的！」便在袖內把那一枝玉釵取出，道：「現有對證，還有何言支吾？」何氏見了此物，問道：「此釵老爺從何得來？」金輝便將施生書箱內搜出來的事說了。又道：「我看父女之情，給他三日限期，叫他尋個自盡，休來見我！」說罷，氣憤憤的上外面書房去了。
且说金辉到了内书房安歇，一夜不曾合眼。到了次日，悄悄到了外书房一看，可巧施俊今日又会文去了。金公便在书房搜查，就在书箱内搜出一枝玉钗，仔细留神，正是给女儿的东西。这一气非同小可，转身来到正室，见了何氏，问道：「我曾给过牡丹一对玉钗，现在那里？」何氏道：「既然给了女儿，必是女儿收着。」金辉道：「要来，我看。」何氏便叫丫环到小姐那里去取。去不多时，只见丫环拿了一枝玉钗回来，禀道：「奴婢方才到小姐那里取钗，小姐找了半天，在镜箱内找了一枝。问佳蕙时，佳蕙病的昏昏沉沉，也不知那一枝那里去了。小姐说：『待找着那一枝，即刻送来。』」金辉听了，哼了一声，将丫环叱退，对夫人道：「你养的好女儿！岂有此理！」何氏道：「女儿丢了玉钗，容他慢慢找去。老爷何必生气？」金公冷笑道：「再要找时，除非到书房找这一枝去。」何氏听了诧异道：「老爷何出此言？」金公便将手帕扇坠掷与何氏，道：「这都是你养的好女儿作的！」便在袖内把那一枝玉钗取出，道：「现有对证，还有何言支吾？」何氏见了此物，问道：「此钗老爷从何得来？」金辉便将施生书箱内搜出来的事说了。又道：「我看父女之情，给他三日限期，叫他寻个自尽，休来见我！」说罢，气愤愤的上外面书房去了。
Our story turns to Jin Hui, who went to bed in the inner study and did not close his eyes all night. The next day he slipped over to the outer study to look, and as it happened Shi Jun had gone off to his literary society again. Lord Jin searched the study, and in the book chest he found a jade hairpin. He looked at it closely: it was the very thing he had given his daughter. This put him in no ordinary rage. He turned and went to the main chamber, and when he saw Madam He he asked, “I once gave Mudan a pair of jade hairpins. Where are they now?” “Since you gave them to our daughter,” said Madam He, “she must have them put away.” “Send for them,” said Jin Hui. “I want to see them.” Madam He sent a maid to the young lady’s rooms to fetch them. Before long the maid came back with a single jade hairpin and reported, “Just now your servant went to the young lady’s for the hairpins. The young lady hunted a long while and found one in her mirror case. When she asked Jiahui, Jiahui was so ill she was hardly in her senses, and couldn’t say where the other one had gone. The young lady says, ‘As soon as I find the other, I’ll send it straight over.’” Jin Hui gave a snort and ordered the maid out. Then he said to his wife, “A fine daughter you have raised! The very idea!” “Our daughter has lost a jade hairpin,” said Madam He. “Let her look for it in her own time. Why should you be angry, my lord?” Lord Jin gave a cold laugh. “If she wants to look for it, she’ll have to go to the study to find this one.” Madam He was astonished. “What do you mean by that, my lord?” Lord Jin flung the handkerchief and the fan pendant down before her. “This is all the work of that fine daughter of yours!” And he took the other jade hairpin out of his sleeve. “Here is the proof. What excuse is left?” When Madam He saw it, she asked, “Where did you get this hairpin, my lord?” Jin Hui told her how he had found it in Shi Jun’s book chest. And he said, “For the sake of what lies between father and daughter, I give her three days. Let her find some way to make an end of herself, and never come before me again!” With that, he stormed off to the outer study.
何氏見此光景，又是著急，又是傷心，忙忙來到小姐臥室。見了牡丹放聲大哭。牡丹不知其詳，問道：「母親，這是為何？」夫人哭哭啼啼，將始末原由述了一遍。牡丹聽畢，只嚇的粉面焦黃，嬌音軟顫，也就哭將起來。哭了多時，道：「此事從何說起！女兒一概不知。叫乳母梁氏追問佳蕙去。」誰知佳蕙自那日遺失手帕扇墜，心中一急，登時病了。就在那日告假，躺在自己屋內將養。此時正在昏憒之際，如何答應得上來。梁氏無奈，回轉繡房，道：「問了佳蕙，他也不知。」何氏夫人道：「這便如何是好！」復又痛哭起來。牡丹強止淚痕，說道：「爹爹既然吩咐孩兒自盡，孩兒也不敢違拗。只是母親養了孩兒一場，未能答報，孩兒雖死也不瞑目。」夫人聽到此，上前抱住牡丹，道：「我的兒呀！你既要死，莫若為娘的也同你死了吧。」牡丹哭道：「母親休要顧惜女兒。現在我兄弟方交七歲，母親若死了，叫兄弟倚靠何人？豈不絕了金門之後麼？」說罷，也抱住夫人，痛哭不止。
何氏见此光景，又是着急，又是伤心，忙忙来到小姐卧室。见了牡丹放声大哭。牡丹不知其详，问道：「母亲，这是为何？」夫人哭哭啼啼，将始末原由述了一遍。牡丹听毕，只吓的粉面焦黄，娇音软颤，也就哭将起来。哭了多时，道：「此事从何说起！女儿一概不知。叫乳母梁氏追问佳蕙去。」谁知佳蕙自那日遗失手帕扇坠，心中一急，登时病了。就在那日告假，躺在自己屋内将养。此时正在昏愦之际，如何答应得上来。梁氏无奈，回转绣房，道：「问了佳蕙，他也不知。」何氏夫人道：「这便如何是好！」复又痛哭起来。牡丹强止泪痕，说道：「爹爹既然吩咐孩儿自尽，孩儿也不敢违拗。只是母亲养了孩儿一场，未能答报，孩儿虽死也不瞑目。」夫人听到此，上前抱住牡丹，道：「我的儿呀！你既要死，莫若为娘的也同你死了吧。」牡丹哭道：「母亲休要顾惜女儿。现在我兄弟方交七岁，母亲若死了，叫兄弟倚靠何人？岂不绝了金门之后么？」说罢，也抱住夫人，痛哭不止。
Seeing how things stood, Madam He was frantic and heartbroken at once, and she hurried to her daughter’s bedchamber. At the sight of Mudan she burst out weeping. Mudan did not know what had happened. “Mother, what is it?” she asked. Sobbing, her mother told her the whole story from beginning to end. When Mudan had heard it, her powdered face turned sallow with fright and her sweet voice trembled, and she began to cry too. After she had cried a long while she said, “How can such a thing be? Your daughter knows nothing at all about it. Have Nurse Liang go and ask Jiahui.” But ever since the day she lost the handkerchief and the fan pendant, Jiahui had been so frightened that she fell ill on the spot. That same day she had asked for leave, and she lay in her own room to recover. Just now she was in a stupor; how could she answer anything? There was nothing Nurse Liang could do. She went back to the young lady’s chamber and said, “I asked Jiahui, and she doesn’t know either.” “What are we to do?” said Madam He, and began to weep bitterly again. Mudan forced back her tears and said, “Since Father has ordered his child to kill herself, I dare not disobey. Only, Mother, you raised me and I have never repaid you. Though I die, I shall not die in peace.” At this her mother stepped forward and threw her arms around her. “My child! If you must die, then your mother may as well die with you.” Mudan wept. “Mother, don’t throw your life away for my sake. My little brother is only just seven. If you die, who will he have to lean on? Wouldn’t that be the end of the Jin family line?” With that she too threw her arms around her mother, and they wept and could not stop.