My nextdoor neighbour is good at cultivating flowers and the strange plant he has among the protected species is Night blooming Cereus, also called Dutchman’s Pipe. It is a special member of the Cactus Family that resembles nothing more than a dead bush most of the year. It is rarely seen in the wild because of its inconspicuousness. This plant is suitable for growing indoors.

Just for one midsummer’s night each year, its exqusitely scented flower opens as night falls, then closes forever with the first rays of the morning sun. Last evening the lovely plant began to bloom at 8 pm and it faded hours later.

In Chinese we have an idiom Tan Hua Yi Xian that means a flash in the pan. Tan Hua is the phonetical spelling of Night blooming Cereus. The idiom refers to very short living things.

On Baoyu’s birthday the young ladies held a drinking party in which they composed poems and much fun. Their service maids started a game of their own.

Xiang Ling, Xue Fan’s concubine, collected some flower and grass and began a grass game with the other. “This one is bodhisattva willow,” one said. And another one would say, “I have arhat pine.”

Suddenly, Dou Guan said she had a sisters flower. Xiang Ling said, “I have a husband and-wife flower.” “Never heard of that,” the previous girl protested. “why,” Xiang Ling explained. “One flower on a stem is called lan, and several flower on a stem make hui. Two on one stem, one up and one down, is a brother flower, and two flowers side is certainly a spouses one.” The other girl, however, did not easily give up. Laughing, she challenged, “Well, then if one flower is big and the other one small, then it’s a father and son flower; and if two flowers face different ways it’s probably an enemies flower. Is that rather? Xue Fan is gone for over half a year. I guess because you miss him you made up that husband and wife flower.”

Blushed, Xiang Ling rushed up meaning to pinch the sharp-tongued girl, who laughed and begged for the other’s help. At the sight of the girls’ laughing, poking and punching each other in a friendly manner.