Jia Yucun, a scholar, is exiled to Yangzhou and becomes a guest of the salt inspector, Lin Ruhai. He teaches Lin's daughter, Lin Daiyu, and escorts her to the Jia family's Rongguo Mansion. Jia Yucun helps Daiyu's uncle, Jia Zheng, and is reinstated. Daiyu becomes close to her cousin, Jia Baoyu, but ...