Grandmother Jia

Grandmother Jia ,often called the Dowager, is a major character in Dream of the Red Chamber. She is the daughter of Marquis Shi of Jinling. She is also Baoyu and Daiyu's grandmother and the most respected authority of the Jia Clan. A doting figure, it was she who arranged for Daiyu, her only "outside" grandchild, to come to the Rongguo Mansion.

It was with her help that Baoyu and Daiyu became extremely close as childhood playmates, lovers, and eventually, kindred spirits. The Dowager has two sons, Jia She and Jia Zheng, a daughter, Jia Min; two daughter-in-laws, Lady Hsing and Lady Wang, many grandchildren, such as the 4 "Springs", Jia Baoyu, Jia Lian, Wang Xifeng, and Lin Daiyu, a son-in-law, Lin Ruhai, a grandniece, Shi Xiangyun, and several great-grandchildren, including Qin Keqing, her great-granddaughter-in-law.