Raise the Red Lantern

Songlian arrives at the Chen family estate as the fourth wife. She is initially treated like royalty, receiving foot massages and bright red lanterns, but she soon realizes this lavish treatment is conditional on the master's whims.

The master selects which wife he will spend the night with each day. The chosen wife receives lanterns lit, meals adjusted to her preference, and the most attention from the servants.

The First, Second, and Third Mistresses are established, each with her own demeanor. Songlian observes Zhuoyun's supportive friendliness and Meishan's aloof, scheming nature.

Songlian learns that her maid Yan'er resents her and later catches Yan'er fooling around with the Master. This confirms the tense dynamics behind the mansion's polished surface.

While searching for her late father's flute, Songlian discovers red lanterns hidden in Yan'er's room along with a charm bearing her name. This unearths secrets and forbidden possessions within the household.

Yan'er is ordered to kneel in the snow until she apologizes, refusing and collapsing from the cold. She is then taken away to the hospital, sidelined by the others.

Songlian pretends to be pregnant to attract the master's attention and gain power in the household. Doctor Gao examines her and exposes the pregnancy as a sham, after which the master orders her lanterns covered with black canvases.

Meishan reveals Zhuoyun’s past treachery during their own pregnancies, warning Songlian. Songlian cuts Zhuoyun’s ear during a haircut, deepening the rivalries in the house.

Meishan tells Songlian about her own affair with Doctor Gao and warns her of the consequences of exposure. Songlian muses about suicide as a coping mechanism.

On her twentieth birthday, Songlian asks for alcohol and a private dinner. Yan'er is said to have died, and Songlian drinks, lamenting her loneliness.

Zhuoyun's servant reveals that Songlian told Zhuoyun about Meishan's affair with Doctor Gao while she was drunk. The revelation deepens the mansion's intrigue and the sense of guilt among the women.

Meishan is dragged to the room of death, once known for hangings; Songlian enters and becomes hysterical, calling everyone murderers. The Master tells her she did not see a thing.

The lanterns in Meishan's room are finally lit and a phonograph plays, prompting the servants to flee as they believe the place is haunted. Songlian is seen as having staged the scene, sitting alone in the room.

The Master marries another mistress the following summer, who receives the foot massage. The servants remark that the fourth mistress has gone insane.

Songlian wanders the courtyard in her old schoolgirl clothes, symbolizing isolation and the collapse of her status within the mansion.