Cheng Weiyuan and Gao E wrote prefaces for the 1791 Chengjia edition (程甲本) in
Classical Chinese. Both prefaces were short and owing to the brevity of Classical Chinese, are reproduced here in full:
Cheng's preface Cheng Weiyuan's 1791 preface was as follows: :《红楼梦》小说本名《石头记》，作者相传不一，究未知出自何人，惟书内记雪芹曹先生删改数过。好事者每传抄一部，置庙市中，昂其值得数十金，可谓不胫而走者矣。然原目一百廿卷，今所传只八十卷，殊非全本。即间称有全部者，及检阅仍只八十卷，读者颇以为憾。不佞以是书既有百廿卷之目，岂无全璧？爰为竭力收罗，自藏书家甚至故纸堆中无不留心，数年以来，仅积有廿余卷。一日偶于鼓担上得十余卷，遂重价购之，欣然翻阅，见其前后起伏，尚属接笋，然漶漫不可收拾。乃同友人细加厘剔，截长补短，抄成全部，复为镌板，以公同好，《红楼梦》全书示自是告成矣。书成，因并志其缘起，以告海内君子。凡我同人，或亦先睹为快者欤？ —小泉程伟元识。 (
Simplified Chinese) :《紅樓夢》小說本名《石頭記》，作者相傳不一，究未知出自何人，惟書內記雪芹曹先生刪改數過。好事者每傳抄一部，置廟市中，昂其值，得數十金，可謂不脛而走者矣。然原目一百廿卷，今所傳只八十卷，殊非全本。即間稱有全部者，及檢閱，仍只八十卷，讀者頗以為憾。不佞以是書既有百廿卷之目，豈無全璧？爰為竭力收羅，自藏書家甚至故紙堆中無不留心，數年以來，僅積有廿余卷。一日偶於鼓擔上得十餘卷，遂重價購之，欣然繙閱，見其前後起伏，尚屬接筍，然漶漫不可收拾。乃同友人細加厘剔，截長補短，抄成全部，復為鐫板，以公同好，《紅樓夢》全書始自是告成矣。書成，因並志其緣起，以告海內君子。凡我同人，或亦先睹為快者歟？—小泉程偉元識。 (
Traditional Chinese) In his 1791 preface Cheng Weiyuan stated that the novel, which he renamed
Dream of the Red Chamber, was originally entitled
The Story of the Stone. It had been ascribed to "different people", the author being unknown, but a certain "Mr"
Cao Xueqin (now believed to be the book's true author) edited and revised it several times as was stated in the novel proper. Such was the popularity of the book that contemporaneous temple market scribes could make copies and sell them for several
taels of
gold. But the book's incomplete, 80-chapter nature disappointed readers. Cheng searched extensively for the remaining chapters, from renowned
book collector's libraries to spare paper piles, and in the process collected over "twenty more (i.e. new) chapters". Cheng wrote after several years, to have chanced on "ten more chapters" of the final version from a book vendor (鼓擔), and paid a hefty price for them. Being the working manuscript, however, it was unedited and in disarray. Cheng Weiyuan invited his friend, a scholar/official (
Gao E) to edit this version, consulting existing versions, then printed the 120 chapter edition to satiate the appetites of fellow fans. Later
Qing Dynasty editions reprinting the Cheng-Gao versions removed Cheng's preface and used Gao's preface solely.
Gao E's preface Gao E's 1791 preface was shorter: :予闻《红楼梦》脍炙人口者，几廿余年，然无全璧，无定本。向曾从友人借观，窃以染指尝鼎为憾。今年春，友人程子小泉过予，以其所购全书见示，且曰：“此仆数年銖积寸累之苦心，将付剞劂，公同好。子閒旦憊矣，盍分任之?”予以是书虽稗官野史之流，然尚不谬于名教，欣然拜诺，正以波斯奴见宝为幸，题襄其役。工既竣，并识端末，以告阅者。—时乾隆辛亥冬至后五日铁岭高鹗叙并书。(
Simplified Chinese) :予聞《紅樓夢》膾炙人口者，幾廿餘年，然無全璧，無定本。向曾從友人借觀，竊以染指嘗鼎為憾。今年春，友人程子小泉過予，以其所購全書見示，且曰：“此僕數年銖積寸累之苦心，將付剞劂，公同好。子閒旦憊矣，盍分任之?”予以是書雖稗官野史之流，然尚不謬於名教，欣然拜諾，正以波斯奴見寶為幸，題襄其役。工既竣，並識端末，以告閱者。—時乾隆辛亥冬至後五日鐵嶺高鶚敘並書。(
Traditional Chinese) Gao's preface was penned in 1791 winter, five days after the
winter solstice, in
Tieling. He revealed the overwhelming popularity of the novel, although there was no final version after "over twenty years". He first read the book at a friend's place since he could not have a share of it (i.e. could not afford its purchase). In spring 1791 Cheng Weiyuan approached Gao to co-edit a "complete" version; Cheng mentioned that he himself was then quite idle but the editing task seemed to him arduous. Gao said that although the novel concerned "unofficial stray anecdotes" (稗官野史) of the past, it did not slander the "orthodox" Confucian classics, and hence he gladly assisted in its editing. Thereafter Gao wrote this preface in appreciation of Cheng's offer of collaboration. ==The 1792 foreword==