Ning Nuan is the eldest daughter of the First Branch of the Ning family. She is intelligent and perceptive, aware of the unfair treatment her family receives from the Second and Third Branches. Unlike her mother, who tends to endure silently, Ning Nuan is not afraid to assert herself and has been known to argue with her cousins over obvious slights. At the beginning of the story, she wakes from a nap annoyed by the incense her maidservant used, which was taken by her cousin Ning Qing. She shows composure and resourcefulness in dealing with household conflicts. She is surprised by her mother's sudden change in behavior but supports the new assertiveness.
