The Story of the Stone, Vol. 2: The Crab-Flower Club
Cao Xueqin (?1715-63) was born into a family which for three generations held the office of Commissioner of Imperial Textiles in Nanking, a family so wealthy they were able to entertain the Emperor four times.  However, calamity overtook them and their property was consfiscated.  Cao Xueqin was living in poverty when he wrote his famous novel The Story of the Stone.