The novel that took the longest time to finish was probably 'Dream of the Red Chamber'. The novel was written in 1870 and completed in 1871, taking a total of 12 years. The novel tells the love story of the Qing Dynasty aristocrat Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu. It is one of the representative works of Chinese classical novels. In the process of writing, Cao Xueqin experienced many difficulties, including economic difficulties, life turmoil and political turmoil, but he still persevered and finally completed this masterpiece. The literary value and historical significance of 'Dream of the Red Chamber' were extremely significant. It was hailed as the pinnacle of Chinese classical novels.