The four families in 'Dream of the Red Chamber' were the Jia, Wang, Xue, and Shi families. The Jia family was the main family in the novel. It was the family of Jia Baoyu's father, Jia Daishan. This family was engaged in business, government, reading, and many other industries. They had wealth and power, and they were the aristocrats of the feudal dynasty. The Wang family was a close relative of the Jia family. It was the family of Jia Baoyu's mother, Madam Wang. This family was engaged in agriculture and crafts, owned land and property, and was also a noble class of the feudal dynasty. The Xue family was a distant relative of the Jia family. It was the family of Jia Baoyu's grandmother, Aunt Xue. This family was engaged in medicine, jewelry, cloth, and many other industries. They had wealth and power and were the aristocrats of the feudal dynasty. The Shi family was a distant relative of the Jia family. It was the family of Jia Baoyu's grandfather, Shi Xiangyun. This family was engaged in furniture, clothing, and many other industries. They owned land and property, and they were also the aristocrats of the feudal dynasty.