Mudan Ting (English-Chinese Parallel)

Author: Tang Xianzu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-09-01
Features: This is a bilingual English-Chinese edition of The Peony Pavilion. The book tells the story of Du Lijiang, the only daughter of Du Bao, the governor of Nan'an. Under strict discipline, she grew up to the age of sixteen without even stepping into her family's backyard garden. She felt guilty for taking a nap during the day, as it violated her family's teachings, and was scolded for embroidering two flowers on her clothes. The only man she could interact with, besides her father, was her teacher, a pedantic old scholar. The loneliness of her environment, the suppression of her spirit, and the emptiness of her life made this young woman, who was in the prime of her youth, extremely troubled. One day, encouraged by her maidservant, she entered the backyard garden for the first time. The vibrant and bright spring scenery awakened Lijiang's youth and ignited her romantic feelings. She gazed at her reflection, lamenting her suffering, yearning for love, and even falling deeply in love at first sight with a scholar named Liu Mengmei who appeared in her dreams. They enjoyed secret love and shared tender moments in bed, ultimately even dying in a secluded spring. As a ghost, she continued her pursuit of love, meeting Liu Mengmei as a human and spirit, and eventually being reborn to marry him.