Don Juan of China. Samuel Buck

      INTRODUCTION

      THE FAMOUS Chinese novel Chin P‘ing Mei has for its infamous hero Hsi-Men Ch‘ing, perhaps the best-known Don Juan in Chinese fiction and certainly one of the outstanding libertines of world literature. The episode from this long novel that is recounted here concerns but one of his many affairs, that with the passionate Li P‘ing-erh.

      The Chin P‘ing Mei has aroused considerable controversy among Chinese literary critics, particularly due to the fact that, interspersed through its pages, there are many lewd sections that make it unfit for the general reader. The book, however, is recognized to have the highest literary merit and for this reason has survived. In the early years of the present century the scholars of the new Republic saw that the story could be improved by the excision of the lewd parts, which were not in any way essential. The resulting version preserves all the interest, without preserving those parts that prevented many people from reading it. Nothing further need be said on this subject.

      The story was written during the reign of the Ming-dynasty emperor Man Li (1573-1619). The identity of its author is not certain, but early authority attributes the book to Wang Shih-chen, also known as Wang Feng-chou, a famous scholar of the period. Popular tradition has it that he wrote the book as a satire on the wicked Ming minister Yen Sung, his equally wicked son, and other corrupt officials of the Ming dynasty, finding parallels with such characters in the novel as the evil minister Ts‘ai Ching and his evil son. Modern Chinese authorities, however, prefer to say the novel is by an unknown author who borrowed from earlier works such as the Shui Hu Ch‘uan (A Tale of the Water’s Edge). The book is generally homogeneous, probably indicating that it is the work of a single person, but possibly touched up by later hands. Whatever its authorship, the result is a masterpiece of description of contemporary scenes and passions.

      The tale is set in the Northern Sung dynasty (960-1126), at which time the Eastern Capital was Kaifeng and the Western Capital was Loyang, both on the Yellow River in Honan. But Chinese scholars are convinced that the society described is that of the luxurious age of Emperor Man Li of the Ming dynasty. The title of the book—literally “Golden Vase Plum”—is derived from the names of three of its leading female characters—P‘an Chin-lien (here seen as the fifth wife, Madam Tiny Feet), Li P‘ing-erh (our present heroine), and P‘ang Ch‘un-mei (serving-maid to Madam Tiny Feet).

      Hsi-Men Ch‘ing, here called Squire Hsi-Men, is a wealthy and influential playboy of Ch‘ingho District, in Hopei, on the frontiers of Shantung. He lives in Ch‘ingho City, about half-way between Kaifeng, the Sung capital, and Peking, the Ming capital. The squire’s father had made a fortune from a drugstore in Ch‘ingho, which he bequeathed to his son. The squire, aged about twenty-eight in our story, is leading an idle life. By intrigue and money he has obtained much influence in the district, so that few people dare thwart him.

      His first wife is dead, leaving behind a young daughter, who has been betrothed and sent to live with the family of her husband-to-be. The squire’s wives at the beginning of our tale are, in order of precedence:

      Madam Moon (Wu Yueh-niang), aged twenty-seven, the daughter of a colonel. She is round faced and almond eyed, gentle and of few words. She is inclined, however, to listen to that abundant class of quacks and busybodies who batten on the wealthy.

      Madam Charm (Li Chiao-erh), formerly a singsong girl, who was picked up in one of the establishments of women of that period. She is rather fat and heavy.

      Madam Jade Tower (Meng Yu-lou), aged thirty, formerly a rich widow. Her face is like a pear blossom in complexion and a melon seed in outline; her waist is pliant as the willow. Hers is a natural beauty, but her tiny feet are a shade larger than those of Madam Tiny Feet.

      Madam Snow Beauty (Sun Hsueh-yee) has been brought up in the family, having been the serving-maid of the squire’s first wife, now dead. She is small and light. She consorts daily with Madam Moon and has become her confidant, thus arousing envious comment from the others.

      Madam Tiny Feet (P’an Chin-lien), a beautiful wanton. She was purchased by an old fellow, but his jealous wife gave her as a bride to a dwarf who hawked fried cakes in the streets. With the help of the squire’s drugs, she rid herself of her husband and entered the squire’s home, where she is now a favorite wife. Her name Chin-lien means “golden lilies.” This refers to the Chinese woman’s tiny bound feet. Hers are of the smallest, the kind known in literature as “three-inch golden lilies.”

      Madam Slender Li (Li P'ing-erh), the subject of our tale, is destined to become wife number six. She is a silly woman, but rather cunning, who has lost her heart to the squire. Her attitude to the plurality of wives is that she does not mind sharing the man with the others, but yet preserves her right to be jealous.

      Various servants also appear, the more important being: Plum Blossom, serving-maid to Madam Tiny Feet; Opal Spring and Green Spring, serving-maids to Madam Slender Li; Mama Flutter, Madam Slender Li’s old nurse; Tortoise, serving-boy to the squire; God-send and Sunny, two of the squire’s retainers.

      Other men in the story include Mr. Flowers, Madam Slender Li’s first husband and a rather useless fellow; he inherited money from his ad opted father, who was a eunuch and a court chamberlain. Also mentioned are Old Fusty and some of the squire’s other drinking companions. Including the squire and Mr. Flowers, there are ten of them sworn together as brothers. Mentioned here are also Old Dusty, Old Musty, and Old Rusty. These men are mostly parasites who live on their wits and in such a society serve a necessary

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