It began with one highly-skilled singing girl White Sister. Liu E was really amazing at describing the sweetness of singing by White Sister. The effect of her voice was just like drug, making all one’s body tremble with pleasure. Soul-stirring singing can really make one forget all other things and bury his head into it to enjoy without distraction. At first, Black Sister sang and Lao Can was already fascinated, however other people besides told she learnt only a little from her sister. Some other singers could learn a little from Black Sister, however, impossible from White Sister. By the way, there was also an old ugly musician played wonderfully, I always admire those people with really unparalleled skill.

Then came a tragedy. A whole family was trapped by a group of robbers. The magistrate arrested men of the family and tortured them to death without even further investigation. The virtuous wife used her death to demonstrate their innocence, however, only in vain, what’s more, the magistrate wasn’t moved at all and even abused the woman for making him embarrassed. In Later Qing period of China, there was a funny circulation, official was afraid of foreign devil, foreign devil was afraid of common people, common people was afraid of official. So many grievances like this happened, to whom should the victims complain? No choice, that’s why Guan Hanqing used snow in summer to reflect the grievance of Dou Er, as everybody knows, it’s an impossible thing. So many people warned Lao Can not to talk anything about it to protect himself from harm. It meant when you were beaten by someone and you weren’t allowed to moan.

Emerald Flower and Emerald Ring were two miserable prostitutes. They were young and became property of their mistress and never saw any light ahead the road. Mr. Huang called Emerald Flower himself and Emerald Ring for Lao Can. Huang was a guy indulged in sex and opium, however, he was kind-hearted. Lao Can was straight and willing to let Emerald Ring go without sleeping with her, but Emerald Ring begged him to let her stay, or else she would be beaten by her mistress for she would thought of the incompetence of Emerald Ring to entertain guests. At last, Emerald Ring became concubine of Lao Can while Emerald Flower became concubine of Mr. Huang. Though the result was inconceivable today, but the best then. At least they didn’t have to entertain different kinds of men and weren’t free at all and had a family to comfort themselves.

Finally I finished the novel and should learn the language skill of Liu E. Literature indicating the darkness of society is better than those literature moaning without pain.