The Quing Ding Pearl Anonymous

11 M, 1 W

Setting – The script doesn’t describe a set, but seems to require the use of a fishing boat that can
move across the stage, Kuei-Ying’s house, and the Ting’s estate,

Plot – Hsiao En has a beautiful daughter named Keui-Ying, who is engaged to be married. Hsaio
is a fisherman and is getting too old to fish, but continues to do so because he needs to support
himself and Keui-Ying. Li Chun and Ni Jung are swashbucklers who stop by, and Hsaio En
convinces them to stay and eat some fish and get drunk with him. Kuo Hsien Sheng is the
secretary for Ting Yuan Wai, a retired official, and comes by and sees how beautiful Keui-Ying
is, and Hsiao En sends him away. Ting Lang is a servant of Ting Yuan Wai, and comes to tell
Hsiao En he needs to pay his fishing tax to Ting Yuan Wai. Hsaio En refuses and Li Chun and
Ni Jung almost beat Ting Lang up, but Hsiao En stops them and Ting Ling goes to tell Ting
Yuan Wai. Ting Yuan Wai sends five boxers to go collect the tax from Hsiao En, but Hsiao En
ends up beating them all up. The boxers go back to Ting Yuan Wai and Hsiao En goes to the
yamen to file a complaint about them before they can file a complaint about him, but the yamen
sentences Hsiao En to forty strokes of the bamboo. He returns home to Keui-Ying and together
they set off to murder the Tings. Keui-Ying expresses uncertainty, but they continue, and kill
Ting Yuan Wai, Kuo, Hsien Sheng, and all five boxers. The end.

Items of Note – I know there’s so much I’m missing because it’s a translation. I’m sure the
burlesque style would be much more meaningful to someone who can see it performed in its
original language. Also, I think much of its meaning comes from the culture, which is foreign to
me. I think it’s interesting that Hsiao En was so abrupt in killing the Tings, and didn’t deliberate
over the morality of it at all. It’s also worth noting that they talk about how Hsiao En is too old to
be a fisherman anymore, but manages to beat up Ting Yuan Wai’s security squad.