Story Summary

This video is a lecture-demonstration-performance of Suzhou pinghua 蘇州平話 (Suzhou straight storytelling [oral narrative] with commentary) by Jin Shengbo from the oral narrative that revolves around Magistrate Bao 包公 (999-1072), the incorruptible Song Dynasty Magistrate whose smile was as rare as a clear spot in the Yellow River.

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Yan Renmin is a fatherless young man who spends his days studying, so that he may take the “Civil Service” examination (based on the Classics, Histories, Literature, and Philosophy) and serve the government, the only occupation worthy of educated men. However, Yan and his mother are extremely poor and do not have the necessary funds for him to make the trip to the Capital to participate in the exam. Fortunately, however, a friend—surnamed Jin, (gold or silver, i.e., money) just like Jin Shengbo—hears about this and comes to the rescue. He not only gives him the funds for the trip, he also sends a clever young boy to accompany him on his journey, because Yan is a bookworm, well educated in the classics, but he has never left home nor has he any experience of anything practical. Yu Mo, who has been on the road his whole life, has the experience and shrewdness to handle the funds and all practical affairs. So, Yan and Yu Mo begin their journey, during which they meet up with a strange fellow, surnamed Bai (the most talented and elegant of the Heroes, Bai Yutang 白玉堂), who takes advantage of Yan outrageously, until they have no money and must pawn everything. This is how Bai tests Yan to determine whether or not he is a “hero,” and Yan and passes easily. Yu Mo, the practical experienced but uneducated young fellow, all the while, is objecting furiously to Bai, knowing that his master will lose everything. Yan, however, ignores his protests because, educated in the Classics, he recognizes that Bai, in spite of his shabby clothes and crude manner, is a “hero” and is delighted to swear brotherhood with him. Once they have sworn brotherhood, everything changes and Bai helps Yan in every way, so that Yan finally passes the exam and becomes a Magistrate.