“Biography of Ying-Ying” Yuan Zhen in brief summary


Not so long ago there lived a student named Zhang, a young man of rare virtues, with a refined soul. He was already thirty-three years old, and he still did not have a lover. When his friends were amazed at his modesty, he said in response that he simply did not meet the one who would answer his feelings.

Once in the city of Pu he accidentally met his distant relative. It turned out that she and her son and daughter fled from the soldier’s revolt that happened in their land, and took refuge in Pu. Zhang managed through friends to make sure that near the house of the unfortunate fugitives put up a guard – his relatives were afraid to lose their good. In gratitude, my aunt arranged a reception for Zhang, in which she introduced her children.

The girl only seventeen springs passed. She was so unusually good, good-natured, that in the humble clothes, without a magnificent haircut, the heart of a young man was wounded. Zhang thought for a long time how to open her

feelings to her, and decided to trust the housemaid Hung-nyang, but she got embarrassed and just babbled about matchmaking. And Zhang at the thought of how long the matchmaking will last, just went crazy. Then, on the advice of a servant, he wrote poetry to the girl. Soon came the answer, which seemed like an enamored invitation to a date. At night, he crept into the girl’s peace, but met with a sharp rebuff from her side.

For several days he walked like a slain. But one night, Ying-in herself came to him, and from that time on they were indulging in a secret love. In-in, although it was perfection itself, kept modestly, rarely spoke a word and even ashamed to play on the zither.

It’s time for Zhang to go to the capital. In-in did not reproach her lover, only for the first time took the citru with him and played a sad melody, and then burst into tears and fled.

In the exams in the capital, Zhang failed, but decided not to return home. He wrote a letter to his beloved and received an answer. In-in wrote about her eternal love and great shame. She did not expect to meet and sent Zhang in

memory of herself a jasper bracelet, because the jasper is firm and pure, and the bracelet has neither a beginning nor an end; a bamboo mortar that kept traces of her tears, and a tangle of tangled silk – a sign of her confused feelings.

A letter from Ying-in became known to some of Zhang’s friends. They asked him about what had happened, and he explained that women had been the source of disasters ever since. He, they say, would not have the virtues to overcome the disastrous spell, so he overcame his feelings.

In-in married, married and Zhang. The last greetings from her were in verse and ended with lines: “Love that you gave me / Give to a young wife.”


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“Biography of Ying-Ying” Yuan Zhen in brief summary