Three Words
Tags
Summary
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers who enjoy classical Chinese vernacular fiction and urban folk tales
- Those who want to understand Ming-era social customs and attitudes toward love and marriage through stories
- Lovers of classical literature who need stories of moderate length for reading in installments
- Readers interested in the folk prototypes behind tales such as Du Shiniang and the oil seller
Not a good fit for
- Readers who prefer modern vernacular and want quick, barrier-free reading
- Readers who only accept a single long main narrative and dislike short-story collections
- Those sensitive to ancient marriage customs, courtroom cases, and themes of karmic retribution
Reading tips
- Start with famous pieces such as Du Shiniang Sinks Her Jewel Box in Anger to build interest, then read stories in thematic chains covering love and marriage, courtroom cases, and loyalty.
- After each story, jot down the characters' motives and turning points in two or three sentences to compare the conventions of vernacular storytelling.
- Mark unfamiliar terms and references rather than stopping to look them up; review them together after finishing a story.
- Read alongside works on Ming social history or introductions to vernacular fiction to understand the urban logic behind the stories.
About the publisher
Jiangxi People's Publishing House is a comprehensive local publisher based in Nanchang, with publishing directions covering philosophy and social sciences, politics and economics, history and culture, education, and the collation of ancient texts. Judging from its books in the database, the house offers Chinese translations of world classics such as Ulysses, Les Fleurs du mal, and Letter from an Unknown Woman, while continuing to publish Eastern philosophical classics including The Analects, the Dao De Jing, and the fully translated and annotated edition of Chuanxilu, forming a parallel structure of Chinese and foreign literary and intellectual classics. Translators such as Xiao Qian, Wen Jieruo, and Zhang Qiuhong support its foreign literature translations, while authors such as Confucius, Laozi, Wang Zengqi, and Hai Zi reflect its accumulation in traditional classics, prose and miscellany, and modern poetry. Its common categories include world classics, Eastern philosophy, prose and miscellany, literature, foreign literature, and modern poetry, showing a publishing character that balances academic popularization with general reading.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 第一卷 蒋兴哥重会珍珠衫
- 第二卷 苏知县罗衫再合
- 第三卷 杜十娘怒沉百宝箱
- 第四卷 卖油郎独占花魁
- 第五卷 乔太守乱点鸳鸯谱
- 第六卷 赫大卿遗恨鸳鸯绦
- 第七卷 陆五汉硬留合色鞋
- 第八卷 薛录事鱼服证仙
- 第九卷 十五贯戏言成巧祸
- 第十卷 一文钱小隙造奇冤
- 作者简介
FAQ
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About the author
Feng Menglong (1574–1646), courtesy name Youlong and style name Mohan Zhai Zhuren, was a native of Changzhou in Suzhou Prefecture (present-day Suzhou, Jiangsu). A Ming dynasty writer and dramatist, he devoted his life to collecting and editing popular literature. He compiled Yushi Mingyan, Jingshi Tongyan, and Xingshi Hengyan, known collectively as the "Three Words," which became representative anthologies of vernacular short stories. He also compiled Qingshi and Gujin Tangui, revised Xin Lieguo Zhi and Pingyao Zhuan, and served as magistrate of Shouning County in Fujian. His works draw on urban life and folk legends, employ lively vernacular language, and focus on human nature and social manners, exerting a lasting influence on later vernacular fiction and drama. The library holds 200 of his works, spanning classical literature and social fiction.
