The Story of a Jade Ring

In other versions of this play, this story is called 'A Young Boy Seeks Refuge'. The story takes place during the Ming Dynasty (A.D. 1368-1644). Lei Baotong, a young boy who is mistreated by his stepmother, lives a miserable life. He is sent out to work in the fields while his stepbrothers are still asleep. He is allowed to eat only once a day, and all he is given are the scraps that are left over after his stepbrothers have eaten. He is dressed in rags, even during the cold winter months, while his stepbrothers are given new clothes at each festival. In addition, he is often bullied by his stepbrothers. Other children in the village begin bullying him as well, because no one looks out for him. He often cries when alone, and is disregarded by everyone.

One day, he runs away from home. Along the way, he stops in front of a big house, where he sees a girl crying. She asks him to help her to find the ring she has just lost. Although Lei Baotong is very hungry, he does not want the girl to cry, and begins searching high and low for the ring. After several unsuccessful hours, he has become so hungry and so weak that he faints. When he awakes, he finds himself lying in a bed in a small room. The girl approaches, and asks if he is alright. She introduces herself as Gui Mei, and asks where he is from. He tells her that he is on the run, looking for refuge in a place far from home. The girl asks him to stay with her family as a servant.

The boy accepts and becomes a servant to the family of a local official, which includes another daughter called Gui Liang. Lei Baotong is accustomed to hardship, so he is a hard worker. The whole family becomes fond of him and, whenever his duties permit, Lei Baotong is allowed to go to school with the official's daughters. The two sisters often come to Lei Baotong for help when their father tests them on what they've learned in school. As the years go by, the three children grow up and Lei Baotong becomes a learned young man.

The official later loses his job because he will not collaborate with corrupt officials. The family can no longer afford to keep Lei Baotong as a servant. The official's daughters hope, however, that Lei Baotong's knowledge will enable him to become somebody, rather than remaining a servant all his life. The daughters give him their last valuables — a pair of golden earrings from Gui Mei and a jade bracelet from Gui Liang — as a way of supporting his bid to take the civil service exam in the capital. Lei Baotong does well in the exam and eventually becomes a high-ranking government official. He begins a search for the two sisters and, when he finds them, he marries one of them, while also ensuring a successful marriage for her sister.