Ping and Xima

Ping and Xi Ma (平奚马), often mistakenly called Ping and Xima, is a popular Xuyanese play.

Summary
The play focuses the two eponymous characters, a peasant fisherman named Ping and a noblewoman named Ma of House Xi, and their difficult illicit romance. Throughout the story, they face different obstacles such as their opposing classes, arranged marriages, and others who might interfere in their relationship.

Its author remained unknown for decades before it wa finally discovered that the play had been written by a painter named Zhu Jing, previously only known as the master who taught the famous artists Gao Shan. Through his own notes, only discovered posthumously, it is revealed that the first act of the story is paralleled by Zhu Jing's own life. However, the situation resolved very differently for Zhu Jing once it was uncovered that the woman of his affections was with child.

Act I
A peasant man named Ping is fishing by the edge of a lake, quietly musing to himself that he wishes he could catch himself a wife as easily as a fish but he has no money and no title. He then sees a woman drowning in the lake. He manages to save her with a fishing net and sees she's very beautiful! He is immediately smitten. She thanks him for saving her life, telling him that she must come with him to meet her father, the local magistrate Lord Xi, for a reward. As expected, Magistrate Xi is overjoyed with Ping for saving his daughter Ma and offers him a large sum of money. He also decides that from now on they will purchase all of their fish from him. He then becomes regularly associated with House Xi. During this time, Ping and Ma become close and it is clear Ma feels the same for him as Ping does for her.

They become deeply in love but cannot marry because of their different castes. After some time, Ma decides she will simply ask her father as he is already so fond of Ping that he might at least give him a noble title. However, when she goes to her father, she learns he has set up an arranged marriage for her with a very wealthy and handsome man named Lord Mang.

Act II
Ping is distraught to overhear that Lady Ma of House Xi will be marrying a nobleman by the name of Lord Mang of House Mang. He sneaks into the wedding, disguising himself as a servant so that he can see if it's really true. During the wedding ceremony, Ma sees Ping in the crowd and faints from shock. When she awakens later, she finds Ping and speaks to him about the marriage, revealing that Lord Mang is actually quite foolish and dimwitted, and declares no love for him. Her heart belongs only to Ping.

The two lovers continue their relationship in secret, behind the back of the oblivious Lord Mang. This, however, leads to the suspicions of the wicked  Lady Shori , sister of Lord Mang. She begins to investigate and uncovers the relationship. She becomes infuriated and tries to reveal the affair to Lord Man on several occasions, to no avail. These attempts often backfire, to her own embarrassment, while Lord Mang remains oblivious.

Legacy
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