綵樓記 The Story of Nuptial Gallery
綵樓記
《綵樓記》為明王錂所撰，改編自南戲《破窯記》，寫相府千金綵樓招親，繡球拋與窮書生呂蒙正，兩人被逐出相府，日後呂蒙正奮發攻讀，得中功名，一家團聚。
折子戲: 評雪、辨蹤
〈評雪、辨蹤〉描寫呂蒙正與相府千金劉翠萍婚後棲身寒窯，生活貧苦不堪，以齋飯度日。一日大雪，呂蒙出門趕齋，劉母派家僕院公與女婢梅香送來米炭銀兩，呂蒙正回家看見雪地有男子腳印，心中懷疑妻子不貞，又見妻子端來米粥，更加疑心，兩人爭吵。待劉千金說明事情經過，呂蒙正道歉認錯。
The Story of Nuptial Gallery
The Story of Nuptial Gallery was written by Ling Wang of the sixteenth century. Adapted from an earlier play called The Story of the Ruined Shed, the play depicts Liu Cuiping, daughter of the prime minister, who offered her nuptial ribbon ball to Lu Mengzheng, an impoverished scholar, and chose him as her husband. Liu’s decision angers her father, and she and Lu are evicted from her father’s residence. Later Lu devotes himself to studying, passes the civil examination, and eventually reunites the family.
SCENE: Traces in the Snow
Traces in the Snow is set after Liu and Lu’s eviction when they stay in a dilapidated shed. Abysmally poor, they survive on donated food Lu manages to obtain from a nearby temple. One snowy day while Lu is out at the temple to retrieve food, Liu’s mother sends a butler and maidservant who bring rice, coals, and money to the shed and help alleviate their hardship. When Lu returns, he sees man’s footprints in the snow, which leads him to doubt his wife’s fidelity to him. When he enters home, his suspicion increases further as Liu brings out rice porridge for him to eat. The misunderstanding provokes a quarrel between husband and wife. After Liu explains what happened, Lu apologizes and asks for forgiveness.
