Jin Ping Mei

It is an ancient Chinese vernacular novel about world affairs. It was written between the Longqing and Wanli years of the Ming Dynasty. The author signed it Lanling Xiaoxiaosheng and was listed as the first of the "Four Wonderful Books" of the Ming Dynasty. The title of the book is a combination of one word from each of the novel's three heroines: Pan Jinlian, Li Ping'er, and Pang Chunmei. The theme evolved from the scene in "Water Margin" in which Wu Song kills his sister-in-law. Through the description of Ximen Qing and his family's sinful life, it reveals the darkness and corruption of society in the mid-Ming Dynasty, which has profound cognitive value. After the novel came out, it was adapted into a variety of operas and film and television works.