Second Collection of Tales is a pair of short-story collections by the Ming-dynasty novelist Ling Mengchu. Their full titles are First Collection of Tales to Awaken the World and Second Collection of Tales to Awaken the World, together known as Second Collection of Tales. The books contain 78 stories in all, 76 of which have survived. They depict the everyday lives of ordinary people during the Ming dynasty: solving crimes, falling in love, doing business, and even encountering immortals and ghosts. The plots are so exciting that they're a real delight to read!
Unlike stale moral lectures, these stories boldly portray the genuine desires of ordinary people: how merchants make their fortunes, how men and women pursue love freely, and even how women bravely seek their own happiness. The characters leap off the page: there's a poor young man blessed with incredible luck, a clever and quick-witted proprietress, and a foolish, greedy official who gets swindled. Reading them is like browsing the social news of the Ming dynasty.
The Plain-Language Stories from the Complete Second Collection of Tales offers accessible, humorous prose and plots full of twists and turns. Some stories are so astonishing you'll slap the table in delight, while others will leave you laughing and crying at once. They're not only entertaining, but also a window into the everyday lives of ordinary people in the Ming dynasty.
Good, good, good