Ge Sheng of Bo

During the Daoguang era of the Qing dynasty, a boy named Zhou Gesheng was born in Bozhou. His mother died in childbirth, and his father left to seek work, only to be caught in a fire and left dead or alive, no one knew. His stepmother, Madam Zheng, was unfaithful and cruelly abused young Gesheng. After enduring hardship upon hardship, Gesheng met Cao Baili, a merchant from Bozhou. With Cao Baili's help, Ge Youchang, a coppersmith from Tongjiang Alley, adopted him. The Ge couple cherished Gesheng, and their only daughter, Tong'er, grew up with him as his childhood sweetheart. Everyone thought Gesheng would marry Tong'er and care for Ge Youchang and his wife in their old age. But then he met Hong Shao, the daughter of the Shanxi merchant Liao Hongshun, and the two fell in love, vowing to stay together in life and death. They were caught up in bandit attacks, a family rift, and betrayal in love... Theme: Through Gesheng's short life, this story reveals the hardships faced by ordinary people in the latter half of the Qing dynasty.