West Lake Boat Shadow

During the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty, people's livelihood along the West Lake was in decline. Yan Ru, a girl from Qiantang, was reluctantly sent by her mother to the "Boat Girl Bank" to pay off her debts and make a living because her father died young and her family fell into decline. At that time, West Lake boat girls were no longer just ferry women in the early days. They needed to undergo rigorous training to be competent. They not only needed to be familiar with rocking an oar and steering, and identifying the lake's path, but they also needed to be proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and songs to cater to the hedonistic needs of officials, gentry, and literati. Yan Ru is talented and intelligent. She has studied hard for three years through beatings, scolding and discipline, and has developed a skill. However, she is always unwilling to become a plaything for other people's entertainment. She has a longing for freedom and dignity in her heart. On the way out of the ship, Yan Ru met Gensheng, a down-and-out scholar, at Chunxiao on Su Di. Although Gensheng comes from a poor family and has not yet achieved fame, he is compassionate and proud, which is completely different from other frivolous guests. The two fell in love with each other when they first met. They often had private meetings near the broken bridge with residual snow, the winding lotuses in the courtyard and other scenery, singing and expressing their feelings through poems. Gensheng is determined to redeem Yan Ru's life, but he is repeatedly frustrated due to lack of money. He is also suppressed by the ship's steward and the salt merchant Zhang Wantang, who covets Yan Ru. In order to break free from the shackles, the two secretly planned to escape.