Kai Lung’s Golden Hours · Chapter
The Story of Wong Ts’in and the Willow Plate Embellishment explained
Wong Ts'in, a wealthy porcelain maker, is tormented by an earth-demon he disturbed while building his house.
What happens
Wong Ts'in, a wealthy porcelain maker, is tormented by an earth-demon he disturbed while building his house. He escapes its persecution by a ruse and wanders into the Outer Expanses, troubled by the problem of his daughter Fa Fai's marriage. Meanwhile, Wei Chang, a lowly craftsman secretly in love with Fa Fai, is approached by her in the absence of her father. Fa Fai reveals her knowledge of the malicious Fang, who has been sabotaging the works, and she proposes a collaborative design to outwit him. Wei Chang devises a method of transferring embellishments by sitting on each plate, leading to the successful delivery of tenscore plates to Hien Nan. Fang's plot fails, and he later dies ignominiously. Wei Chang marries Fa Fai, is adopted by Wong Ts'in, and the couple has seven sons.
Themes in this chapter
Wisdom and Cunning
Wong Ts'in uses a stratagem to escape the earth-demon, and Wei Chang devises an ingenious method to transfer plate embellishments, outwitting the malicious Fang.
Love and Devotion
Wei Chang's secret love for Fa Fai drives his actions, and Fa Fai's willingness to meet him and collaborate demonstrates her devotion.
Justice and Injustice
Fang's malicious sabotage is ultimately punished by his ignominious death, while Wei Chang and Fa Fai are rewarded with marriage and prosperity.
Characters to notice
- Wong Ts'in
The wealthy porcelain maker who is plagued by an earth-demon and concerned about his daughter Fa Fai's marriage.
- Wei Chang
A lowly craftsman in love with Fa Fai; he devises the plate embellishment method and eventually marries her.
- Fa Fai
Wong Ts'in's daughter, who secretly meets Wei Chang and collaborates with him to outwit Fang.
- Fang
The malicious overseer who sabotages Wong Ts'in's works; he later dies by being pushed into a river by an ox.
- Hien Nan
The recipient of the tenscore plates delivered by Wei Chang's method.
Key passages
“He who sleeps over his workshop brings four eyes into the business”
A person who lives close to their work gains extra insight and oversight.
Proverb used to justify Wong Ts'in building his house near the clay beds.
“To the intrepid, very high places exist solely to be scaled; with others, however, the only scaling they attempt is lavished on the armour of preposterous flying monsters”
Brave people aim for great achievements, while timid ones waste effort on trivial or absurd tasks.
Fa Fai's encouragement to Wei Chang to aspire to win her hand rather than focus on minor work.