Sold directly, from any country: secure checkout by Polar (card, Apple Pay, Google Pay; VAT handled at checkout). You get the PDF and EPUB downloads right after payment.
The Pearls of Hepu
In the old story, pearls left Hepu when its governors were greedy and came back when they were good. In this romance a scholar's pearl ornament passes from hand to hand, bringing him lovers, enemies and adventures until it returns to its rightful pair. Witty and full of turns, it is a fine example of early Qing fiction. This is a complete new English translation, with names in modern pinyin and the text rendered as plain, readable English prose. Like the best scholar-and-beauty novels it moves quickly, with disguises, poems exchanged in secret, examinations, villains and a hard-won happy ending. These romances were the popular reading of their day, devoured by young men and women, imitated on the stage and admired abroad, and they remain charming, quick and surprising.
