Four Tales of Huishang · Three: Celebrating the Surplus Year

Cast List
Ying Xuecheng
Ying Xuexin
Madam Ying (the old matriarch)
Master Ying (the old patriarch)
Ning Yaosheng
Ning Yaochen
Patient (can be played by Wu Tongke from "Yu Hui Mountain")
Commoner Male 1
Commoner Female 1

Props and Costumes
Act One Props: Jade pendant, abacus, medicinal herbs, prescription written on rice paper
Act Two Props: Jade pendant, medicine bowl
Act Three Props: Rocking chair, account book, brush pen, medicine scale, jade dove staff, portrait of Hu Xueyan
Act Four Props: Medicine pouch

Act One Costumes:
Ying Xuecheng (Republic of China long embroidered robe)
Ying Xuexin (Republic of China long robe)
Ning Yaosheng (Republic of China qipao)
Ning Yaochen (Republic of China qipao)
Patient (patched short jacket)
Commoner Male 1 (coarse cloth short jacket)
Commoner Female 1 (coarse cloth short jacket)

Act Two Costumes: Same as Act One
Act Three Costumes: Same as above, plus Madam Ying (Republic of China matriarch attire)
Act Four Costumes: Ying Xuecheng (Republic of China long robe), others same

Synopsis
A patient arrives at the apothecary seeking medicine. Ying Xuecheng notices the patient’s jade pendant, a valuable piece, and deliberately adds expensive herbs to the prescription, exchanging the medicine for the pendant. When the patient returns, unable to pay the bill, he helplessly waits to die on the street. Across the street, Ying Xuexin, with the help of sisters Ning Yaosheng and Ning Yaochen, rescues the patient. After recovery, the patient expresses gratitude to Ying Xuexin and offers to assist in the shop. Madam Ying visits, comforting the patient and advising rest, while expounding on the principles of a healer. Ying Xuecheng, however, insists that since the Ning sisters are betrothed to his family, one of them—either the elder or the younger—must be his wife, and resents their distance from him.

[Flashback] Madam Ying recalls the old patriarch’s final moments, when he presented the family heirloom—a portrait of Hu Xueyan—and admonished her son. He then struck Ying Xuecheng with the jade dove staff, forcing him to kneel. From that moment, Ying Xuecheng reformed himself, committing to honesty in business. The headstrong Ning Yaochen eventually became his wife.

Concept
Hu Xueyan, a renowned merchant from Anhui, was moved by the belief that "great disasters are always followed by great epidemics." Inspired by the spirit of border soldiers defending the nation, he founded the Hu Qingyu Tang pharmacy in Hangzhou, placing "integrity" at the core of his business. This merchant culture, originating in Anhui, has taken root and flourished throughout China.

Script Text

Act One
Scene: Street and row of pharmacies
Props: Jade pendant, abacus, medicinal herbs, prescription rice paper
Cast: Ying Xuecheng, Ying Xuexin, Ning Yaosheng, Ning Yaochen, Patient, Commoner Male 1, Commoner Female 1

(Ying Xuecheng calls out at his pharmacy entrance, but townsfolk buy medicine from the shop across the street.)

(On the street, the patient staggers forward, drawn by Ying Xuecheng’s calls, approaching his pharmacy door, expressed through dance.)

(Ying Xuecheng steps onto the street, sees the patient, frowns, pinches his nose in disgust, steps back, and returns inside.)

(Ying Xuexin, at the opposite shop, frowns silently.)

Patient: (weakly bows with difficulty, in pain) Sir... please... take a look at me. (weakly extends a hand)

Ying Xuecheng: (turns away disdainfully, then notices the jade pendant at the patient’s waist, quickly changing to a smiling face) What ailment troubles you, sir?

Patient: (points first at Ying Xuecheng, then at himself, confused) You mean me?

Act Two
Scene: Street and pharmacies
Props: Jade pendant, medicine bowl
Cast: Same as Act One

Ying Xuecheng: (playing with the jade pendant from yesterday, frowns upon seeing the patient) Go away, no money no treatment. If you die in my shop, people will think my skill is poor.

(During pushing and shoving, the patient falls again, and Ying Xuecheng falls with him.)

(Ning Yaochen steps out, kicks Ying Xuecheng who lies on the ground; Ying Xuecheng opens one eye, pretending to be dead.)

(Ying Xuexin and Ning Yaosheng help carry the patient; Ning Yaochen returns to the street and stomps hard on Ying Xuecheng’s hand. Ying Xuecheng cries out, sits up halfway, and slowly returns to the pharmacy, expressed through dance.)

(Ying Xuexin takes the patient’s pulse; Ning Yaosheng and Ning Yaochen bustle about, feeding medicine to the patient who then bows in gratitude with a dance.)

Act Three
Scene: Street and pharmacies
Props: Rocking chair, account book, brush pen, medicine scale, jade dove staff, portrait of Hu Xueyan
Cast: Ying Xuecheng, Ying Xuexin, Madam Ying, Ning Yaosheng, Ning Yaochen, Patient

(Ying Xuecheng lounges in a rocking chair at the pharmacy entrance; townsfolk buy from the opposite shop.)

(The patient helps with bookkeeping; Ning Yaosheng and Ning Yaochen weigh herbs; Ying Xuexin treats Commoner Male 1, all depicted through dance.)

(Madam Ying appears on the street, leaning on the jade dove staff, nodding approvingly toward Ying Xuexin’s pharmacy, portrayed through dance.)

(Ying Xuexin and others bow to Madam Ying; she smiles and steadies herself.)

Ying Xuecheng: Mother, you’re here? (crosses legs, not standing) Your son is no longer young and still without a wife. We had agreed on the Ning cousins...

(The old patriarch suddenly kicks Ying Xuecheng to the ground, sits back in the chair coughing weakly.)

Madam Ying: Does the old master have something to say?

(Ying Xuecheng lies stunned on the ground, trembling as he rises.)

(The old patriarch takes out the portrait of Hu Xueyan from his chest and hands it to Madam Ying.)

Old Patriarch: (weakly, coughing) Remember... remember the meaning behind the character "Xue" (Snow), your duty in running the pharmacy! (His hand drops, he collapses motionless in the chair.)

(Madam Ying calls her son and nieces over.)

Ying Xuexin: (accepting the portrait) A healer’s heart is benevolent; integrity is fundamental.

Ning Yaosheng: (holding the portrait firmly) Where there are no illnesses, dust gathers on the shelves.

Ning Yaochen: (clapping sharply) That is the meaning of our names!

Madam Ying: (nodding in approval) Yes, Ying Xuecheng and Ning Yaochen. Who would have thought our Ying family would produce such a shameful descendant! (She strikes Ying Xuecheng to his knees with the jade dove staff.)

(Ying Xuecheng kneels, bowed in thought.)

(Madam Ying lifts him up and strikes again.)

Madam Ying: Healers must have medical ethics.

Madam Ying: Merchants must have righteousness.

Madam Ying: People must have humanity.

Madam Ying: Without understanding even a single principle, how can you be a man? (She throws Ying Xuecheng back into the pharmacy.)

(She continues striking as Ying Xuecheng dodges, all expressed through dance.)

Act Four
Scene: Street and pharmacies
Props: Medicine pouch
Cast: Ying Xuecheng, Ying Xuexin, Madam Ying, Ning Yaosheng, Ning Yaochen, Commoner Female 1

(Patients gather before both brothers’ pharmacies.)

(Madam Ying appears on the street, looking at both pharmacies.)

Commoner Female 1: (surprised, delighted) No problems?

Ying Xuecheng: (standing, handing over a pouch) Just a mild weakness in the spleen and stomach. Take this medicine. (sizes her up and down) No need to pay.

(Commoner Female 1 leaves; Madam Ying stands at the door; the Ying brothers and Ning sisters come out to bow, expressed through dance.)

(Ning Yaochen shyly glances at Ying Xuexin, then Madam Ying, then Ying Xuecheng.)

Ning Yaosheng, Madam Ying, Ying Xuexin: Off you go! (smiling, they nudge Ning Yaochen toward Ying Xuecheng, expressed through dance.)