HER PEARLY TEARS

(Synopsis)

　　CHING YUN-JUI (Kelly Lai Chen), who comes from the TUNGTING lake area, is a single young man with no parents. On his way home, he sees a young lady, (Lucilla Yu Ming) obviously in great distress. He rushes over and asks what is matter with her. The girl, who is in fact a Mermaid, tells him that she is an orphan and is going to Tungting Lake to seek help from a relative. YUN-JUI asks her to come with him on the boat.

　　On their way, a storm suddenly springs up and all the passengers are extremely worried, except the Mermaid. Among the passengers is a herbalist whose stock of herbs is now ruined by the soaking from the storm. He is despondent and on the verge of suicide. The Mermaid advises YUN-JUI to buy all his herbs, because good deeds, she explains, will surely be rewarded. YUN-JUI agrees.

　　YUN-JUI accompanies the Mermaid to his home but sees that the place is delapidated with only an old deaf servant (Ray Da) to look after it. He finds out from the servant that an epidemic struck and all servants have run away. The Mermaid tells YUN-JUI to sell the herbs, and to his surprise, when he examines them, there is no trace of the soaking they had.

　　The grounds of the house have been completely neglected, but in a short time the Mermaid has it back to its old shape. Each day they spend together whiling away the time, enjoying each other's company, and their feelings for each other grow.

　　YUN-JUI falls in love with the Mermaid and asks her to marry him, but she refuses and admits that she is no mortal being but a Mermaid driven into outside world by Dragon King of the sea. She originally came to seek refuge with the Dragon Lord at Tungting, but instead met YUN-JUI and that is all that has happened up till now. Heartbroken, YUN-JUI falls sick.

　　The Mermaid nurses him day and night and goes to the temple to ask God's mercy. While she is praying, she sees Mrs. TAO (Wang Lai) and her daughter WAN-CHU (which literally means 10,000 pearls) in the temple. The Mermaid notices that WAN-CHU (Lucilla Yu Ming) resembles her in all respects and entertains the idea of presenting her to YUN-JUI to replace herself. Through a thread seller, (Ma Shiao Noong) she meets them and become close friends.

　　The Mermaid asks for WAN-CHU's hand on behalf of YUN-JUI, but is turned down by Mrs. TAO. The Mermaid tries to explain, but Mrs. Tao says that if YUN-JUI really means what he says he will have to give 10,000 pearls as a betrothal gift. YUN-JUI realises that the Mermaid has no intention of marrying him and under the sudden shock, he has a relapse. In his sickness he says over and over again that he will love the Mermaid all his life and nobody else.

　　The Mermaid, touched by his love, cannot help but weep and when YUN-JUI wipes away her tears, he finds that the tear drops have turned into pearls. The Mermaid decides to complete her plans for YUN-JUI and WAN-CHU and prays to the Dragon Lord for mercy and asks him to end her punishment. The Dragon Lord (Ho Ping) orders her to return immediately to the Dragon Palace. She returns to tell YUN-JUI and urges him to marry WAN-CHU. She promises him that they will meet in one year's time and leaves him with tears in her eyes.

　　YUN-JUI sticks to the arrangement for his marriage to WAN-CHU. On the eve of the wedding the Mermaid comes to bid farewell to WAN-CHU and presents her with a magic brocade purse which can only be opened after one year.

　　After their marriage, YUN-CHU treats WAN-CHU coldly and is always thinking of Mermaid. The year passes quickly, and WAN-CHU, hoping that she can change his mind, opens the purse, but there is nothing in it except the Mermaid's chiffon dress. WAN-CHU realizes what it is for, wears the dress and goes to YUN-JUI. He mistakes her for the Mermaid to keep her promise and pours out his feelings to her. On hearing this, WAN-CHU is heartbroken. When YUN-JUI discovers his mistake, he rushes out into the rain. WAN-CHU follows him, but trips and when she reaches the bank of the lake, apart from a pair of shoes which she picks up, there are no other traces of YUN-JUI to be found.

—END—