Alls well and ends well. After 6 years of the ups and downs of life, I finally found the bride who I gave my chi'-lin purse to 6 years ago. Turns out that she is Mrs Lu! The lady I'm working as a maid for! I found out my going into the Pearl Hall and I saw the Chi'-lin purse my mother gave to me 6 years ago before my marriage! I was so shocked! After Mrs Lu found out that I was the rightful owner of the purse she returned it to me and helped me find my husband and son. After searching for awhile, Mrs Lu's servants finally found them. She was also kind enough to give me half of everything she owned. My mother was right, what comes around, goes around. I rebuilt my home with my husband with the money she gave us. 6 years ago I would have never imagined that my life would be so fortunate and blessed. I feel really silly when I think about the past, about how selfish I was, how spoiled and foolish about taking everything for granted, this has really taught me a lesson and I am now grateful for everything, for friends, for food, for my son, my husband even grateful for being alive.

Six years ago, my wife brought me this Ch’i-lin purse which was full of valuables. As we were poor and had some financial issues, we pawned it for a large amount of money! I was so relieved and happy! I prayed and thanked Buddha for blessing my wife and I. Using the money, we started a business and we were so successful! Then, my wife bought the jade back and kept it in the purse. She also ordered people to build the Pearl Hall to house the Purse and to honor the person who gave that purse to my wife. Until now, I can’t believe that Hsiang Ling was our benefactor all along! I was so thankful to her! I immediately sent out servants to search for Hsiang Ling’s husband and son and fortunately, they were found in a village near Teng-chou. I find that Hsiang Ling is really generous because just one little action on giving the purse to my wife, it changed my life’s fate, I would describe my life as rag-to-riches, and this was because of Hsiang Ling generosity. I wished that she would be happy in her whole life because she made mine happy. Thank you Hsiang Ling.

Words: 202

Scene three
(Joyce A.K.A hsiang ling husband)

This is me Hsiang Ling's husband. We have been married for six years plus and now we have one child now, a boy. But something bad has happen to our hometown. There was a terrible flood one day. When i have fled the flood with my family, i got seperated from my wife. I was very worried. Worried that if anything could have happen to her how would i face my mother-in-law, Hsiang Ling mother. My son and i was in search of finding her each and everyday. Until one day my son fell ill and i had to bring him to the nearest village that i could find. It took the people days to nursed my son back to health. I left my son at one of the houses there and i was still finding for my wife. Until one day, there was two man who came to look for my son and myself, til then i have known that my wife was safe at one of a wealthy man house and that man had sent people to look for us. At the moment i knew that my wife was safe, i felt a sense of relived and i knew it was only a few hours time before i could see my wife. After i saw her, i knew of the whole story and was pleased with that and decided to join hands with Mr Yuan Wu Lai and expand our business and it was a success.

I was nervous. My heart was filled with anxiety because I was thinking about the wedding and what will my husband be like whom I have never met before. As the wedding procession reached the road, it started to rain and so it came to halt. Then, I suddenly heard someone sobbing inside the pavilion. I was annoyed of the cries because mother said that a person crying on her wedding day could bring bad luck, so I told my maid to find out what happened. The maid then reported to me that the bride that was crying was poor and has nothing to take to her new home. I felt sympathetic towards the girl and hence, without a second thought, I pass the Ch’i-lin Purse to her because I was lucky to have so many things while that girl had nothing. I did not even know what was inside the Ch’i-lin purse but I know that what I have done has already been done, there was no point to ponder on whether I should or shouldn’t gave the Ch’i-lin purse away. I was still nervous on whom my husband will be like, but I know that this is my wedding and I need to be happy no matter what.

Words: 210

Scene 3
Role: Maid
By: Sencia Tan

After my mistress have been married off, I was no longer working in the Hsueh's. They no longer need me. Then, I have a new family to serve. They are a well-educated family with manners. A few weeks ago, they read the newspaper and I heard that a flood had occurred in Teng-Chou, mistress' village! I was so devastated! I hope mistress and her family is alright! That day, when mistress was married off, I realised her kindness and her heart towards the poor. Since then, I have a changed of impression towards her! I just hope that she is alright.. Such a young and kind hearted girl with a great future with her well educated husband, if she just passed on like that, it will be such a waste. I hope she will be alright. My present master allowed me to pray at a nearby temple for my mistress after knowing my plight. Since then, I prayed sincerely to the god everyday, just to have my mistress and her family safe and sound. Recently, about yesterday, I read a news that Lai-Chou's wealthiest family had divided half of their property to a family. When I saw the photo of two of the family, I immediately recognised one of them is mistress! My heart was relieved. It was reported that mistress was a benefactor that Mr and Mrs Lu acknowledge! I knew she was kind hearted! I was never wrong!

[240 words]

scene two (Joyce A.K.A butler 5)

Hi i am the bulter.I am glad today because the young missy is married off today. The eighteenth of the six month. Young missy wedding is very splendid. Of course it is, based on her wealthyness that even the hua-chiao has pearl everywhere. Her wedding procession is so extraordinally as she is the first lady in town to wear a 10-carat diamond as a necklace, and everyone are all outside our house to see this wedding procession. All of us are so envious of her. I am also glad that she is happily married off to her new husband, as i need not listen to her grumbling everyday. Her bossyness will also be gone also be gone forever unless she come back to stay with her mother which i think that is impossible to happen. Although i am glad that there is no one to boss me around anymore, the whole house will be so quiet without the young missy around. There will be lesser fun and laughter because we cannot gossip about her anymore, and there will be no one to grumble at us and tell us funny stuffs anymore. Even she is a little spoilt child, she is also not very mean – spirited. So there will be good and bad that she is gone... But at least she is happy and all of us will be happy for her too.

Ah! The wedding ceremony is about to start! I am so nervous to meet my beautiful bride. But alas! The rain has delayed my meet. Sigh, I hope this storm blows over soon! I am so excited to meet her. I hope she is everything my mother told me about and more. Not that I am asking for a better bride, I'm sure she is just gorgeous the way she is. But I am so nervous, What if she does not like me! What if she decides to cancel the marriage? I'LL BE DONE FOR! My mother has waited for this day for so long! I wouldn't want to disappoint her! She's my dear mother and I really can't imagine the sight of her being sad! I'm just so nervous. Is this the pre-marriage jitters everyone has been telling me about? I have to calm my nerves! I hope my bride arrives soon. I can't wait to meet her!

Scene 3: Para 55 - Para 56

Rachel(15) as Mrs Lu

I handed the purse in her hands. At that time, I felt a warm feeling. I remembered the scene that happened at the time we got married. I was just a pathetic lady who has no money to buy anything... She was the one who offered me the Ch'i-Lin purse that her mother gave it to her. I prayed very hard every day that she will be fine and I would find her one day. I did it, I found her. She came, finally. I told my husband about it and he ordered our servants in al directions to look for Hsiang-ling's husband and son. I am sure that when she see her family members, she will be happy that her family is back. I agree with Hsiang-Ling. ''If you have a chance to do something good, be sure to do it. Happiness will come back to you.'' She was the one who gave me the happiness a few years back. Now, in return, I should bring her happiness back to her. Our families soon developed a great friendship. I will forever cherish this friendship and to me, I feel that we should all cherish the things that we have and the people around us before we lose it.

Scene one: (Joyce A.K.A Yuan Wu Lai 5)

Hi my name is Yuan Wu Lai i am twenty-four this year, and i am getting married to my beloved bride in a few days time on the eighteenth day of the six month of the lunar calendar through a match maker which is my aunt. Although i come from a average family, i have enought money to hold a traditional wedding for my new bride to marry into my house. Besides that i have also bought a new house for my family and my new bride, the hua-chiao is the most important thing in the wedding procession though it may be a little shabby for this wedding, but still usable. Sometimes I wondered if my bride looked pretty like how my friend’s wife looked? Would she be naggy like my mother? Was she good or evil? Is she vain and need to put a lot of makeups? As my big day is approaching, i get more and more nervous about it. What should i do on the first day on my wedding night? Am i good enough for her? Is my present for her good enough?Is she easy to be with and will she tink that this wedding procession is too shabby? Most importantly, will i love her? These thoughts make me wanting to marry her faster thus know her sooner.

Scene 2

Role : Mrs Lu (then)

Name: Sencia Tan

It’s my wedding day today. I came from a poor family. I was lucky to be married off, but I was so guilty on not having a gift for my new home. I was devastated. 4 footmen came to carry my hua-chiao early in the morning. I kept asking them to walk around the street just to let time past while I think of a gift that I could afford. Nevertheless, I could not think of any, and the time is almost up! Therefore, I asked the footmen to stop and began to cry. I felt useless and have simply no idea on what to buy. Just then, I heard another hua-chiao stopped beside mine. Then, a maid lifted my cloth on the hua-chiao and ask what happen polity. Feeling hopeless, I explained what had happen, hoping that there is a chance that she could help me. Without a word, she left for the hua-chiao. That was when I burst into a sudden tears again, thinking that there was no hope for me. But surprisingly, she came back with a purse! I have never seen such a beautiful purse in my life! Before I could thank her, she have already left. I was so grateful to her! I wished I could meet her personally and thank her! I opened the purse, and there is a piece of jade! I was shocked by the generous gift! I could finally account to my new home! My husband was a young nice man from the same background as me. He was shocked to see the jade and I told him what happen in the afternoon. We are extremely grateful to the bride.

[279 words]

S2: Para 11 -Para 19



Rachel Chua Xin Jie(15) As Mrs Hsueh



Today is my only beloved child, Hsiang-Ling's big day. Im very delighted to see her in her red silk dress and a red silk veil over her head in her hua-chiao getting married even though I know that I would miss her terribly. 'What if the guy betrays my child? What if he abuse her? What if...' Wild thoughts crept into my mind. But it's her life and I can't keep her by my side all along... I have to let her go for her own happiness and future. I gave her a Ch'i-lin Purse for her big day and want her to open it only when she is at her new home. With that, She will feel that my love is with her and whenever she needs me, I am always there for her. I bid her goodbye and she went off in her hua-chiao. Tears flow down my cheeks. . . I couldn't bear to see my child moving away from me after sixteen years and I am worried that she would give her family trouble and throw tantrum. Well, maybe I should just wish her all the best. All the best, my child. I love you.

Sigh, I hope Hsiang-ling is happy with the purse I brought back from the shop. She is such a spoilt brat! She is heavily pampered by her mother! I wonder will she ever change herself into a more considerate person? It was so embarrassing going in and out of the store to change a purse that didn't belong to me. The sales people were very rude, they kept sniggering. Sigh, I really wish she would see how fortunate and blessed she really is. She is lucky that she has a rich family around her, and such a loving mother. Unlike me, I never had such fortune. I was never blessed with such luck. But Hsiang-ling? She is the luckiest girl I know, and the best part is that she doesn't even know. Why doesn't she see that? I have worked for family for forty years, and once she was born, her family showered her with love and warmth. Too much I guess, she is now a spoilt brat. I wish she will change for the better. Will that ever be a reality? But at least deep down inside, she really is a kind person! Today, when I cried, she actually felt sorry for me and accepted the purse! Even though she did not like it, she still accepted it! And that was a good sign of change in her! She is finally growing up and getting married. Why does it seem like she was only a little infant yesterday? They grow up so fast.

I love my daughter very much as she was the only kin I got ever since my husband died. Everything Hsiang Ling wanted; I tried my best to give it to her. Once, on Hsiang Ling twelfth birthday, she had eyes for this jade pendent that she noticed it at a gathering the week before her birthday. Then, she requested for it, her large sparkling eye filled with desperation told me that she was craving so much for the jade pendent. Without a second thought, I bought it for her. Since then, everything she wanted was all hers.

When Hsiang Ling was sixteen years old, I decided that it was the time when she got married. I went around the village to seek for a good matchmaker to arrange a husband for Hsiang Ling. Fortunately; my daughter was then engaged to a young man from a wealthy family through the matchmaker. Then, I wanted to make a dowry that would be very special and unique but Hsiang Ling was very hard to please. I had a difficult time as everything I bought was exchanged and returned two to three times. When it was completed, I decided to buy the Ch’i-lin Purse which I hope my daughter would give birth to a talented son. Although I know that I’ll miss my beloved daughter dearly, I hope that this marriage would be a successful one for her.

Words: 235

S1 : Para 1 - Para 9

Rachel as Hsiang-Ling

I live in China, in a small town called Teng-Chou. My mother is a wealthy woman and Im her only child. My dad pass away since I was young. I was the only few girls who attended school at that time and I am loved alot by my mother. Everything I wanted, my mother would always try her best to get it for me. I remembered the time when I was seven, I saw a dress that I wanted but it cause a ton! I cried for it and without hesistation, my mother bought it for me! Hence, I became spoilt. Now that Im sixteen years old, My mother decided that its time for me to get married with the young man ,from a wealthy family in a neighbouring town, that I have been engaged with through a matchmaker. He is the first guy that Im going to be in a relationship with and stay together for life. My mother prepared a dowry for me that no girl in the town could match. I didnt like the design that my mother choose for me as i find it too old fashion. Hence, everything my mother bought for me was returned or exchanged for at least two or three times. When the dowry was finally complete, I feel that Im the luckiest woman in the world, with the best mother and a rich husband, and Im very ready to get married. However, My mother then decided that she wanted to add the Ch'i-lin Purse, a red satin bad embroidered on both sides with a ch;i-lin, a legendary animal from ancient times. Many Ch'i Purse were brought back by the butler but I wasnt satisfied at all. I dont like the pattern nor the colour. The butler changed so many times that he actually decided not to change it for me anymore. Although Im spoiled, I admit, but Im not a mean-spirited preson! I began to feel sorry for the old man and finally, I accepted the purse. I am so excited for the day to come and excited to see how the young man looks like! I cant wait to get married!

Scene 1
Role : Husband of Hsiang-Ling
By : Tan Yun Qi, Sencia (18)

Know what? The matchmaker says the bride’s family finally agrees to allow their daughter to marry me! It was a daughter of a wealthy widow, of course, I am not after their fortune. But she is said to be intelligent, one of the few girls that attended school! That is so rare, it will definitely be an honor to marry her! And it is going to be my wedding day in a few days time! I am so excited on my new bride's arrival! Will she be so pretty, kind hearted and gentle like what the matchmaker says? How I wish I could see her now. I am so excited! I came from a rich family, so my family made it a tradition that men should have a high position for the family. I have been studying all years and finally my parents allow me to have someone to accompany me! I hope she is not like those women around the neighbourhood, spoilt and greedy. Like the materialistic wife, who lives down the street, kept showing off how much jewellery her husband gave her, left her child at the servant and went for mahjong session! I hope my wife is one that cares for my well-being and not one that is after my fortune. Can the day past even faster? I simply cannot wait any longer!

[226 words]

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S1: Para 1 - Para 9

Characters :

Ashley Lim (2) as Mrs Hsueh
Joyce Poh (5) as Wulai
Rachel Chua (15) as Hsiang Ling
Tan SiYing (17) as Butler
Sencia Tan (18) as Hsiang Ling's husband

S2: Para11 - Para 19

Characters:
Ashley as Hsiang Ling
Joyce as butler
Rachel as Mrs Hsueh
Siying as Hsiang Ling's Husband
Sencia as WaiLu

S3 : Para 55 - Para 56

Characters:
Ashley as Mr Lu
Joyce as Hsiang Ling's Husband
Rachel as Mrs Lu
Siying as Hsiang Ling
Sencia as Butler

Thankyou (: