The Plum in the Golden Vase or, Chin P'ing Mei, Volume OneIn the first volume of a five volume set, the author provides a complete and annotated translation of The Plum in the Golden Vase or, Chin P'ing Mei, an anonymous 16th century Chinese novel that focuses on the domestic life of Hsi men Ch'ing, a corrupt, upwardly mobile merchant in a provincial town, who maintains a harem of six wives and concubines. This work, known primarily for its erotic realism, is also a landmark in the development of the