Life is too short for a long story. Why not sit down and enjoy a short tale?Who was Mariquita? She was white as the lily and red like the rose, straight and tall of stature, and slender in the waist, with fair, shapely hips; and she possessed a head of hair which reached to her knees. She was the most beautiful girl throughout all Castile. So how did she became bald? 时间太少，小说太长，不如读一篇短故事。

官家小姐茉莉，因家庭温暖缺失，转而一心向学。她女扮男装，与在书院结识的两个知交好友一起考上了秀才。正当茉莉与两位知交之间复杂的情愫暗暗滋生、自己的女儿家身份即将曝光之时，父亲却因得罪了其他官员而锒铛入狱......茉莉能否救出自己的父亲？她在两位书生之间，又会作出什么样的选择？

此文原作者为英国籍的知名汉学家，他笔下的中国古代书生小姐的故事，亦别有一番风味。