Known by her state name, Yu Tangchun, Su San was bought from Shanxi Province by the Su family. They spent ten years training Su into a perfect woman; well versed in music, dancing and writing, she gained recognition as a courtesan during the Ming Dynasty (1368- 1644).
Wang Jinglong, son of an official of the Ming Dynasty, was infatuated with Su San and moved to the brothel where Su lived. Wang spend all his money in less than a year and then was forced to leave the brothel. He then became a beggar and lived at a temple.