The gist of the story was as follows: Ying-t'ai, in order to go to school, dressed herself as a boy and traveled away from home. At the school she met Shan-po, and they studied together for several years, their affection for each other growing ever stronger, even though Shan-po failed to realize that Ying-t'ai was a girl.
大意是：英台為了外出求學，喬扮男裝，巧遇梁山伯，兩人同窗數年，情感彌篤，只是山伯不知英台為女子，一直以兄弟相待。