Wu Dalang is the elder brother of Wu Song in Water Margin and a central figure in the famous sequence involving Ximen Qing, Pan Jinlian, and Wu Song.
Wu Dalang earns his living selling cooked cakes and is portrayed as an ordinary and honest man, forming a strong contrast with his younger brother. Wu Song is a formidable martial hero, while Wu Dalang lives the life of a common townsman.
After Wu Dalang marries Pan Jinlian, she later begins an affair with Ximen Qing. Their relationship gradually places Wu Dalang in serious danger.
When Wu Dalang discovers the affair, he comes into conflict with Ximen Qing and is badly injured. Pan Jinlian and her accomplices subsequently arrange his poisoning, causing his death.
After returning home, Wu Song investigates the circumstances of his brother’s death and ultimately takes revenge. Wu Dalang is not a martial character, but he is one of the most important family nodes in Wu Song’s story and provides the immediate cause for a major sequence of Wu Song’s actions.
