This novel tells the story of the two protagonists, Gou and Yu, from their youth, middle age, and old age. When Gou was young, he was forced to drop out of school because of tuition fees. After he had a younger brother, he was forced to sleep in a haystack. Yu was a stutterer and was disliked by his father since he was a child. In his dream, he met himself who was driven crazy, and from then on he strengthened his belief in living. During the Lantern Festival, the dog went to steal in order to provide Yu with a full meal, but was caught and beaten violently by others. He escaped with the help of his classmate Qiushi. The dog's father died of dental cancer, and his mother eventually died of cerebral congestion because she could not accept the death of her little brother. The daughter Yan married Quan Sheng, and the son Shun He got married in an arranged marriage. However, due to the broken leg of the dog and the unfinished condition of the house, the family went bankrupt. Their son Shun was taken away by the police because of the mortgage, his daughter-in-law ran away from home, Quan Sheng fell to his death from upstairs, his daughter Yan was burned to death in a fire after going crazy, and Shun died in the mountains. They returned to their hometown with the child's ashes, and eventually both of them died.
This novel and its characters are purely fictitious. Any similarity is purely coincidental and should not be imitated.
