Lin Qiuyue, a 68-year-old widow who sells vegetables at the market, has guarded the old house her late husband left behind for forty years. Then the windfall of a demolition payout arrives. Her nephew forges an agreement, the developer rigs the deal to force her out, and the whole town tells her to "know what's good for her." When family ties become a blade and the law becomes nothing but paper, she stops asking for help and starts a livestream, calmly announcing, "In 72 hours, I'll burn down the house and die with my husband." She cuts off a finger to prove her resolve, burns the property deeds, and buries her husband's ashes in the foundation. Her self-destructive resistance brings to light the truth about the murder during a mine disaster 38 years ago. Her ashes ignite a nationwide awakening: the entire internet begs her not to die, and millions begin saying no. This isn't revenge, but a trial carried out with her life. The house she burns is not a house, but the murder weapon called "filial piety."
This novel and its characters are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to actual persons or events is purely coincidental. Do not imitate.
