Chen Zimu, the Top Scholar’s Son-in-Law

Through the main events in the life of Chen Zimu, son-in-law of the top scholar Xiao Jinzhong of Chaling Prefecture, Hunan, during the late Qing Dynasty, this novel portrays Chen’s concern for ordinary people and his tireless petitions on their behalf, even at the risk of his own safety. It also traces the ups and downs of Scholar Xiao’s life. Together, these stories recount a series of gripping events amid Chaling’s crushing taxes and desperate living conditions, laying bare the immense suffering inflicted on the people by a rotten feudal society.