Half a Tattered Book

Qingyun Town, on the northwestern frontier, is home to an advanced secondary school: Qingyun High School.

Luo He, who loves literature, is unhappy in his marriage and deeply miserable. By chance, he talks with a colleague, Qiao Yu. As they get to know each other and realize they share the same pain, they gradually grow closer and fall in love, unable to pull themselves away. Though they both understand that their relationship violates moral and ethical standards, neither can resist the power of their passionate love, and they keep going further down this path.

This novel follows the love story of its protagonists, Luo He and Qiao Yu, vividly depicting how they meet, come to understand each other, and fall in love. At the same time, the author criticizes their affair, believing it goes against traditional Chinese virtues, while also expressing sympathy for and deep concern about the protagonists’ devotion to their love.

In the end, their affair is exposed, and they face blame and condemnation from their families and society. The male protagonist’s online novel, inspired by his own story, is discovered and widely read by people around him. Everyone believes it to be a work of nonfiction, and the ensuing uproar shakes Qingyun Town and even the whole of Weizhong County. The protagonists are subjected to even harsher criticism and reproach, and crushed to the lowest point of their lives. The male protagonist is also disciplined and pays a heavy price.

Yet the protagonists keep persevering and fighting for their true love. After countless hardships, they finally end up together, moving their children and everyone else as well. In the end, they earn everyone’s sympathy, understanding, and blessings.