A Mayfly in the Mortal World

"Humanity follows the earth, the earth follows heaven, heaven follows the Way, and the Way follows nature."

All beneath heaven bustle for profit; all beneath heaven hurry for profit.

Heaven and earth give birth to all things, and all things have their own way. Defy the Way and you will surely be punished. Who has ever escaped the judgment of heaven?

Qiao Yinuo, the son of a farming family, sets out on the path of politics in a daze after graduating from college, hoping to escape his shameful family circumstances. Who could have guessed that this difficult road would prove impossible to disdain? From village official for college graduates to deputy mayor, mayor, Party secretary, and finally county leader, he climbs steadily upward. Every step is hard-won, every step taken with trepidation, every step like walking on thin ice, yet each brings its own unique and intoxicating scenery. His transformation is grounded in hardship and helplessness, indignation and redemption, making a name for himself, knowing when to advance and retreat, weighing the situation, and withdrawing at the height of his success... Through all the twists and turns, half a lifetime slips by.

The myriad forms of humanity are all no more than mayflies in this mortal world, and so on.