Adapted from real-life experiences, this is a compelling story full of twists and a tightly paced plot. Spanning a long stretch of time, it follows the protagonist Xixi from her birth in 1981 to becoming a judgment debtor, covering more than four decades of reform and opening up. It explores her family, first love, loss of virginity and abortion, carefree college years, two marriages, and career trajectory. Each chapter forms a self-contained episode.
Xixi is a deeply complicated protagonist, and her family background profoundly shapes her character and life choices. Her mother is domineering and a gambler, her father is weak, and her older brother is spoiled. These circumstances leave her insecure and longing for love, yet prone to falling into unhealthy relationships. Each man in her life represents a different emotional need and stage of her life: her infatuation with her first love, Du Ming Xuan; Wu Kai, during her college years; her first husband, Wu Shi Xun; and her later second husband, Li Wen Feng. Each man's arrival shapes the course of her life while bringing new conflicts.
The story also covers a vast geographical range: a small town in eastern Sichuan, a northern city, the Pearl River Delta, Chongqing proper, and the Yunnan frontier.
This story portrays a woman's struggle against adversity, how her poor choices set off a chain reaction, and how she tries to stand on her own feet only to be repeatedly battered by reality. It explores fate, self-redemption, the influence of family, social pressures, and the imprint of the times, inviting readers to relate and reflect.
