At the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, Li Chengsi, a descendant of Li Yu, was born in Gaozhou Prefecture in western Guangdong. His family moved here to avoid disaster because his ancestor Li Yu managed land and became a landlord. Li Chengsi had read poetry and books since childhood and aspired to become an official in the imperial examination. However, due to the collision between traditional folk customs in western Guangdong and the new trend of thought in Guangfu, he fell into deep thinking about his "hometown".
