When the Plum Blossoms Bloom

Name: When the Plum Blossoms Bloom
Author: Xiaoxiang Plum

正值梅花怒放时

by Xiaoxiang Plum (潇湘梅子)

Status: Ongoing
Length: 900k Words
Genre: Modern Romance
Subgenre: Period Fiction
Updated: 20h ago
English: Request a translation

Read on Fanqie

Synopsis

After turning it over in my mind for a long time, I finally picked up my pen and began this heartfelt novel, When the Plum Blossoms Are in Full Bloom. The heroine, Li Sumei, was born into a poor, troubled family in Qinghe Town, Tongdao Dong Autonomous County, Hunan.

Her father, Li Fengyuan, was a compulsive gambler and drunkard. The family was always short of money, with a cold stove, a leaking roof, and debts piling up.

Yet the weight of fate could not crush this Dong girl, whose features were clear and whose gaze was resolute.

From childhood, she quietly shared a life of hardship with her mother, Wu Youtao, and her brothers, showing a calmness and resilience beyond her years.

She did not rely on tearful complaints. Instead, she did what she could with her own hands. The year she graduated from middle school, the family was too poor to pay for her further education, so at fifteen or sixteen she resolutely joined the women of her village in planting trees on barren hills.

Her fingers were scraped raw and covered in blisters. She quietly tore off a strip of her clothing to wrap her bleeding palms, gritted her teeth, and pressed on step by step, planting green hope in the exposed red earth and between jagged rocks.

After months of hard work, she finally saved enough for the journey south to Guangdong. That crumpled train ticket became her first ticket to freedom from her fate.

When she first arrived in Guangdong, she nearly fell victim to a hair salon scam and almost got trapped in a shadowy alley amid the bright lights and revelry.

Fortunately, thanks to the Dong martial arts she had learned as a child and her quick, steady judgment in a crisis, she fought her way out with courage and wit, keeping her life on course amid the raging waves.

Later, she went to join her close friend Li Qiuyun, who was working in Panyu, Guangzhou, and was lucky enough to get a job at a Casio electronics factory.

When she first started, Li Sumei worked conscientiously and managed to rise from an ordinary factory girl to a workshop supervisor who could run things on her own!!!

Stats

407Chapters

309Reads · 30 days

4kReads · all time

9.4Score

73Listens

7 ch/weekPace

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Reader comments 103

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This work is like a delicate prose poem of nostalgia, realistically recording the growth trajectory of a Dong girl born in the 1980s amidst the changing times. The story doesn't deliberately exaggerate dramatic conflicts, but rather sketches a collective memory and emotional landscape of a generation through everyday, timeless scenes like "the moon, stars, sunset, and sunrise."
17 likes11mo ago
"When Plum Blossoms Bloom in Full Bloom" is not a fictional legend, but a literary distillation of the real life stories of many Dong women born in the 1980s: there is laughter as resounding as mountain songs, and silent, forbearance with tears falling; there are stumbles swept up by the tides of the times, and there is also the dignity of stubbornly blooming in the mud.
14 likes4mo ago
"When Plum Blossoms Bloom" uses the true story of a Dong girl's growth as its main thread, sketching a shared memory of a generation amidst the poetic imagery of blooming plum blossoms. The author uses simple language to narrate the confusion, resilience, and transformation faced by those born in the 1980s, as hazy as morning mist yet as vivid as musical notes.
11 likes8mo ago
This book, written with sincere and simple strokes, chronicles the life of a Dong girl born in the 1980s. It doesn't pursue exaggerated plots, but rather grounds itself in authentic rural memories and the fabric of the ethnic group, delicately portraying a generation's growth amidst the changing times.
11 likes9mo ago
A novel set in the modern era, the female protagonist recounts her childhood memories in a charming rural setting. It's sure to evoke nostalgia and a sense of nostalgia for our lost youth in every reader. It's incredibly moving and feels very real. 👍
10 likes10mo ago
This is a book that grows on you with every read! It doesn't have a complicated plot; it simply tells the story of a Dong girl born in the 1980s growing up in school and in her village. It feels so real, like it happened right next to you, making it incredibly relatable.
10 likes10mo ago
Five stars! After watching this story of youthful memories in the 1980s, which uses plum blossoms as a starting point, I was immediately moved to tears and felt a warm feeling in my heart! In Li Sumei's memories, there are innocent feelings hidden in the fragrance of plum blossoms. Those simple yet happy and pure times are vividly and realistically written.
10 likes11mo ago
Reading this book evoked many childhood memories. As a period novel, it doesn't yet have a clear main plot or a grand, sweeping historical panorama; instead, it focuses on everyday family life, the stirrings of youth, and the heartwarming stories of a young girl's first love. However, the author's unhurried and gentle narration adds a unique flavor!
9 likes1y ago
"When Plum Blossoms Bloom" paints a picture of growing up amidst the blend of school and rural life from the perspective of a Dong girl born in the 1980s. Its realistic and delicate writing records a youth marked by both trials and tribulations. Inspiring and moving, five-star recommendation!
8 likes1y ago
The story of a Dong girl's education and growth. I skimmed through it once, then read it carefully again. As someone from a rural area, I've experienced many of the things in the book, so it felt very relatable.
8 likes1y ago