The Painter's Journal: Smoke and Dust over Bianliang

Immerse yourself in the bustling everyday life of the Great Song, a gallery of lives across the ages, transmigration, poverty and prosperity. A rewarding read, with a slow-burn rise from humble beginnings, lighthearted moments, and meticulous attention to social detail. A modern cover designer and painter who worked with dry-cell batteries, he couldn't escape being laid off. He transmigrated into the body of Lin Yuan, a poor child in Hedong Circuit in the Northern Song who survived by chewing on roasted locust legs. Driven by necessity, he began selling paintings. Perspective, light and shadow, realistic oil painting... After more than ten years of hard work, he gradually made a name for himself, grew wealthy, and helped his neighbors, friends, and family. Painting also brought him all kinds of opportunities. One astonishing masterpiece after another helped him overcome his humble origins and weather every crisis. But after years of struggle, hardship, and prosperity, just as he was preparing to enjoy a peaceful life, dark clouds from the north began gathering over history. The gold and silver he had saved would eventually become fuel for another fire of fate...