A Year Without Rails

Liang Hui, a freelancer, has spent three decades both following the rules and rebelling against them. At thirty, he marries Lin Xuexia, a virtuous woman who shares his values; their everyday arguments conceal the ordinary foundations of their life together. At thirty-seven, a gathering introduces him to Chen Li, a bar hostess whose uninhibited nature and clear-eyed outlook strike a nerve. She lives unguarded amid the mire of survival, and the two become confidants, their souls and bodies intertwined. Through her, he tastes a raw, unvarnished kind of truth. In 2024, he meets the talented writer Jasmine through a short story. Her talent is like a clear stream, and their spiritual connection ultimately leads to physical intimacy. Three women, each with a family of her own, pull at his heart: Lin Xuexia is the anchor of his daily life, Chen Li the fire of his wild side, and Jasmine the light of his soul. Through Liang Hui's everyday struggles, and scenes of bargaining at the market, cigarette ash in a bar, and the scent of ink in a study, the novel lays bare the many faces of love in a materialistic society: the love of responsibility, the love of abandon, and the love of the spirit. Amid his guilt and longing, it asks what kind of love is the truest echo of life.