In the Republican era, Yancheng, a modest little city, was like an old theater stage.
Its streets were lined with arcades, and the clatter of carts and horses echoed along the blue-gray stone roads. Vendors cried their wares from every corner, their bright red candied hawthorns tempting passersby as steam billowed from the wonton stalls.
The children of wealthy families came and went from dance halls, while ordinary people struggled to make ends meet. The shadow of war loomed constantly, forcing young men to leave home as their families waited for their return.
Amid the surging tides of the era, Yancheng quietly played out the joys and sorrows of human life.
