"Prisoner's Marriage" is a tragic novel set in rural China from the 1950s and 1960s to the early days of reform and opening up. It profoundly reveals the sad scene of personal destiny being tightly bound by invisible shackles under poverty, patriarchal concepts and the torrent of history. The story revolves around the marriage of two ordinary farmers, Zhang Tianming and Li Wanting: Zhang Tianming harbors a desire for knowledge and fantasizes about changing his destiny through culture, but is deceived by family lies and social prejudice; Li Wanting, in a closed rural life, is trapped by the shackles of gender and time, and suffers silent pain. The two got married because of the matchmaker's words, and they seemed happy on the surface, but in fact they became each other's cage, and each other's loneliness and helplessness continued to deepen over the years. The novel delicately depicts their struggle and loss in poverty, education, family, and changes in the times, showing a tragic life intertwined with times and lies. There is no redemption, only silent shouts and heavy memories, reflecting the long river of life that has been forgotten by history and imprisoned by shackles.
