This is a small river port town in the north. From the lingering warmth of the late Qing Dynasty to the New Deal and New Customs, half a century of water vapor has left its mark on the damp wooden boards. A scribe who had read old books, a woman with strength and softness, a businessman who came ashore between salt and profit, and a group of ordinary people breathing in their fate, they tried to stand firm in the ups and downs of the river. The imperial examinations were abolished, warlords changed their flags, foreign enemies invaded the country, the factory whistles replaced the gongs and drums of the temple fair, the salt flowers on the sacks, the calluses on the palms, the oil lamps of night classes, and the gun butts of the grain collection team, everything changed the texture of a family. Lin Shiyu makes a living by writing, Zhao Yiyun teaches and weaves, Duan Yongzhang advances and retreats in the salt industry, Su Wan grows from a rescued abandoned baby to a female worker, daughter-in-law, and mother. Many choices do not have a clear boundary between a hero or a traitor. There is a weakness in people's hearts, and there is no turning back in this era. The novel unfolds in ten chapters, starting from a river port early in the morning and ending with the heightening of the embankments and the transformation of the old wharf into a grain station. The strokes on the paper are like the waves in the river, swaying in circles and finally dissipating in the larger changes. There is no legendary golden finger, no fantasy escape, only people use their tears, sweat and body temperature to hold up their own small but real sky.
