[1970s + countryside + hardship + ordinary people at the bottom of society + lightly documentary style + family struggles] [The bonus chapters will be feel-good stories, so everyone can enjoy themselves]
Synopsis: The story begins in the late summer of the year Chen Xiaohua turns seven. Though still too young to understand, she senses that something is wrong in her life. Why can't she go straight home after school every day? Why do strange sounds often come from the house? And why do other people call her mother "bad luck"?
One question after another quietly plants the seed of a search for the truth in her heart.
Sometimes the truth is cruel...
"Rotten Roots" When a great tree's roots rot, it cannot be long before it falls.
A tree with decaying roots does not die right away, but every leaf loses its luster.
Even if the branches of a tree with rotten roots reach for the sun, they cannot escape being dragged down and depleted.
"Rotten Roots" is not about "how to break free of hardship," but about "how hardship clings to a person's fate like rotten roots."
The tragedy of "rotten roots" lies in how they turn the family into "a prison of oppression" and "a marketplace for exchanging benefits."
Beware of equating "filial piety" with "unconditional obedience," or turning "providing for the family" into "sacrificing one person's happiness." A truly healthy family should nourish every member's growth, making "home" a shelter from the storm, not its source.
Plum Blossom and Her Life of Joy and Sorrow
The General Is a Little Cold
Wang Zhaodi and the Nine Sisters She Brought Home
My Childhood Friend’s Little Brother Isn’t Very Well-Behaved
Sweet Romance: If You Don’t Like It, Come Bite Me
Something Haunts This House
Spring Flowers and Autumn Leaves
The School Heartthrob Came from Ancient Times
The story is filled with the bleakness of life and the weakness of humanity, which made me inevitably think of myself—often a timid "quail" in reality. So much so that when I read overly painful scenes, I had to pause, letting the interruption dilute the profound sorrow I felt. But ultimately, I always returned to complete this somber and poignant reading journey.
It's well-written. I like the villagers; they are all very kind 👍. They help the two sisters time and time again, which is quite touching. I always hoped that the two sisters would have a better life, but I didn't like the ending for the two sisters 🤦 (thankfully, there's an epilogue to make up for it).
I stayed up all night to finish watching it. I couldn't stop watching. Although it's a tragedy and quite heartbreaking, the ending is logical and the characters' personalities and perceptions influence their destinies.
Five-star review Five-star review Five-star review
Tears kept flowing
Beautiful and touching.
I love reading so much, I can't stop.
This is so depressing; it would be better if there was no such devilish father at all.
It's very well written, but there should have been a turning point after they entered the city, but there wasn't; things just kept going badly, which was disheartening.
The writing is very good, but it's very depressing. All four children are miserable, and the mother is even more miserable. When will you write a fourth chapter about the female lead's father?