Spanning the decades from the War of Resistance Against Japan to the building of New China, this story follows the fates of Xu Fengjin, Gu Nanyan, and others as they write a chapter of resistance, perseverance, and nation-building in Shanghai.
During the war, Shanghai falls beneath the Japanese army’s iron heel. Xu Fengjin puts down his pen and takes up arms, joining an underground organization with Gu Nanyan and their comrades. Between the foreign concessions and their base areas, they intercept secret messages, rescue their fellow countrymen, and blow up weapons depots, defending Shanghai with courage.
After the war, the two turn to reconstruction. They build agricultural machinery factories to mechanize farming, establish vocational schools to train skilled workers, and help textile and electronics factories advance from basic production to integrated circuit research and development. Through every challenge, they hold fast to their original purpose: “to make life better for ordinary people.”
Over the decades, they grow from revolutionaries into elders. Their love deepens amid the flames of war and the warmth of everyday life, and they witness a new generation take up the torch of innovation. Their story enters the collection of the Shanghai Museum. The spirit of “an undying purpose, passed down from generation to generation” shines like lights along the Huangpu River, illuminating the city’s future.
The novel recreates the character of Shanghai, blending the intensity of war, the fervor of nation-building, and the warmth of everyday life. Through the intertwining of individual lives and the fate of the country, it showcases the resilience and determination of the Chinese people.
