The Widow Wang of Liuhe Town

In Republican-era Zhongyuan, in Liuzhen, Widow Wang is a woman shrouded in mystery. She has no known given name or surname, yet the name “Widow Wang” alone has put down roots across the villages for miles around. Her hands can deliver babies and save lives, her needle can stitch wounds, and her words can bring couples together. To the villagers, she is a “living bodhisattva.” Yet she also turns around and calls local bullies her brothers, handles the authorities with ease, and, because of three unclear affairs, has become a “vixen” in the village gossip.

She sees life clearly. When she helps someone, she gives her whole heart, willing to suffer a loss rather than take advantage of anyone. Yet she is also resigned to its murkiness, answering accusations of loose morals with a quiet, “Only you know your own suffering.” From standing up to evil forces to save her neighbors, to venturing into danger to protect the innocent, she dances on the edge of a knife and struggles through the mire. Some admire her compassion; others call her wanton. But when storms descend and everyone else panics, she alone stands beneath the old locust tree, her back straight. In these troubled times, only she gets to decide whether she is good or bad.