A sorrowful song of women’s destinies spanning nearly a century, and an epic family saga filled with tears, blood, and tenderness.
In the early years of the Republic of China, Wang Jingyi, eldest daughter of the Wang family, was born in Xijian Village, among the loess plateaus of northwestern Shanxi. She was blessed with “lucky ears” that everyone praised, but she had no idea that this so-called good fortune would pull her along like a thread, leaving her adrift in the era’s raging torrents, powerless to choose her own path.
From an innocent childhood in a grand, secluded household to the destruction of her family and separation from her loved ones, then a forced marriage as a child bride in a poor cave dwelling in exchange for two sacks of grain, Feng’er’s fate rose and fell amid the great tides of history. Once a landlord’s daughter, she struggled to survive amid hunger and cold, and tasted betrayal and despair in the endless darkness.
Even in the fiercest storms, the faint light of humanity never went out. Her stepfather, Li Fuyang, offered his quiet protection; the righteous Sun Weimin spoke up for her; and the kindness of people who stood by one another through hardship all became lamps lighting her way through the night. Most of all, her bond with Yundeng, a Mongolian cadre, briefly let her trace the outline of happiness amid wind and rain. Her thirst for knowledge and her responsibility toward her children helped her rise again and again from the mire of fate. After retiring, she devoted all her time and energy to raising her grandchildren. Yet as the years passed and the twenty-first century dawned, she finally felt that her generation, too, ought to leave the stage of history.
This is a moving story of hardship, resilience, redemption, and memory. It portrays the helplessness and perseverance of individuals beneath the wheels of history, and composes a magnificent tribute to the dignity and warmth that humanity can still kindle in the harshest circumstances.
This story is adapted from my own family history, and the main character in the story is my elderly grandmother. When my grandma celebrated her 90th birthday, my aunt summarized her deeds into a thin book. This was the source of my inspiration. In fact, there is such a story around each of us, ordinary and legendary, but reading it makes people enjoy it and has endless aftertaste. I hope you all like my story, just like how I saw my parents' love, and I saw my own reflection in other people's stories.
The characters are described delicately, the timeline is clear, and the reading is very visual.
The writing is elegant and the story is eloquently told, making it a smooth read. I look forward to updates.
The protagonist's growth line is clear!