Ink Stains in the Yi Village, Love Deepens at Dusk

At 25, Shuxin is a country girl who dreams of becoming a writer but feels trapped by the isolation of her Yi village and her own self-doubt. She earns a living by helping villagers write letters to their families and documenting local customs. Li Wen, a 65-year-old retired construction official, arrives alone in a Yi village in western Yunnan to research a book on ancient Yi architecture. Since Shuxin knows the local customs and terrain, the village committee recommends her to help Li Wen gather material. She takes him to visit century-old earthen houses and explains the carvings on ancestral halls, while he helps her overcome her writing block, sharing everything from writing techniques to life experience.

As they spend time together, Shuxin is moved by Li Wen’s refinement and insight, while he is drawn to her resilience and spark. A love that transcends their age difference quietly takes root. But their relationship faces one obstacle after another: Shuxin’s parents strongly disapprove, the villagers spread rumors, and Li Wen’s children question their bond. The story also uncovers secrets behind the village’s ancient buildings. The wooden fish drum heard at the ancestral hall late at night, the mysterious symbols carved into its beams, and a copper bell passed down through Shuxin’s family all conceal a century-old legend about protecting the village, one that unexpectedly connects to an episode from Li Wen’s youth. My new work is now available. Please visit Tomato Novel to read it. I hope you enjoy it. Your support motivates me to write, and I’ll do my best to tell every story well!