This book is a classic work by the modern folklorist Lian Kuoru, and can be called an "encyclopedia of rivers and lakes". Based on personal experience and in-depth research, the author systematically reveals the secrets, slang and operating logic of all walks of life in old China, covering storytelling, fortune telling, fortune telling, acrobatics, thieves, swindlers and many other professions. The book not only restores the true ecology of rivers and lakes, but also exposes the routines of various rivers and lakes scams. It is both interesting and of historical value. It allows readers to have a comprehensive and profound understanding of the traditional "jiangs and lakes" culture. It is an important document for the study of folk culture.