In the troubled times where the war is raging and the people are in dire straits, commoner boy Li Damao, together with his friends Su Xiaodou, the song queen Erya, the wise man Zhao Banxian, and the heroine Feng Sanniang, survive in the cracks of the bustling market. The story starts with a funny daily routine, and gradually gets involved in the struggle for power, disputes between rivers and lakes, and changes in the family and country. Each volume revolves around a new turmoil or conspiracy, and each character experiences growth and transformation. In the end, the little people use wisdom and humor to solve the crisis in troubled times, struggle between freedom and order, witness the good and evil of human nature in troubled times, and gain friendship, love and even redemption. The book has a fast pace, ups and downs of the plot but sticks closely to the theme, and is humorous without losing warmth.
