Old Tales of Minnan: The Contract Wife

As the author of "Old Stories in Southern Fujian: Contract Wife", I wrote this story not only to tell the story of a woman's joys and sorrows, but also to gaze at a memory of southern Fujian that has been wrapped up by the times through Lin Jingwan's life, a kind of silent and tenacious female power. Lin Jingwan is the epitome of a Southern Fujian woman in my heart - she is gentle but not weak, patient but not yielding. In such an almost humiliating status as "mother's wife", she did not become a tragic symbol of the times. Instead, she lived a life as heavy and reliable as the earth amidst the crushing blows of fate. She is not a vigorous resister, but like the red brick wall of an ancient house in southern Fujian, she silently bears the load and quietly continues. Through her eyes, I tried to present not only the ups and downs of personal emotions, but also the rise and fall of southern Fujian business gangs in the troubled times of the Republic of China, the changes in family ethics and human relationships, and how a strait separated and connected ordinary people's dreams of reunion. The Zhou family's foreign trade, the overseas Chinese in Nanyang, the ferry tickets to Taiwan... These are not just backgrounds, they are part of the narrative themselves, the waves of the times that push the characters to different shores. Many people asked me why I gave Jingwan an ending to "win back her husband"? I want to say that it is not a reunion in the traditional sense, but the emotional respect and historical position that a woman wins after completing herself. What she recovered was not the myth of love, but the final recognition of a family's devotion to her, and a wandering soul's redefinition of "home." During the writing process, I often thought of the old saying in southern Fujian: "One-third of it is destined, and seven-cent of it depends on hard work." Jingwan's life is the footnote of this sentence. She made me believe that fate can write a cruel beginning, but the pen will eventually be handed over to those who dare to take root in the cracks. Thank you to every reader who has walked with Jingwan for these seventy years. She may be ordinary, but her resilience can travel through time. May this strength also gently support you at a moment in your life when you need to persevere. ——Author of "Old Stories in Southern Fujian: Contract Wife"

"Old Stories in Southern Fujian: Contract Wife" is not only a romance novel, but also a historical ukiyo-e depicting the fate of women and the changes of the times. It tells us that even in the darkest corners, ordinary women can live as a ray of light. Lin Jingwan's life is like a rock on the coast of southern Fujian, which remains standing despite being beaten by wind and waves. If you like realistic-themed works with depth and character, this book is worth reading.