Shadows of Glory

Yang Guangyao, a middle school teacher, firmly believes that "strictness is love, leniency is harm," and that controlling his children harshly is the right way to raise them. Under his violent discipline, all four children get into prestigious universities and become the envy of the neighborhood. Yet beneath the shining surface lies deep trauma: his eldest daughter, Shenglan, spends her whole life trying to heal herself; his second daughter is also full of heartache, suffering beyond words. His eldest son, Shengli, escapes to Tsinghua and never comes home again. His youngest, the most doted on of all, repeats his father's controlling behavior in his own work relationships, ultimately ending in tragedy.

When "I'm doing this for your own good" becomes a license for emotional abuse, the wounds left unhealed turn into an invisible inheritance passed from one generation to the next. With a clear-eyed yet compassionate voice, this book portrays human nature trapped in the cages of its era and its beliefs. It is not only the tragedy of one family, but a tragedy of everyday life that is widespread throughout society.