The novel is set against the backdrop of the turbulent years of the Republic of China, focusing on the lower-class families. The core tells the story of the tragic encounters and tragic entanglements of two sisters, Shuzhen and Shushun, and depicts the struggles and perseverance of lower-class women in the suffering life. The two sisters were born in poverty and had been dependent on each other since childhood. However, they were forced to separate due to family difficulties and uncertainties in the world. Shushun married away in the countryside, while Shuzhen stayed with her to take care of her mother. From then on, the two sisters embarked on completely different life paths. After the separation, Shushun suffered hardships in her husband's family, and Shuzhen also experienced the trials and tribulations of life and emotional ups and downs. Although the two cared about each other, they repeatedly missed the opportunity to meet each other. When they met again, they had already changed, and only tears accompanied them to express the pain of separation. The plot of the book is full of twists and turns, describing the suffering and helplessness of the low-level people with delicate brushstrokes, linking the affection between mother and daughter, the deep love between sisters and the love that ends without a problem. It contains both a subtle indictment of social injustice and a reflection on the warmth and coldness of human nature. A profound description, the word "red tears" coincides with the tragedy of the two sisters' lives, perfectly blending the weakness and tenacity of the lower-class women, the impermanence and cruelty of fate, and fully demonstrating the delicate texture and tragic content of Gu Mingdao's popular novels.
