At twenty, he was famous throughout the capital. Even the emperor called him a man fit to be prime minister. But from then on, his life was a string of false accusations, prison, demotions, and exile. He was sent from the capital to Hangzhou, Huangzhou, and Huizhou, then cast away to the edge of the world as it was known then: Danzhou on Hainan Island.
For anyone else, this might have been a tragedy.
But on a barren slope in Huangzhou, he rolled up his trousers and began farming, giving himself a new name: Dongpo Hermit. He narrowly escaped death row, yet remained the same man who spoke up whenever something angered him. With no money for meat, he taught people to stew pork until its fragrance filled the streets. Exiled to Hainan, he sat beneath coconut palms and taught books to Li children.
He turned every low point into a beautiful scene.
If you, too, are going through a rough patch, whether you've failed an exam, run into trouble at work, been misunderstood, or are simply feeling tired, then hello, Su Shi.
Open this book, and he will tell you: No road you take in life is wasted. Every step counts.
The author introduces Su Shi's life, which was full of ups and downs from childhood to adulthood.