The Things That Happened in the Compound

The story takes place in Shanxi during the Republic of China era. Chen Wansui lost his parents at a young age. Relying on his vinegar-making skills, he started out as an assistant to a craftsman. With no family estate or support, he built a prosperous household brick by brick and silver by silver, and raised a grand family compound. Friends and relatives lived together there, their relationships and interests intertwined, and conflicts never ceased. But peace was fleeting. Japanese invaders advanced into Shanxi, and war shattered their home. The family scattered, and its younger members made different choices: some went off to fight the enemy, while others tried to survive at any cost. The disputes and grudges within the compound faded amid the suffering of their country, as the family's fate was swept up in the flames of war, through sorrow and joy, life and death.