The novel takes the Yinma River as the background and tells a family story that happened in the northeastern countryside, which evolved into fierce social conflicts and the struggle between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party. "Loyalty, filial piety, and righteousness" run through the work.
Zhong: The protagonist Niu Laosi has four brothers in his family. The eldest is a big landowner, the third is a poor peasant, the second is the Kuomintang military commander, and the fourth is the county magistrate of the Communist Party. Each remains committed to his or her beliefs, even to the point of sacrificing his or her life.
Filial piety: Represented by Niu Wuye and Niu Boss, they honor their ancestors, guard their ancestral graves, respect the rules left by their ancestors, respect the Three Cardinal Guidelines and Five Constant Rules, and respect the teachings of Confucius and Mencius.
Righteousness: The three snakeheads of Snake Mountain Beard travel the rivers and lakes, preaching loyalty, and secretly protect the Lao Niu family in order to repay their kindness. Snake Shan, a bearded snakehead, would rather go to jail than let Hou Dashan go, because he promised Hou Dashan to go first and keep his word.
The work is always full of sincere emotions. Niu Laoshan arranges a marriage, and the husband sings and his wife follows him; Niu Laoer pretends to be a couple for the war.
What is even more touching is the uncle-sister-in-law relationship between Niu Laosi and his elder sister-in-law. After Niu Laosi became the county magistrate, he recognized his "sister-in-law" on the rostrum.
The plot of the novel has ups and downs; the language is eloquent; the characters have distinct personalities.