Prosperity for Generations

The protagonist in the book "Generations of Decline and Prosperity" - Li Fen, is the prototype character of Swallow Li San in the famous film and television. Li Fen was a squire from Shangcang Town, Jizhou, Shuntian Prefecture in the late Qing Dynasty. The era in which he lived coincided with the invasion of foreign invaders at the end of the Qing Dynasty. The country was in decline, the Republic of China was reforming, changing its ways, and warlords were fighting. In this turbulent era, the people's lives were in ruins and their livelihoods were in ruins. The country gentlemen represented by Li Fen worked hard, helped the weak and the poor, and worked tirelessly to lead the local people through difficulties one after another. His high integrity and brilliance of personality have always influenced the land of China. During his lifetime, the stories he wrote were compiled into operas and widely sung. The newly emerging Bengbeng Opera (the predecessor of Pingju Opera) regarded the literary opera "Yang Sanjie Complains" and the martial arts opera "Li Fen's Havoc in the Mule and Horse Market" as its two top operas, which were sung all over the country. The author carefully collected oral histories from his predecessors, and with a persistent pursuit of historical truth, he turned scraps of paper into chapters, so that the Chinese gentry culture can be carried forward and serve as a model for future generations.