The protagonist of the novel, Fu Gui, was originally a capable young man. After his mother died, he owed money to Wang Laowan for weddings and funerals. He was exploited at all levels to gain land and debts. He had no choice but to gamble and steal. When he worked as a drummer, he was buried alive by the Wang family, so he had to flee. After liberation, he returned from the liberated area and only wanted to confront Wang Laowan and seek justice. Fugui's experience is the epitome of the old society's exploitation of the people at the bottom, and his final courage to speak out and regain dignity also demonstrates the power of the new society to break oppression and allow the people at the bottom to regain the value of life. Zhao Shuli's writing is full of "earthy flavor", simple and vivid, and accurately restores the rough texture of rural life, making it easy for readers to empathize with him. Times have passed, but the work still shines.
