That Year the Mist and Rain Sent Me Home

The story takes place in Shaoxing, Jiangnan in 1937. The continuous mist and rain during the plum rain season enveloped the bluestone lanes, and the old and new trends of thought collided violently in the ancient city. The remnants of the warlords covet folk antiques, overseas cultural relics dealers are secretly roaming around, the rules of traditional clans are still continuing in the deep houses, and the new atmosphere of the new school has been blown into the window lattice by the river. The entire ancient city is like an old box wrapped in mist and rain, hiding secrets that have not been revealed for generations. The male protagonist, Lu Jiangyuan, is the current owner of the Lu family's ancient house. He studied architecture and archeology abroad in his early years. He possesses the gentleness and restraint of a young man from an aristocratic family, as well as the decisiveness and acumen of an explorer. He returned to Shaoxing with the purpose of finding out the truth about the mysterious disappearance of his ancestors, and guarded this ancient house full of institutions. He wore a plain gown all year round, and his fingertips were always stained with some traces of surveying ink. He seemed distant and indifferent, but in fact he quietly protected everyone he cared about behind him. The heroine Chen Zhiyao is a female scholar of architectural history who returned from studying abroad. She came to Shaoxing with the purpose of inspecting ancient Ming and Qing folk houses in the south of the Yangtze River. She has a valiant and transparent personality. She does not believe in ghosts and gods but only evidence. She always carries a sketchbook and a magnifying glass with her. She dares to climb the ladder into the attic of the ancient house to investigate, and she also dares to stand beside Lu Jiangyuan calmly amid rumors. She seems to be an outsider who accidentally broke into the ancient house, but she has clues about old items that are deeply connected to the ancestors of the Lu family.