Tonghua Once Encountered a Mistake in Her Life

When the old and new ideological trends of the Republic of China collided, the ethical marriage contract shackles the souls of intellectuals. The novel uses tung flowers as a closed-loop image throughout the entire novel, relying on the real life background of Wu Mi and Mao Yanwen, and uses a four-volume structure to unfold the half-life story of the reunion of close friends, the tug of separation, the blow of fate, and the relief of old age. It breaks away from the clichéd love narrative and writes about the rare resonance of the souls of literati in troubled times, as well as the involuntary helplessness under the shackles of the world. In the misty rain gathering in Pingjiang, Tung Blossom became an ally. The two got to know each other based on their poetry and calligraphy. They talked about the shackles of marriage and the joys and sorrows of the common people by the pool. It was a rare sharing of souls in the vast world. However, one party has family responsibilities, so he has to keep his feelings deep in his heart; they say goodbye in the mist of the ferry, and the swan geese send letters to and from each other. Rumors and inquiries from the original wife are interspersed in the meantime. The two keep their conscience and are torn between being close and alienated. A piece of marriage news caused a huge change in his life. Mao Yanwen devoted himself to charity and traveled far away. Wu Mi wanted to break through ethics but was fettered by reality, leaving only a withered tung petal to accompany him all night long. As time goes by, looking at each other across the sea, the lingering thoughts of the past are finally relieved. The whole text is filled with scenery, and the vegetation and scenery all contain human feelings and character, without any straightforward sentimental preaching. The intersection of the two people in their lives reflects the struggle of a generation between filial duty, old-fashioned marriage, and spiritual freedom. The blooming and falling of tung flowers are used as a metaphor for the gathering and separation of fate. The ending leaves the scenery blank, sad but not sad. In addition to the knowledge of children and friends, the collective loneliness of literati in the Tibetan era is characterized by elegant diction, profound ideas, a blend of fiction and reality, and a combination of literary beauty and humanistic thinking.