His Years

This is a traditional realist novel about rural life, centered on the life of an ordinary farmer, Chen Chengyi. The story is rooted in Qinjia Village, deep in the mountains of Sichuan and Guizhou, where generations of the protagonist’s family have made their living as tenant farmers. The narrative unfolds along three threads: war, famine, and the changes of the times. Setting aside grand historical narratives, it draws on the everyday struggles and joys of farm life to trace the full course of a poor farmer’s life, marked by quiet endurance and hardship amid the tides of history.