Metamorphosis

The story begins in 1968. In the village of Gouchong Mountain, Xinli Town, Fushan County, Shandong, Gu Liai becomes a father of three. His younger brother, Gu Lishi, who believes their mother hasn’t left them, runs away from home and is never heard from again. Endless denunciations have made the world utterly mad, and Gu Liai is increasingly convinced that he can’t provide for his family on his own. He and Li Qingzhu, the village’s elementary school teacher, long for change. This novel portrays the struggles of farmers at the very bottom of society, using their lives to explore the different conflicts they face under different political circumstances. It is rooted in reality and filled with the author’s longing for a better life.