Purification

At the start of the reform era, in an isolated mountain village on the southern foothills of the Greater Khingan Range, Hua Diaolong, a talented but melancholy Party member and demobilized soldier, rises above his inferiority complex and teaches himself to succeed despite a series of romantic upheavals. He despises the customs of a society that puts official rank above all else, and resents the snobbery of beautiful women. Yet a devoted beauty helps him reveal his talent and enter public service. In a personal struggle that earns both admiration and envy, he continually transforms himself: from narrow-minded and selfish to broad-minded, then from ambitious and self-satisfied to sincerely remorseful. In the end, he shapes himself into a resolute and reserved man of exceptional wisdom, approachable and loyal, until he becomes a source of pride and a celebrated figure in his hometown.