About Crossing the Moon Over Pohu Lake
Crossing the Moon Over Pohu Lake is a realist novel deeply rooted in the rural communities around Poyang Lake. The story begins with a chance encounter among the lakeside reeds. Su Duyue, a woman who has returned to her hometown, and Lu Xunzhou, a local young man, fall in love over a single fishing lantern. They only want to stay by the lake together and live a quiet, peaceful life, but they witness the harsh reality of village fundraisers falling flat, a lack of collective industries, and elderly and vulnerable villagers with nowhere to turn for help.
Putting their quiet life together aside, the two join forces to explore a locally rooted model for public service and establish the Jishan Mutual Aid Society, named after the Ding clan's “Jiyang Aristocratic House.” Combining donations of supplies, a time bank, an agricultural-photovoltaic industry, and transparent digital records, they overcome villagers' suspicions and resist the lure of profit-seeking outside capital. They launch emergency aid across regions, build a system to pass on charitable values to young people, form a network of charitable initiatives around the lake, and even bring their proven operating model to waterside communities in other provinces.
With the fishing lantern as its central symbol, the novel weaves together two storylines: an ordinary love that grows steadily, with the couple supporting one another through everything, and the quest to root grassroots charity in the countryside and pass it down from generation to generation. There is no perfect utopia detached from reality. The story faces real difficulties, from discrepancies in the accounts and personal prejudices to compliance inspections, showing how the warmth of a small family can grow into a great love that protects its home. It offers a lasting way forward for rural industries, grassroots charity, and the passing on of compassion.