Spring in Winter

Author: Li Guowen
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Since its establishment, the Mao Dun Literature Prize has had five sessions, with a total of 22 long novels (two additional works received honorary awards). Most of these winning works have achieved breakthroughs in the narrative art of long novels, possessing certain ideological depth and strong artistic appeal. They represent the overall pinnacle of long-form creation, showcasing the outstanding achievements of China's long novel writing over the past two decades in the new era, and have become a benchmark in the minds of contemporary Chinese writers. Among them, there are works that reflect on our winding journey and hold enlightenment and guiding significance for new era literature, such as Xu Mao and His Daughters, Furong Town, and General's Ode; works that depict the profound hardships and constraints of our nation, delving into deep reflections on the fate of the country and the nation, such as Yellow River Flows East, Heavy Wings, and Choice; works that portray the destinies of characters and observe them in the context of social changes, writing about life's struggles and striving, such as The Funeral of a Muslim, The Dust Settles, and The Ballad of Changhong; long historical novels that draw lessons from history and excavate the deep cultural connotations of our nation, such as Li Zicheng, The Young Emperor, and White Gate Willow; and even monumental works like Ordinary World and White Deer Plain, which are heavy and somber, reaching the depths of the soul. It can be said that some winning works of the Mao Dun Literature Prize have become classics of contemporary Chinese long novels, holding a pivotal position in the history of contemporary Chinese literature. They not only represent the highest level of contemporary Chinese long novel writing but also resonate deeply with the public, exerting immense influence. Several of them have circulation figures exceeding one million copies. Without a doubt, their awards symbolize the authority of this prize.
Now, with the strong support of the authors, their families, and relevant publishing organizations, the Complete Collection of Mao Dun Literature Prize Winning Works is exclusively launched by the People's Literature Publishing House. For this collection, we have meticulously proofread all the works, adding editorial notes to some for easier reading. Some multi-volume works that won awards in partial volumes are now included in their entirety. Additionally, we have adopted an internationally popular format, large-character typesetting, and elegant, solemn, and imposing binding, striving to make the Complete Collection of Mao Dun Literature Prize Winning Works a premium, meticulously crafted, and perfect masterpiece suitable for reading, appreciation, gifting, and collection.
The novel follows Yu Eryou, a revolutionary cadre, as he returns to his hometown of Shihu for three days and nights, retracing and contrasting the struggles of 40 years—from the War of Resistance Against Japan and the War of Liberation to the 17 years after the founding of the People's Republic, through the Cultural Revolution and the overthrow of the "Gang of Four"—and embodies the theme of "Spring in the Hearts of the People." Yu Eryou was the leader of the Shihu guerrilla unit during the War of Resistance Against Japan and later became the of a large-scale military-industrial power plant after the liberation. His return to his hometown is to solve the mystery of his late wife, Lu Hua, a guerrilla unit instructor, who died 40 years ago under unclear circumstances and to find the who shot her from behind.
Yu Eryou and Lu Hua were once impoverished fishermen in Shihu. To repay a debt to the wealthy Gao Menlou Wang family, Yu Eryou drank a medicinal wine and nearly drowned while catching carp in the icy lake. Under the guidance of the Party, they bravely lit the torch of revolution, fighting against the Gao Menlou Wang family, the Japanese invaders, and the lake bandits, battling like the and, never ceasing in their struggles. Later, Yu Eryou served as the commander of a cavalry unit, charging across the battlefields of the War of Liberation, and later as a pioneer, building a large factory in the marshlands. However, his first wife had tragically passed away 40 years earlier. Lu Hua possessed an exceptionally firm and sensitive class consciousness, harboring an irreconcilable class hatred toward the Gao Menlou Wang family. She was like a formidable war deity, hurling the head of the eldest son of the Wang family before the second son, Wang Weiyu. Wang Weiyu was a class enemy who infiltrated the revolutionary ranks, having been hidden among Yu Eryou for decades, stirring up trouble while pretending to be "revolutionary." He pretended to "rebel" by digging up his father's grave, writing his membership application in blood, constantly talking about "class struggle," and taking advantage of the guerrilla unit's desire for victory to make wrong decisions, nearly causing the entire unit's destruction. In the factory, he also engaged in something called "red corners," leaning left by three points in everything, and in the end, his executioner's mask was finally exposed.
The novel's timeline is reversed, intertwining history and reality, and its plot is shrouded in mystery, further enhancing its artistic charm.