Lily of the Valley

Author: He Dun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: This is a novel filled with rich Hunan flavor. Its story unfolds in the Hunan region, narrated in the local Hunan dialect. Those unfamiliar with it will see the plot, while those in the know will smile at the subtleties between the lines. In the 1970s, Ma Yu, a sent-down youth from Changsha, fell in love with the county magistrate's daughter, Zhang Lin, and was recommended to attend university. Li Fang, meanwhile, was born into poverty in Huangjiacun, Baishui County. In the 1980s, Ma Yu and Zhang Lin lived a happy married life, advanced in their careers, and Ma Yu became the town head. He also began an extramarital affair with a new college student, Sun Yan. Li Fang, however, spent her youth in the rural life of tilling the soil and facing the sky. In the 1990s, Ma Yu was forced to divorce by Sun Yan, lost his political backing, and was secretly demoted to become the director of the agricultural research institute while also venturing into business. Li Fang, on the other hand, lost her chance to attend university due to early romantic involvement and became a worker in the town. Her beauty led to her being forcibly assaulted by the factory director, and she endured various setbacks in marriage and emotions. Ma Yu and Li Fang, from different social strata and experiencing different loves, ultimately met at the Golden Horse Entertainment City. From then on, Li Fang became Ma Yu's mistress and lived with him for nine years until the moment of tragedy in the novel.
In this novel, He Dun takes us into a wild and untamed natural world, where humans, as primates, transform into various animals—sometimes gentle, sometimes furious. Ordinary people and ordinary loves rise and fall with the ever-changing tides of the times, driven by the whims of fate. The novel inadvertently unfolds like a clear and vivid River Scene at Qingming Festival depicting the destinies of Chinese people over decades.