Death's Head

Author: Guo Geli
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-02-01
Features: The story in this book depicts a profit-driven merchant, Petyr Ivanovich, who arrives in a certain city, connects with officials such as the governor, the director of the civil affairs bureau, and the police chief. He then buys dead serfs—known as "dead souls"—from landlords who have died but whose households have not yet been officially abolished. Petyr attempts to mortgage them as living serfs to large deposits, but when his scheme is exposed, he flees the scene.