Essays of China: Collected Works of Ke Ling

Author: Ke Ling
Editor-in-Chief: Liu Huijun
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1998-12-01
Features: Preface
Contemporary Chinese prose creation, on the basis of inheriting and promoting the excellent aesthetic traditions of ancient and modern times, has continuously developed and flourished. Especially since the new era, the innovative consciousness of prose writing has become more open and intense, the aesthetic pursuit more simple and natural, and the expressive forms richer and more diverse. To showcase the achievements of contemporary prose creation and promote the development of socialist literary undertakings, our press will successively compile and publish the "Series of Treasured Chinese Prose." The series mainly collects the finest works of outstanding prose writers since the founding of the People's Republic of China. The editorial format is organized by volume, with each writer having their own volume, each volume containing approximately 150,000 words. Readers can appreciate the creative styles of different writers and gain an overview of the true state of contemporary prose development. Editorial Department of People's Literature Publishing House
Excerpt:
This kind of lane is often found in small cities in the Jiangnan region, like an ancient maiden hiding in a secluded inner chamber, reluctant to show her face. If you live in such a city for a long time and truly become its confidante, you will have the chance to see her and experience her gentle and composed demeanor. It is not the rural lane, dilapidated and desolate, with muddy and uneven paths, overgrown with weeds, and lined with scattered manure pits. It is also not the Shanghai lane, densely packed with households, so crowded that it is hard to breathe; vendors move about constantly, and from the dark doors, women in slippers occasionally emerge, their hair disheveled like autumn grasses in the wind, their eyes filled with red threads, their faces still smudged with overnight makeup, lazily heading to the public bathhouse to fetch water. It is not like the northern hutong, covered in dust, with sand swirling into the sky when the wind blows. This lane is isolated from the hustle and bustle of the market but is not rural in character. It is both deep and long, and it takes a long time to walk through it patiently. It is also so winding that as you look ahead, it seems blocked, but after passing through, there is still a deep lane, and it becomes even quieter. It is often quiet and silent, no matter when you go into the lane, it is like a tranquil evening, and you can clearly hear your own footsteps. The walls on both sides are of moderate height, with patches of moss, and hanging vines like ancient screens. The gardens behind the walls are often lush with bamboo, and the sounds of nature are gentle. In spring, there are usually a few branches of delicate peach and apricot blossoms, swaying their red sleeves from the walls, greeting passersby. After passing through several gateways, they are all tightly closed, with no one in sight, as they are the back doors of the houses. Occasionally, a dog may be lying there, but it will never bark aggressively at you.