Zhu Bajie: Past and Present

Author: Ruan Xiaowu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-11-01
Features: This novel completely subverts and reimagines the character of Zhu Bajie. Originally named Tianpeng, he had a touching and poignant love story with the Four Beauties of Heaven, completely changing his stereotypical image as gluttonous, lazy, and lecherous. Instead, he emerges as a heroic, valiant, and upright man. After reading this novel, readers will easily understand why Zhu Bajie was so beloved by women in the group of four on their journey to save the Buddha. The novel unfolds a vibrant and alluring picture for readers with its compelling plot, extraordinary imagination, boundless literary style, and humorous, fluent language.
Tianpeng, the original name of Zhu Bajie, was handsome, charming, and dashing. Whether in the immortal realm or the mortal world, he was the focus of countless beauties. Among thousands of people, Tianpeng was deeply in love with only one person—Chang'e. All his joys and sorrows, blessings and misfortunes, stemmed from this love. Chang'e was originally Tianpeng's lover, but she lost the archery competition for marriage to Hou Yi and lost him. Subsequently, she married Hou Yi. To see Chang'e every day, Tianpeng abandoned his divine status and came to the mortal world. He then broke his promise not to reveal his identity and was punished by the heavens, turning into a stone. Because of Tianpeng, the beautiful and devoted Liu never married, gathering hundreds of morning glory petals and clear dew every day to sprinkle on Tianpeng's stone, bringing him back to life. Everything began and ended with love. Tianpeng grew in love, learning to understand, tolerate, and forgive. This love is only meant for the heavens. After reading this story, readers will easily understand why Zhu Bajie had such a charm with women.
The nationwide bestseller of Facing You propelled Ruan Xiaowu into the ranks of best-selling authors, making him a highly sought-after writer by publishers. After fierce competition, his new novel Zhu Bajie's Past and Present was recently launched by Yangtze Literature Publishing House. This novel completely subverts and reimagines the character of Zhu Bajie, originally named Tianpeng. His touching and poignant love story with the Four Beauties of Heaven completely changes his stereotypical image as gluttonous, lazy, and lecherous, portraying him as a heroic, valiant, and upright man. After reading this novel, readers will easily understand why Zhu Bajie was so beloved by women in the group of four on their journey to save the Buddha. The novel unfolds a vibrant and alluring picture for readers with its compelling plot, extraordinary imagination, boundless literary style, and humorous, fluent language.
The success of Zhu Bajie's Past and Present online cannot be overstated. After being serialized on a literary website, its popularity soared rapidly, quickly becoming one of the most popular online novels on the site, attracting countless readers. Subsequently, dozens of websites across the country began serializing this once immensely popular novel. Chinese and overseas readers eagerly shared it, with many commenting online that it was more engaging to read than The Legend of Sun Wukong, requiring readers to finish it in one sitting. The author's reputation soared, making him a highly sought-after writer by publishers. At the same time, a film production company in Guangzhou acquired the animation script rights to the book at a high price and officially launched the animated VCD Zhu Bajie Cried.
2004 was undoubtedly Ruan Xiaowu's year. During this period, his creativity reached a high, yielding rich results. His three novels—Zhu Bajie's Past and Present, Facing You, and A Whimsical Tale of the Twelve Beauties of the Red Chamber—were launched by renowned national publishers such as Yangtze Literature Publishing House and Writers Publishing House. Facing You and A Whimsical Tale of the Twelve Beauties of the Red Chamber quickly climbed bestseller lists across the country upon their release, receiving widespread praise from websites and media as the most popular and promising authors of the time.