Purple-brown soil

Author: Chang Yan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-06-01
Features: The Qing Emperor abdicated, heroes rose, warlords seized power, and the people were in dire straits—the work depicts an era filled with bloodshed. Shen, the township chief of Changfang Township in the hinterland of Shennongjia, had studied in Japan in his youth. With a cold face and an iron will, he concealed his true nature. He set ambushes at Land Ridge, used poison in the Yellow Dragon Cave, and ultimately rose to prominence by retreating in order to advance. Just when everything was going smoothly, he was shot by his enemies. As the de facto backbone of the Zhu family, which once dominated the region, Zheng Yumei faced a tragic fate. Despite her relentless efforts, she was powerless to turn the tide. On Jigong Ridge, opium was stolen, and the century-old shop was burned down. Her husband was imprisoned three times, and her younger sister's marriage repeatedly brought misfortune. Amidst the ups and downs of fate, she staged a series of thrilling stories: the "big-titted" woman dragged the "beggars" to death, the Northern Army tortured the (a type of gangster), the wealthy young man of Hankou was deeply infatuated, and the small-town scholar was utterly useless. As the storm clouds gathered, the winds of change swept across the land, and the new century had already begun. The ancient mountain town trembled in the throes of rebirth.