Flower branches tremble violently

Author: Shao Hong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-10-01
Features: This is a realistic novel depicting official corruption. The work observes the various vices of Wu Dade, the Secretary-General of the Municipal Committee, from the perspective of "I" — a security officer. The text also features two female section chiefs with completely different personalities and life philosophies: Yuan Zhen and Wu Xiaolu. As first cousins, they share a close bond, but their approaches to handling matters and behavioral standards are polar opposites. Yuan Zhen is upright, noble, and spiritually driven, while Wu Xiaolu, in her pursuit of advancement, uses her body as a ladder, climbing the ranks from a typist to a prestigious position. Yuan Zhen, however, remains disdainful of dirty flattery, sycophancy, and deals due to her commitment to her independent spirit. Despite her excellent writing skills and recognition as a talented woman, she has been "" (left hanging) in the position of section chief for over a decade, facing undeserved neglect. In the end, disheartened, she decisively left the organization where she had dedicated over a decade of her youth, abandoned the "iron rice bowl," and went alone to a city in the south.