One moment of peace

Author: Wang Xiaona
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-10-01
Features: A story of a refined and innocent intellectual woman searching for love; she tirelessly seeks and finally finds her childhood sweetheart; at the cost of family breakdown and damaged reputation, she wholeheartedly throws herself into love like a moth to a flame; in the end, she discovers it was just a mirage in the water, a flower in the mirror. This is a novel about love and survival, and in the face of harsh survival issues, even the most steadfast love can become fragile and turn into a mirage. Yet in this vast world, what isn’t a mirage? The entire book is filled with Zen-like subtlety, leaving readers with a knowing smile upon completion.
Twenty years ago, the talented Dong Menkai, a graduate of Peking University, fell in love at first sight with An Ning, a beautiful young woman in a small Jiangnan city. For love, he abandoned opportunities to work in a big city or even go abroad, settling in Xuncheng County, An Ning’s hometown, as a high school teacher. Twenty years later, he loses his job. An Ning, to find a job for her husband, shamelessly "seduces" the county party secretary. Upon learning the truth, Dong Menkai is devastated and descends into self-destruction. An Ning’s deep disappointment stems from her husband’s weakness and lack of understanding, leading her to rekindle an affair with her childhood sweetheart—the mayor of Mingcheng City, also the superior of the county party secretary. Dong Menkai leaves in anger, and the relationship between An Ning and her husband, Yi Xi, also faces crises due to interference from Yi Xi’s wife and numerous misunderstandings. Under survival pressure and emotional turmoil, An Ning chooses to leave home.
This is a novel about love and survival, and in the face of harsh survival issues, even the most steadfast love can become fragile and turn into a mirage. Yet in this vast world, what isn’t a mirage? The entire book is filled with Zen-like subtlety, leaving readers with a knowing smile upon completion.