Eleventh red cloth strip

Author: Cao Wenxuan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: Outstanding author's self-recommendation Outstanding works, classic reading value and collectible edition. This short story collection, composed of 17 stories, is like lonely reeds growing quietly by the river marshes of northern Jiangsu. When those white reeds flutter under the increasingly high autumn sky, what follows into view is the vast, unchanging expanse of water—what kind of water is it, and what kind of river is it? Sometimes, they carry a profound and lonely sorrow, coming from a distant place where their source cannot be found; then, sometimes, they spread out in the evening until they flood the eyes of a yearning youth. They linger in people's hearts with sorrow until a faint cry from one soul is heard by another. And then, those once hidden wounds and grievances deep within a youth's heart will finally cross layers of misunderstandings and unintentional neglect, flowing into a different realm of growth in the intertwining of hearts. In Cao Wenxuan's writing, how could this other realm be without the splendid imagination and pure feelings of young people? The red gourd floating on the water, the eleventh red cloth strip fluttering on the single horn of the, the rose and gardenia that bloom, wither, and even die—those tiny yet persistent cries, and the heart-stirring songs of the soul: "The sky in November is spotless. In the breeze, delicate blue raindrops drift; like glistening tears on a girl's eyelashes; like countless pure and transparent diamonds. They sparkle and sparkle, falling onto green leaves, producing a crisp and beautiful sound." Pure colors, clear sounds—though life may be cruel and imperfect in many ways, as long as these beautiful images exist or appear before people's eyes, those lovely hopes and desires will flourish and grow, waiting for the reeds to bloom in the next season. Of course, sometimes, we also see Cao Wenxuan's boundless melancholy, his endless longing and regret for those misunderstood, overlooked, even the smallest wishes. Cao Wenxuan's children's novels are growth novels in the purest sense. These stories unfold vividly in life, perhaps not earth-shattering, but what is more important than being cared for by another heart? Thus, Cao Wenxuan's stories seem to happen beyond history, yet they are firmly rooted in the human heart, growing by the side of the endless river of life. Because of this, a loyal author must make people face the wounds, regrets, losses, and imperfections of life. "Who says a youth's sky only floats carefree birds? Who knows what games will make you laugh freely. When will you be struck by boundless worries? And what kind of situation will make you experience how a pure, transparent heart can be caught off guard by a sudden storm in the midst of play." Yes, only by facing all this, only by enduring it, can one understand the importance of mutual love between lives, and know that pure desires are like pearls hidden at the bottom of the water—only through the washing of tears can they shine again. And the youth will finally, in the autumn of life, like clusters of white reeds, freely drift above the vast expanse of water.