Moyan Best: Cow

Author: Mo Yan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: During the Cultural Revolution, the mischievous teenager Luo Han dropped out of school and stayed at home, herding cattle with Du Shao Nian, the team's livestock caretaker. Due to poverty and the inability to raise more cattle, the team leader Ma Shu invited Comrade Dong from the People's Commune Veterinary Station to castrate the three young bulls—Shuang Ji, Da Xi, and Xiao Xi. After the surgery, Luo Han, Du Da Ye, and the three bulls lived together day and night, enduring hardships, and eventually, Da Xi and Xiao Xi recovered. However, the stubborn and unruly Shuang Ji died after suffering from severe bleeding during the surgery and postoperative infection, enduring days of torment before meeting his fate.
The renowned contemporary Chinese writer Mo Yan, with his unique creative techniques, has earned a prestigious place in Chinese literature. To date, he has published nearly ten full-length novels and over a hundred short stories and novellas. His novels, with their vibrant colors, novel sensations, and rich, distinctive imagery, present an artistic world in the Beidong Township of Gaomi County, reminiscent of Macondo in Gabriel García Márquez's works, to the extent that some critics have remarked that Mo Yan is China's García Márquez. Memories of rural life serve as the (materials) and backdrop for many of Mo Yan's literary works.