Had to become an official, also known as, Silver Vase Melody

Author: ○○
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-05-01
Features: This is a long satirical comedy novel. Since the publication of The Story of the Stone over two hundred years ago, only Fortress Besieged can be counted as a work of the same kind (Lu Xun's The True Story of Ah Q is a short story and is not included). The protagonist, Gao Shigu, is a typical rural ruffian. His most distinctive traits are his aimless life philosophy and a "donkey-like" phallus. He attended middle school and participated in rebellions in the county. When Gao Shigu whips his long whip at one "enemy" after another, one recalls Ah Q holding a steel whip; when he chases silver, Ping, Mei, and other women, one thinks of Ximen Qing; when he lives a life of indulgence and makes countless jokes, one remembers Zhu Bajie; and when he navigates the officialdom skillfully and rises steadily, one is reminded of Adou. As the saying goes, "Having talent and virtue is not as good as having fortune." Unlearned and untalented, neither loyal nor good, nor cunning nor evil, he enjoys extraordinary success and extreme good luck. Starting as a small salesperson at a remote mountain village's distribution point, he suddenly becomes a government official, rising steadily from county to prefecture, province, and then to deputy director of the provincial political consultative committee—almost as if by divine intervention, leaving one both amazed and speechless with laughter and tears. The language is humorous and witty, the plot twists and turns, and the characters are vivid and believable, allowing readers to enjoy and reflect in ease, ending with a stifled laugh: "Well, such is life."