Chronicle of a Blood Merchant
Set in mid-20th century China, *Chronicle of a Blood Merchant* follows Xu Sanguan, a humble silk factory worker whose life hinges on one desperate, repeated act: selling his blood. When his family faces cascading crises—crippling famine, political persecution, his eldest son’s life-threatening hepatitis—Xu turns to the only lifeline he knows, trading pints of blood for cash to keep his loved ones fed, safe, and alive. Along the way, he grapples with the quiet agony of raising a son who isn’t biologically his, navigates small-town gossip and betrayal, and finds unexpected warmth amid grinding hardship. Yu Hua’s raw, heartfelt storytelling captures the unshakable resilience of ordinary people, framing blood not just as a commodity, but as a symbol of a father’s unyielding love and the brutal cost of survival in a world stacked against the poor.