Shen Congwen

41076 learners

Set in the idyllic riverside town of Chadong on the Hunan-Sichuan border, *Border Town* weaves a tender, bittersweet tale of Cuicui, a naive yet resilient young girl raised by her grandfather—a lifelong ferryman who refuses payment for his quiet, dedicated service. Their days revolve around the old wooden ferry, the town’s gentle rhythms, and tight-knit community bonds shaped by dragon boat races, singing traditions, and rural folklore. When Cuicui catches the eye of two brothers, the bold Tianbao and the quiet, melodious Nuoyun, a subtle love triangle unfolds, rooted in local customs of courtship through song. Tragedy strikes when Tianbao drowns during a river journey, straining family ties and leaving Cuicui’s future uncertain. After her grandfather’s sudden death in a storm, she is left to tend the ferry alone, waiting for Nuoyun’s return—an open ending that lingers with quiet hope and the delicate ache of unfulfilled love, capturing the beauty and fragility of rural life and pure human emotion.

Yang Yi；Yu Bin

3.7505 learners

Yang Yi, a beloved Chinese translator and centenarian, invites readers into her extraordinary life in this intimate oral memoir. Born into a prominent aristocratic family in early 20th-century Tianjin, she recounts her sheltered yet constrained childhood, shaped by traditional family hierarchies and the shadow of her mother’s concubine status. Her journey takes a dramatic turn during the Sino-Japanese War, as she escapes her stifling home to study at the renowned Southwest Associated University in Kunming, where she befriends literary giants like Ba Jin and Shen Congwen, falls in love with fellow scholar Zhao Ruihong, and discovers her passion for translation. The memoir traces her post-war years in Chongqing and Nanjing, the joys and struggles of marriage and motherhood, and her later rise to fame for translating *Wuthering Heights* into Chinese. More than a personal story, it’s a vivid firsthand account of China’s turbulent 20th century, told with warmth, candor, and the sharp memory of a woman who lived through a century of change.