Chuntao

Chuntao is a novel penned by Xu Dishan. This narrative delves into the triangular romantic entanglements among Chuntao, Xiang Gao, and Li Mao. On the day Chuntao and Li Mao were to be married, chaos erupted as a result of invading troops, causing the two to be separated in their escape. Subsequently, Li Mao enlisted in the army but ended up disabled and reduced to begging on the streets after sustaining injuries to his legs. Chuntao, wandering and making a living by collecting scraps in Peiping (now Beijing), formed deep feelings with a fellow worker over time. When Li Mao serendipitously encountered Chuntao, she carried him back with her. Eventually, Chuntao became the wife to both Li Mao and Xiang Gao, forming a harmonious family unit. In the novel, Chuntao embodies the essence of an enlightened monk, transcending mundane rules and regulations. In Chuntao’s heart, there is no distinction between men and women; all beings are equal. Husband is no longer just a husband, wife is no longer just a wife; everything is emptiness. Compassion and forgiveness, transcending worldly notions, have evolved into the religious concept of ＂emptiness＂.

Chuntao

Author: Dishan Xu

Translator: Ying Hua

Language: English

Publisher: Chicago Academic Press

Word Count (for space of all pages): 25000 words

Publishing Date: December 30, 2024

ISBN 978-1-965890-06-6

About the Translator

Ying Hua is an associate professor at School of Foreign Languages, Shanghai Dianji University. She holds a doctorate in applied linguistics from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. She was awarded International Visiting Scholar Fellowship by China Scholarship Council (CSC) in 2024. She published a monograph The Construction of Corporate Identities by Chinese and American Airlines on Social Media: A Cross-Cultural Multimodal Study with Springer and 7 articles indexed in key academic journals.

This summer was exceptionally hot. Although the street lights were bright, the vendor selling sour plum soup at the alley entrance was still performing with his copper bowl, much like a girl performing the ＂Pear Blossom Drum＂, a traditional Chinese folk art that includes singing and drumming. A woman carrying a large basket of waste paper with written characters walked past him. Although her face couldn’t be seen clearly under her tattered straw hat, when she greeted the vendor, it was apparent she had a full set of snow-white teeth. She bore such a heavy load on her back that she could not stand straight but paced solemnly, step by step, like a camel, to her own door.

There was a small courtyard inside. The woman lived in two remaining rooms of a collapsed wing. A large part of the yard was covered with rubble. In front of her door, she had planted a trellis of cucumbers and several rows of corn. Under the window, there were a dozen evening primrose plants. A few decayed beams lay across the bottom of the trellis, which constituted probably the most valuable seating in her home. As she approached her door, a man came out of the room and hurried to help her unload her heavy burden.