Jia Pingwa, author. Photo provided to China Daily

The book is thick with cruelty and kindness.

But on his deathbed, "the singer", as he's known, views the people he has seen with a detached outlook that enables him to understand life's absurdity, inconsistence and meaninglessness, Jia explains.

The singer examines the world with little feeling. But glimmers of sympathy emerge in a few cases, such as that of Sifeng.

The young woman discovers a man peeping at her. He turns out to be the powerful official Wang Shizhen, who forces her to become his concubine.

But he kicks her out after one night, which at that time would destroy a woman's reputation and future.

But Wang's bodyguard Laohei loves Sifeng. Driven by resentment of his treatment of Sifeng and general cruelty, Laohei succumbs to the influence of his Communist cousin and kills Wang.

He goes on to form a guerrilla group to fight the Kuomintang.

Sifeng's parents are beaten to death after her brother joins the guerillas. The singer takes her to a funeral to protect her.

Sifeng agrees to marry Laohei. But Kuomintang troops find the guerillas on their wedding day and kill most of them, including Sifeng's brother.

Laohei escapes and finds Sifeng days later—insane, pregnant and about to be raped by Kuomintang soldiers.