Danfeng Street

Zhang HenshuiJan 2023

3.7

Word count: 174K words
Chapters: 29

Summary

The novel tells the story of a group of self-reliant vegetable vendors and bartenders on Danfeng Street, led by Tong Laowu, who defy the powerful, endure hunger and pain, and even risk financial ruin, running about everywhere, all to rescue the poor girl Chen Xiujie, sold by her uncle to Deputy Chief Zhao as a concubine. Beneath the coarse, impoverished exteriors of these characters lie upright, sincere souls with a chivalrous spirit whose promises are worth their weight in gold. These people live ordinary lives, yet they live them with passion and grandeur.

Editor's review

In *Dangfeng Street*, Zhang Henshui turns his gaze to the lower rungs of city life, writing about a group of small vegetable vendors and tavern waiters who rally to save Chen Xiujie, a poor girl sold as a concubine. The story's core lies not in legend but in the moral sense of ordinary people: coarse and impoverished, yet open, sincere, and true to their word. The author writes chivalry in the manner of popular fiction; the plot moves briskly, the ensemble of characters comes vividly alive, and the earthy bustle of the lanes intertwines with the plight of the weak, offering both storytelling pleasure and insight into human nature and the ways of the world. It suits continuous reading in one's spare time, following the characters as they rush about, meet setbacks, and try again, and sensing the uncommon responsibility borne by common people. For readers who want to understand another side of Zhang Henshui's work and who enjoy street-level ensembles and folk loyalty, this book offers an entry point different from his long romantic novels.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who like Zhang Henshui's work and want to see his street-life fiction
General readers drawn to ensemble narratives and folk tales of loyalty and honor
Literary enthusiasts interested in the circumstances of the lower classes and moral choices
Readers who want to feel the old-time bustle of city lanes in light reading

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting Zhang Henshui's signature romantic sagas may find the subject matter a departure
Those who prefer high-suspense, fast-paced genre fiction may find the plot plain
Readers impatient with old-fashioned street vernacular and narrative pacing

Reading tips

Clarify the relationships among the Danfeng Street characters first, then follow the main thread of rescuing Chen Xiujie for a smoother read.
Pay attention to the vendors' and waiters' words and actions to see how the author draws chivalry from everyday life.
Consider contrasting the moral choices in the book with standing by versus stepping in in real life for a richer aftertaste.
If your reading time is fragmented, read by character appearances, following one or two figures at a time.

版权信息
作者简介
自序
第一章诗人之家
第二章饭店主人要算帐
第三章挣扎
第四章狡毒的引诱
第五章吞饵以后
第六章明中圈套
第七章谈条件之夜
第八章朋友们起来了
第九章他们的义举
第十章开始冲突
第十一章新型晚会
第十二章新人进了房
第十三章一小贩之妻
第十四章重相见
第十五章不愿作奴才的人
第十六章鱼鹰的威风
第十七章好汉做事好汉当
第十八章鱼帮水水帮鱼
第十九章情囚之探视
第二十章乡茶馆里的说客
第二十一章杨大嫂的惊人导演
第二十二章老人的意外收获
第二十三章风雨无阻
第二十四章里应外合
第二十五章全盘失败
第二十六章这条街变了

FAQ

What is this book mainly about?

The novel follows a group of self-reliant small vegetable vendors and tavern waiters on Danfeng Street who go to great lengths—enduring hunger, risking ruin, and running about—to rescue Chen Xiujie, a poor girl sold by her uncle to Vice Minister Zhao as a concubine. The story focuses on the integrity and chivalry of ordinary people.

Can I read this without having read other works by Zhang Henshui?

Yes. The characters and plot stand relatively independent and do not rely on other works. Anyone interested in street-level ensemble portraits and folk chivalry can get into it smoothly.

Do I need to know the historical background before reading?

No preparation is necessary. The book naturally presents old social relations through street life and the characters' circumstances; you can pick things up as you read. If you encounter a title or trade term you don't know, feel free to look it up.

Related on WeRead

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Zhang Henshui Author · China · 1895–1967

Zhang Henshui (1895–1967), originally named Xinyuan, was a native of Anhui and a writer of serialized chapter fiction, recognized as a representative author of the Mandarin Ducks and Butterflies school. Over his lifetime he wrote more than a hundred novels, and this library holds as many as 436 of his works. His writing uses the traditional chapter form as its framework, with intricate plots and large casts of characters; he excels at portraying social manners and human feelings amid social change and romantic entanglements, in language that is accessible and fluent, earning him a broad readership. His representative works include Ti Xiao Yin Yuan (A Smile of Woe), Jin Fen Shi Jia (The Golden Family), Chun Ming Wai Shi, and Ba Shi Yi Meng (Eighty-One Dreams), among which the first two have circulated especially widely in many editions. His subjects center on social novels and modern romance, with some allegorical and satirical works, giving him an important place in the history of modern popular literature.