Lesser Fullness
Tags
Summary
In that era, it was very hard for an unemployed young woman to find a job; one either got into university or married in exchange for work. Wang Shimin does not want her marriage built on a foundation without love, and she is determined to fight fate.
Chen Zi'ang falls in love with Wang Shimin at first sight. Through his own efforts he gradually wins her heart, and after many hardships they finally come together and have a child. After Chen Zi'ang dies of stomach cancer, his lover shows up at the door with a three-year-old child. Wang Shimin does not turn them away, but chooses to pay the child's support payments on behalf of her late ex-husband Chen Zi'ang.
In her twilight years, Wang Jian returns to Wang Shimin, whose mind has been deranged since she was frightened unconscious by her son's car accident, and stays by her side day and night. After ten years of effort, Wang Shimin finally regains consciousness······
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers who enjoy period settings and stories about women's fate
- Readers interested in themes of marriage, widowhood, support, and companionship in old age
- Readers who can accept slow narration driven by characters' emotions
- Readers who want to read about ordinary women making choices under constraints
Not a good fit for
- Readers seeking strong conflict and fast-paced plots
- Readers hoping for extensive period-background research-style description
- Readers who find plots involving extramarital affairs and children born outside marriage hard to accept
Reading tips
- Read in chronological order and note the circumstances behind each of Wang Shimin's major choices
- At the turning point after Chen Zi'ang's death, slow down to feel the changes in the characters' relationships
- Treat "Xiaoman" as an image running through the book, and think about which stages of life it corresponds to
- After finishing, look back at the opening exam-failure episode and compare it with the changes in her life choices
About the publisher
Founded in 1989, Hualing Publishing House is a comprehensive professional press whose main readership consists of older adults and those working in the field of aging. In addition to compilations of policies and regulations on aging, academic monographs on aging-related issues, and guides to later life, it publishes a range of traditional culture titles for general readers, covering classics, culture, Eastern philosophy, and theory. These include Zhu Ziqing's Classic Essays, Wang Guowei's Lectures on Dream of the Red Chamber, Lü Simian's Lectures on Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and Guo Yu's edition of the Book of Changes (Revised Edition, Vol. 1). In health and medicine, the press addresses elderly care with practical works such as the Family Caregiving Handbook for Older Adults with Dementia. It also introduces works by Joseph Campbell, including The Inner Reaches of Outer Space and The Art of Reading Joyce. With 179 titles in its catalog, the press draws on authors such as Zhu Ziqing, Wang Guowei, Lü Simian, Cao Cao, and Joseph Campbell, and has developed a distinctive profile in both popularizing traditional culture and publishing caregiving resources for older adults.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 文前
- 第一章
- 第二章
- 第三章
- 第四章
- 第五章
- 第六章
- 第七章
- 第八章
- 第九章
- 第十章
- 第十一章
- 第十二章
- 第十三章
- 第十四章
- 第十五章
- 第十六章
- 第十七章
- 第十八章
- 第十九章
- 第二十章
- 第二十一章
- 第二十二章
- 第二十三章
- 第二十四章
- 第二十五章
- 第二十六章
- 第二十七章
- 第二十八章
- 第二十九章
- 第三十章
- 第三十一章
- 第三十二章
- 第三十三章
- 第三十四章
- 第三十五章
- 第三十六章
- 第三十七章
- 第三十八章
- 第三十九章
- 第四十章
- 第四十一章
- 第四十二章
- 第四十三章
- 第四十四章
- 第四十五章
- 第四十六章
- 第四十七章
- 第四十八章
- 第四十九章
- 第五十章
- 第五十一章
- 第五十二章
- 第五十三章
FAQ
How does the title "Xiaoman" correspond to the book?
How does the author handle Wang Shimin paying the child's support on behalf of her late husband?
Is Wang Jian returning in old age to care for Wang Shimin a love line or a companionship line?
Is this book very heavy to read?
Comments
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About the author
Ma Xiaoping is a Chinese author of youth literature and modern romance. Public information about her is limited, and her English name, nationality, and dates of birth and death cannot be confirmed. According to the library's holdings, she has two works, represented by Xiaoman and Fall in Love, and You Will Be Happy, both centered on youth literature and modern romance. Her writing tends to focus on young people's emotional experiences and the concerns of growing up, and the titles themselves suggest an interest in love and happiness. Her style leans toward delicate, everyday narration with attention to characters' inner feelings. Because little introductory material is available, readers still have only a limited view of her work as a whole, yet these two books already indicate her direction in youth and romance writing and may appeal to readers who enjoy contemporary love stories and youth fiction.
