Regret at Parting (Part Two)
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Summary
Under fate's cruel sport, some are left to part in helpless sorrow, listening to farewell songs with aching hearts; others endure the pain of tending a new nest yet long to return home, struggling in a new life while yearning for the past. The book also portrays the experiences and misfortunes of many other characters, such as "discord reborn as a mad youth's wanton dance" and "desolation unbearable, grief for a beloved daughter's early death," reflecting the social problems of the time and people's helplessness and sorrow. By the story's end, some, after weathering many storms, "wish to mend the broken mirror, shamefacedly voicing their pain," trying to reclaim a lost love, while others, "with long winds and high resolve, cut the threads of love with the sword of wisdom," resolutely severing their attachments and setting out on a new path in life.
Editor's review
As the concluding volume of the Xifenfei series, Part Two drives the emotional threads planted in Part One toward their resolutions one by one: some part in sorrow, unable to stay together; some painfully tend a new nest yet long to return home; some seek to mend a broken mirror and shamefacedly air their grievances; and some, with lofty aspirations, sever the threads of love with a wise blade. These chapter-title-style plot points collectively present the different choices made by men and women of the Republican era caught between emotion and fate. The author continues a delicate style, rendering bereavement, separation, and the untimely death of a beloved daughter with restraint and somber depth, while using characters' experiences to reflect social problems and the fickleness of the world. Compared with Part One, this book's emotional landing points are clearer and the characters' destinations gradually become distinct, though the tragic tone is also heavier, with some plot points carrying the coincidences and sentimentality customary in old-school fiction. It suits readers who have finished Part One and care about the characters' final fates, as well as researchers interested in how Republican-era popular fiction handles themes of separation and rebuilding. When reading, one may compare with the foreshadowing in Part One to appreciate the author's choices in drawing multiple narrative threads to a close.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers who have finished Part One and want to know the characters' final fates
- Republican-era romance readers who enjoy tragic tones and narratives of fate
- Researchers interested in how old-school fiction handles themes of separation and rebuilding
- Popular fiction lovers who can accept sentimental tones and coincidental plots
Not a good fit for
- Readers who have not read Part One and hope to enter a complete story directly
- Readers who prefer light, bright endings and avoid heavy plot points such as the death of a daughter
- Readers with low tolerance for the sentimental tone and coincidental devices of old-school fiction
Reading tips
- Before reading, review the main characters and unresolved foreshadowing of Part One, and enter this book's concluding resolution with those suspense threads in mind.
- Compare the key plot points in the chapter titles to sort out each character's final choice and destination.
- When encountering heavily sentimental or coincidental plot points, understand them in light of the narrative conventions of Republican-era popular fiction.
- After finishing, look back at the changes in character relationships across the two books and consider the author's treatment of separation and rebuilding.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 第一回 别有野心黉宫争逐鹿 独怀去志北国做迁莺
- 第二回 寂寞叹空房微嫌初起 绸缪欢子夜好梦重温
- 第三回 一衲远来邪辞诱老妇 千金散去豪博结同俦
- 第四回 逆耳有忠言几同水火 伤心逢厄运难作痴聋
- 第五回 含愁闻别曲无奈分飞 忍痛顾新巢不如归去
- 第六回 龃龉重生为狂童腻舞 凄凉难受痛爱女长殇
- 第七回 北国漫游争看丰采 沪江小憩肆力文章
- 第八回 镂玉雕琼为人作嫁 心猿意马有女同车
- 第九回 山水流连微通心坎语 神魂颠倒细味枕边书
- 第十回 闲谈情死案妙语双关 重感谷风篇愁怀独抱
- 第十一回 舌敝唇焦分忧来谏诤 山穷水尽忍痛做牺牲
- 第十二回 挥泪托雏儿伤心欲绝 含情求佳偶望眼几穿
- 第十三回 情海起疑云人遐室迩 瑶函醒绮梦凤去楼空
- 第十四回 日暮途穷分飞同命鸟 纸醉金迷群集百乐门
- 第十五回 惨剧刹那生香消玉殒 迷途一旦返今是昨非
- 第十六回 破镜欲圆 颜陈痛语 长风有志慧剑断情丝
- 跋一
- 跋二
FAQ
Can I read Part Two directly without reading Part One?
Not really recommended. Part Two unfolds directly from the multi-threaded emotional entanglements of Part One, and the character relationships and earlier foreshadowing are the basis for understanding the final choices. Reading it directly may leave you confused about characters' identities, emotional origins, and reasons for separation; it is best to read Part One first.
Is the ending of Part Two sad or happy?
The ending is not simply sad or happy but varies by character: some try to mend a broken relationship, some resolutely cut off emotional ties and set out on a new path, and some endure separation and the pain of losing a daughter. The overall tone is somber and sentimental, but some characters choose new directions in life after the storm, giving a certain sense of resolution.
Are plot points such as the death of a beloved daughter too heavy?
The book does contain painful plot points such as the death of a daughter and bereavement, presented by the author in a relatively restrained style, though the tragic atmosphere remains strong. If you are sensitive to such heavy content, you may wish to learn the general direction first before deciding whether to read, or read in sections to cushion the emotional impact.
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About the author
Gu Mingdao
Author · Chinese · 1897–1944
Gu Mingdao (1897–1944), whose original name was Gu Jingcheng, was a native of Suzhou, Jiangsu, and a Republican-era writer of martial arts and romance fiction. A member of the Xing Society (Star Society) of the Mandarin Ducks and Butterflies school, he was known together with Wen Gongzhi and Yao Min'ai as one of the "three stalwarts of the martial arts world." He first made his name writing social romance fiction under the pen name Mei Qian Nüshi, and rose to fame in 1929 when his novel The Heroine of the Wild River was serialized in the supplement Kua Huo Lin (Happy Forest) of the newspaper Shen Bao. The work pioneered a path of romance-infused martial arts fiction combining chivalry and sentiment. Martial arts fiction was the mainstay of his output, though he also wrote social romance. Over his lifetime he produced eighteen martial arts novels, and among his other works are Records of the Crying Cuckoo, What Can Be Done, and Red Tears at the Thatched Gate. Crippled in childhood by bone tuberculosis, he long kept late hours writing, and he died of illness in Shanghai in 1944.
