Strife

冯玉奇Nov 2025

2.5

Word count: 104K words
Chapters: 9

Summary

Set against the backdrop of wartime, it portrays the arduous circumstances of the two protagonists, Zeng Jing and Zhong Lin. Zeng Jing came from a scholarly family, but the war ruined their fortunes and left him wandering from place to place; Zhong Lin, a passionate young man, was determined to save the nation yet suffered repeated setbacks. After they meet, they support each other and struggle to survive together in the chaotic times. Facing hunger, disease, and the oppression of warlords and invaders, they never submit, resisting tenaciously with indomitable spirit. In the process, they also witness much fickleness of the world and the good and evil of human nature. Even as life is miserable, their longing for light never dies, and to the very end of their lives they still cherish beautiful hopes for the future.

Editor's review

Struggle turns its lens on two ordinary people in wartime: Zeng Jing, a scholar's son whose family has fallen on hard times, and Zhong Lin, a hot-blooded young man determined to save the country. After they meet, they support each other and struggle to survive under hunger, illness, and the multiple oppressions of warlords and invaders. The title's single word "struggle" refers both to resistance against external circumstances and to a wrestling match with one's own despair. The work's value lies in not writing suffering as empty slogans; instead, through concrete encounters with the fickleness of the world and the good and evil in human nature, it makes "not yielding" land on a single meal, a single choice. Zeng Jing's scholarly background and Zhong Lin's resolve to save the country complement each other: one leans toward endurance and holding fast, the other toward action and setbacks, and their mutual support makes friendship in chaotic times feel solid. The book's tone is tragic but not despondent, and the ending still holds hope for the future, leaving a lingering warmth after reading. It suits readers interested in the circumstances of ordinary people during the war years, and also serves as a sample for understanding how modern popular fiction handles the theme of home and country. As you read, pay attention to how the author apportions hope within the narrative of hardship.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the survival circumstances of ordinary people during the war years and in narratives of home and country
Readers who like structures with two protagonists supporting each other and growing together
Enthusiasts studying how modern popular fiction handles the themes of resistance and national salvation
Readers who can accept a tragic tone but hope to see spiritual resilience

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer light, bright writing and avoid depictions of suffering
Military-fiction fans expecting grand battle scenes or military detail
Readers who tire easily of the dense suffering plots typical of old-school narrative

Reading tips

As you read, track Zeng Jing and Zhong Lin separately, see how their aspirations and experiences complement each other, then bring them together to understand the double meaning of "struggle."
When you come to passages about the fickleness of the world and the good and evil in human nature, you might make brief notes; these encounters are the main way the book's theme is grounded.
If using it for a book club, set discussion questions around "how a miserable life and a longing for light can coexist," and compare how the two protagonists respond.
After finishing the ending, look back at the opening accounts of the two men's backgrounds and see how a fallen family and setbacks in saving the country lay groundwork for later choices.

版权信息
第一回
第二回
第三回
第四回
第五回
第六回
第七回
第八回

FAQ

What exactly does the title "Struggle" refer to? Is it battle scenes?

It does not focus on battlefield description. From the material, it refers more to the characters' struggle against hunger, illness, and the oppression of warlords and invaders, and also to their wrestling with their own despair. Zeng Jing and Zhong Lin survive tenaciously with an unyielding spirit; this everyday level of persistence is the main locus of "struggle."

What is the relationship between the two protagonists? Is there a romance line?

The material only states that after meeting they support each other and struggle to survive together in chaotic times; it does not develop a romance line. A more accurate understanding is a companionship of complementary temperaments in chaotic times: Zeng Jing leans toward endurance and holding fast, Zhong Lin toward action and setbacks, and their mutual support forms the narrative backbone of the book.

Is the ending hopeful? Will it feel too oppressive to read?

The tone is indeed tragic; the characters endure hunger, illness, and oppression, and life is hard. But the author lets them always hold hope for light and, to the very end of their lives, still hope for the future, so it is not wholly despondent. If you are sensitive to narratives of suffering, consider reading chapter by chapter and leaving buffer space between heavy passages.

If I want to learn about ordinary people's lives during the War of Resistance, is this book suitable?

Fairly suitable. The story is set in the war years and presents ordinary people's circumstances through plots such as a fallen family, displacement, hunger and illness, and oppression by warlords and invaders; it also writes of the fickleness of the world and the good and evil in human nature. It offers a slice from the perspective of popular fiction and is best read alongside historical sources rather than as a substitute for them.

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About the author

冯玉奇 Author

Feng Yuqi was a writer of popular fiction in the Republican era. Public information about him is limited: neither his dates of birth and death nor his native place are clearly recorded. Yet the 172 works held in our collection attest to the sheer volume of his output. His writing is driven by plot, and his subjects range across wuxia, modern romance, social fiction, and time-travel and alternate-world fiction. Representative works include Chivalrous Five-Flower Chart, Wen Suchen, National Soul: Blood and Flowers, The Understanding Flower, Sea of Blood and Flowers of Love: Favors and Grudges, Soul Broken at the Slanting Sun: The Strange Man of the Desert Island, and Remnant Light on Green Waves. Most of these appeared in Republican-era popular-literature journals and as standalone volumes. His language is plain and accessible and his narrative pace brisk; he excels at interweaving love and hatred, gratitude and grievance, and chivalrous adventure, while also depicting the ways of the world. His work had a certain influence among urban readers of the time. Today his writings are collected in the Feng Yuqi volume of the Republican Popular Fiction Collection, offering a useful sample for studying the generic ecology of Republican-era popular literature.