Old Acquaintance

折火一夏Dook Media Group Limited · ChinaDec 2021

3.5

Word count: 149K words
Chapters: 26

Summary

Li Nian has three New Year's wishes this year. First, to divorce An Mingchen. Second, to divorce An Mingchen. Third, still to divorce An Mingchen. Yet not even one-eighth of the three hundred and sixty-five days has passed, and she is already beginning to feel dejected. An Mingchen also has three New Year's plans this year. First, to wait for Li Nian to come back. Second, to wait for Li Nian to leave. Third, to wait for Li Nian to fall in love with him.

Editor's review

Zhehuo Yixia's Old Acquaintance uses a light touch to write about an emotional predicament that is anything but light: Li Nian repeats her New Year's wish for divorce three times, while An Mingchen's New Year's plans build layer upon layer toward waiting and watching over her. This contrast itself creates the narrative tension, letting readers sense from the opening the inexplicable exhaustion and reluctance in a marriage. The work's strength lies in its grasp of the emotional psychology of urban men and women: the dialogue is brisk, the characters' thoughts are finely drawn, and the everyday scenes hide many moments of words left unspoken. It does not rely on strong plot to drive forward, but on the repeatedly tugging emotions between the two to sustain reading momentum, making it suitable for slow reading in fragmented time such as commutes or before bed. If you enjoy watching dignified yet awkward emotional games between adults, this book will give you many moments of knowing smiles; but if you expect dramatic ups and downs, you may find the pace rather slow. Overall, this is a light read suited to relaxing and observing a cross-section of urban marriage.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Female readers who like urban marriage and relationship themes and prefer a light style
Office workers who want a soothing emotional novel to read in fragmented time
Readers interested in the emotional tug-of-war and psychological portrayal of adults
Loyal readers who enjoy Zhehuo Yixia's previous works

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer strong plot and fast-paced dramatic conflict
Readers who lack interest in marriage and relationship themes or expect pure literary depth

Reading tips

Read chapter by chapter, two or three at a time, following Li Nian's psychological shifts
Pause at the exchanges of dialogue between the two and note the subtext in An Mingchen's words and actions
Don't rush to judge who is right or wrong; comparing the two's New Year's wishes makes it more interesting

About the publisher

Dook Media Group Limited China · Founded in 2006

Dook Media Group Limited is a book planning and publishing company focusing on literature and the arts, social sciences and children's books. Its publishing areas cover quality fiction, science fiction, wuxia novels, foreign literature and history. Representative titles in the library include The Complete Short Stories of Isaac Asimov, Yu Hua's novellas and short stories, Gu Cheng's collected works on Ming and Qing history, and Huang Yi's Twin of Brothers and A Step into the Past. Its authors include Isaac Asimov, Yu Hua, Gu Cheng, Huang Yi, Alberto Moravia and Liu Cixin. It plans books using the "super sign" methodology, with a list that brings together science fiction, literary fiction and genre fiction. As public information is limited, this profile is based only on the books in the library.

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FAQ

Is this book a story about divorce?

The title and opening revolve around divorce, but the story's focus is not on the divorce procedure itself. Rather, through Li Nian's repeated New Year's wishes and An Mingchen's waiting arrangements, it presents the emotional tug-of-war and psychological changes in their marriage. As you read on, you'll find the focus is on how the relationship is re-examined.

I haven't read the author's other works. Can I read this one directly?

Yes. This book is a standalone story and does not depend on previous works' settings, so reading it directly will not affect your understanding. The style is light and everyday, with a low barrier to entry, making it a good introduction to the author's style.

Is it suitable for reading before bed? Will it be too angsty?

The overall tone is light. Although it involves marital difficulties, the narration carries humor and delicate psychological observation and does not deliberately stir emotions. Reading a few chapters before bed won't carry too heavy an emotional burden; instead, it's easy to relax amid the characters' everyday interactions.

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About the author

折火一夏 Author

Zhe Huo Yixia is a web-fiction author about whom relatively little is publicly known: her nationality, dates of birth and death, and English name are not clearly recorded. Twelve of her works are currently held in the collection, including Even If the Whole World Stands Still, Ningxia, Please Have Some Tea, Old Acquaintance, Elegance and Grace, The Spring Breeze Is Not as Gentle as Your Smile, The Date of Return, Luxury, and Once a Guardian, Forever Bound. These titles show that she writes mainly modern romance, with forays into youth literature and time-travel or alternate-world settings. Her stories tend to center on the emotional entanglements of urban men and women and on the meetings and partings of youth, and her titles often carry a gentle, wistful lyricism. Her writing emphasizes the unfolding of relationships and the building of emotional atmosphere, and she has attracted a following among romance readers.