The Sorrow of Time

杜撰Mar 2024

3.3

Word count: 120K words
Chapters: 14

Summary

In the 37th year of the Republic, wealthy merchant Lin Yuzhe left a will bequeathing his estate to his illegitimate son Fei Siqin. On the night of Lin Yuzhe's death, Fei Siqin hanged himself in his own bedroom, and Detective Chen Shaowen of the Criminal Investigation Brigade was assigned to the case. Suspicious family members, a young woman who has lost her beloved, and a shrewd, capable police detective: the moribund Lin family mansion is shrouded in layer upon layer of fog. Just then, ghosts begin to haunt the long-locked courtyard, and two skeletons are found in its well... What connection do all these events have to the bloody case at the Lin estate?

Sixty years later, amateur detective Du Zhuan happens to hear of the case. With his friends' help, he seeks out the descendants and searches the records, only to find further points of doubt: if the "killer" of that year did not commit suicide, then what accounts for the locked doors and windows at the scene and the snowfield without a single footprint? Who was the true culprit in this case...

Editor's review

Shi Zhi Bei is a Republican-era mystery novel spanning sixty years. The story begins with wealthy merchant Lin Yuzhe making a will that leaves his estate to his illegitimate son Fei Siqin; Fei Siqin hangs himself that same night, and Detective Chen Shaowen is assigned to investigate. Suspicious family members, a young woman who has lost her beloved, and a shrewd, capable police detective together make up the layers of fog surrounding the Lin family mansion. Ghostly happenings in the locked courtyard and two skeletons in the well expand the case from an individual death into a family secret. The author Du Zhuan's cleverness lies in the dual time structure: sixty years later, amateur detective Du Zhuan seeks out the descendants and searches the records, discovering that the "killer" of that year may not have committed suicide; the locked doors and windows and the footprint-free snow become new points of doubt, and the old case is reopened. The novel's atmosphere leans toward the gloomy and oppressive, with deductive clues pieced together gradually through archives and oral accounts. It suits readers who enjoy slow-burn, research-driven mysteries for concentrated reading at night or over a weekend; while reading, it helps to jot down the character relationships and timeline.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Mystery readers who enjoy Republican-era settings and family suspense stories
Fans of slow-burn, research-driven mysteries with dual narrative structures
Readers interested in reopened old cases and the piecing together of oral historical sources
Adult readers comfortable with a gloomy atmosphere and descriptions of skeletons

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer fast pacing, strong twists, and a thrilling reading experience
Readers sensitive to or easily unsettled by ghost rumors and descriptions of corpses
Young readers looking for light, bright subject matter

Reading tips

While reading, jot down the Lin family relationships and timeline to compare the two timelines.
The first half is thick with fog; consider reading continuously to the section with the skeletons in the well before judging whether it suits your taste.
Pay attention to every document Du Zhuan consults sixty years later; they are often the keys to the old case's points of doubt.
After finishing, review the core point of doubt—"no footprints in the snow"—and test whether your own reasoning holds up.

版权信息
导读《时之悲》──杜撰的推理新纪元
自序
示意图
主要出场人物列表
第一章身死千年恨溪水
第二章映阶碧草自春色
第三章玉门山嶂几千重
第四章世情尽付东流水
第五章一朝身去不相随
第六章清江见底草堂在
第七章终古垂杨有暮鸦
解说一《时之悲》——描绘人性宿命与虚无的本格推理小说
解说二形依旧枕寒流

FAQ

How are the story's two timelines arranged?

One is the 37th year of the Republic, covering Lin Yuzhe's death, Fei Siqin's hanging, and Detective Chen Shaowen's investigation; the other is sixty years later, when amateur detective Du Zhuan hears of the case and, with his friends' help, seeks out the descendants and searches the records, discovering that the "killer" of that year may not have committed suicide, and thus reopens the pursuit of the true culprit. The two lines connect through documents and the descendants' oral accounts.

Are the "hauntings" and skeletons in the book supernatural plot elements?

From the materials, the ghostly happenings in the locked courtyard and the two skeletons found in the well are phenomena and clues in the investigation; the novel's main line is detection and the reopening of an old case, with the focus on explaining such points of doubt as the locked doors and windows and the footprint-free snow, rather than on supernatural forces as the solution. The exact nature requires reading the whole book to confirm.

If I haven't read Republican-era mystery novels, can I read this one directly?

Yes. The story advances with the case at its core; the Republican-era setting mainly serves to build the mansion's atmosphere and family relationships and does not depend on extensive historical knowledge. When reading, pay attention to forms of address and family relationships; if you encounter unfamiliar terms of address, note them down first—they will gradually become clear as the case progresses.

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About the author

杜撰 Author

Du Zhuan is a suspense and mystery author about whom limited public information is available. Currently, only two works are recorded under this name, with the representative titles The Shadow of Specters and The Sorrow of Time. Judging from the titles and their classification, Du Zhuan's writing focuses on the suspense and mystery genre. The book titles carry a distinct sense of atmosphere and temporal imagery: the former leans toward a dark, eerie flavor reminiscent of tales of the strange, while the latter suggests reflections on time and fate, indicating an inclination to create a distinctive mood within the conventions of the genre. As basic details such as dates of birth and death, nationality, and English name are unrecorded, the author's creative career and literary lineage cannot yet be traced, and the small number of works makes it difficult to assess the overall scope of the writing or its place in literary history. Readers seeking to know this author can currently begin only with these two works, experiencing the rhythm of the language and the buildup of atmosphere in the suspenseful narratives, and may look forward to more materials and works in the future to complete the picture of the author and the writing.