Waves Washing the Sand

Waves Washing the Sand is a long time-travel novel by Zhang Dingding, an author on the Jinjiang Literature City platform. Running to about 1.04 million Chinese characters, it was completed on Jinjiang in July 2016. The book is set against one of the most chaotic periods in Chinese history, the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms: over a few short decades dynasties rose and fell, emperors changed like figures on a carousel, and ordinary people struggled to survive amid war and famine. The protagonist, Liu Can, was a modern-day tour guide who wakes to find herself the daughter of a low-ranking military family in Guancheng County. The home is bare, the rooms smell of mold, and the daily fare is two thin bowls of gruel and coarse grain buns; before scheming in the inner quarters, vying for favor, or seeking handsome men, she must first solve the problem of not starving to death. Drawing on modern knowledge and formidable drive, she begins by improving the family's livelihood, persuades her father, Liu Cheng, to advance within the army, and step by step learns to train soldiers, run schools, and set the currency, grain, and crafts in order, building her strength through the chaos. The story advances along the historical arc of the Five Dynasties, with real historical figures such as Guo Wei, Chai Rong, and Zhao Kuangyin appearing in turn. From a poor girl to a supporter of emperors and a power at court, Liu Can maneuvers among the various factions, finally making her name in the Battle Beneath the City, ascending to the throne, and ushering in an era of peace. The work balances historical research with extrapolation; because of the butterfly effect, history gradually drifts from its original course. The romance is understated: between Liu Can and Chai Rong there is a restrained, regretful bond of kindred spirits, and she always puts her work and the realm before love. Grounded in the idea that "surviving is the greatest matter of all," the book writes of survival in a chaotic age, and of how one person is pushed by the times and in turn rewrites them.