Stove Guest
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Summary
This book tells of the love and hatred, the passions and sorrows of the "Lu Ke" who went to Dajianlu to do business from around 1930 to 1949. They left their homes, braved hardships and dangers, abandoned wives and children, and lived apart for long years, ten years to a stint. On the arduous road of business, they displayed brilliance and morality, ugliness and treachery.
Faced with difficulties, some conceived noble wisdom, others devised despicable schemes of every description. The clash of sincerity and falsehood, the contest of tolerance and narrowness, and the encounter of darkness and sunlight all reflect the different mindsets and methods of businessmen in pursuit of wealth.
Wine, women, gambling and dissipation split body from feeling for the Lu Ke.
Yet tender ties brought them back to the beauty of human nature. Regardless of region, they fell in love with local girls, and beneath Paoma Mountain beautiful love stories arose, composing one lovely Kangding love song after another.
Editor's review
Judging from the limited public information, the title "Lu Ke" carries strong imagery and a sense of place. "Lu" (stove/furnace) may point to a physical stove or smelting furnace, and may also metaphorically suggest tempering, gathering or some kind of intense environment; "Ke" (guest) points to people, who are both participants and observers. This combination readily evokes groups who live and labor in a particular environment (perhaps industrial, marginal or traditional), whose stories are often obscured by grand narratives.
As an editor, I believe the book's reading value lies in the rare perspective it may offer, whether as non-fiction or as highly realistic fiction. It may record a craft on the verge of disappearing, a community in transition, or the inner world of a group of neglected "artisans." In an age that pursues speed and efficiency, such a work—one that may focus on "slow work producing fine results" and on the concrete relationships between people and fire, metal and high heat—has a contrary kind of preciousness. Its prose may not be ornate, but it is solid; its story may not be full of twists, but it is profound. It invites readers into a world that may be unfamiliar yet truly exists, to feel the warmth and weight condensed from concrete labor and lived experience. For readers weary of formulaic stories, this may be a worthwhile and quiet reading adventure.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers with a strong interest in industrial themes, craftsmanship or the culture of a particular region
- Those who enjoy literary works that stay close to reality and focus on the living conditions of marginal or traditional groups
- Readers seeking fiction with a calm narrative pace and attention to detail and atmosphere
- Readers who wish to reflect on broader social change through a specific profession or way of life
Not a good fit for
- Entertainment-oriented readers expecting strong plot, fast pacing and dense dramatic conflict
- Readers with fixed preferences who avoid stories set outside urban or fashionable backgrounds
Reading tips
- It is recommended to begin reading in a relatively quiet, undisturbed environment so as to enter the specific atmosphere the work creates.
- Try treating the reading process as a kind of "field observation": do not rush the plot, but savor the descriptions of environment, action and characters' states.
- After reading, if interested, you might look up materials on the traditional craft or industrial history related to "stove" in the title, which may bring deeper understanding and resonance.
About the publisher
Founded in 1990, China Science and Culture Audio-Visual Publishing House has limited publicly available information, yet its 35 in-house titles reveal a publishing focus that balances the humanities and social sciences with educational practice. In the humanities, it offers biographies and scholarly essays such as Dialogues with Su Dongpo and A Collection of Studies on Ji Xiaolan, as well as prose collections and modern poetry including A Trace of Essence Turning into Fragrant Glow. In education, it covers teaching and exam-preparation titles such as Creative Teaching of Children's Ink Painting, The Practice and Research of the "Three-Link" Lesson Preparation in Primary Schools, and Chemical Mnemonics, extending to inspirational growth works like Mother and Son Together: A Flower of Humor Blooming Under Pressure. Its authors include Ming Jing, Li Xingchang, Lai Weihuan, Chen Yu, Zhong Lianghong, Yang Zhiping, Dong Qing and Zhao Yan, giving the press a character that values both cultural accumulation and educational practicality.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 内容简介
- 作者简介
- 引子
- 一 三炉客娶妾人羡慕 众后生争着当炉客
- 二 大炉客路上细观察 众徒弟各个有千秋
- 三 杨三喜恨己不成钢 脚磨破流血不流泪
- 四 为震慑孝乾常练武 住驿站晚上房失火
- 五 两盗贼趁火施打劫 杨孝坤釜底巧抽薪
- 六 波涛滚泸定铁索寒 打箭炉商贾云集地
- 七 做生意孝坤露锋芒 有成绩孝乾迷青楼
- 八 遇灾难契约难履行 坦诚心打动生意人
- 九 真诚义喜遇新契机 杨三喜又不约而止
- 十 小马灯照亮生意路 大炉客惊闻血脉杂
- 十一 大炉客颓废弃生意 杨孝坤合茬当老板
- 十二 亲兄弟正大展宏图 没料想杨孝乾跳槽
- 十三 杨得发嫉妒生歹计 杨孝坤坦然应万变
- 十四 《厚得利》恶斗《协盛誉》 众铺子隔山观虎斗
- 十五 低价格姜太公钓鱼 降菩萨杨孝坤解围
- 十六 去潇洒却结姻缘 杨得发离间失败
- 十七 遇土匪化险为夷 吼秦腔梦回长安
- 十八 兄弟情心照不宣 三份钱安全到家
- 十九 杨孝坤衣锦回乡 挣钱后不忘恩人
- 二十 公益事乃炉客本分 续香火是人之常情
- 二十一 尊父命孝乾回家 瞒乡党又娶媳妇
- 二十二 好搭档人人羡慕 建商会克服阻力
- 二十三 《协盛誉》生意红火 孙怀诚突提离开
- 二十四 《诚亦信》开业大吉 杨得发借机离间
- 二十五 坏消息压倒孝坤 回长安又遭暗算
- 二十六 杨二蛋为叔讨公道 抱不平火烧《厚得利》
- 二十七 善良心人间最美 朴素情创造奇迹
- 二十八 当炉客一腔热血 历沧桑尘埃落定
- 二十九 生意场千变万化 杨得发歹心难改
- 三十 《诚亦信》被迫转让 杨三喜又出江湖
- 三十一 为挣钱前赴后继 出损招恶意竞争
- 三十二 猪尿泡打人不疼 连环套套住三喜
- 三十三 刮地皮伤筋动骨 众商人心灰意冷
- 三十四 打箭炉大雪封山 商业街冷冷清清
- 三十五 心不正算计别人 殊不知给己挖坑
- 三十六 多奸诈得发惨死 冬过去春天必来
- 三十七 杨三喜东山再起 高团长送来大单
- 三十八 杨三喜突遇春妞 家乡妻思夫心切
- 三十九 药品缺价格翻翻 杨三喜赔钱卖货
- 四十 柳军长严整军纪 打箭炉重现繁华
- 四十一 杨三喜名声大振 生意火超出想象
- 四十二 杨三喜热心助人 得发妻痛忆往事
- 四十三 耍心眼治人埋隐患 刘一手愤怒终爆发
- 四十四 高团长眼红生意好 暗入股不留字和据
- 四十五 《协盛誉》分红又扩张 杨三喜名大遭暗算
- 四十六 多灾难考验关中汉 《协盛誉》又遇暴风雪
- 四十七 遭打击心凉不丢志 要关门却来痴呆女
- 四十八 《协盛誉》被窃空如洗 收傻女内部起争执
- 四十九 杨三喜善有善报 杨春妞带来横财
- 五十 甘心奉献规矩不允许 做人有道见钱眼不开
- 五十一 没收钱财却中饱私囊 严格治军不心慈手软
- 五十二 数字说话领导心口服 军长惊讶约见奇商人
- 五十三 不怕军威春妞连质问 大人大量妙语转话题
- 五十四 杀一儆百穆团长受罚 时来运转高团长复职
- 五十五 不思量孝乾先斩后奏 衙门里春妞据理力争
- 五十六 爱三喜春心早萌发 结良缘军长推波澜
- 五十七 真热闹开业婚礼同办 没料想闯进不速之客
- 五十八 刘一手心里有它图 杨春妞坦然来应对
- 五十九 杨三喜炉呢娶小妾 家里边老婆思夫苦
- 六十 寻夫路刘氏遭罪 千般苦不丢初心
- 六十一 识时务略施小计 寻机会逃出魔掌
- 六十二 几千里寻夫真少有 炉客们见状心内疚
- 六十三 夜太长三人难入梦 见老汉刘氏不提苦
- 六十四 求三喜弃商回家乡 无回应生出新主意
- 六十五 下大注不谋而合 周转金军方拖欠
- 六十六 杨孝乾采购成功 怕跑路三喜被禁
- 六十七 趁机会刘氏带儿逃 杨孝乾投石问路妙
- 六十八 见孙子刘氏全无过 柳军长良心付欠账
- 六十九 老鼠不能给猫攒 钱到家里才是钱
- 七十 为统战二蛋回故地 见仇人春妞旧病犯
- 七十一 顾各方军方付欠款 有钱了炉客置家忙
- 七十二 解放后炉客回家乡 摆宴席三喜谢乡党
- 尾声
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About the author
Yang Limin is an author about whom limited public information is available. Within the existing records, only one work by this author can be found: a novel titled *Lu Ke* (roughly, "The Furnace Guest"). The book is classified as a social novel, suggesting that its subject matter leans toward depicting the circumstances and relationships of people in real social life rather than pure fantasy or genre-driven storytelling. Judging from the title and the classification, *Lu Ke* likely revolves around a particular profession or setting, using the experiences of specific characters to reflect a broader social landscape. Because records of the author's life, chronology of works, and reception are lacking, a full assessment of the writing style and literary influence is not possible. Readers interested in Chinese social fiction that stays close to reality and focuses on the lives of ordinary people may take *Lu Ke* as an entry point for learning about this author, though it would be unwise to draw conclusions about the author's overall body of work on that basis alone.
