The Shop of the Lin Family and Spring Silkworms

This volume features two of the most acclaimed stories by Mao Dun. Whereas "The Shop of the Lin Family" records the bankruptcy of traditional commercial system as a result of foreign economic invasion, "Spring Silkworms" focuses on the breakdown of traditional agricultural structure when challenged by a modern mode of production. Put together, the two stories constitute a compelling expose of China on the eve of revolution while projecting Mao Dun's own ideological agenda.