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This collection of memories, essays, poems, and novels was written by Li Zhilin, who passed away peacefully in 2023. Born in 1950 to an intellectual family, Zhilin's parents were both university professors. In 1966, before he could graduate from middle school, Zhilin's education was abruptly halted. He was sent to a village in Shanxi province, where he worked alongside farmers. A few years later, due to poor health, he returned to Beijing and worked in a factory for several years before voluntarily quitting in 1995. Afterward, he stayed at home, reading, writing, and struggling with depression and excessive drinking.

Zhilin was largely self-taught, and his brilliant writing reflects his keen observations and rational thinking, conveyed in straightforward language. He was the heart of a close-knit group of friends who had matured and bonded during the Cultural Revolution, meeting regularly for over 50 years. The memories of these friends were a central theme in his work. He also wrote about his firsthand experiences as a sent-down youth in the countryside, fictional journals, and other works of fiction. Some of his writings were published in 2020 in the collection Memory and Essays. Since his death, his friends have gathered all his known writings and assembled this book in his memory.