In a remote Chinese village where tradition rules and fate is believed to lie beneath the earth, Liu Ziyan, a timid yet skilled Feng Shui master, makes his living by selecting auspicious burial sites-graves said to bring fortune to the families of the dead. Yet the irony of life is sharp: while he helps others, fate plays a cruel joke when his own chosen resting place fails to bring luck to his descendants.

Through dark humor, poignant irony, and deeply human storytelling, this short novel explores not only ancient beliefs but also the raw complexities of human nature-desire, longing, betrayal, and hope.

At the heart of the tale lies Ziyan's entanglement with the beautiful yet broken Fourth Lady, trapped in a loveless marriage to the impotent Lord Yao. From forbidden desire to shared suffering, their bond grows amid violence, humiliation, and dreams of a better life. But fate is relentless: the son they long for does not become the official they hoped for-but an actor, famed only for portraying officials on stage.

Jia Pingwa is the chairman of the Shaanxi Writers Association and one of the most influential contemporary Chinese writers. His representative works include "Turbulence", "Waste Capital", "Shaanxi Opera", "Ancient Stove", "Shanben", "Records of Qinling Mountains", "Tales of Rivers and Mountains", and others. His works have won numerous major awards, including the Mao Dun Literature Award, Lu Xun Literature Award, and Shi Naian Literature Award, and have been translated into over 40 languages such as English, French, German, and Russian for publication. They have also been adapted into various artistic forms such as films, TV dramas, and plays.