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.

Translated by: Sidney Shapiro