The author of this book is Yu Feng, bachelor's degree from Fudan University, master's degree from HEC Paris, and famous novelist. This was the first time I had read his work, but it inadvertently touched my heartstrings. Those grotesque and vague character images, as if they are people who flash from the memory of the mind, and like the protagonists in the gossip anecdotes that have been heard, this wonderful reading experience stems from Yu Feng's successful shaping of the character image.
The protagonist of this book is a child who came out of the mountains to drive a cow, because the third sister of the green plum bamboo horse was abducted by the old Ren who sold mountain goods, driving the cow followed his cousin to the city and worked in a nursing home. It seems that this nursing home is no different from other nursing homes, and the dying old people are like old cranes in the eyes of the cows, wandering in the last cage of this life, occasionally making one or two old rooster-like cries.
However, wherever there are people, there are rivers and lakes, there are disputes, Dean Huang, the leader of the nursing home, Coach Shi and Director Liao, who are tit-for-tat in Building No. 1, and the cousin who secretly controls the cattle. Before the cattle came here, the nursing home was in a balanced balance, and the arrival of the cattle broke this balance, which also broke the peace of mind of the cattle at the same time.
The cousin controlled the cow through the whereabouts of the third sister, allowing him to spy and track the people in the nursing home. Driving a cow is like a gecko swimming on the wall, wandering between the old cranes in the nursing home. So, the bull rode between the buildings at night, coldly looking at the behavior of this group of energetic old people in the dark night, or suspicious, or whispering, or breaking the mouth. The camouflage imposed on people during the day is ruthlessly stripped away in the night, and each person is not only naked, but also can see the ugliness under the mask of the other.
Coach Shi still did not fight Director Liao in the end, and under the interference of driving cattle, Coach Shi slipped away from Building One, and Director Liao claimed hegemony in Building One. Driving cattle also got what he wanted - the whereabouts of the third sister, under the arrangement of his cousin, the driving cow found the third sister, but was surprised to find that the third sister was not cheated by the old Ren but voluntarily left, driving the cow thought he had the answer, but did not know that what he got may be another lie.
Back at the nursing home, After teaching the cow driver, Coach Shi finally told the cow driver about the darkness of the nursing home. Driving a cow may be silent, but as Director Tong Liao said, driving a cow is a mute but not stupid. The old people in the nursing home think that they live in a cage, but in fact the cage really exists, and the old cranes are waiting like guinea pigs in the experiment under the control of Dean Huang. And Dean Huang did not laugh to the end, not knowing that the mantis catching cicadas and yellow finches was behind, and the betrayal would only stem from comrades-in-arms rather than enemies.
At the end of the story, the bull may understand the meaning of the night watch, or maybe the night watch is just a way of observing the world for him, but in those dark nights, what he sees and hears is bound to unfold in his heart a picture of an incomparably dark, this darkness can devour people's hearts, swallow all secrets, including betrayal and lies.