Song Rod

Ye Mei writes of the emotional entanglement between a folk singer and urban beauty. The song rod is a wooden instrument engraved with song lyrics, and is popular throughout the Three Gorges region. Sha Lu is a young folk singer from the Dragon Boat River Valley. His unrefined but whole some voice resonates with the sound of nature. His earthy performances are moving. But, when he loses his song rod before a concert one day, he becomes flustered and flees from the city. Fang Luo, one of the concerts hosts, follows him back to the Three Gorges. In the beauty of the rivers and valleys, she falls in love with the folk singer. However, at the end of their fruitless romance, they each part ways and return to their old lives. This short story reflects the earthly desires and spiritual aspirations of modern Chinese society.