This is an abridged version of the second of the trilogy "The Torrents: Family, Spring, Autumn", masterpiece of Ba Jin, one of the great writers of modern Chinese literature. The trilogy recounts the decline of a large feudal family following the May Fourth Movement of 1919. The Gao Family, a stronghold of feudal ethics, is shaken by an awakening new generation. Shuying, once so weak, has escaped from a doomed marriage; Juemin becomes a radical. These are signs of spring, a spring full of life, full of joy.
The abridged version, approximately 1/10 of the original, can be read by elementary level students of Chinese with a 2,000 - word vocabulary or can be used as an aid to reading the original. Each chapter is followed by a list of words and commentary notes both in Chinese and English, and several study questions.