Capturing lives of three generations of women in words

Following the trendy topic "Gen Z Shaking Up the Workplace", a sequel-like hashtag "Gen Z Workplace Reformers Go Bankrupt" has gone viral.

Young people born after 2000, who once wanted to "reform workplace norms", are now turning to the channel of the "45-Degree Life Support Club" on social media platform Douban, lamenting the challenges of living a "45-degree life" that rejects both "lying flat" and "rat race" mentalities.

They are becoming more aware of the harsh realities of survival. However, the psychological journey leading to this transformation remains unclear even to those experiencing it. It seems to be many people's life trajectory to find themselves navigating confusion at 20, anxiety at 30, and finding clarity at 40, as they strive to keep up with societal expectations, only to see their passion for life dimming.

In her latest work Kending De Huo (The Fire of Affirmation), published this month, 41-year-old multi-award-winning writer Guo Shuang lays bare this anguish that troubles generations of young people born after 1980, unveiling modern individuals' — particularly women's — most intimate growth dilemmas through three intergenerational stories.

The book collects Guo's three novellas, presenting the resilience and beauty of three pairs of women.

In Jiuchongge (bougainvillea), childhood friends manage to weather life's turbulence with a three-decade friendship, their fates intertwined like flourishing bougainvillea vines.

In Gongzhu (or, Chase the Pig, a Chinese trick card game for four players), a single mother strives to raise her daughter, who is obsessed with star-chasing; their relationship evolves through conflict, compromise and reconciliation.

In Shao Huapi ("burn down the painted skin"), two female writers forge a cross-generational bond through their shared appreciation for the beauty in the details of daily life, sustaining authentic intellectual communication for years.

In a vigorous, philosophical writing style infused with the rhythms of Southwest Chinese dialects, Guo's stories record these women's persistent quest for the truths of life.