How Long Is Forever?

Set across several turbulent decades in a traditional Beijing courtyard neighborhood, Tie Ning's acclaimed novella follows Bai Dasheng, a woman whose boundless goodwill, sincerity, and self-effacing generosity remain steadfast despite being repeatedly exploited by family, lovers, and friends. As China transforms from the Cultural Revolution into the market-driven era of the 1990s, her unyielding decency stands in stark, poignant contrast to the shifting moral landscape and consumerist pressures of a rapidly modernizing society.