"An epic akin to 'White Deer Plain'. Tiny Rice Island mirrors vast humanity — where ancestors and the ancient tree watch generations grapple with love and betrayal. Six decades of vendettas, forgiveness, and schemes make this unputdownable."
—Zhu Yalin, Teacher & Douban Reader

"Who is the protagonist? Just two words: Rice Island. It’s my hometown’s shadow, reflecting what countless Chinese villages endure. Through it, I’ve written China’s modern odyssey."
—Wang Shiyue

★ A Millennial Epic Through the Eyes of an Ancient Tree:
Spanning a thousand years, "Rice Island" intricately depicts the rise and fall of a fictional island through the intertwined fates of the Mi, Bai, Hua, and Ma families. Blending human and spectral realms, it mirrors China’s rural transformations and collective psyche, unveiling a national secret history.
★ A Chronicle of Souls as Much as Lives:
From vitality to materialistic ruin, the novel lays bare the unpredictability of human destiny.

As Balzac noted, "A novel is the private history of nations." Rice Island embraces this ambition with unflinching courage, documenting the struggles of this land and its people — past and present.
"I leave no trace of wings in the air, but I am glad I have had my flight"(Tagore). "Rice Island" captures lives that passed through this world unnoticed. The author preserves their fleeting imprints — like a swan’s claw marks on snow — as testimony to their humble yet profound existence.

Narrated by a millennia-old tree, "Rice Island" traces the island’s genesis to its demise, focusing on six decades (1949 – present) through the feuds and survival of the Mi, Bai, Hua, and outsider Ma clans.
Central to the story are five characters born in the 1970s — Hua Yiduo, Hua Wuduo, Bai Hongsheng, Mi Lixin, and Ma Waku — whose forty-year journeys embody the island’s turbulence. The novel uniquely intertwines the living world with the afterlife: the human realm (a maze of flesh and confusion) mirrors its ghostly counterpart (a space of reflection and catharsis). Post-reform-era Rice Island dominates the narrative, spotlighting spiritual shifts amid material upheaval.
Ultimately, "Rice Island" is a microcosm of China — its chaos, resurgence, and self-destructive pursuit of wealth laid bare.

Wang Shiyue (pen name of Wang Shixiao) is the author of novels "The Unmarked Tomb" and "Rice Island", story collections "National Order", "Rites of Passage", "The Punch-Press Operator", "Requiem", and "Big Brother", and essay collection "War Between Father and Son". Named among People’s Literature’s "Top 20 Future Masters," his works have been anthologized over 100 times and translated into English, Russian, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, and Mongolian.

His honors include:
Lu Xun Literary Award (Novella)
People’s Literature Annual Novella Prize
Ordos New Talent Award (Chinese Writers)
Fiction Monthly Annual Work Prize
Hundred Flowers Literary Award
Lao She Essay Awards
Bing Xin Essay Awards

Child, let me tell you the tale of Rice Island.

You are still in the womb of ignorance, unable to understand my words, but I can wait no longer.

A thousand years ago, a multicolored pheasant carried me across the distant river in its beak. My body fell from its mouth onto soft earth blanketed with pine and broad leaves — warm and comforting. Back then, like you now, I hovered between sleep and wakefulness, sensing only chaos. I had known neither joy nor sorrow, neither scorching heat nor bitter cold. Then a voice spoke, "Let there be light." And I saw light. The voice continued, "Cast off ignorance, I give you wisdom." Thus, I gained consciousness and thought. Stirring forces expanded within me until, breaking free, I became something new.

I am a tree. The people of Rice Island call me the Tree of Awakening.

Seven hundred years ago, a great flood birthed Rice Island. Soon after, the Mi family arrived as pioneers. Years later, Mi Nancun died violently on the island, his restless spirit lingering in my branches — a ghost straddling two worlds.

On the sixteenth day of the sixth lunar month, five children were born: Bai Hongsheng, Mi Lixin, Hua Yiduo, Hua Wuduo, and Ma Waku. The island sensed their extraordinary destinies, though none could say whether they’d bring blessing or ruin. Outsider Ma Jiao believed his son would stand apart. His wife, Li Guizhi, gazed at the baby’s mocking smile and named him Ma Waku — "Mockery" — for he’d been conceived the night their daughter died.

Hua Jingzhong, the father of the Revolutionary Committee Director Hua Zifan, went to town to visit his granddaughter. He said to Hua Zifan, "My son, when you are wealthy, remember the days of poverty, and when you are triumphant, think of the times of setback." He also cited the Bai family as an example, saying how powerful Bai Zhenfu once was, only to end up with a broken home and a tragic death. Hua Zifan impatiently replied to his old father, "You're getting old. Don't meddle in things that don't concern you." Seeing his son's growing arrogance, the old man Hua Jingzhong could only shake his head helplessly. One day, Hua Jingzhong brought a ladder, climbed up to this old Enlightenment Tree, and began living with the spirits, gradually gaining the ability to communicate with them. After several harsh winters, Hua Jingzhong, who had become almost a mummy, suddenly descended from the tree one spring morning. He walked around the village, greeting everyone he met.
The villagers asked, "Are you going back up?"
He replied, "No, I won't go back up."
Hua Jingzhong and Ma Jiao became the first people on Mi Island to adopt individual farming.
Two years later, Jiang Yilang, nearing the age of 60, returned to Mi Island. During the Cultural Revolution, he had saved the life of Mi Aihong, and her mother had also saved him.
After Jiang Yilang left, Mi Aihong stood in the darkness for a long time. The inexplicable cold wind chilled her, yet her heart was filled with a surge of desire. That night, both Aihong's mother and Mi Aihong herself couldn't sleep.
Both mother and daughter had fallen in love with Jiang Yilang. However, Jiang Yilang was in love with Mi Aihong, who could have been his daughter.
Jiang Yilang said, "Aihong, let's get married. I don't want to keep living in secrecy." Mi Aihong replied, "I want to marry you too, but my mother said that if I marry you, she would take rat poison." Jiang Yilang said, "She's confused. You shouldn't take her words seriously."
Aihong's mother died, and indeed, it was from taking rat poison. She died on the auspicious day when Mi Aihong and Jiang Yilang were to get their marriage certificate. As a result, Mi Aihong and Jiang Yilang faced much gossip and criticism from the people of Mi Island, who all said that they had driven Aihong's mother to her death. In the stories and legends that spread, Aihong's mother was portrayed as a saintly and great motherly figure, while Mi Aihong's reputation as a promiscuous and unfilial daughter spread throughout the entire island in a single day. Heartbroken, Jiang Yilang left Mi Island and went to Shenzhen, not returning for nearly 30 years. In his old age, with his life hanging by a thread, Jiang Yilang returned to Mi Island. When he asked the driver to stop the car and stepped out with the support of Mi Lixin and Hua Wuduo, he looked at the unfamiliar surroundings and couldn't help but shed tears. At that time, he could never have imagined that after his death, Mi Island would also face a great disaster.
Ma Wagubu barely finished elementary school. After dropping out, he specialized in duck herding and became a well-known "Duck Commander" in the area. He trained a lead duck to command hundreds of ducks. His lead duck was shot dead by Bai Hongwu, also known as "Rotten Tangerine," with an air gun. Ma Wagubu charged at Bai Hongwu like a mad bull, knocked him to the ground, pounced on him, and bit his neck. No one knew what the lead duck meant to Ma Wagubu, and even fewer knew that in his heart, he considered the ducks as his relatives and friends, the most important companions in his life.
Li Guizhi suddenly suffered a cerebral hemorrhage. Her son, Ma Wagubu, who had never spoken a word in his life, let out a heart-wrenching scream, "Mom, don't die. I'll listen to you, I'll do anything you say."
After Li Guizhi's death, Ma Jiao felt as if he had aged ten years in an instant. The wealthiest family on Mi Island fell into decline overnight.
Ma Wagubu saw in the eyes of a chick that it was the reincarnation of his mother. He bought the chick, and Ma Jiao named it Li Guizhi.
The living-dead White Granny suddenly disappeared, without a trace of her being alive or dead. Her son, Bai Qimu, a professional matchmaker, arranged a marriage for his son Bai Hongsheng. On the wedding night, Li Wenyun stripped off her clothes and excitedly threw herself into Bai Hongsheng's arms. Under Li Wenyun's gentle caresses, Bai Hongsheng regained his masculine confidence. This experience, while making Bai Hongsheng grateful to Li Wenyun, also planted a seed of suspicion in his heart. Li Wenyun's maturity in sexual matters made him deeply suspicious.
Ma Wagubu, no longer a duck herder, became a kiln worker. No one expected that such a job, which no one looked down upon, would change Ma Wagubu's fate and also transform Mi Island. Ma Wagubu learned his craft secretly and became a genius kiln master, successfully taking control of Mi Island's first enterprise — the Mi Island Ring Kiln Factory.
Bai Hongsheng had no affection for Li Wenyun; he fell in love with the elementary school teacher, Zhao Xiaolan. Zhao Xiaolan became pregnant with his child. Upon learning this, Li Wenyun, without making a fuss, aborted Zhao Xiaolan's child. Zhao Xiaolan left Mi Island to work elsewhere, and Bai Hongsheng began a long period of longing and deep remorse. He and Li Wenyun maintained their marital relationship in name only, with no substance left between them.
After working away from home for many years, Mi Lixin returned to Mi Island.
Half a month after returning home, Mi Lixin still had not told his mother about his experiences outside. Mi Aihong had only asked once, "Are you going to work away again?" Mi Lixin replied, "No, I won't. I'll stay home and be with you, Mom." Mi Aihong's tears came down as she said, "Good, it's better that you don't go."
Mi Lixin became a notorious gambler on Mi Island. Unexpectedly, he encountered Ma Wagubu and lost everything, even writing an IOU for 50,000 yuan. Mi Lixin left Mi Island again, and it was many years before he returned. When he did come back, Mi Island had changed completely. On the day Mi Lixin left, Ma Wagubu returned the IOU to Mi Aihong. At that moment, Mi Aihong believed that her all-night prayers hadmoved the heavens, and thus the heavens had sent Ma Wagubu to save her son.
Three hundred years ago, a great flood created Mi Island. Three hundred years later, another great flood brought disaster to Mi Island.
Ma Wagubu stood on top of the ring kiln, watching with his own eyes as the floodwaters breached the Mi Island embankment, then destroyed the secondary flood defense, and in the blink of an eye, swallowed up his brick factory. In that moment, Ma Wagubu felt helpless and desperate, realizing how insignificant humans are in the face of nature.
The people of Mi Island fell into an unprecedented loneliness.
Ma Jiao felt boundless melancholy. He wandered aimlessly along the water's edge when suddenly he faintly heard the quack of a duck. He saw a mallard floating in the water, spinning with the current. The quack was familiar to him. "Li Guizhi!" he suddenly shouted. But as soon as he called out, he came to his senses — Li Guizhi had long been dead. And the duck in the water had vanished without a trace. From then on, Ma Jiao lived on a small boat, drifting along the water.
Hua Yiduo, who was beautiful, capable, and wealthy, had once captivated countless young men on Mi Island. They would linger outside her shop, even asking matchmakers to propose on their behalf, and some were fortunate enough to be invited to dine with her. But without exception, none won her heart or even held her hand. In the blink of an eye, the once-blooming flower of Mi Island had become an older unmarried woman. She remained as beautiful as ever, but her beauty had lost its former innocence and gained a touch of glamour and arrogance.
White Hongsheng, like the old folks, also fell into loneliness. Ever since his beloved woman was quietly dealt with by Li Wenyun, White Hongsheng no longer had the slightest desire for Li Wenyun physically. No matter how hard Li Wenyun tried, he remained indifferent. After trying all the folk remedies she could find without success, Li Wenyun completely lost hope of curing White Hongsheng. White Hongsheng said, "Since I'm like this, let's get a divorce." But Li Wenyun refused to divorce. She said, "No matter what happens to you, I won't divorce you. I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
After the great disaster, Ma Wagubu made a fortune in the relocation and town-building process and began real estate development. White Hongsheng secretly instigated the villagers to cause trouble, but Ma Wagubu quietly resolved the issue. Since then, Ma Wagubu and White Hongsheng became bitter enemies. While gradually driving White Hongsheng into a corner, Ma Wagubu also built his chemical empire on Mi Island.
Twenty days after running away from home, Li Wenyun returned.
Li Wenyun gave birth to a boy. The child was born with a large head and small body, and did not grow taller. At that time, many children on Mi Island suffered from this strange disease.
Villagers kept falling ill with cancer, and all of them died without exception. It was not until Hua Wuduo, who had left Mi Island for many years, returned and saw these children with strange diseases that people began to associate the series of illnesses on Mi Island with Ma Wagubu's chemical plant.
White Hongsheng started to petition the authorities, but he was taken away by mysterious people and thrown into a mental hospital. When he was finally released and returned to the village, he thought he had taken a wrong turn. After being away from home for three months, Mi Island had changed beyond recognition. The village had become a chaotic construction site, with buildings being erected everywhere. There were rumors that the town government was going to expropriate the land of the eastern village of the island to build a chemical industry park. But a tragedy occurred. Because of the villagers' rush to build, the town government changed its plan and expropriated the land of the northern village instead.
The people of Mi Island fell into a state of somnambulism. In their sleepwalking state, they built houses regardless of day or night, and planted dense saplings in the farmlands.
Their dreams shattered overnight, the people of the eastern village never sleepwalked again, nor did they ever have any more beautiful dreams. The heavy debts weighed heavily on them, making their lives increasingly unbearable. They let the dense saplings in the fields wither and die for lack of rain and sunlight. The hastily built buildings also swayed precariously in the wind and rain. Finally, Bai Qilu, unable to bear the burden, drank a bottle of white wine and, on a drizzling evening, climbed to the roof of the three-story building he had built. After a burst of tears, he jumped off.
Bai Hongsheng sued Ma Wagubu in court. The result was a loss.
Mi Island continued to play out its farces, bustling with its own liveliness and lonely in its own way. Some dreamed of getting rich, while others dreamed of promotion. In early winter, the newly built Mi Island Chemical Industry Park, which had successfully attracted investment, began to emit its first wisp of smoke. Watching the blue smoke rise into the sky and smelling the pungent odor that drifted with the wind, the officials of the Mi Island Town Government revealed relieved smiles on their faces.
The opening ceremony of the Mi Island Chemical Industry Park and the first-ever Chu Zhou Top Ten Outstanding Entrepreneurs Award Ceremony kicked off in early winter on Mi Island. The selection of the Top Ten Outstanding Entrepreneurs had begun two months earlier, with nominations from various towns and districts, followed by a rigorous screening process to narrow down to 30 candidates. The list of these 30 entrepreneurs, along with their photos and achievements, was published in the Chu Zhou Daily. Ma Wagubu became one of the ten awardees.
The host announced the list of winners and recited the jury's citation with emotion, as the venue erupted in enthusiastic applause and slogans. Standing on the stage, Ma Wagubu saw the shadow of disaster looming over the entire sky of Mi Island. He realized the source of the disaster and wanted to prevent it from happening. As he took a step forward, he spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground. A loud explosion shook the earth, and a light drizzle began to fall from the sky. Wherever the drizzle landed, it turned into charred black. Bai Hongsheng danced wildly in the raging flames. Ten minutes later, another earth-shattering explosion occurred, followed by a series of blasts. The huge boiler of the chemical plant was thrown into the air by the shockwave. After a series of explosions, the sky, reddened by the firelight, gradually cooled and turned into a grayish-blue. Thick dark clouds gathered over Mi Island, and acid rain began to fall incessantly for a full 30 days.
Mi Island became a deserted land of death.
As a millennium-old tree, my time is running out. Even the spirits that once dwelled within me could not endure such great suffering and have all drunk the Lethe's soup to be reincarnated. I feel an overwhelming sense of desolation. I have but one wish: to tell the story of Mi Island that I have witnessed to those who come after me before I die.
As my life is about to end, just when I was about to despair, I suddenly heard a bird's call. A multicolored pheasant landed on my charred branches. After the pheasant let out a cry, I saw a seed fall from its beak. It was a seed of the Enlightenment Tree, my kindred. Snow began to fall, flurrying and growing heavier. I heard the sound of my aged branches breaking, and I knew I was about to die. I also knew that after I fell, I would decay, be covered by the soil, and eventually turn into fertilizer to enrich the land eroded by acid rain. And you, my child, you will take root, sprout, and draw nourishment from me, growing into a towering tree like me. Then, you will see a brand-new world, a different Mi Island. This is my final wish.