Record of Regret

Themes of politics and cleanliness, and lust and punishment are introduced in this excerpt of Dong Xi’s Record of Regret. The selection acquaints us with the character of Ceng Guangxian, a child who lives in a warehouse once owned by his grandfather but confiscated during Liberation in 1949. The novel opens with a scene involving two dogs copulating, a moment of rare amusement during a dark time in the country’s history (the 1960s) that is quickly disturbed by political firebrand Zhao Wannian. The incident leads to varying repercussions for each of the witnesses.