The Death of Yuli

The Death of Yuli originated from a sentimental love story between the author Xu Zhenya and the widow Chen Peifen. From 1909 to 1911, the author taught in Wuxi and sojourned in Cai Yinting, a famous calligrapher near the school. The Cai family had a widow, Chen Peifen, and his son had been learning from Xu Zhenya. Xu Zhenya and Chen Peifen went from mutual admiration to passionate love. They exchanged letters and sang poems. However, in the feudal society, widows were but miserable "undead" and could only feel like a dry well. Remarriage was destructive to the morals. It was hard to get married with each oter. So Chen Peifen had to marry her niece Cai Ruizhu to Xu Zhenya. Therefore, the author wrote this novel and revealed the sorrow of love in his heart.