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Restaurant for a meal afterwards, but
Genlong falls ill and dies. The doctors say Genlong died from a cerebral hemorrhage, but Xu suspects Genlong sold too much blood. Back at the countryside where Yile and Erle's production brigades work, Yile becomes sick. Erle carries his brother to the ferry and they both return to town where Yile can receive treatment. It is revealed that Yile contracted hepatitis and must travel to
398:. Day after day, Xu Yulan stands in the street on a stool with a placard labelled 'Xu Yulan, Prostitute'. Yile is sent to the countryside as part of the Communist Party's policy of re-education. Erle is also sent away after graduating school, leaving only Sanle with Xu Sanguan and Xu Yulan. Sanle begins working in a machine tools factory after completing school.
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day, the sons get into a fight and Yile critically injures
Blacksmith Fang's son. At first, both Xu and He deny responsibility for Yile's actions and refuse to pay for Blacksmith Fang's son's hospital bill. But Xu sells his blood and pays his debt to Fang. Ashamed of being a cuckold, Xu sleeps with a former love interest of his, Lin Fenfang.
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approaches Yile, He
Xiaoyong's supposed biological son, for help. After some convincing, Yile agrees, and proceeds to call atop the chimney for He Xiaoyong's soul to return. Xu Sanguan retrieves Yile from the chimney and swears an oath claiming Yile as his son. It is later revealed that He Xiaoyong did not survive his injuries.
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431:, food, and sacrifices. Xu Sanguan sells his blood to overcome crises he faces in his life, to a point where he believes that selling blood could overcome any crisis. However, at the end of the story Xu Sanguan could not sell his blood anymore because he is too old and the quality of his blood is not accessible to anyone.
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longer sell blood to support his family when in need, but Xu Yulan, Yile, Erle, and Sanle remind him that he does not need to sell blood anymore for the tough times have passed. The novel ends with Xu Yulan and Xu
Sanguan having a meal of fried pork livers and yellow rice wine at the Victory Restaurant.
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Xu
Sanguan sets off for Shanghai, selling blood at multiple hospitals along his journey. He grows increasingly weak from the practice and is hospitalized for a period of time. Xu Sanguan manages to hitch a ride on a barge, and he befriends the two brothers operating the vessel, Laixi and Laishun. Xu
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One day, He
Xiaoyong gets hit by a truck and is critically injured. After consulting a fortune-teller, He Xiaoyong's wife is told that to recover her husband's soul from heaven, a son must call atop the chimney and beg for his soul to return. However, as He Xiaoyong only has two daughters, He's wife
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Xu
Sanguan works in a silk factory, distributing silk-worm cocoons to the spinners. To make extra income, Xu Sanguan decides to sell blood at a hospital. He befriends Genlong and Ah Fang, who are blood-sellers themselves and with whom Xu travels to the hospital. The two tell Xu that every time after
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takes us straight to the heartland of China—the towns, streets, courtyards, kitchens, and bedrooms where ordinary
Chinese live. They may not be great warriors or politicians, but their courageous efforts in living a life with hope and dignity make them true heroes. This book is a gem." Nola Theiss,
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argued, "The epic—and at times crude—stories of struggle and survival in
Chronicle of a Blood Merchant offer unforgettable images of cruelty and kindness, Yu Hua's characters are torn between their animal instincts and their humanity. What Yu Hua brings to these narratives is a steely willingness
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describes the suffering of the lower class which took place during the most turbulent time in
Chinese history, and creates a sorrowful atmosphere with a touch of gentleness. Blood is the main element, which builds up throughout the majority of the story. The protagonist sells his blood twelve times
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Some years later, Yile, Erle and Sanle have all gotten stable jobs, gotten married, had children and moved into their own houses. One day, Xu Sanguan passes Victory Restaurant and feels the urge to sell blood. But this time, he is rejected as he is deemed too old. Xu becomes worried that he can no
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Xu Sanguan marries Xu Yulan and gives birth to three boys soon after: Yile, Erle and Sanle. After nine years, questions about Yile's legitimacy arises, and it is revealed that Xu Yulan had slept with her ex-lover, He Xiaoyong. Xu Sanguan's relationship with Yile becomes tumultuous as a result. One
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The space of "folk" in the novel is neatly built by the extensive use of repetitions and dialogues, which highlights the nature of Chinese peasants and the social scenario of the era. The novel holds elements of black humor—a characteristic that Yu Hua typically applies in his other novels such as
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The story begins with Xu Sanguan's visit to his grandpa, when he first learns about selling blood. His first time selling blood is to prove his body is in good health. After discovering that selling blood can quickly get him a lot of cash, he begins to sell blood constantly when he and his family
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Chirita, Andreea. "Humor as a Philosophy of Life in the Chinese Art Movement of Cynical Realism and Post New Era Literature" Analele Universitatii Crestine Dimitrie Cantemir, Seria Stiintele Limbii,Literaturii si Didactica predarii (Annals of Dimitrie Cantemir Christian University – Linguistics,
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Xu Sanguan finds himself running low on money again and goes to sell blood. At the blood station, he coincidentally finds Genlong, whom he had not seen for ten years. Xu learns that Ah Fang is in poor health after his bladder had burst from drinking too much water. The two men head to Victory
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all closing, Xu's family is forced to look out for themselves. The silk factory where Xu Sanguan works also closes. After selling his blood once again, Xu Sanguan takes the whole family except Yile to eat noodles at the Victory Restaurant. Distraught, Yile approaches He Xiaoyong, his supposed
312:. It is the story of a silk factory worker, Xu Sanguan, who sells his blood over the years, in most cases in an attempt to improve the lives of himself and his family members, and overcome family difficulties. The story is set in the late 1940s until the 1980s, from the early years of the
574:, argued, "The story is filled with strange attitudes and behaviors, which give insight to this peculiar time and place. Yu Hua is considered one of the most important young writers in China today and his writing carries a truth that is typical of fables and parables."
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for proper treatment. Erle also falls ill from a flu and is sent to hospital. Xu Sanguan goes around the village borrowing money and gathers enough to send Yile and Xu Yulan to Shanghai. He plans to meet them in Shanghai and resorts to selling blood once again.
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biological father, hoping to find acceptance, but is also rejected. After wandering the streets, Yile returns to a worried Xu Sanguan who takes him to the Victory Restaurant for noodles. Xu Sanguan's relationship with Yile is mended as a result.
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they sell their blood, they have a plate of fried pork livers and two shots of yellow rice wine at the Victory Restaurant, believing that the pork livers replenish blood while the rice wine maintains the blood quality.
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travels with them for several days and the three sell blood along the way. Eventually, Xu parts ways with the brothers and reaches Shanghai, where he finds Yile is alive and recovering well.
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443:(许三观): The protagonist, a cart-pusher in a silk factory in a small rural town. He had to sell his blood because his meager salary is not enough to sustain his family.
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struggle with life difficulties. By the end of the story, Xu Sanguan's family no longer lacks cash, and he thus no longer needs to sell blood to support his family.
551:(2000), called it a "wrenching and blackly humorous tale. Long after I closed the book, the character Xu Sanguan has remained stubbornly impressed upon my heart."
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Wang, Ya-juan and Li Zong-wei "Study of Black Humor in Chronicle of A Blood Merchant (用黑色 幽默解读《 许三观卖血记》)" Journal of Hetao University, no.1 (2014): 34-37.
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The book received rave reviews from critics and an English translation by Andrew F. Jones was released in 2003. The title has also been translated as
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Yu Hua's style of using humor to highlight contemporary socio-political issues in China has been compared to the modern visual art movement of
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on January 15, 2015. Instead of setting the background in rural China, the film has been localized and the setting is shifted right after the
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as a "rare achievement in literature.... a character that reflects not just a generation but the soul of a people." Michael Laris of
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was "hailed by many as one of the best books published in China in the 1990s." Richard King addressed Gang Yue's comparison to
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Theiss, Nola. "Hua, Yu. Chronicle of a blood merchant, a novel." Kliatt, May 2005, p. 26. Literature Resource Center,
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449:(许玉兰): Xu Sanguan‘s wife, a pretty young woman "Fried Dough Queen", She became a housewife after having three sons.
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To Live by Yu Hua (Tr. by Michael Berry) and Chronicle of a Blood Merchant by Yu Hua (Tr. by Andrew F. Jones)
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Yu, Hua. Chronicle of a Blood Merchant: A Novel. Translated by Andrew F. Jones, Anchor Books, 2004.
479:(林芬芳): Xu Sanguan had an affair with Lin Fenfang when he found out that Yile was not his own son.
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1958 rolls around, and the family is caught in the socio-political upheaval brought about by the
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could never aspire". King also praised the novel's construction. The book was praised in
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Reviewed by Richard King, MCLC Resource Center Publication, March 2004
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reworked by Tang Wai-Kit was premiered by the We Draman Group in
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sweeps across the country. With communal canteens set up by the
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Bestial Acts; Brutal Portraits of Life in Modern China
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727:: FINAL Edition." The Washington Post.
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467:(三乐): The youngest son of Xu Sanguan.
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