Mountain Girl River Girl concerns the lives of two girls with very different backgrounds who nevertheless have a few things in common. They have both grown up in the country, both come from poor families, and both are determined to seek a better life by leaving for the city and the prospect of a city job and a better life. Shui-Lian, a coolie's daughter has grown up on her familys' boat on a tributary of the mighty Yangtze. With their father dead the family struggles to make a living, but when her mother and older brother arrange a marriage to a man 15 years her senior Shui-Lian sneaks off and heads east.
Pan-Pan leaves her family with their blessings, and a small sum of painstakingly saved cash to begin her new life. However despite her caution she soon loses everything to a fast moving thief and finds herself relying on complete strangers for even the most basic necessities.
For the first part of this novel, it's easy to imagine the story is set 100 years ago as the lives of many people out in the country have not changed much, and life is still very hard. However in the course of their journey in search of a better life, they soon learn that modernity doesn't necessarily mean a significantly better station in life. The two of them face horrific working conditions, sexual exploitation, and long dangerous hours working for meagre wages. Ting-xing Ye has painted an unflinching picture of the price many ordinary Chinese pay for all the wealth power and influence modern China wields in the world.
