Latest Social Commentary Novel

Central Park was among the first real estate projects launched for the middle class. Not only does it boast small villas reminiscent of Grant Wood's "American Gothic" painting, but it also features a large number of high-quality owners, including celebrities, lawyers, doctors, engineers, and company executives.

This can be seen from the two lines of small Sino-German text in an inconspicuous location on the back of the sculpture at the main entrance of Central Park: "The economic base determines the superstructure."

Karl Marx was certainly not wrong; the economic base determines what kind of villa, what size, and even how many private parking spaces an owner can afford in Central Park, thus forming a hierarchy of contempt.

At the top of this hierarchy are the owners of the first phase, Beverly Hills, such as the Hu family at No. 1. This elderly couple is wealthy and leisurely; even after retirement, they continue to rake in money daily, living an enviable life. However, it's rumored that their only son, who is pursuing a PhD at MIT, has gone mad!

The houses in the second phase, Palm Beach, are a bit inferior to Beverly, but the Sun engineer's family is still considered a winner in the eyes of outsiders. The Sun couple gave birth to three burly young men, each tall, strong, and full of presence. From a distance, they look as sturdy as three calves; who wouldn't praise them? However, this couple came from humble beginnings and decorated their beautiful villa like a farmhouse, truly lowering the aesthetic standards of the entire Central Park.

The house types in the third phase, Napa Valley, are even worse than those in the first and second phases. Owners living here are barely considered well-off, still quite a distance from the middle-class standard required by Central Park.

However, the couple at No. 5, the Cheng family, are like the male and female leads from an idol drama in Central Park. This couple absolutely represents the "three highs" of the new era: high education, high salary, and high颜值 (high颜值 is a Chinese internet term meaning high aesthetic value/good looks).

The handsome man and beautiful woman, wherever they stand, are a sight to behold. Furthermore, this young couple, at a young age, already has a daughter and a son, forming a perfect character for "good fortune." They look like promising new elites in every way.

However, it's rumored that this seemingly glamorous couple is actually living hand-to-mouth paupers with no family savings at all. In short, the lives of the middle class are also a mess of trivialities.

Huang Qinquian, as her name implies, was expected by her parents to grow up diligent, becoming a hardworking person.

But reality often differs from expectations. Among Huang's family's three siblings, her parents and two brothers were all hardworking, only Huang, who was famously lazy throughout the village.

Yet, the Huang family of four didn't seem to mind, believing that a girl needed not do much work and was worth spending money on education until high school graduation.

People from their residential compound all said the Huang family had gone mad; since girls were meant to be married off, they should save money to secure jobs for their sons instead.

Contrastingly, Chen Emei, who also lived in the compound, was utterly opposed to Huang. The residents praised Chen for being exceptionally diligent since childhood, always managing her household affairs impeccably.

The two formed a stark contrasting pair.

However, after Huang graduated high school, relying on her own efforts, she secured three jobs successively, earning a job for every member of her five-person family, astonishing all in the compound.

When Huang married, others assumed her lazy ways would lead to rejection by her in-laws, perhaps even returning home.

Surprisingly, Huang was spoiled by her in-laws, her husband's income rose, and her mother-in-law treated her like her own daughter.

In contrast, Chen, who married around the same time, toiled day and night with endless housework and constant complaints from her in-laws.

Though praised by others, Chen secretly endured an indescribable hardship. Why, when Huang lived well in her previous life after marriage, did Chen now face such a bleak fate?