Hello, this is Sol. Today, the book I will be reading is a novel titled The Original Sin of Beauty. I am almost completely unfamiliar with Chinese literature. The only works I have read so far are The True Story of Ah Q by Lu Xun and The Dream of Ding Village by Yan Ge. Both of those were very impressive and enjoyable reads. Now, if I read this book by Wei Hua, I think I can say that I have at least skimmed through some of the representative authors of Chinese literature. One of my favorite authors, Jiang Kangming, wrote a recommendation for this book, stating that whenever he finishes reading it, he finds himself making a silent resolution deep in his heart: to treat those around him well, to accept misfortune calmly, to not become cruel, and to prevent war. The Original Sin of Beauty has many moments that are very Wei Hua-esque. I closed the book and, after closing my eyes, wanted to know the fates of the characters again.

I have repeated the unfolding several times. Will I become a good writer as my reputation suggests? Let's read and find out. Now, are we having dinner? Yes, we are. For dinner today, we are having jongtaetang (a type of soup) and duck as side dishes. After reading it again, I realize my thoughts are quite complicated, and there are many unusual words. It seems there might be some alcohol involved as well. The original title is The Lost City, which refers to a fictional village, an ideal village that does not actually exist. In that work, it is used as a geographical name. It's the story of a person named Lin Shampoo, who lost his father and mother and was living alone. One day, a brother and sister suddenly came and asked if they could stay for a while, so he let them spend the night. The next day, the younger sister said she was feeling very ill, so the older brother mentioned that they had a long way to go.

It seems that we have to leave quickly, so my younger sibling asked to stay here for a few more days, promising that we would return. However, my brother did not come back, and my younger sibling ended up settling down in that house as the wife of Lynn Shampoo. They had a modest wedding, but one day, the wife suddenly disappeared with about two-thirds of the gold bars around. She did not return, and Lynn Shampoo was in despair. Then, one day, the woman suddenly came back and said she was pregnant with his child. She asked to be allowed to give birth here since she was pregnant. Reluctantly, he accepted her back. She gave birth to a daughter and then disappeared again. Lynn Shampoo had mentioned that the woman and his brother came from a place called Woncheong in the south. So, with his daughter, he set off to find the woman, searching for the place called Woncheong.

Nobody knows where Wonjeong is, and it wasn't there yesterday either. But when I entered a village called Yisan, the accent of that region was very similar to that of the woman, and the scenery of the village was quite similar to what she had described. Ah, I see. So the village of Wonchang is just a name related to them, and their names probably aren't their real names. Things are happening in that village, and it's really interesting. It feels like an old Chinese novel, and it's fun. It's so touching. 

Lee Dong-jin also gave a good review. Ah, Jun-do is coming out in November, and it turns out there's not much time left. I need to read everything before then, but I have to quickly finish reading from the beginning. Why is there so much to read? Ah, I also started reading Michael Robotham. What's that? Good Girl? I heard the author's Joe O'Loughlin series is interesting. He has Parkinson's disease.

I'm a psychologist, so I'm interested in the kinds of problems that people solve. It's fascinating. I also started reading The Book of Life, which is about the representative of life's challenges. I need to read that, and there are so many things to watch on Netflix right now, but I'm so busy. Earlier, someone in the elevator said the same thing, but I found this part more interesting. However, this is also really captivating; it made me cry. The animals in it are so touching, and the stories about friends are a bit sad too. If I hadn't seen it in the theater, I would have been really upset. Guardians of the Galaxy has such important music, and it's so good that I think it's better to watch it in the cinema. From the very beginning, when Creep plays, the emotions are already overwhelming. My husband is forgetting today, but I will read The Source as well. I read about 300 pages yesterday, so I plan to finish it today.

This story starts with a very personal account of Lin's shampoo, but it has now developed into a larger narrative about the weakening power of the central government during the late Qing Dynasty. As bandits emerged, villages began to hire private soldiers to protect themselves from these groups. It seems that the chaotic situations greatly impacted the lives of the people, and the story will likely explore these effects in more detail later on. While it doesn't clearly outline specific historical events, it appears to revolve around the period before and after the Xinhai Revolution. I am enjoying it immensely, and every time I read famous Chinese novels, I am amazed at how they can be so simple and straightforward yet still rich in detail and striking at the core of the story. This book is no exception; it’s really interesting.

Then, let's run until the end, sister. Yes, I've read the entire original text of The Wihwa. The story in this book ends around page 400, and after that, there is another story about the siblings who came to find Lin Shampoo, which is quite substantial. I found this additional story chapter to be very enjoyable as well. After finishing the book, I finally noticed the cover, which seems to depict a scene from a place called Season, the background of the story. The overall atmosphere of the book felt like looking at a beautiful painting. What is visible is just the white space and the varying shades of ink, but within it, so many people must be crying and laughing as they live their lives. The countless stories are condensed into the concept of Lin Shampoo, presenting them to the readers in a very succinct manner.

The life of Lee Jeong-pyo is truly like the title of the book suggests: a mountain beyond a mountain. Sometimes it feels as if life is buried deep in a valley, but due to a small opportunity, one can rise up to the peak. At other times, it suddenly draws a downward curve. His life, filled with many ups and downs, resembles the image of a mountain quite a lot. Yet, without being overly sentimental, he humbly accepts all these processes. I thought that the attitude of Lee Jeong-pyo is very similar to the style of this ink wash painting. Therefore, it seems to be a book that could be polarizing. When it comes to ink wash paintings, some people might feel that it is so beautiful and exquisite, while others might think that it lacks vibrancy and is too restrained, making it less enjoyable to look at. It's precisely at that point.

I think opinions will be divided on this. I found it incredibly enjoyable to read; it seems I really like Chinese novels. I’m planning to read The Life of Yi next. It seems very similar to The Dream of the Heart Village by He Xiangguan, so I’m thinking of trying another work. This has been Sol's library, and I will return with more interesting videos next time. Thank you.

SM에 있는 광야 말고 이육사의 광야 같은 거 『원청』

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