"At around 4 p.m., thanks to the large village gong trees planted around the Tieu Can communal house, blocking the sun, the large yard in front of the communal house, called the old market yard, was still sunny in some places, and cool in others. A man selling holy noodles, carrying his load on the sidewalk, stood there, tapping his gong. A woman selling sweet soup walked along the street, calling out her wares in a sweet voice. Children gathered in shady places to play, some running around, some shouting loudly...". “There is no morality or humanity in this world anymore. You have to be cunning to be respected. You have to have money to be loved.” - Ha Tan Phat, the main character in this novel, viewed the world like this after his boring experiences with life and humanity.

1)Vietnamese fiction - 20th Century. 2) Vietnamese literature - 20th Century.