本書為小說集，作者的一些中短篇小說代表作括《月白風清》《白柵頁》《蘭花》《網》《暮色籠罩下的祠堂》等。從這些作品中既可以看到蘇北農村的真實生活、少年的成長經歷，同時也能感受到作者細膩優美的文筆。

The Nets
Weather Loaches
Ah Chu
A Live Bait
The Sweet Orange Tree
Blue Flower
Bai Que （I）
Bai Que （II）
Xi Ma
The Dyehouse Owner's Son （I）
The Dyehouse Owner's Son （II）
The Eleventh Strip of Red Cloth
Fields So Blue

Only cating for themselves， everyone hurried for their lives， shouting in distress. Those who could swim naturally didn't care. Those who could only swim a little choked on a few mouthfuls of water， but made it to shore， showing the whites of their eyes and vomiting up water with their necks outsttetched. Neither of Ah Chu's parents knew how to swim， and were only heard uttering a few shoutefore they sank.
People who had made it onto the bank senly realized they should try to save the people in the river. But it was so dark that they became timid. Several people who went back into the water only shouted and fumbled wildly on the river's surface， m an empty show of strength thtough exaggetated gestures. No one dared dive into the depths of the river. When the daring rescue people artived， it was too late.
A few days after the accident， by the riverside at the edge of the village， Da Gou's father said Ah Chu's father had clung to his arm when the boat capsized and that both of them sank to the rivet bottom. Da Gou's father pinched and tweaked him， but Ah Chu's father would not let go. Da Gou's father thought he was going to die. After swallowing a mouthful of mud at the bottom of the river， Da Gou's father had a clever idea to pull out the flash Light in this pocket and thrust it into the hand of Ah Chu's father! It worked! Being choked senseless， Ah Chu's father thought he had seized something that could save his life， so he loosened his grip on Da Gou's father to grab the flashlight. Da Gou's father let go of the flashlight， freed himself from Ah Chu's father， got out of the water， and climbed onto the shore.