Chronicle of a Blood Merchant

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Chronicle of a Blood Merchant is a 1995 Chinese novel by Yu Hua. It follows Xu Sanguan, a silk factory worker who sells his blood to help his family through decades of hardship in China from the late 1940s to the 1980s.

Xu learns about selling blood from his grandfather and first does it to prove he is healthy. When money is tight, he keeps selling blood to support his wife Xu Yulan and their children: Yile, Erle, and Sanle. The story traces family troubles, such as questions about Yile’s paternity after Xu’s wife’s past lover returns, and the debts that blood sales briefly cover.

The plot moves through major social shifts in China. During the Great Leap Forward famine, the silk factory closes and the family must fend for themselves, again turning to blood selling. The narrative also covers the Cultural Revolution, when Xu Yulan is publicly accused, and Yile and Erle are sent to the countryside for re-education while Sanle stays at home. Xu Sanguan’s acts of sacrifice—borrowing money, selling blood, and trying to keep the family intact—underscore the harsh realities facing ordinary people during these tumultuous years.

Key emotional beats include a rebinding moment with He Xiaoyong, the man who claims to be Yile’s biological father, and the later realization that He Xiaoyong dies from his injuries. As years pass, Yile, Erle, and Sanle grow up, marry, and start families of their own. In the end, Xu Sanguan feels the urge to sell blood once more, but he is told he is now too old. The family reassures him that tougher times have passed and he no longer needs to sell blood.

The novel uses repetition and sharp dialogue to depict the life of rural and urban poor in a changing China, blending dark humor with social critique. Blood is a central symbol, representing care, risk, and sacrifice, and Xu Sanguan’s twelve blood-sellings become a quiet epic of endurance.

Chronicle of a Blood Merchant has been widely praised for its powerful portrayal of a generation’s suffering and resilience. The English translation by Andrew F. Jones appeared in 2003, and critics have called the work one of the best books of the 1990s in China. The book has been described as humane, tough, and funny, with a style that resonates beyond its local setting.

Adaptations and related works include a 2015 South Korean film titled Chronicle of a Blood Merchant, directed by Ha Jung-woo, which localizes the story to postwar Korea. A stage adaptation by Tang Wai-Kit premiered in Hong Kong in 2013. The novel’s lasting impact has cemented Yu Hua as a major contemporary Chinese writer.