The Returning Truck

【Book Introduction】 Set in New Territories West The first novel of the 21st generation Rebellion through literature and life We may think we missed a great era, only to find ourselves in another upon looking back. Societal shifts can be sudden and disorienting. Amidst these grand narratives, individual stories often remain hidden. Wang Zheng-Heng turns to tales of love as an entry point. Beneath the surface of these love stories set in New Territories West lie raw depictions of human existence and struggle – how do we live discreetly in this city, in this era, yet simultaneously resist the reality of our lives? The everyday lives in Tuen Mun, Tin Shui Wai, and Yuen Long, as depicted by Wang Zheng-Heng, have long been overlooked by society and rarely featured in literary works. He focuses on this region, meticulously recording the texture of life there and portraying its marginalized communities. The characters on the fringes of New Territories West possess a unique aesthetic. Through his work, the author reveals how they navigate a mainstream that largely ignores them, while simultaneously forging their own distinct modes of survival. The working-class characters in this collection include the truck driver in "The Returning Truck," the construction worker in "Silent Bruises," the petty thugs in "Insects," and the prostitutes who came from the south, among others. The author observes them from a friend's perspective, bringing their inner lives, desires, hardships, struggles, and scars to the reader with vivid detail, both laughter and tears. Their characters' unintentional acts of self-destruction simultaneously and silently fuel a greater momentum of rebellion within literature. Illustrations by Liu Guang-Cheng Appreciations by Chung Kwok-Keung and Yeung Ka-fai Recommended by Lee Wai-Yi, Tong Rui, Mak Shu-Kien, Fan Sin-biu, and Peng Sheung-Kwan Praise: He skillfully uses brief dialogues to highlight an unspoken, subtle boundary. Scenery and sensory details are never superfluous; layer upon layer, they hint at the characters' complex and flawed psychology. Within suppression, tenderness seeps through, and the moments of complete combustion have already passed. What the novel seeks to capture are the embers. — Yeung Ka-fai (Taiwanese scholar and writer) Unlike many young authors who flock to the Kafkaesque, surreal urban allegories, Wang Zheng-Heng uniquely roots himself in the soil of reality. He delves into the survival and psychological portraits of those on the city's fringes, particularly Tuen Mun, imbuing his cool, restrained prose with deep emotion. The texture of life is rich, and he masterfully blends the languages of literature and everyday life, forging his own style. — Chung Kwok-Keung (Hong Kong writer and poet) A song for the border dwellers of the great Northwest is beginning to sprout... I anticipate that even if burned by pain, it will grow into a great tree with shimmering leaves, capable of nurturing other life. — Lee Wai-Yi (Textual cultivator) Wang Zheng-Heng's writing is concise and robust. This style is particularly effective when depicting the stories of the working-class characters in this book, capturing their true circumstances and releasing their energy and vitality. — Tong Rui (Hong Kong writer, author of the novel "FOOTNOTE") Reading "The Returning Truck" is like staring intently at lingering embers. The soul will eventually fade, and the final brightness leaves behind hurried traces, merely to ward off the endless chill of the night. — Mak Shu-Kien (Hong Kong writer) Wang Zheng-Heng's novels are understated, simple, and focused, a consistent impression across their themes, plots, and language. The author observes these people and events with a closeness that does not lose its critical distance, demonstrating a sincere and unwavering power that is most moving. — Fan Sin-biu (Associate Professor, Department of Chinese Language and Literature, The Chinese University of Hong Kong) The characters' decline mirrors the city's decay, yet within this decline, a vitality always lingers. The author sketches the destruction inherent in societal construction, the constant push of some to the margins of society, or perhaps, fate. — Peng Sheung-Kwan (Hong Kong writer) 【Author Introduction】 Wang Zheng-Heng graduated from the Department of Chinese at City University of Hong Kong. He has won the Young Writers Award, the Chinese Literary Creation Award, the City Literary Award, and the University Literary Award. He has worked as a teacher, journalist, and construction worker, and is currently a freelance writer. His works, primarily commentary on current affairs and fiction, are published in "Initium Media," "Fleur Jaune," "The Square," and other publications.