Chinese Novels

I finished Taiwan Travelogue early this week and really enjoyed it! I hope more of Yang Shuang-zi's work gets translated!

Highlight for spoilers!*Aoyama Chizuko's relationship with her translator Ong Tshian-hoh (Oh Chizuru) is very poignant. Chizuko fall head over heels for Tshian-hoh, but they never quite conect (Chizuko, despite her efforts, tends to have a blindspot w/r/t the power dynamics between herself and Tshian-hoh). It's tragic in a what-could've-been way. I though it was very clear that Chizuko had romanic feelings for Tshian-hoh that went beyond friendship. Also, reading this made me kinda hungry.*

I really liked the frame stories of it being a translation of a 1954 novel with introductions and afterward to that effect. imho Yang's 'translator note' is particularly poignant (it's written as if from her twin Yang Jo-hui).

I also got caught up on Dragon Subjugation Incantation and Wen Guan's translations!

Dragon Subjugation Incantation (chapter 76): Highlight for spoilers!*Ruan Li's reached the Golden Core Stage and realized her feeling for Luo Qingci (who she knows as Chi Qing)! Luo Qingci has Shen Qingqiu levels of self-awareness of her feelings for Ruan Li and when told about Ruan Li's (by the system) assumes it's along the lines of a teenage crush. The system is dismayed by all this.*

Wen Guan (chapter 103 and 104): Highlight for spoilers!*Song Shijiu and Li Shiyi conflict re: what should be done about Chun Ping hasn't been resolved yet, but they have made up. I'm curious if Tu Laoyao seeing Chun Ping's face will have consequences later on. The description in chapter 104 are really evocative and I'm curious if the person who has just shown up is Xi Wangmu.*

Also I thought it was a neat coincidence that both these novels Highlight for spoilers!*have love interests that are dragons*