Chronicle of a Blood Merchant
(Anchor paperback) by Yu Hua
Xu Sanguan, a cart-pusher in a silk factory, sells his blood to raise money for his marriage to Xu Yulan. Three sons later, Xu discovers that the first boy was fathered by his wife's ex-neighbour, He Xiaoyong.
While he dotes on the lad, Yile, and pays for most of the child's expenses, Xu occasionally feels compelled to ostracise the boy in the hope that He will contribute to his upkeep. When the family goes out to enjoy a rare restaurant meal, Yile is left behind. 'If I let you eat noodles too,' a pained Xu tells the boy, 'I'd be doing that bastard He Xiaoyong a favour.'
Xu visits the blood merchant only when there is a crisis - except that crises are frequent in the days of the Cultural Revolution.
In one of the book's most powerful scenes, Xu tries to alleviate the hunger pangs of his family during a famine by describing the meals he would cook for them when times improved.