This book describes the unique father-son relationship from the author's unique perspective. Ma Linsheng, who divorced his wife in middle age, is a kind of intellectual, at least this is how he defines himself. Under the dual pressure of age and economy, he struggles to maintain this image of himself. To do this, he must be particular, at least he must be particular about one thing: cleanliness. He is a clerk in a bookstore, a little pretentious but living a cowardly life, full of fantasy but unrealistic. In order to resolve the increasingly tense relationship between him and his son, he decided to become friends with his son on a brotherly basis; he wanted to get close to Qi Huaiyuan, the mother of his son's classmate, whom his son introduced to him, but he was unwilling to do so.
本书通过作者自己独特的视角，描写了属于他笔下独有的父子之情。人到中年与妻子离婚的马林生是一个类知识分子，至少这是他对自己的定位，在年龄和经济的双重压力下，他挣扎着煞费苦心地保持着自己的这一形象，为此，他必须得讲究，至少要讲究一点：干净。他是一家书店的小职员，有点装腔作势却活得很窝囊，富于幻想却又不切实际。为了解决和儿子之间日趋紧张的关系，他决定和儿子称兄道弟做朋友；对儿子给自己介绍的对象齐怀远——儿子同学的妈，既想亲近又不甘心。
本书通过作者自己独特的视角，描写了属于他笔下独有的父子之情。人到中年与妻子离婚的马林生是一个类知识分子，至少这是他对自己的定位，在年龄和经济的双重压力下，他挣扎着煞费苦心地保持着自己的这一形象，为此，他必须得讲究，至少要讲究一点：干净。他是一家书店的小职员，有点装腔作势却活得很窝囊，富于幻想却又不切实际。为了解决和儿子之间日趋紧张的关系，他决定和儿子称兄道弟做朋友；对儿子给自己介绍的对象齐怀远——儿子同学的妈，既想亲近又不甘心。
