His second novel, "The Garlic Ballads", is based on a true story of when the farmers of Gaomi Township rioted against a government that would not buy its crops. "The Republic of Wine" is a satire around gastronomy and alcohol, which uses cannibalism as a metaphor for Chinese self-destruction, following Lu Xun. "Big Breasts & Wide Hips" deals with female bodies, from a grandmother whose breasts are shattered by Japanese bullets, to a festival where one of the child characters, Shangguan Jintong, blesses each woman of his town by stroking her breasts. The book was controversial in China because some leftist critics objected to "Big Breasts"' perceived negative portrayal of Communist soldiers.