A striking example of the new realism in Chinese cinema, couched in the earthy humor of an ironic comedy of sexual manners, In the Wild Mountains depicts enormous changes in the lives of two rural couples facing bewildering social and economic reforms. In a village in the Qinling Mountains, Huihui is a hardworking pig farmer, married but childless, as opposed to his less industrious brother, Hehe, who seems to have it all: wife, child, and a worldly outlook derived from his years in the military. Both brothers are temporarily stunned by the prospect of "going into business for ourselves" after years of communal economic life, but Hehe determines that nothing will hold him back. He is opposed by his overly cautious wife, Qiurong, and finds consolation in his sister-in-law, Guilan, who has been champing at the bit. Likewise, the conservative Huihui finds a soul mate in Qiurong, and it is not long before two entirely new families are formed. A penetrating study of sexual roles in rural society, its risqué aspects treated entirely deadpan, Yan Xueshu's second feature is inspired by a popular novel by Jia Ping'ao. The novel, in the words of Yan Xueshu, "brims over with the heavy scent of the earth and is extremely realistic and vivid.... While it is deeply sympathetic and sincere towards the peasant characters, the author also adopts a cool and critical eye.... Even if we live in an age of change, the strength of conservative forces obstructing change is still quite strong."