Originally published in September 1920 in the journal New Youth (新青年), it was later included in his first collection of short stories, A Call to Arms (吶喊).

A Chinese boatman hears news of the abortive Manchu Restoration of July 1917 and fears that he will be executed as he had abandoned the queue after the fall of the Qing dynasty.

In July 1917 the Qing loyalist Zhang Xun attempted to restore Puyi to the throne, but the revolt collapsed in a fortnight.

[1][2] The boatman Sevenpounder (七斤) comes back to his village one night, bringing the news to his family that "the Emperor has returned to the Dragon Throne".

Another neighbour remembers that Mrs Sevenpounder did not object when her husband stopped growing his queue, and an argument breaks out.