Disability cannot stop an honest poet

Facing an unusually cruel world for a disabled woman, humor becomes an important weapon for Yu. When many people online criticized her bold expression about erotic desire or menopause in her writings and on social media, Yu was never afraid to fight or even curse when responding to insults.

At a book event in Beijing in June, she showcased her humor by joking about menopause and erotic desires.

When asked about the book's title by a reader, Yu first joked that it was chosen without much thought, but she quickly added, "In the countryside, there's a saying: People are like blades of grass, with lives as insignificant as grass. When people say someone is like grass, it means they're more like a wild weed.

"That's why I think of the dewdrops on the tips of grass — they are so fleeting and disappear as soon as the sun shines on them. Every person's life is like grass: brief and ephemeral," she said, turning to the questioner: "Are you satisfied with my answer?" The audience burst into laughter.

The essay Mother on the Tip of the Grass is the most significant piece in the collection, where Yu represents the complicated feelings she has for her mother.