Table of contents : Contents Acknowledgments Weights and Measures Introduction Chapter One. The “Little Shanghai”: Urbanization of Wuxi City Chapter Two. Wuxi Elites and Infrastructure: Urbanization of the Countryside Chapter Three. Local Elites and the State: Managing Wuxi during the Warlord Era Chapter Four. Abolish the County to Establish the City (Fei xian wei shi) Chapter Five. The Nationalist State and Rural Infrastructure Chapter Six. A Connected City: Native Place Societies, Migration, and Disaster Relief Chapter Seven. Threads of Silk: Economic Recovery in Occupied Wuxi Chapter Eight. The Utility of Rubble: Rebuilding the City and the Countryside Chapter Nine. A Militarized Environment: Japanese Impact on Daily Life Conclusion Character List Notes Bibliography Index