Shi Naian was originally from Xinghua, Jiangsu. He was born into a boat family and his family was poor. When he was a child, he went to Suzhou with his father. At the age of 13, he studied in Xushuguan near Suzhou. At the age of 29, he passed the imperial examination. At the age of 30, he went to the Yuan Dynasty to take the exam, but failed. Recommended by a friend, I went to Yuncheng, Shandong Province to teach. In Shandong, he searched for heroic deeds of Song Jiang and others near Liangshanbo, and became familiar with the customs and customs of Shandong. Shi Naian passed the Jinshi examination at the age of 35 and went to Qiantang to serve as county governor. However, he only served for two years before he angrily returned to Suzhou due to disagreements with the powerful officials. After Zhang Shicheng's peasant uprising troops occupied Suzhou, Shi Naian joined the army and became Zhang Shicheng's staff. This made him familiar with the camp life of the peasant uprising army and many leaders of the uprising army. Later, he discovered that Zhang Shicheng and other leaders were becoming increasingly arrogant and expected to be defeated in the future. He then left Zhang Shicheng's tribe and lived in the Heyang Mountain area of ??Changshu and Zhutang Jiangyin to make a living by teaching, and devoted himself to writing "Water Margin". Zhang Shicheng failed, and Zhu Yuanzhang searched for relevant personnel in Suzhou. Shi Naian had no choice but to return to Suzhou to avoid disaster, settled in Baiju Town, now Dafeng City, and continued writing "Water Margin".

It is said that Shi Naian wrote "Water Margin" for a period of time in a small building. He has a habit of clicking his tongue involuntarily when his writing ideas are temporarily blocked. His family had a puppy. When it heard its owner "tsk tsk", it thought it was a call to eat and ran upstairs. When Shi Naian saw it, he smacked his lips and the dog came up; he stamped his feet and the dog went down. As time passed, the floor slab was broken down and the puppy starved to death because it could not find food.

After "Water Margin" was completed, it was widely circulated among the people. Zhu Yuanzhang was very angry after reading this book, and Shi Naian was soon arrested and imprisoned in the prison of the Ministry of Punishment. Later, with the help of Liu Ji, he sought medical treatment and was released. His disciple Luo Guanzhong was taken to Huai'an to stay temporarily to recuperate, and continued to compile "Water Margin". Shi Naian died soon after and his body was buried in Huai'an and later moved to Shijiaqiao in Baijuchang, Xinghua.