Early Spring: I've always been on the road – an afterword to the novel Chariot One

It took only two and a half months from the beginning of the work to the completion of the manuscript, and the preparation work before the writing took more than three years.

During that time, I had been brewing in my heart, but I did not dare to write. Until 2018, the reform of the fire control system, all fire officers and soldiers will permanently take off their beloved uniforms, although many people are nostalgic and unwilling, but this is the trend of the times, is an important step taken by the national emergency rescue force to aim at the international first-class level. As a fire veteran, I must use words to celebrate the heroic community of the new era.

Fortunately, my creative project was included in the "Fixed Point Deep Life" support project by the China Writers Association. After receiving the notice, I began to wonder in my heart, which areas are the most representative, can I objectively reflect this history through the way of novels?

For a long time, in order to collect vivid story material, I have been on the road. In retrospect, it was an experience of a lifetime.

In mid-August, on a summer afternoon, I went to Tianjin Binhai. The squadrons that had been devastated by the accident had long since taken on a new look, and a group of young firefighters were training, beads of sweat hanging on their faces.

Those resolute faces remind me of the heroes who sacrificed: the excellent squad leader whose wife was three months pregnant, the cute recruit who had been a soldier for less than a year, and the old non-commissioned officer who was discharged from the army with only one month left... They are ready-made materials for the country, but I really can't bear to let my brothers on the front line lose their lives in literature again.

I'm trying to find new stories.

At the end of August, I rushed to Chengdu, Mianyang, Meishan and other places in Sichuan. Ten years ago, there was a major earthquake in the country of Tianfu, and the following year, the newly revised Fire Protection Law of the People's Republic of China was promulgated, including "emergency rescue work". I'm eager to find examples that reflect the fire reform process, even if they are clues.

Immediately after that, I went to Yantai, Shandong. In Longkou City, I met my little brother Zhang Jiazhen, whom I had not met for many years, who had grown into a squadron commander; in Muping District, I visited Zhang Hui, a squadron leader who was directly promoted from an excellent squad leader. In order to meet my demands, they specially gathered firefighters of all ages and let me listen to their hearts.

Among those people, I found one group that was easily overlooked—full-time firefighters. In recent years, the rapid development of China's economy and society, resulting in a serious shortage of fire fighting forces, in order to solve this bottleneck problem, the fire department in the eastern coastal area took the lead in entrusting local units to recruit young people of the right age to the society, which is a new thing and the first step towards professionalism in fire protection.

To this end, I have visited many grass-roots fire squadrons to understand the current situation of this group. Apparently, this is a group of little-known brothers, who are not active in service, but who perform the same tasks as soldiers; they do not wear ranks, but charge like soldiers. I seem to see a glimmer of light.

The material was available, and new problems were encountered, and there were so many stories on them that I couldn't choose. In other words, I didn't find a proper way to reshape their inner world. I need to find a seed, implant it in my head, and then take root and sprout to hold up a green shade.

This distress is far more distressing than the exhaustion on the road. I was tormented by this, and I could even say that I was suffering, somewhat similar to a long journey in the desert, in addition to thirst, and deep in my heart.

I forgot what day it was, and I complained to my good brother Yuan Zenggao. He said that just walking around and looking, you can never find really good materials, come to Liaocheng Fire To live for a while.

I snorted and didn't say no.

Suddenly his tone became low: "I have here the story you need. Some time ago, I had a full-time firefighter named Xie Hao here, and during the preparation for the competition, my son unfortunately died... You should write about these comrades around me.

I instantly put away my smiling expression, agreed to his invitation, and decided to choose a suitable day to start this new journey. I vaguely felt that this time, I was no longer a passer-by in a hurry.

On the day of departure, I passed the Beijing West Railway Station Fire Squadron, and a city main combat vehicle roared out with flashing police lights. Inside the cab, a youthful face just turned around, facing out the car window, with a sunny and firm smile.

I guess the guy should be a post-00s, similar to me many years ago when I was 18 years old, and maybe a little confused. I saluted him, and it was not until the fire trucks merged into the traffic that I solemnly raised my right hand and gave a military salute. At that time, I had already decided that the title of the novel would be "Chariot One".

The creative process was not smooth, because I had been working in the organ for a long time and lacked experience in front-line combat life. In order to make the work more "grounded", I asked Li Jinyao of Qingdao Fire Fighting for help, and he invited comrades-in-arms to help me - Luo Chong, Wu Zhenchao, Shi Pengfei, Yang Xinyu, Fan Lingyun, Yu Qi, Wang Bingran, Zhang Shuai, Sun Lei, Peng Yongqiang, Li Shanpeng, Yang Ming, Yang Jinjun, Fan Wenwei, Bai Xiaolu, Meng Linlin, who served as grass-roots fire commanders in Guizhou, Zhejiang, Shanxi, Shandong, Shaanxi, Gansu, Henan, Jilin, Tianjin, Anhui, Shanghai, Jiangxi, Hebei, Jiangsu and other places.

The above friend graduated from the 2012 Fire Command Department of the Chinese People's Police University (formerly the Chinese People's Armed Police Force College), and is now guarding the safety of the motherland. Here, I would like to thank them for answering my questions late at night and paying them a high tribute.

In addition to the young people mentioned earlier, there are many people who have given selfless help to the creation of this work. For example, Li Zhengang of Shandong Border Inspection, Jiang Daning, Firefighter of Qingdao, Zhou Shengguang of Zibo Fire, Zhang Risong, Firefighter of Linyi, Wu Xing and Zhang Bin of Liaocheng Firefighter, etc., provided me with a lot of original materials; and xie Hao, an ordinary and great firefighter, was motivated by his deeds to make up my mind to write, and he was the prototype of the big old willow in his work; for example, Mr. Zhang Ce, vice chairman of the All-China Federation of Public Security Literature and Literature, Ms. Wang Ying, editor-in-chief of China Fire Protection Magazine, etc., when I encountered confusion, they encouraged me to adjust my mentality in time and persisted to the end. This list is very long, although I can't list them all, but I have it all in mind, and I also take this opportunity to thank all the friends who care and support me.

Anything inevitably leaves regrets. In order to improve the quality of the work, I revised the first draft 7 times before and after, which consumed a huge amount of energy, in this process, the restructured fire protection has undergone great changes, and has become the main force of emergency rescue and the national team. But I didn't deliberately add new content, I tried to recreate the style of the early fire brigade with my work. The original intention of writing this epilogue is to explain and explain this problem.

At this point, I have to be busy with something else. At present, the outbreak of the new crown epidemic has emerged, and countless touching deeds have emerged on the fire front. Thanks to the care of Wuhan firefighter Yang Hongguo, I contacted the commanders and fighters of the Vulcan Mountain and Leishen Mountain Fire Duty Stations for me, and now I have to do my best to write something for them. Because, at this moment, the "Flame Blue" are fighting with all their might in the front line of the fight against the "epidemic", and they and the republican fire fighting cause they love with their lives are always on the way forward.

Chariot One

Author: Chu Yue Chun

Publisher: Baihuazhou Literature and Art Publishing House

Publication date: April 2020

Chu Yue Chun: He has created 8 novels, 3 children's literature, short stories and reportage literature, and has published works such as "I Say Braised Pork, You Say Meat" and "Seeing the Moon on the Fifteenth Day of the First Year", and has won awards such as the Bingxin Prose Award and the Golden Shield Literature Award.

Source: Life Weekly