The soul of the nation on the River
——Read Li Haobai's novel "Salt War"
Ma Wei
A good novel must first have a good story.
Salt War has a good story. A good story is manifested in: First, the multi-headed go hand in hand, clamping down on each other, life and death, and suspense. Multi-headed: First, the Communist Party -- there are three sub-lines, the representatives of the Eighth Route Army office in Chongqing, the underground party in eastern Sichuan, and Li Tiansheng; the second is the Kuomintang, which is divided into the Central Unification and the Military Unification, of which the Central Unification is divided into the Sichuan Faction and the Central Organization Department Faction; the third is the Wu Deli Jin Association represented by the governor of Mu Baoquan County, Zhong County; the fourth is the Tianhu Gang, a non-governmental organization in Zhong County; the fifth is the Japanese spy personnel headed by Zhao Xinquan; and the sixth is the local squire. All parties are around salt, deceit, open and secret struggle, civil and military double war, wonderful and colorful.
Although the clues are long, the explanation is clear and the logic is rigorous. What is even more splendid is that there are military commanders in the Central Command, and there are undercover agents in the Central Command in the Military Command, the two lines intersect, and people are confused and overwhelmed. There were traitors in the Communist Party, the danger was imminent, and the period of hoeing and rape on the ship was wonderful. The underground organization of the Communist Party in eastern Sichuan is extremely true, and it writes about the heroic spirit of the Communists who are extremely arduous and not afraid of sacrifice. It is also written that some grass-roots organizations are eager to win and have insufficient experience in struggle, resulting in the misfortune of personnel sacrifice.
The whole novel, the plot is vivid and fascinating.
A good novel has to create a character with a distinct personality.
In "Salt War", the author successfully portrayed Li Tiancheng, a calm and witty Communist Party member. He served as a secretary in the Party Member Training Department of the Central Organization Department of the Kuomintang Center, and was sent to Yanduzhong County as the secretary of the Kuomintang County Party Department, and later served as the secretary general. His secret mission, however, was to get salt for the Eighth Route Army and ensure the consumption and medical treatment of soldiers at the front, and his responsibility was very heavy. Therefore, since he took office, he has been everywhere in the midst of blockades. With his wisdom, he first defeated the Wu Deli Jinhui led by Mou Baoquan; then won the Japanese spy gang led by Zhao Xinquan, destroying their plot to occupy and blow up the salt field in Zhongxian County; and also defeated the military command agents headed by Wei Dingkun. He covered the underground party in eastern Sichuan, assassinated traitors, and protected the vital interests of our party in the salt field. Li Tiancheng is a national hero and puts the interests of the country in a lofty position. Therefore, in the face of life and death, in the face of emotional entanglement, in the face of money, he can calmly deal with it, in order to contact comrades, use allies, and defeat opponents.
"Salt War" by Li Haobai / Sichuan Literature and Art Publishing House
One of the most successful characters portrayed in "Salt War" is, in my opinion, Feng Chengtai, a big man in the Kuomintang Central Organization Department who has little ink. His scheming, his shrewdness, and his cleverness in disguise were all just right, exposing the ugly face of the Kuomintang party stick. The fundamental reason for the defeat of the Kuomintang was the loss of the people's hearts. The reason for the loss of the people's hearts and minds is the corruption of the Kuomintang, and Feng Chengtai is a typical example of corruption. Feng Chengtai's sleekness and strength are actually seeking personal gain everywhere, but on the face, they are grandiose and hide the dirt very cleverly.
"Salt War" is also extremely successful in shaping the children of the jianghu. Chuanjiang, during the Republic of China period, there were many gangs, and its members were diverse and extremely complex. The three leaders of the Tianhu Gang followed the military command, the Japanese spy, and the Communist Party, and chose different paths in life, and finally had their own endings. It is not only the choice of their nature, but also the understanding of the times. Without a state, no rivers and lakes are established, but the tourists and parasitic gangs such as Zheng Tianshun, the leader of the second gang, always want to seek private interests in their hearts, so they turn to the Japanese spies, and the result is that they are killed as accomplices, and playing with fire and self-immolation is the inevitable end. The leader of the big gang, Dong Hu, was attached to the military command and played tricks for the tiger, although he finally woke up, but it was too late, and the result was also unjustly killed. Its tragic fate cannot be escaped. Dong Yan, the director of the three gangs, clearly understood the overall situation, chose to be close to the Communist Party, and finally became a Communist Party member, heroically sacrificing, and his image illuminated the world.
A good novel must have regional characteristics.
Zhongxian is a water pier along the Yangtze River, and because of its salt production, it became one of the focal points of China and Japan during the War of Resistance. "Salt War" wrote about the regional customs of Zhong County, wrote about the people of Zhong County, and wrote about the water and land life of Zhong County. In particular, the section of the ancestral temple is vividly described and the writing is wonderful. There is also a description of the brother in the robe, which also adds to it. Brother Robe was a very common gang organization in Sichuan during the Republic of China. In the Kuomintang era, it was the local second government, and in some places it was even more effective than the Kuomintang's grass-roots government. Although brother robes are divided into clean water - do not involve black and yellow gambling and robbery, muddy waters - authentic underworld, but due to the need for survival, brother robes have in fact become a social tumor at that time. The description of brother's actions and code words in "Salt War" is accurate and precise, which enhances the expressiveness of the work.
"Salt War" has a unique theme, vivid story, fluent language, and is a good novel worth reading.
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