“Straw sandals crush mountains and rivers... We chew blood-soaked buns for our last meal...” The story follows four ordinary Sichuan Army soldiers: Zhao Fenwa, a dung collector; Qian Dageng, a night watchman; Sun Yanba, a salt worker; and Li Chehuo, a towpath hauler. None of them holds a rank higher than senior private. The story focuses on how ordinary people use the wisdom of everyday life to fight back against the invaders.
