In 1911, Li Kusi was born into a turbulent age. His mother died of postpartum hemorrhage, and he never attended school. Instead, his uncle Li Xiu taught him to read and opened his eyes to the many sides of the world.
In 1916, he met Sun Haoyang, the son of Sun Lin, an officer in the Zhili clique. The two hit it off and went through several adventures together. But after Aunt Liu betrayed them, they were sold out by Master Hu. They were saved by Zhang Yong, the cook, whom Li came to regard as his mentor in life. Later, while rescuing Sun Haoyang, the cook Lin Yi was killed, strengthening their resolve to fight injustice.
In 1920, the Zhili-Anhui War broke out. Zhang Yong sacrificed himself to help Li Kusi and Sun Haoyang escape. The two fled south, at first hoping the Kuomintang would save the country, but they were ultimately bitterly disappointed. In 1927, unable to endure the White Terror, they tried five times to escape, but every attempt failed.
In 1934, with secret help from Sun Lin, the two finally got away. On the road, they encountered a Long March column. Li Kusi resolutely joined them, met the revolutionary mentor Chen Hao, and joined the Communist Party of China amid the flames of war. He marched with the column to northern Shaanxi, where its forces reunited.
For the next fourteen years, he threw himself into the war against Japan. During the Liberation War, a bomb wounded Li Kusi's left leg, but he remained at the front. On October 1, 1949, the People's Republic of China was founded, and he shared this hard-won glory with countless fellow countrymen.
When the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea began in 1950, Sun Haoyang resolutely went to fight. Though his leg injury kept Li Kusi from crossing the Yalu River, he gave his full support from the rear. That same year, he actively joined the land reform movement, helping root out countless feudal remnants like Master Hu. Land reform was successfully completed in 1952
