The War of Resistance: Seven People

The flames of war engulf North China, and a county town in central Hebei is reduced to scorched earth beneath the Japanese army's iron heel. Zhao Shanhe, a former Northeastern Army soldier, witnesses the massacre of a village on his way home. Su Wan, a schoolteacher, escapes a bombed-out schoolhouse with the wounded. The old hunter Ma Laoshuan ventures into the mountains to rescue his captured son. Gousheng, an apprentice at a general store, is hunted for delivering supplies to the resistance. Dr. Liu, a physician, is wanted after refusing to treat a Japanese officer. Zhang the blacksmith flees in the night after destroying the weapons he was making for the Japanese. Shopkeeper Qian hides supplies, waiting for a chance to hand them over to the resistance. These seven ordinary people from vastly different walks of life happen to meet in the mountains during a Japanese mopping-up operation. At first, suspicion and arguments divide them. Then, working together to survive, they set a trap and drive off the enemy. Their cautious temporary alliance gradually becomes one of trust and support as they carry out ambushes, reconnaissance, and evacuations together. Armed with old muskets and machetes, they take on superior weapons; they treat the wounded with herbs and folk remedies; and they use their wits to build intelligence and supply networks in enemy-occupied territory. A cave becomes their base, they plan their tactics around the campfire, and the people's support keeps them going. The price of sacrifice makes them understand all the more clearly what they are fighting for. From a seven-person squad to a regular force integrated into the Eighth Route Army, they go from sporadic raids to bloody battles in support of the great counteroffensive. Some die alongside a blockhouse to cover their comrades' escape; some are shot down while delivering intelligence; and one devotes a lifetime of medical skill to protecting lives until the very end. When the flag of victory is raised above the city, the survivors look back on the road they've traveled. The bonds forged in the flames of war and the resolve written in blood have long since become an undying spark in the nation's memory. This is an epic about ordinary people standing up in troubled times. They may be unremarkable, but with courage and