Red Earth Trio

In the late autumn of 1937, in a dark pine forest in the foothills of Langya Mountain, sixteen-year-old Chen Jinglei witnesses his family’s brutal deaths. Clutching a chipped woodcutter’s knife, he sets out on the road to vengeance. From a daring boy carrying intelligence, to a soldier tempering his resolve in a blacksmith’s shop in Zhangqiu, to a covert operative in the secret war along the Grand Canal and a battle-hardened company commander fighting at Changling Mountain, he traverses eight years of scorched earth. He waters his faith with blood, defends his country with guns and cannons, and witnesses the tragedy of a nation awakening from its downfall.

In the winter of 1950, the wind cuts like a knife along the Yalu River. Now a member of the Chinese People’s Volunteers, Chen Jinglei dons his armor once more and crosses the border with his comrades. The bitter cold of Changjin Lake cannot freeze their ardor, and the tunnels of Shangganling cannot break their resolve. He leads his troops in charges through snow and artillery fire, fighting a tide of steel with rudimentary weapons and carrying on the loyalty and glory of a soldier with the conviction to “defend our home and country.”

When the smoke of war clears, Chen Jinglei, a veteran with half a lifetime of military service behind him, still does not lay down his arms. Entrusted with a mission, he travels to Africa. On foreign red earth, he leads his comrades and overseas Chinese, cutting paths through mountains and building bridges over rivers. He fights the remnants of colonialism and breaks through geopolitical power plays, rallying people with Chinese wisdom and an iron will. On unfamiliar soil, he builds a new home rooted in Chinese foundations, so that the “red earth” reflects both the African sunrise and the backbone of China.

Three generations on a journey, upholding their convictions through three eras. From the war-torn lands of Yan and Zhao, to the snows of Changjin, and then to the sunbaked soil of Africa, Chen Jinglei’s life shows what it means to be a true patriot: to step forward in times of danger, to stand by one another in times of peace, and to hold fast, wherever you may be, to an enduring love for your country and the unyielding spirit of your people.