The Record of a Minor Soldier retells the rise and fall of the Liangshan Marsh stronghold through the eyes of Li Shitou, an ordinary foot soldier. Li Shitou was a fisherman from Shijie Village who was forced to take to the hills after killing a government runner. He started out as a low-ranking water camp bandit, then was promoted to a clerk because he could read and write. He witnessed Chao Gai’s arrival at Liangshan, Song Jiang joining the band, the three attacks on the Zhu Family Manor, the great defeat of the linked-horse formation, the heroes taking their places by rank, the whole band accepting amnesty, and the campaigns against the Liao and Fang La. He was there through Lin Chong’s paralysis, Ruan Xiao’er’s suicide, Wu Song’s loss of an arm, and Song Jiang’s poisoned wine... The joys and sorrows of all 108 heroes are captured by eyes that once knew nothing but casting nets and catching fish. Though no more than an insignificant ant, he witnessed a grand dream of loyalty and righteousness, from burning fervor to a heart turned to ashes. In the end, carrying a torn page from the register of merits, he returns to the fishing boats of Shijie Village, where songs drift across the water at dusk, in the world of Water Margin.
