The story is based on the childhood experiences of a ninety-year-old woman from Xiaozhenzhu Village, Shahe Town, Laizhou, Shandong. Her name is Cui Ying. From the age of twelve to fifteen, she worked as a child laborer at the Yizhong Cigarette Factory in Qingdao, which had been occupied by the Japanese invaders. The story follows Yingzi in her early years, recounted slowly in the author's clumsy, awkward prose.
Yingzi's Third Uncle sent the young, clever, and nimble-fingered girl to work as a child laborer at the Yizhong Cigarette Factory so she could bring out intelligence that the tobacco-roasting master had gathered from the Japanese invaders.
On Yingzi's first day in Qingdao, then her second... She had only brief contact with the Ye family, but little did she know that her connection to them would last far longer than just those few days...
Love is always selfless and unconditional. I remember what you said: you said your shoulder was my shore, waiting for me to rest, and you would protect me for life. I've always believed that fate is fair; it will surely have mercy on me. When spring arrives and flowers bloom, I will unhesitatingly shed my tough exterior and quietly stay by your side.
I read both of the author's books together. I finished "Yingzi, Born in 1931" first, and here are my thoughts after reading them. Reading this book, or rather, both of the author's works, felt like reading a classic. I personally love Ba Jin's works, especially his "Family Spring and Autumn," where the writing is exquisite. The words evoke vivid images, allowing you to feel the emotional resonance. I also experienced this feeling in Shuang Jinxi's writing—it's wonderful, a masterpiece. I often read classic novels, but this was the first time I'd truly immersed myself in a work about the "Anti-Japanese War." In my experience, the Anti-Japanese War is more often depicted in films and television, perhaps because the subject matter is too heavy, and few people dedicate themselves to writing about it. I thank the author for giving me the opportunity to see the perseverance and sacrifices of people during this historical period, and their contributions to the liberation of the country. The writing is delicate and deeply moving, unlike simply memorizing modern Chinese history; the rich and nuanced writing is much more concrete. I love every character in the book. Yingzi, who is skillful, kind-hearted, and unafraid of difficulties at a young age, dares to fight against the Japanese pirates. There is also her third aunt Yang Yu, her aunt Liu Zuanhua, who organized the Women's Salvation Association, and people helping each other. There is also the Cui Yaozong family, Mr. Qiu, Wu Qiong, and the straightforward and passionate Chang'an, Xinxiu, and other characters. They all made great contributions to the great cause of driving out the Japanese pirates and liberating China. One move affects the whole situation. From the book, you can deeply feel that millions of Chinese people endured humiliation and struggled unyieldingly. Maybe I'm just easily moved to tears, but the words in the book seemed to have a magical power, making it impossible not to shed tears. For example, the story of Yingzi finding the stray dog, Huang Yatou, and how she realized she couldn't properly care for it since she herself was struggling to feed herself and didn't want it to suffer with her, ultimately giving it away (though Chang'an later returned Huang Yatou), was filled with helplessness and heartache. My eyes welled up with tears as I read… I've finished the whole book, and seeing the author's helpless ending, I understood the work's realism and the author's concerns. This rushed ending is indeed regrettable. I seem to have rambled on a bit, haha. Leaving this as a record, I'm going to continue reading "San Yatou, Gu Xiaomin." Wishing the author all the best!
If given the choice between success and failure, I believe no one would choose the latter. However, while everyone abhors failure, it is always unavoidable. What kind of mindset should we have when encountering failure or setbacks? The saying, "All those who 'exert their sinews and bones, starve their bodies, empty their resources, and disrupt their actions, thus strengthening their resolve and increasing their abilities,' are all ways to cultivate their innate knowledge," means this. "Exert their sinews and bones, starve their bodies" is a quote from Mencius, referring to the various hardships on the path of life, including failure. Success or failure is ultimately beyond one's control; all one can do is take it in stride. Once you take success and failure in stride, the emotional turmoil they cause will dissipate. So how do we take success and failure in stride? In this regard, we might try to treat success and failure with the same attitude we have towards the four seasons. A year is divided into four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Some people love the crisp autumn air, while others hate the freezing winter. Some love the gentle breeze of spring, while others hate the scorching summer sun. Whether you like it or not, the four seasons keep turning and cannot be separated. No one is allowed to experience only one season. Therefore, we see that no one in the world complains about the four seasons. Everyone just enjoys the seasons they like and can calmly accept the seasons they don't like. We should have the same attitude towards life, maintaining a positive mindset whether we succeed or fail. We must understand that the changing seasons provide a healthy environment for all things to grow, and similarly, successes and failures in life allow us to grow step by step. Spring, summer, autumn, and winter are all essential for all things; the flavors of life—sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy—are all nourishing; and success and failure both bring gains to our lives. Some people believe that failure is a disaster in life, blaming fate and others as soon as it occurs, wishing they could get rid of this demon as quickly as possible. These people do not understand that failure is also a form of life experience. If we can learn from our failures, the lessons we learn are often more valuable than those we gain from success. In the face of success or failure, one should abandon a utilitarian mindset and prioritize self-improvement. In this way, success or failure becomes less important. "Great talents have always faced many hardships, while pampered sons rarely become great men." This ancient poem is often quoted, meaning that a successful life requires going through hardships, and it is impossible to succeed without going through hardships. Adversity breeds heroes—this has been a truth since ancient times. It is difficult for a person to shoulder great responsibilities without experiencing the baptism of pain and the test of setbacks. Mencius said, "When Heaven is about to place a great responsibility on a person, it first tests their will, strains their muscles and bones, starves their body, empties their resources, and frustrates their endeavors, so as to strengthen their resolve, temper their character, and increase their abilities." Thus, it is clear that hardship actually helps people improve themselves, making them stronger and more complete. In ancient my country, a legend about carp leaping over the Dragon Gate has been passed down in the Central Plains region. The Dragon Gate is located at Hukou Waterfall, on the border of Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces today. The Yellow River roars down from Hukou and enters the Jin-Shaan Grand Canyon, where the narrowest point of the canyon is the Dragon Gate. Every year when the Dragon Gate opens, countless carp swim upstream, braving the raging torrents, crossing treacherous shoals and rocks, hoping to leap over the Dragon Gate and transform into dragons. On their journey to the Dragon Gate, the carp endure countless hardships. A slight misstep could send them swept ashore by the surging waves or crushed by flying sand and stones. But it is precisely this perilous journey that makes their eventual transformation into dragons so precious. Only those carp that are undaunted by difficulties and rise to the challenge can finally leap over the Dragon Gate and become true dragons. If we consider the "carp leaping over the dragon gate" as a metaphor for a person's life, then the carp that leaps over the gate is undoubtedly a success. These carp vary in size and gender, seemingly diverse. However, they share a common trait: they endured the baptism of the raging Yellow River without retreating, ultimately overcoming this arduous journey. Therefore, we can say that experiencing painful trials is a shared "gene" of these carp. Hardship is always painful, and it's human nature to choose to retreat and avoid it. However, once you retreat and avoid it, success will elude you. "Sweat more in peacetime, bleed less in wartime"—this slogan should be familiar to anyone who has served in the military. Even those who haven't served but participated in military training in high school or university have likely heard it. What does it mean? It means that a soldier who rigorously disciplines themselves during peacetime training, honing their skills in all aspects, will greatly benefit when they go to the battlefield. The truth contained in this statement is undoubtedly correct. If we expand on this statement, "sweating" can refer to the various trials and tribulations on the road of life. When a person undergoes trials, they always have to put in some effort and suffer some pain. This is what "sweating" means. Because a person sweats and experiences trials, they grow and, in turn, are able to face danger without fear and overcome difficulties at crucial moments in life. Anyone aspiring to great things should not fear hardship. Without hardship, there is no growth; the more hardship one experiences, the faster one grows. On the path of life, we inevitably face misunderstanding, doubt, and rejection—these are all trials life presents to us. Faced with these challenges, some choose to succumb, while others choose to persevere. Those who choose to succumb are likely to remain mediocre, while those who choose to accept hardship and improve themselves forge their will and find their true selves.
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My eyes are blurry from reading the DY manual. Come listen to an audiobook instead!
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The story of this book is excellent; it was very moving.