In China, there is a group of people who make their living on the water. From hauling towlines to steering boats, they devote their lives to China's inland waterway shipping industry.
This book mainly tells the story of a boatman named Tang Bingli. He inherited the calling of a boatman from his father's generation, who made a living hauling towlines, and worked his way up from a small boat to a large vessel.
The rivers Tang Bingli travels are mainly in Jiangsu Province. Centered on Huai'an, a city known for its blend of southern boats and northern horses, his routes include the Yanhe River, the Jiangsu section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, the Jiangsu section of the Old Yellow River channel that once carried the Huai River to the sea, the Jiangsu section of the Yangtze River, and many other waterways.
In addition, the story also covers rivers in the neighboring provinces and regions of Zhejiang, Anhui, Shanghai, Jiangxi, Hunan, and Hubei.
Life aboard a boat is very different from life on land. This novel offers a comprehensive look at the lives of inland waterway crew members, from what they eat and wear to where they live and how they travel. Through changes in their way of life, it shows how China's rapid economic development has transformed the lives of these crew members.
Through its portrayal of China's inland waterway boat people, this novel depicts the rise of inland waterway shipping in China. It reflects Jiangsu's rapid development over the past thirty-odd years from a distinctive perspective, while also showing how people in the inland waterway crew profession took part in the great project of building the nation. Through their hard work, these diligent crew members have earned the comfortable lives they enjoy today!
The author can verify that most cement ships under 30 tons have single engines and generally do not use double engines.
Brother is like father, the story is really bitter
This book is very vivid, flesh-and-blood, and close to life
There are few novels that describe the life of river boat people. It traces the arduous struggle of the older generation from the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and the Yangtze River. It is a realistic novel worth reading.
It's very interesting and makes you feel like you are witnessing a person's life experience, which may also be the author's experience.
It's a very good novel. As a canalside resident, this is the first time I've read such a novel. I feel it's a bit short and I didn't fully enjoy it. I hope the author writes a sequel.
As a child by the riverside, I grew up watching the sea captain. I think this writer's writing is so real and he has the potential of a generation of traditional literary masters. There are only a handful of literary works about shipboard life. Presumably this work is based on the author's own childhood memories.