Blood Red Jiangnan

In the vast database of online literature, the name "Yifan Moxiang", especially its masterpiece "Blood Jiangnan", is regarded as "a breath of fresh air" by many readers and critics because it chose an almost clumsy "heavy" and "clumsy" in the impetuous traffic era. This "clearness" does not refer to the lightness of the subject matter, but to the purity of the creative attitude and the clarity of the historical texture. It does not cater to the pleasure mechanism of cool writing, nor does it abuse the illusory comfort of golden fingers, but uses a serious literary style to describe the heaviest national memory. Specifically, this "clear flow" quality is reflected in the following three dimensions: 1. Reject "divine drama" and restore the logic of mortal war The current anti-Japanese war-themed online articles often fall into the trap of "anti-Japanese drama": the protagonist possesses special skills, tears up Japanese soldiers with his own hands, and regards war as child's play. The most touching "clearness" of "Blood Jiangnan" lies in its honest description of the cruelty of war and its deenchantment of the definition of "hero". In Yifan Moxiang's writings, there is no such thing as a god of war who is born fearless. As the introduction to the work says, there are only "ordinary Jiangnan children, harboring personal resentments, cowardice, and human shortcomings." The protagonists in the book, whether they are Su Wanting, a wealthy woman who owns a fleet, or Gu Ci, an officer who is burdened with family debts, they are "people" first and "heroes" second. The author does not avoid the dark side of human nature. At the beginning of the war, the characters will have hesitation, attachment to family property, and fear of death. This kind of "cowardly" description not only did not weaken the brilliance of the characters, but made the subsequent decision to "fight the national disaster together" seem particularly tragic and real. It tells readers: Heroes are not born with bronze heads and iron arms. Heroes just overcome the instinctive fear of mortals at critical moments and choose to stand up. This portrayal of "mortal heroism" is the greatest respect for history and a powerful correction to the current impetuous creative atmosphere. 2. Reject "facialization" and build complex tensions between family and home country In order to pursue a fast pace, many online articles often simplify character relationships into black and white oppositions. However, "Blood Jiangnan" has the delicacy and thickness of a traditional serious novel, and it constructs a "double conflict" with great tension. On the one hand, there are external ethnic conflicts, the Japanese army is pressing down on the country, and the mountains and rivers are in turmoil; on the other hand, there are internal family feuds, and the ancestral grudges between the Gu and Su families lie between the male and female protagonists. Yifan Moxiang did not forcefully smooth out the inner entanglements of the characters for the sake of the big theme of "anti-Japanese", but instead intertwined the two clues. The relationship between Gu Ci and Su Wanting is not a cliché love at first sight, but between country and family hatred, from mutual suspicion and guarding, to testing and understanding on the edge of life and death, and finally reaching soul resonance. This kind of emotional advancement is restrained and forbearing, with the unique moistness and heaviness of Jiangnan. The author spends his pen and ink describing the ethical dilemmas within the family and depicting the subtle changes in people's hearts in troubled times. This kind of patience in not rushing to advance the plot and focusing on "grinding the drama" is indeed a rare breath of fresh air in the online literary circle that pursues "10,000 words per day". 3. Reject the "sense of suspension" and reshape Jiangnan's cultural landmarks The brush strokes of "Yi Fan Mo Xiang" have strong regional recognition. The Jiangnan he writes about is not the background of romantic novels with only romance, but a cultural entity with flesh and blood and breathing. In "Bloody Jiangnan", we can read detailed descriptions of Jiaxing's Pinghu Quanggong Pavilion, the sail shadow on the canal, the silk factory and the embroidery workshop. The author mobilizes rich sensory descriptions: the dull humidity of the water of Taihu Lake, the rushing footsteps of porters on the pier, and the muffled whispers in the teahouse. These details create a real "sense of presence". What is even more commendable is that the author destroys beautiful things for people to see. He first used delicate brushstrokes to describe the tranquility and prosperity of the Jiangnan water town - it was an old dream of "mist and rain gently wrapping the streets and the fragrance of rice covering the riverside"; then he ruthlessly crushed it with the iron hooves of war. This strong contrast is more shocking than simply describing killing. He wrote about the "bones" of Jiangnan, not only the softness of the small bridges and flowing water, but also the tenacity of "protecting the homeland with flesh and blood when the mountains and rivers are broken." This in-depth exploration and respect for regional culture makes the works break away from the "suspension" of online articles and have the weight of being rooted in the soil. Summary The reason why "Yi Fan Mo Xiang" is said to be a breath of fresh air in online literature is because in "Blood Jiangnan", what we see is not kitsch and flattery to readers, but a kind of "awe". I am in awe of the suffering of history, so I don't write cool articles; I'm in awe of the complexity of human nature, so I don't write facial makeup; I'm in awe of the land under my feet, so I don't write about suspension. Among the "system", "rebirth" and "invincible flow" that fill the screen, Yifan Moxiang has chosen a more difficult path: to use words to erect a monument to that bloody history and to create portraits for those ordinary souls struggling in troubled times. This attitude of adhering to the creative spirit of realism and literary conscience is the most precious source of this "clear stream".