Long Description
The war did not end. It became a way of life.
As the Cultural Revolution entered one of its darkest periods, the fighting spread far beyond the schools. Workers, peasants, government employees, militia members, military veterans, and entire communities were drawn into the conflict. Schools officially remained open, but classrooms stood empty as many school buildings became headquarters, barracks, and defensive positions.
Told through the eyes of a fifteen-year-old middle-school student, this true memoir follows one of the bloodiest chapters of the Cultural Revolution in Zhongjiang County. Repeated battles for the county seat, the long and bitter struggle at Nandu Ferry, the suffering of civilians, and the painful choices faced by ordinary families reveal how violence gradually replaced idealism, and how fear, hatred, and revenge came to dominate everyday life.
This is not a story of heroes or victories. It is the story of ordinary people caught in a tragedy they neither created nor fully understood. Based on the author's own experiences, this volume preserves the memories of a painful past and reminds future generations of the enduring value of peace, reason, and humanity.