"Tracks in the Snowy Forest" (林海雪原) is one of the most famous revolutionary adventure novels in modern China. Set in the harsh, snowy winter of Northeast China (Manchuria) in 1946, shortly after the end of World War II, the story is based on the real-life exploits of a small People's Liberation Army (PLA) squad tasked with eliminating remnant Nationalist (KMT) and unaffiliated bandit gangs who roamed the remote, forested mountains. This period was a critical phase of the Chinese Civil War. The story is renowned for its heroic characters, clever spycraft, and thrilling action, with the scout Yang Zirong achieving legendary status in Chinese culture.
This is the middle volume of the three-part comic book series "Tracks in the Snowy Forest." This book describes the heroic tales of a small bandit-suppression squad led by Shao Jianbo. It covers their efforts to mobilize the local populace in the village of Jiapigou, as well as the story of Yang Zirong's cunning infiltration of the bandit lair. By coordinating from the inside and out, they eliminate the bandit chief Zuo Shandiao and capture other leaders like Jiu Biao and the Taoist Ding He. The story further develops the heroic images of characters like Yang Zirong, Luan Chaojia, Liu Xuncang, and Gao Bo, warmly praising their courage and ingenuity.
- Led by Shao Jianbo, the small squad followed a narrow-gauge railway track deep into the dense forest, arriving at the village of Jiapigou. They found the train station deserted and every door in the village shut tight. The only sounds were the occasional cry of a baby and the sorrowful weeping of the elderly. A deathly, somber desolation hung over the settlement.
2. Jianbo, along with Bai Ru and others, entered the home of a family named Li. On the kang (a traditional heated brick bed common in Northern China), sat two elderly people, a middle-aged woman, and a young girl. Standing on the floor was a tall, sturdy man of about forty. Jianbo gently began to question the man. The man looked at him with a cold detachment, his eyes filled with a furious expression.
3. Just as Jianbo stepped outside, he heard the old man pleading with the tall man, "Yongqi, be patient! Don't cause any trouble." The tall man, Yongqi, suddenly exploded with rage. "Afraid of him? What 'regular army'? Soldiers and bandits, they're all cut from the same cloth! Damn it all, we have no money! They already looted all our grain! If you want my life, then take it! Chop off my head, it'll just leave a scar the size of a bowl!" The terrified old man pushed his son back.
4. Bai Ru was not angered by the outburst. Instead, she immediately took out her own spare shirt and trousers and gave them to the poorly clothed young girl. Following her lead, several other soldiers gave their own clothes and dry rations to the old man and the tall man. Tears of gratitude welled up in the old man's eyes, and even the tall man's stubborn attitude began to soften.
5. As night fell, the squad had no choice but to take shelter in a dilapidated temple near the train station. The exhausted soldiers all fell asleep, but Jianbo stared into the campfire, deeply contemplating how to win the trust of and mobilize the local people.
6. After several days of working with the villagers, they learned the full story. After the bandit chief Zuo Shandiao had fled into the mountains, his gang had plundered the entire village. Now, every family had lost its livelihood, with no proper clothes to wear and no rice for their pots. The people's suffering weighed heavily on Jianbo's heart. He knew the first priority was to relieve their hunger and organize them to rebuild their lives through their own labor.
7. Bai Ru once again urged Jianbo anxiously, "Look! It's almost dawn, and you still haven't eaten your dinner from yesterday!" Seeing the concerned look on her face, Jianbo said cheerfully, "Alright, I'll eat with our guests. Go and prepare some food." Bai Ru picked up a bag of rice and a bottle of oil and headed out.
8. The guests Jianbo had invited were the small train's driver, Zhang Dashan, and two laborers, Li Yongqi and Ma Tianwu. When the men heard the plan—to organize the villagers to cut timber in the mountains, transport it out to trade for grain, and even be issued guns to fight the bandits—they were all overjoyed and urged Jianbo to give the order to start immediately.
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