How about a trip to the south?

I have just finished reading Ai Wu's Journey to the South, which was written by Ai Wu based on his experiences of walking in southern Yunnan and South Asia as a teenager. At that time, the background of the times was that in the early years of the Republic of China, warlords everywhere were separated, and people's lives were basically difficult to have a stable guarantee. Influenced by the proletarian ideology, Ai Wu decided to wander in southern Yunnan and South Asia, Myanmar, India, Singapore and other places to experience the proletarian life. When Ai Wu embarked on this road, he really had nothing and lived entirely on his own hands and barefoot boards. Many years later, Ai Wu decided to embark on the road of writing, and then slowly began to sort out the experience before publication, forming the The Journey to the West we see today. This The Journey to the West uses the first person completely, records all kinds of people and things encountered in the process of wandering, and shows us a picture full of exotic customs. There are many characters in the book, all kinds, such as pole-lifting, horse thieves, theft gangs, hotel owners, fortune tellers, drummers, Yi people, Kachin people, Indian border people and so on. The author's description of everyone is vivid and vivid. For example, the wildcat of the theft gang is careless and fierce all day, but she still holds a wooden doll all day, and her father can't help it. He obeyed her in everything and showed a feeling of love. The wildcat child forced me with a knife and wouldn't let me go. She tried to kill someone, but after I saved her life, she left silently the next day. And those two friends who carry poles, Lao Zhu and CSI. They all look very unruly. Lao Zhu trafficked opium from Yunnan to Myanmar, saying that he wanted to get rich, but CSI always disagreed. They quarreled all the way and had a good time. Finally, they helped me find a job and settle down. All the characters in the book seem to have such and such problems, as if they are not serious people, but in fact they are forced by life, or there are some in-depth stories behind them. Moreover, most people in the book are kind, or kind in nature. Maybe this is what people often say. Another beautiful place in the book is the description of the mountain scenery in Yunnan. Although the author is heavy-hearted and hungry every day, he still has some feelings about the scenery. The unique climate characteristics and unique scenery of the mountain make people want to go there. This The Journey to the West is also a naked exposure to the society at that time. Most of the coolies in the book are hungry, and they have to think about what to eat tomorrow every day. Their life is extremely difficult. They can't be cured of their illness. They can only live one day at a time. That's it. They were often bullied by colonial British officials. Fugitives become the most terrible robbers because they eat everything, which is also forced by life. Quoting the author's words in the postscript, "The society in the past was much darker than described in the book". It can be seen that social life at that time was one of the highlights. But all the characters in the book still maintain an optimistic attitude towards life, always find the beauty in life and unconsciously show the beauty of human nature. These are all "unproductive" lives that we should experience.