As high as a snow mountain

　　The Yangtze River, going south from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, flows into the Hengduan Mountains. In Yulong Naxi Autonomous County, it is suddenly blocked by a steep cliff. The lush forest foothills and gentle alluvial river valleys at the foot of the mountain are wrapped like ribbons. “The first bay of the Wanli Yangtze River” is the name given to it by people.
　　This section of the river is called the Jinsha River. The water is pure blue, without the brilliant yellow of alluvial gold. The crystal-clear river in front of my eyes is mirroring the emerald green peaks. The ferry with splashing water and a monument – the monument of the Second Front Army of the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army’s Long March Crossing the River draw people’s attention to high places. Chairman Mao’s inscription “Long Live the Bravely Fighting Red Army” is engraved on the solid stele, as bright as the rays of the sun.
　　The monument is a tree of will, with hope growing towards the blue sky, and soldiers also have such a tree in their hearts: the trunk is faith, the flowers and leaves are dreams, facing the direction of the rising sun, standing upright and shaking, to be under the liberated sky Singing to celebrate the birth of the People’s Century, they firmly believe that when the first ray of dawn dyes the boundless sky red, the sun will break through the rain, haze and wind barriers and illuminate the world brightly.
　　In the late spring more than 80 years ago, the mountain wind was wrapped in the cold, and rushed to the Jinsha River. The Red Army is here. The Second and Sixth Army Corps of the Red Second Front Army left the Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan and Guizhou Soviet Areas to start a strategic shift, stepped into the majestic peaks of the Yunling Mountains, and moved to western Guizhou and northwestern Yunnan.
　　At dusk, the river sparkles in the sunset, and the pioneer group crossing the river seizes the other side. Immediately afterwards, from Shigu Town in the east to the Baili River in Judian Town in the west, the night crossing of the large troops began. People remember this day – April 25, 1936.
　　The oars are swaying rapidly in the river, and the ships full of soldiers rush forward through the waves. The light of the torches shines brightly in the dark sky of the river. Anti-Japanese! In four days and three nights, 18,000 soldiers boarded the other side of the river. Seven boats and dozens of rafts were used to ferry this mighty force. The natural danger lying on the journey was conquered by the brave Red Army.
　　It is iron-like belief that casts the life of the Red Army. This belief deeply embodies the will to fight and the determination to win of the Chinese nation. They are not gods, but they are more persevering and stronger than gods. This character, this power, turned things around.
　　The young life radiates so brilliantly that it dispels the darkness of reality. Standing with the mountains, they are the highest peaks; standing with the big rivers, they are the fastest waves. The peak stands high in the sky, with a majestic posture; the violent waves surge on the earth, with lofty aspirations. In the distance, a grand scroll unfolded in my mind: the steep snow peaks, far into the sky.
　　(This article was selected for the 2022 Jilin Provincial High School Entrance Examination Chinese Examination Paper, and the article has been deleted)
　　Mali, member of the Chinese Writers Association, first-level literary creation, senior editor, and former editor-in-chief of China Tourism News. He is the author of collections of essays “Snow Traces in Hong Ying”, “North and South Walks”, “Haze on Paper”, “Yesterday’s Tower”, and monograph “History of Modern Chinese Landscape Prose”.
　　”Yilin”: Do you think there is any good way to solve the current situation that reading and writing are out of touch?
　　Ma Ma: To read is to enter the world of others; to write is to enter the world of oneself. To connect the two, do not cross a wall. This depends on the careful observation of the things around us, and the gradual enrichment of life experience. In the face of writers and works, we should understand their literary heart and learn their expressions. As long as you love literature, as your life grows, “I” and “he” will merge into one world.
　　”Yilin”: Your articles are delicate in emotion and beautiful in writing. What kind of books do you usually like to read?
　　Horsepower: Generally speaking, it can be divided into two categories: more specialized and more complex. When writing a monograph, it is often the former, and reading and writing are independent; when free, it is often the latter. Knowledge comes from different directions and goes in the same direction. No matter how “pan” it is, it is still inseparable from the book of literature and art.
　　Shen Congwen said: “Without beauty, there is no poetry.” When I was young, I had many dreams, so I loved poetry. To this day, this probably influenced my prose style.
　　”Yilin”: I often see your published articles in newspapers and magazines. How do you choose your writing materials?
　　Ma Li: This has something to do with my profession. I often visit scenic spots in the north and south, and landscapes with natural and humanistic values ​​often become the objects of my writing. The historical accumulation left by time has endowed Chinese mountains and rivers with profound cultural significance, attracting my love everywhere, my thoughts rushing about, and my pen and ink often fall towards these places.