Xiao Feng
In recent days, I have been having trouble sleeping due to overusing my brain. A new TV series that I've started watching has further stimulated my nerves, making me feel restless and excited, unable to fall asleep. It's really adding insult to injury!
The name of this TV series is "Soldier Outpost".
Nowadays, our society is filled with impatience, self-centeredness, vanity, luxury, material desire, emptiness, coldness, and hostility. Wealthy and powerful elites often boast about their success, proudly showcasing their dominant position in all areas of society from material to spiritual. People with a bit of money who live comfortably mostly create a bourgeois lifestyle, avoiding disturbances in their own small world and enjoying comfort. Those at the bottom who lead hard lives are busy with survival, living day by day just for the sake of living. Even more tragically, many people belonging to these circles or others seek meaningless excitement, their spirits completely decadent, turning themselves into walking corpses aimlessly wasting away their lives.
In such a dispirited social atmosphere, "Soldier Outpost" makes a brilliant appearance. It uses the growth history of a soldier as its carrier, relying on military life and pure male existence, and taking the development and mutual influence of human hearts as its soul. It presents us with long-lost spirits such as heroism, collectivism, bravery, resilience, unity, and friendship, allowing us to experience their immense value and infinite charm, akin to a spiritual purifier, refresher, and stimulant in our lives.
There was a time when people often talked about the "Three Speaks," which were political terms we might as well not go into. But the reason why this show is enjoyable and worth watching, I believe, mainly lies in its own "Three Speaks":
The first is about aspiration. Several main characters in the show are those with ambitious pursuits and an enterprising spirit. They all regard continuously surpassing themselves and achieving higher goals as their greatest life pursuit. Their eagerness to excel in military performance, their anxiety when they lag behind, their unwillingness to leave the army for civilian life, and their strong desire to join a more challenging and honorable unit represent their admirable spirit of striving for excellence and positive progress. At Huiyuan Center, I often tell students to be unafraid of losing and never to give up. However, in reality, most people cannot even pass the test of being unafraid to lose, let alone not giving up. The show repeatedly emphasizes through Xu Sanduo's words the important principle that life must have aspirations: "Meaningful is to live well, and living well is to do more meaningful things."
The second is about courage. The saying "Life is full of disappointments nine out of ten times" has become a cliché, but it has become one because it has stood the test of time and proven true. In reality, everyone is on their own life journey, but how many have truly withstood the tests of life's setbacks? Many people surrender or retreat early on, continuing under the white flag of defeat. In fact, they are not walking on their own; they are being led as captives by fate to complete the rest of their life journeys. "Soldier Outpost" gives us the clearest answer to facing life's hardships, challenges, and crises: "Never give up." When difficulties and crises arise, fleeing is almost an instinctive reaction. Fleeing allows one to avoid immediate pain and seek temporary comfort. However, there is a line in the show: "People cannot live too comfortably; too much comfort will cause problems." Here, I would like to modify it slightly: "When problems come, don't aim directly for comfort; such comfort will make your future life increasingly uncomfortable." If, under the pressure of difficulties and crises, one can persevere, hold on, and endure, the situation in life will brighten. Look at Xu Sanduo; after swinging the hammer down, especially after doing 333 ring exercises, he became increasingly recognized in the group, and his situation improved significantly. There is also an excellent line from the company commander: "Life is problems piled upon problems; face them with courage and head held high."
The third is about loyalty. If "Soldier Outpost" only portrayed the competitive, indomitable spirit of tough guys, it would be hard to move me. What makes this drama good is that it doesn't just show a strong spirit; it also displays tender emotions. Despite this being a purely male play, throughout Xu Sanduo's growth story, we see how many people care for and support him—Old Ma, Wu Liu Yi, the company commander, Yuan Lang, and his fellow soldiers, especially Shi Jin, who gave Xu Sanduo the key force for his mental growth. And what about Xu Sanduo? The drama repeatedly shows his comradeship—he sincerely treats everyone, is reluctant to part with anyone, saves his rations to share with everyone at the last moment, and insists on carrying Wu Liu Yi to the finish line when his leg fails... The phrase "never give up, never abandon" mentioned repeatedly in the drama highlights the great banner of unity, friendship, and mutual assistance. Mr. Lu Xun once said, "Not showing emotion does not necessarily make one a true hero, and loving one's children does not detract from being a man." True spiritual strength must come with deep and rich emotions. Only then will one feel the beauty of the world and have strong motivation in life, the power to overcome difficulties and setbacks, and the strong support from those around him during the journey forward.
Originally, I thought only those of us who grew up influenced by the spirit of that era would like such dramas without pleasure, love, or hipness. But I was wrong. This show was recommended to me by the young people at our office, and as far as I know, many young people love it. This shows that works promoting humanity's upward, virtuous, and beautiful spirit, expressing aspirations, strength, and friendship, will never go out of style and will always be cherished.