Outside the Mountain (my new novel) - introduction I

My grandparents and parents often say this to me: your generation, (born in the 1970’s) is the most fortunate generation one in Chinese history.

In case you were absent on the day your did not hear your world history teacher covering modern and contemporary Chinese history (since from 1919), onwards, that statement chiding/remark/comment/reminder probably won’t mean much to you. I’ll do Here's a quick personal version of things happened. review:

My grandparents were born in the 1920’s. Those days are remembered as “the period of the Northern Warlords.” They both recalled the times when they could watching two battling armies on a battlefield through their windows. guns with Bayonets impaling enemies’ bodies, blood spurting everywhere, deafening screams and Death went shopping. Often at nights, they were awakened by the sounds of marching armies marching by, just behind their woke them up as they passed near their homes. [What you have written is not wrong but in the same grammar structure. Remember you are writing a story and not a report.  You need to make the story more interesting and appealing to the reader]

The warlords’ Though the armies usually don't rampage the civilians, they do however, didn’t hurt innocent civilians, but they often needed food from them. They’d would burst into your homes, my grandfather told me, and take away everything that is edible they could eat. From the time of their childhood, my grandparents remember feeling fear, more than any other emotion. Since childhood, fear was their main emotion.

When they became As teenagers, the Japanese War with Japan broke out. From 1937 to 1945, they remembered how they were being frequently awakened by sirens and hurried to a bomb shelters. was a frequent experience in the lives of Everyone they knew went throught this.

Outside the Mountain (my new novel) - introduction I

My grandparents and parents often say this to me: your generation (born in 1970’s) is the most fortunate generation in Chinese history.
In case you were absent on the day your world history teacher covered modern and contemporary Chinese history (since 1919/1912?), that statement probably won’t mean much to you. I’ll do a quick review:
My grandparents were born in the 1920’s. Those days are remembered as “the period of the northern warlords.” They both recall the times when they could/would watch two armies on a battlefield through their windows: bayonneted rifles/guns with bayonets impaling enemies’ bodies, blood, screaming, death. Often at night, they were awakened by the tramping of armies marching by, just behind their homes.
The warlords’ armies usually didn’t hurt innocent civilians, but they often needed food from them. "They’d burst into your home", my grandfather told me, "and take away everything they could eat". <em>(quotes because you are using 2nd person 'your')</em> 
From the time of their childhood, my grandparents remember feeling fear more often than any other emotion.
When By the time they had ' become teenagers, the Japanese war had broken out. From 1937 to 1945, being awakened by sirens and hurrying to a bomb shelter was a frequent/commonplace experience/event in the lives of everyone they knew.

<em>in two parts in case italki editing limit is reached</em>

Outside the Mountain (my new novel) - introduction I

From 1945-49 was the time the Chinese civil war. Representatives from both the armies of Mao Zedong’s and Jiang Jieshi’s (Chang Kai-shek in Cantonese) armies often appeared in the small farming villages, loudly proclaiming their role as liberators. My grandparents said everyone found it difficult to decide which Chinese army to support, and they all felt peace was the only dream worth pursuing.
In 1949, the new China was established. The wars, indeed, were over; unfortunately, the disasters yet to come proved even worse.
In 1958, when my father was 8, and my mother just 2 years old, “The Great Leap Forward” started. The intention of the central government was to speed up the establishment of the socialist system, in order to change the basis of the economy from agricultural to industrial. That goal was to be served by calling everyone to join in the “great steel-making project.” So students and teachers stopped their schoolwork, peasants stopped farm work, and even government officials joined in - practically everyone was called upon to participate in the various processes involved in making steel, very often at the expense of their usual jobs.

From 1945 to 1949 it was the time of the Chinese Civil War. Representatives from both Mao Zedong’s and Jiang Jieshi’s Tze Tung and (Chang Kai-shek in Cantonese) [Nope.  These are Wade-Giles system in which most westerners know by.  You should not use Pinying spelling when writing for the western audience.  They won't know who you are talking about.  Also Chang Kai Shek in Cantonese would be written as Cheung Gai Sek, and again no one will recognize this way] armies often appeared in the small farming villages, loudly proclaiming loudly that they their role as are liberators. My grandparents said that everyone found it difficult to decide which Chinese army side to support. and they all felt Peace was the only dream all they cared and worth pursuing.

In 1949, New China was established. The wars, indeed, were over. Unfortunately, the disasters yet to come proved even worse no one then could have imagined what greater disasters were looming over the horizon.

In It was in 1958, when my father was eight 8, and my mother mom was just only two that 2 years old, “The Great Leap Forward” had started. The intention of the Central Government was to speed up wanted the establishment of the socialist system to be speeded up. In order to change the basis of the economy from agricultural society of China into an industrial one, That goal was to be served by calling everyone was called to join and serve in the “great steel-making project.” So Students and teachers stopped their academic work; schoolwork, peasants stopped farming work, and even government officials participated. joined in - practically everyone was called upon to participate in the various processes involved in making steel, very often at the expense of their usual jobs. Thus steelmaking pre-emptied the livelihood of all; usually at their expense.