Youth drifts north

Author: Liu Weibing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: I asked myself, does youth have an edge? I remember there's a saying: I don't know which way the wind blows. Now applied here, my feeling is, I don't know which direction youth drifts, I just feel we drift back and forth. "Youth Drifting North" is about us seeking our original homeland together, thus compelled to travel side by side. Both she and I had our first loves, lovers, and families in our hometown. So, you may see us and Yu Ye as fellow travelers. We both believe that a better life isn't in the present but in the past, and also in the moment we find our home—only in the meantime are we just traveling in the city." Therefore, I'd say, they are just a group of people looking around on the road, trying to figure out who they are. The result, however, is what the protagonist Tang Tianbai says: "The darkness gave me dark eyes so I could seek light, but what I found were counterfeit Newtons." So, I can only say, this is truly a bittersweet youth story.
The setting of "Youth Drifting North" is very close to reality. In theory, a work with such a background should be filled with anxiety and unease in the face of harsh reality. But in Liu Weibing's novel, you don't see his characters' unease. They are not critics or skeptics. Like Sun Tieyi, who is constantly trained in boxing, they are realistic yet optimistic, even somewhat upbeat. They never criticize reality or complain about their hardships. Every day, they perform like circus clowns, trying to entertain others while also pleasing themselves with joy. This is their life, but you can't say it's our life. However, after reading it, you realize why his characters aren't filled with anxiety and cruelty—they are the creators of anxiety and cruelty. Their madness is all planned. In fact, this is what's truly frightening. Liu Weibing's purpose is to ask this very question.