I heard so many stories from Gaomi's peasants that I had an irrepressible urge to write them down. Today, Gaomi's peasants know that they have become famous around the world through my writings, but I think they are a little puzzled by this.

Possibly because I've lived so much of my life in difficult circumstances, I think I have a more profound understanding of life.

A writer should bury his thoughts deep and convey them through the characters in his novel.

When someone forces me to do something I don't do it.

People who are strangers to liquor are incapable of talking about literature.

A writer should express criticism and indignation at the dark side of society and the ugliness of human nature, but we should not use one uniform expression.

For a country boy, poor as I was, whose constant worry was to be able to have enough to eat, the Army guaranteed one's survival.