Zigong, when Wei Ran came to this city again, it was already past midnight.
Even if there is a serious matter, of course you cannot visit Li Sui'an's descendants at this time, otherwise they will definitely be regarded as crazy.
Because of this, Qin Qi, who was half a landowner, drove them directly to a high-end hotel in the city to stay.
"We'll go there as soon as daybreak"
Qin Qi said before pulling Xia Shushi out of the elevator, "Let's contact you via WeChat then."
"See you tomorrow"
Wei Ran said goodbye to this loving couple, and pulled the huge suitcase into his room.
After a routine inspection, Wei Ran lay down on the bed and covered himself with a quilt, then took out the flashlight from the metal book, and then took out the metal book again.
Just as the car drove into the city of Zigong, he felt a flash of heat at the tiger's mouth on his left hand. Naturally, he wanted to see what changes had occurred there.
Sure enough, when he turned to the latest page, he found that under the two addresses in Ulan-Ude and Aodao, there was an additional address in Bingcheng and a string of domestic mobile phone numbers.
"You deliberately torment people, right..."
Wei Ran muttered silently, then breathed a sigh of relief and put away the metal book and flashlight.
That night, Wei Ran, who was exhausted physically and mentally, slept extremely soundly. In his dream, he even returned to the warm, strong and hidden abandoned mine, sat around with his friends, and had a good meal of pork stew.
Dumplings stuffed with vermicelli and pork and pickled cabbage are a good way to make up for a New Year amidst the war and desperate situation.
When the dream was shattered by the ringtone of the cell phone, Wei Ran, who suddenly woke up, wiped the moisture from the corners of his eyes and reached out to pick up the cell phone on the bedside table.
"Master, can we leave?"
As soon as the call was connected, Xia Shushi on the other end asked, "It's almost ten o'clock, can't we just grab some lunch?"
"I've slept. Wait for me and get down right away."
After Wei Ran finished speaking, he simply hung up the phone, put on a formal suit as quickly as possible, pushed his suitcase and left the hotel.
Wei Ran was still driving. When he followed his memory and drove the car to the old street he had only visited once, and finally stopped at the entrance of the grain and oil store called "Cangxizhai", he happened to see a busy person.
Boss Li Weizhong unloading rice from a pickup truck.
When he came here again after several years, he was inevitably in a trance.
Because of his inner depression, although he had made an appointment with the Li family to visit again after the New Year, he chose to break the appointment because he subconsciously wanted to avoid the pain in Teng County.
Now that he was visiting his hometown again, he still felt a little bit at a loss, similar to the timidity of being close to home.
Taking a deep breath, Wei Ran pulled up the handbrake and said, "Let's go, get out of the car and help."
"Is that the person you're looking for?"
"The grandson of Li Sui'an of the Sichuan Army, his name is Li Weizhong."
Before he finished speaking, Wei Ran had already opened the car door and stepped towards the pickup truck blocking the road in front of him.
"Wait a minute, let... Wei Ran come right away!"
Li Weizhong, who was busy moving rice, immediately recognized Wei Ran. He threw the two bags of rice directly into the pickup truck and raised his voice and said, "You're here!"
"Uncle Li, long time no see."
Wei Ran hugged the other person enthusiastically, and then directly picked up two bags of rice, "Let me help you move it!"
"Move a hammer!"
Li Weizhong hurriedly grabbed the two bags of rice from Wei Ran and threw them into the car. He turned around and shouted in a loud voice, "Yao'er! Come out! Come out quickly!"
Following Uncle Li's call, a tall, lean, dark-skinned young man wearing a set of desert training camouflage, who looked to be around 24 or 25 years old, ran out.
"This is my son Ziqiang! Li Ziqiang retired just last month."
Uncle Li introduced, "Yao'er, this is Wei Ran!"
"Brother Wei!"
The young man named Li Ziqiang subconsciously raised his hand to salute, but at the same time as Wei Ran subconsciously raised his hand, the two young men also forcefully changed to shaking hands.
"I've seen your news, the news about the Long March!"
Li Ziqiang said excitedly, "After I retired last month, I went to the museum to see the photos you found! Brother Wei, let's take a photo! I told our company commander that you had been to our house, but he still didn't believe it!
"
"OK!"
Wei Ran nodded happily and called Xia Shushi, who got off the car a little later, to come over, "Take him with you, it's mainly him who can find those things."
"It's Brother Xia, right?" Li Ziqiang, who was busy taking out his mobile phone, also recognized Xia Shushi at a glance.
"It's me, it's me"
Xia Shushi, a scumbag, was unusually ashamed and seemed not to adapt to this kind of situation.
After being pulled by Wei Ran and Li Ziqiang to take a group photo, Uncle Li Weizhong, who had already taken off his apron, smiled and asked in a positive tone, "You must be here to see my old man, right?"
"I can't hide it from you"
Wei Ran smiled and asked, "Is the old man's health okay?"
"Okay, you're fine."
Li Ziqiang rushed to answer this question, "My grandpa... my grandfather is in good health. He even recognized you on TV during the National Day and asked when you would come to pay tribute."
When Li Ziqiang was halfway through speaking, he did not forget to change into Mandarin, which was easier for Wei Ran and others to understand.
"Yao'er, take them home first."
Li Weizhong said, "I will go back after unloading this truck of food."
"Let's help unload it together!" Xia Shushi suggested while Qin Qi and he had already picked up two bags of rice each.
Seeing this, Wei Ran also picked up two bags of rice and walked to the grain and oil store. Seeing that he could not stop him, the Li family and his son could only step up their work.
With the help of the three of them, they finished unloading the rice, flour, grains and oils on the cargo bucket. At the invitation of the Wei Ran trio, the Li family and his son squeezed into the off-road vehicle that had purchased some gifts on the road, and Qin Qi drove to
The direction of the Li family.
When the car stopped in front of the old house, Wei Ran also noticed that after several years of not seeing each other, there was an extra piece of glory on the lintel of this house and the lintel of Zhou's house opposite.
Home brand.
Not only that, at the gate of these two houses, Mr. Li Wangchuan was already waiting in advance, leaning on a cane.
"I just posted our group photo in our family group," Li Ziqiang explained sillyly.
"I'm causing trouble for you."
Wei Ran said apologetically as he pushed the car door open. He didn't say hello in advance this time. Although it was slightly rude, he didn't want to put the old man of the Li family into a torturous wait or do anything in advance just because he informed him in advance.
Make grand preparations to welcome yourself.
"You kid is here!"
Mr. Li Wangchuan held Wei Ran's hand tightly, "Quick, quick, go in and talk."
Allowing the old man to lead a large family who had been waiting in advance, they walked into the old house and sat down. Mr. Li Wangchuan personally poured a cup of tea for Wei Ran, but at the same time he blamed him, "You kid, you clearly said that that year
I'll come after the New Year, but I'll have to wait for this meal."
"Old man, the reason why I didn't come last time was because I found something."
Wei Ran, who was full of apologies, made excuses for himself, "Now we finally have some clues about your father, senior Sichuan Army soldier Li Sui'an and his comrades, so I have the nerve to visit you."
"Did you find something else?" Li Wangchuan looked at Wei Ran in surprise, "You...what did you find?"
Hearing this, Wei Ran and Xia Shushi looked at each other, and the latter immediately called on Qin Qi to help open the huge suitcase he had brought and took out the contents one by one.
"This saber was found with something like the original one."
Wei Ran said vaguely, "I have actually been looking for the seller of this saber for the past few years. Fortunately, I found some clues not long ago."
Taking this sentence as a starting point, Wei Ran explained all the clues and history he had "investigated", and bluntly stated that he had found the descendant of the original owner of the saber.
"The reason I came here this time is actually to find the descendants of the Hu Bazhi in the photo."
Wei Ran finally said, "Old man, I just want to ask you if you know anything about this Hu Bazhi."
"The surname is Hu..." Mr. Li Wangchuan murmured, and then fell into silence.
After a long time, he said, "There is such a relative named Hu, but he hasn't moved around for a long time."
"We have a relative named Hu in our family? How come I didn't know about it?" Li Ziqiang couldn't help but leaned next to his father Li Weizhong and whispered.
"Yes, yes, why not?"
Li Wangchuan looked at the photo album on the table and sighed, "I remember clearly when I was a child. There were always one or two letters sent to my family from the Northeast every year.
I asked my old man, and he only said that he was the old accountant of our Cangxunzhai.
In 1988, before my old man passed away, he asked me to send an urgent telegram to the Northeast. About a week later, someone came from the Northeast, and it was a big brother named Hu Yuhu.
At that time, my old man was hanging with only one breath left. Brother Hu kowtowed to my old man, and I gave him a letter before he died. What the letter said, I still don’t know.”
At this point, Li Wangchuan picked up the old photo album and explained, "Later in 1997, I also received a long-distance call from Brother Hu to report his death. Weizhong, do you still remember?
Right? I took you there with me."
"Remember"
Li Weizhong replied, "We took the train for several days to arrive. It was then that I was demobilized."
"It's been so many years now"
Li Wangchuan pointed to the photo in the album that Li Sui'an took in the yard of Hu Bazhi's house and sighed, "After I rushed there with Wei Zhong, Uncle Hu had already been buried.
At that time, his wife was also under the gaze of others. At that time, she was holding such a photo and a sign in her hand.
I took Weizhong to live in their house for half a month, and I helped arrange the funeral of the old lady before I came back. Later, gradually, our two families gradually lost contact."
"Old man, I want to go look for it. Can you give me some directions?" Wei Ran asked.
"You come with me first"
As Li Wangchuan spoke, he refused the support of everyone around him, including Wei Ran, stood up with a cane, and led Wei Ran into his room.
"Lock the door." Li Wangchuan said, already sitting on the Taishi chair in front of the desk.
After a moment's hesitation, Wei Ran closed the door and locked it.
"Did you leave that one last time?" Li Wangchuan asked while making an "eight" sign with one hand.
"Did I get you into trouble?" Wei Ran asked.
"I'm not in trouble, but I'm really shocked."
Li Wangchuan smiled and said, "Young man, you are not as safe as you think in the news."
What can Wei Ran say? All he can do is keep smiling.
When he kept the box cannon, he just wanted to return it to its original owner and leave some thoughts for the Li family.
What's more, at that time, he was just a rookie among rookies in Hongqi Forest Farm.
"That thing, I already handed it in on the pretext of packing up the relics I accidentally found in the old house, and it is now on display in our local museum."
Mr. Li smiled when he said this, "Because of it, and because of the story of my old man and my third uncle, our city's TV station even came to interview reporters."
"I didn't think it through well at first," Wei Ran thanked him seriously, "Thanks to the old man for protecting me."
"I know you kid has a pure heart."
Mr. Li Wangchuan sighed, "But I still have to ask, what are you asking for? What made you waste so many years of time and energy on this matter that has nothing to do with you."
Hearing this, Wei Ran smiled calmly and said, "On the way here, my companion asked me the same question."
This chapter is not over, please click on the next page to continue reading! "I also want to hear your answer"
When Mr. Li Wangchuan said this, the look in his old eyes became much sharper.
He thanked Wei Ran, but he was grateful, and he had to be vigilant to prevent anyone from making articles about his father's generation, even if he had seen news related to the young man in front of him in the official media in October.
"My companions and I said that someone has to do it." Wei Ran replied more calmly, "But the answer I give you is different.
What I pray for is the sacrifice and dedication of seniors Li Hexian and Li Sui'an of the Sichuan Army. I already hope that heroes like them can be remembered by future generations.
What I ask for is that you took all the loyal members of the Li family and the Zhou family to Shaocheng Park in person to pick up the jar of loess I brought from Teng County, so that they could return to their hometown.
What I pray for is that more people who have not experienced war can remember those broken halberds forgotten in the sinking sand and the loyal souls withered bones by the Wuding River."
At this point, Wei Ran spread his hands and said, "Old man, I am a historian, and my job is to fill in the gaps that have been omitted in history books.
Objectively speaking, I am still a humble person who is not short of money, at least I am a humble person who can be picky even if I eat soft food.
But as a human being, you have to have some serious pursuits in your last life.
My pursuit is to find those unknown heroes who hide and seek with future generations in the long history."
Hearing this, Li Wangchuan sighed, "No wonder you can find those Red Army seniors on the Long March."
"So, old man, are my reasons enough?" Wei Ran asked with a smile.
"That's enough, that's enough."
Mr. Li Wangchuan waved his hand, "I'm not doubtful, I'm just curious. You kid, are different from those crazy words posted on the Internet."
"You old man, do you still use the Internet?" Wei Ran curiously changed the subject.
"What are you talking about?"
As Mr. Li said this, he once again refused Wei Ran's help and stood up. He walked step by step to the cabinet against the wall with his cane.
Under Wei Ran's curious gaze, he opened the cabinet door and revealed an old-fashioned safe hidden inside. He took out a key from his pocket and said proudly as he unlocked it, "My good grandson Ziqiang, after more than ten years,
I was taught how to surf the Internet years ago.
What a bastard! When I’m not doing anything, I’m still scolding those weak-minded bitches and traitors on the Internet!”
While Wei Ran was grinning secretly, Mr. Li had already opened the heavy door of the safe, took out a few things and placed them on the table.
The first thing was a matchbox-sized sign wrapped in red cloth. The half plum blossom carved on it and the large number of scratch marks on the edge made Wei Ran recognize it. It was one of the rhino horn paperweights of the year.
Half a piece!
"This thing was given to me by my old man before he died."
Li Wangchuan picked up the rhinoceros horn sign and explained, "My old man was speechless at that time. He had been reciting the poem on the box gun and looking at the sign.
Back then, when I took Weizhong to attend the funeral, the old lady had a piece like this in her hand."
As he said that, he picked up a second thing. This was a paper shoe box. What was inside was actually yellowed letters!
"This is the correspondence between my old man and Hu Bazhi. When I remember, there were one or two letters every year, but there are only so many that can be found."
Mr. Li introduced, "Since you came here a few years ago, I have dug out these things from the bottom of the box, but I can't understand what's written inside."
As he said this, Mr. Li casually took out one and handed it to Wei Ran, saying in a joking tone, "You, a great historian, can you help me with the translation?"
"Master, please stop making fun of me." Wei Ran smiled and took the envelope.
This yellowed kraft paper envelope has a detailed delivery address, and the mottled postmark can barely tell that this letter was sent at the end of December 1984.
Looking up at Mr. Li again, Wei Ran didn't take out the letter until the other man nodded.
However, after seeing the few words on the letter, he couldn't help but become speechless.
This letter was written in argot, or rather, it was probably written in argot that only Li Sui'an and Hu Bazhi, and at most Unakan, could understand.
Even so, he could still vaguely guess that this letter, which was full of black language, might be talking about the fact that Zhao Jinyu's body was still not found.
He could guess, not that he could understand it, but just because he knew that the absence of Zhao Jinyu's body was a hurdle that Li Sui'an, Hu Bazhi, and even himself could not overcome.
"I don't understand either, but I guess..."
Wei Ran sighed, "I guess the two brothers may have been looking for the body and widow of the resistance fighter Zhao Jinyu."
"I hope the address written on this envelope can still find the Hu family."
Mr. Li also held an envelope and sighed, "They...why don't they want to say it?"
“Because it’s too difficult”
Wei Ran replied almost subconsciously, "Maybe it's because too many people died. I think... they may not want to recall those pains."
"yes"
Mr. Li Wangchuan, who had also joined the army and experienced war, was startled. Apparently, he also thought of some people who were buried in his memory but could never be forgotten.
Wei Ran said seriously, "Old man, I plan to follow this address to find the Hu family."
"Then I'll trouble you."
Mr. Li said equally seriously, "Since it is my father's last wish, I will go to Ao Island while my body is still strong to meet the descendants of the Zhao family and the Ma family."
"I will also give you the information about the sellers who sold box cannons and sabers that year."
Wei Ran said, "The seller is in Ulan-Ude, Russia, and he may have some connections with the Zhao family or the Ma family.
When the time comes, whether you, the Ma family, or the Zhao family want to meet, you can contact me at any time, and I will definitely do my best to be a landlord."
"Before that, let us do our best to be landlords!"
Mr. Li laughed and said, "You kid said you didn't come last time, but you made us wait for a meal that year."
"Old man, this time... I'm afraid I have to leave immediately." Wei Ran said apologetically.
"Leave immediately? This is..."
"Those letters from home are already more than eighty years late."
Wei Ran sighed, "I'm afraid it's too late. If I'm one day late, I might never find the recipient of any letter."
"That's right..."
Mr. Li sighed, and then said, "In this case, I will ask Weizhong and Ziqiang to follow you, so that they can recognize the way and start walking again in the future."
"It's causing trouble to your family."
Wei Ran's attitude became more and more apologetic. At this time, he really needed to use the name of the Li family to find Hu Bazhi's descendants. This was the fastest and safest way.
"You're so polite, kid." Mr. Li waved his hand, "I'll let Wei Zhong and his son prepare."
It seems like someone said something like this back then...
Wei Ran looked at Mr. Li Wangchuan walking out alone with a cane, and felt a little dazed for a moment.
Shaking his head, he stepped forward to catch up and helped the other party open the locked door.
