Not wanting to take another look at the couple and the yellow cake, Hong Yanwen hastily swallowed the two buns he bought before getting on the train. He didn't even drink boiled water and ran to the connection between the carriages to smoke.
He was blowing out smoke from the car window and looking out. Outside the window was a piece of yellow land, full of ravines in the dazzling sunshine. Here, their generation of educated youth had been working hand in hand with local farmers for nearly ten years, but they still
It hasn't changed the desolate appearance at all.
Is there really much that can be done here? Is it really worth keeping people's lives connected to it and never being separated from it in this life?
Hong Yanwen actually had a clear answer in his heart. He exhaled a long puff of smoke, lowered his head and stamped out the cigarette butt on the dirty, earth-red floor.
Indeed, the "Going to the Mountains and Going to the Countryside" movement created a few "human-like" elites among the educated youth, as well as agricultural models like "Dazhai". But don't forget, they were just "Meicai Kou".
"Meat" is the unique publicity of meat. From a practical point of view, most people and most areas still eat "meat" as a dish, which is a dry foreshadowing.
There is no doubt that he himself is like "Prunella", a piece of grass among all living beings, with a name that is too ordinary for people to remember, so let alone changing the world, it is already extremely difficult to live a good life with all beards and tails.
.
These words are not false at all, because since Lu Yanhua got married, not to mention his initial ambition to be "unbeatable", "uncrushed" and "brave enough to fight against the world", even he and his other educated youth companions have disappeared.
The friendship they once thought would never change was completely broken due to this incident, and it could even be said that they turned against each other.
From 1976 to 1977, it was the most difficult time for him since he went to the countryside. When he came back from work, he would sit still, looking at the beautiful sunset in the west, thinking about his own problems. He became taciturn, because of Lu Yanhua's incident, he could not deal with it.
Lu Yanping, Li Weiguo and Liu Yangping regained even a little trust.
The three of them treated him the same way. Whether it was out of guilt or guilty conscience, they all stayed away from him, no longer communicated with him, and separated from him in work and life, cutting him off and becoming a different person.
In addition, the situation at home is not optimistic. His father's illness has become a mountain in his heart. Every night, as long as he thinks of his mother's sad face and his father's moans of pain, he can't help but run out of the house and head towards the capital.
He knelt down and kowtowed, looking at the starry sky to pray for his father and his family.
But having said that, there was one thing he really didn't expect. The son of the village party secretary treated Lu Yanhua really well and seemed to really like her. He didn't let her do any heavy work at home, and the best things in the house were kept close to her, and he even gave her
For her sake, she pointed out the only job recruitment opportunity in the village to her sister, making Lu Yanping the second educated youth to leave "GeDaling".
But on the other hand, out of a man's instinctive precautions, the village party secretary's son also took Lu Yanhua's interpersonal relationships very seriously. Not only did he not allow her to return to the educated youth center, but because he knew about their past affairs, he even went to work in the fields.
Life never arranged for them to be together.
So for a long time, even if he and Lu Yanhua occasionally met in public, they never had a chance to talk. Until the beginning of 1977, Lu Yanhua's belly bulged, she became pregnant, and she was completely married to a poor and lower-middle peasant.
Only then did the party secretary's son relax his guard. As a result, he and Lu Yanhua finally had the opportunity to meet in private.
After the Spring Festival in 1977, as soon as he returned from the capital, Lu Yanhua came to see him. For no other reason than because she heard from the village party secretary that the county would soon decentralize recruitment opportunities, so she came to tell him the news.
.
According to her, Li Weiguo and Liu Yangping almost asked the village party secretary to kiss his father on the spot because of this matter, so he should also find a way to give some gifts, win the quota, and leave here as soon as possible to return to the city.
Lu Yanhua also said to him, "Although we are not destined to be together anymore, I know best that people like you should not spend time here. If there are two people in this world who believe that you can do something good, one is you
, one is me." When they finally broke up, she also left him a photo of herself as a permanent souvenir.
He was naturally extremely moved by Lu Yanhua's friendship. Unfortunately, it was not up to him to decide whether he could go back.
They themselves knew their family's difficulties. All he had with him was the twenty yuan that his parents had tried every means to raise for him. He was really reluctant to invest in such an uncertain speculation.
What's more, he and Lu Yanhua were deeply disliked by the son of the village party secretary. So he realized at that time that he could not compete with Li Weiguo and Liu Yangping. I am afraid that even if they all left, he would not be able to leave.
What he didn't expect was that he couldn't keep even the token Lu Yanhua gave him as a final farewell. One day in early April, the son of the village party secretary led someone to find him and asked him for Lu Yanhua's photo. He
At first he didn't want to admit it, but later the village party secretary's son actually asked Li Weiguo and Liu Yangping to correct him. Only then did he realize that it was the two people who lived in his room who betrayed him again.
It was too late to regret, and I couldn’t hide it anymore. I had no choice but to hand over the photo. The son of the village party secretary was very angry when he got the photo, and ordered someone to beat him again on the spot, and warned him not to do it again in the future.
He saw Lu Yanhua's face.
After this incident, he became seriously ill. He had a high fever, alternately cold and hot, and was unconscious. He refused to eat or drink. Since Li Weiguo and Liu Yangping, two fellow travelers from the capital, did not hesitate to stab him in the back.
In order to please the son of the village party secretary, there was no help given to him at all.
So when he finally got over it, even he didn't believe it. Because he really felt like there was a layer of paper between him and the Lord of Hell, and he felt that he was literally under the eyes of the Lord of Hell. It was probably just pure luck that he caught up with the Lord of Hell.
I was dozing off at that moment, so I didn't open my eyes.
But even though he was alive again, he was not very happy. Because his love was shattered, friendships were broken, his future was bleak, his relatives were trapped by illness, and even his own meager dignity could not be maintained. This situation made him really depressed.
It is difficult to feel any hope or interest in life anymore.
He himself even thought about returning even if he didn't recruit workers, even if he didn't have a household registration, and even if he didn't get approval. Although he would become a "black" when he returned to the capital, and "black" meant no wages, no food stamps, and no future.
That's far better than here.
But as soon as this thought came to his mind, he thought about the situation at home, and had to give up the idea. Because if he really took this step, his family, which was in turmoil and had leaks everywhere, would simply not be able to bear it anymore.
Forget it, just stay here. No matter how cowardly you are, it is better than going back and dragging down your parents and relatives.
In this way, in the days that followed, he was so confused that he was like a walking zombie. The split between his heart and his body made the villagers think that there was something wrong with his nerves, and almost regarded him as a semi-madman.
But fate is so wonderful. It is true that if you survive a catastrophe, you will be blessed later. Just when he was desperate, an unexpected turn of events suddenly appeared in his life.
His younger brother Hong Yanwu actually came to "GeDaling" on May Day, which completely saved him from all the misery.
He clearly remembered the scene of their meeting that day and would never forget it in his lifetime.
That day, when he was taking a nap in the sun like a real beggar at the entrance of the village, three figures blocked the sunlight in front of him. When he opened his eyes again, he never thought that his brother from the same mother was standing beside him.
Hong Yanwu, who he thought was still in a labor camp, actually appeared in front of him.
And just when he was stunned and in disbelief, a concerned question like "Second brother, how did you become like this?" made him burst into tears that he had been holding back for many days.
After crying profusely, he didn't care about anything else and couldn't control himself at all. He first told all the grievances in his heart. This directly aroused Hong Yanwu's anger. He was accompanied by Chen Liquan and a man named "Little
The half-grown child of "Hundred Sons", the three of them asked him to lead the way without a few words of discussion, saying that they were going to find an enemy to vent their anger on him.
At that time, he thought that they just wanted to teach Li Weiguo and Liu Yangping a lesson, so he simply agreed. However, he did not expect that when he entered the village with these murderous "rescue soldiers", what followed turned out to be a big war.
All-out conflict.
Li Weiguo and Liu Yangping, two despicable villains, were naturally the first to bear the brunt. They were knocked to the ground by Hong Yanwu first. They received a nasty beating, and then they were stripped of their clothes and kicked out of the house one by one.
go out.
Hong Yanwu drove them all the way to the Loess Ridge before he gave up. As a result, the two boys were left naked and freezing outside all night without daring to come back.
Then Hong Yanwu didn't stop there, and directly targeted the village party secretary for revenge.
He did not agree with Hong Yanwu's idea at the time, and tried his best to dissuade him. Because in his opinion, there were militiamen and dogs in the village, and they were absolutely no match. Don't harm his brother again.
But he didn't expect that even he wouldn't be able to stop things at this point. No one could dissuade Hong Yanwu from his violent temper, and the destructive power of such a willful act was completely beyond his imagination.
It is said that during the Republic of China, bandits came to "GeDaling". They saw that the place was too poor, so not only did they not rob anything, but they also gave away a piece of steel to the family. In 1940, Japanese soldiers also came, but did not enter anyone's home.
, just shouting and catching a few chickens along the street.
But Hong Yanwu and his group, despite not looking too much, were really stunned. They rushed straight to the village party secretary, beating anyone who dared to stop them, and beating dogs if they dared to bite them. After a while, they
There was such a commotion that every family was forced to close their doors. It was really like the scene in "Water Margin" where Lu Zhishen got drunk and knocked on the mountain gate.
What about the militia?
There were only about thirty households in the village, and a dozen strong men with hoes and iron picks in their hands were completely vulnerable to the punches of Hong Yanwu and Chen Liquan. They cried for their fathers and mothers, and were all beaten into pieces.
What about vicious dogs?
The slingshot called "Xiaobaizi" was so magical that the dozen or so vicious dogs that rushed up to bite these uninvited guests were all injured in the nose and eyes by his slingshot. In the end, they were like chased rabbits.
Howling in agony, they fled in all directions, covering the mountains and plains.
Naturally, the son of the village party secretary was not spared either.
In the courtyard of the village party secretary's house, the boy who had been beaten black and blue several times in the past was beaten to a pulp by his angry and invincible younger brother in public.
No one dared to stop him, no one could stop him. All the young people in the village were shocked by the wonderful "foot splashing", "neck hugging" and "pocket picking" one after another.
Even He Sankui, the village party secretary who hurried home, was helpless. Because on this occasion, not only did the official status of the village secretary lose its deterrent effect for the first time, but he was also no match for reasoning.
Hong Yanwu glared and made He Sankui feel guilty and hesitant with just one sentence.
"Your son used a dog as an excuse to forcefully marry someone else and beat him up. This is riding on someone else's neck. Can't we even ask for justice now? You have a black heart.
What kind of village party secretary is that?"
And when He Sankui finally managed to hold back the sentence "You are ruthless enough, aren't you afraid that the government will hold you accountable?", he unexpectedly received a righteous rebuke from Hong Yanwu.
"Should the government hold you accountable? Then I want to ask you first, where did the educated youth's housing construction funds go? Do you know what the crime is of embezzling the educated youth's housing construction funds, beating educated youths, and forcibly marrying female educated youths? Simply,
Let’s go to the county together and talk about it!”
This hat was quite big. Not only did He Sankui become silent on the spot, he was speechless. Even he himself admired his younger brother inexplicably, and even felt a little ashamed. Because although he was an educated youth himself, he prided himself on being quite educated.
, even this unlearned younger brother does not have a thorough understanding of the educated youth policy.
To put it bluntly, judging from a series of documents issued by the State Council, there is currently only one policy for educated youths who jump in line: stabilization and comfort. It can also be imagined that for government agencies at all levels, educated youths
Work is becoming more and more like a hat with steel pins inserted all over it, and the silver light shines on the head.
From his own point of view, although he is very aware of this, there is one aspect that he has never thought of. Today, it was only because of Hong Yanwu's reminder that he realized that things that violated regulations in the past have now become crimes.
The person involved could not afford to eat and walk around, and it would be better to go to jail. Therefore, these words undoubtedly captured the pain point, and He Sankui couldn't help but refuse to accept it.
The resolution of this deadlock ultimately came down to Lu Yanhua. As soon as she rushed home with a heavy belly, when she saw the scene in front of her, she threw herself on the son of the village party secretary without saying a word, and tried her best to protect her husband with her arms.
.
This unexpected scene was something he never expected, and he felt an unspeakable sourness and dizziness at that time.
Yes, Lu Yanhua is a woman who loves him deeply, but now she is not only someone else's wife, but also a mother. There is indeed no connection between them. The only thing that still exists is the bits and pieces of the past and what they once had.
They had been very affectionate and affectionate, but these were not enough to change the relationship and destiny of the two of them in the future.
No matter how wronged he was and how unwilling he was, he could never force Lu Yanhua to abandon his husband and son and follow him. Therefore, in the face of this fait accompli, this revenge should end here.
Just like that, with mixed feelings of distress, he not only took the initiative to stop Hong Yanwu who was still reluctant to let go, but also personally helped the couple on the ground.
He Sankui, the village party secretary, witnessed this scene and couldn't help but let out a complicated lament...
However, this matter is not completely over here, there is still an end to it.
Just that night, after he had prepared dinner with the noodles, canned food and other foods brought by Hong Yanwu and others, his younger brother unexpectedly returned from outside with a "transfer" certificate that had been stamped by the village party secretary He Sankui.
Come and show him. And formally tell him that he can go home openly from tomorrow and no longer have to sit here and suffer.
At that time, he couldn't believe it at all. He held the certificate in his hand and read it for a while, but his mind was still confused. Firstly, he didn't expect how his family could have so much energy to obtain this certificate. Secondly, he didn't believe why the village party secretary was like this.
Magnanimous.
However, Hong Yanwu's subsequent words cleared up his doubts. Only then did he know that his younger brother had obtained this certificate through the son of a director. It was not surprising that the village party secretary had given it the seal of approval. According to his younger brother, the entire village
The people who are most looking forward to his departure are probably the village party secretary and his son. If you think about it carefully, this is indeed a very reasonable explanation.
This night, he was extremely drunk, not only for the ups and downs of the past six months, but also to commemorate the wasted youth and shattered love here.
But early the next morning, an extremely incredible situation occurred. The son of the village party secretary, who had just received a severe beating, took the initiative to take Lu Yanhua to the educated youth center to see him off. The two of them kept sending them off
Arrive at the foot of the mountain.
Especially when parting, the son of the village party secretary not only promised him that he would be good to Lu Yanhua in the future, but also sincerely apologized to him for the past.
At that moment, for some reason, he did feel a little relieved.
So, he not only shook hands with the son of the village party secretary for the first time, but also solemnly pointed to Lu Yanhua's big belly and said, "Tell the child that I am his uncle. When the child grows up, you will let the child go to the capital."
Find me..."
Halfway through the words, he and Lu Yanhua both cried...
Towards evening, the train finally entered a building and then slowly entered the Yongdingmen Railway Station. There were people on the platform picking up passengers and pulling luggage. Although the station was old and messy, in Hong Yanwen's eyes, everything was friendly and friendly.
cute.
To be honest, the moment the train stopped at this station was an extremely perfect moment for him. After all, he set off from this station and came back from this station.
It feels so good to go home, and it feels even better to know that I will never leave home again. Although his family does not know about his return and no one comes to pick him up, after all, he has stepped on the soil of the capital again.
The moment he walked out of the train station, his eyes were not focused on the crowds or looking for bus stop signs, but first on looking for the trees on both sides of the square.
Because during the second half of the train journey, he was actually thinking about what his younger brother Hong Yanwu had told him.
"Brother, don't worry about me going to find medicine for Dad. Your main tasks when you return home are, first, to help take care of the house. Second, you should study hard and review to prepare for the college entrance examination."
"The college entrance examination, how is it possible? Why didn't I hear anything when I went home for the holidays?"
"You have to believe me, I can get the 'transfer' certificate and I can know the information that others don't know! The exam will start in the second half of the year, and there is not much time."
"...What about the family status? What about the incident I reported to the Jiugong Brigade?"
"Don't apply for a prestigious university. The political review of ordinary universities will be relaxed. Don't take it as a burden to 'transfer'. This is three hundred yuan. You keep it and don't need to give it to your family. After the report, you can buy cigarettes and alcohol."
, please have dinner, the brigade leader will not make it difficult for you. As long as you stay at home for half a year, you will definitely become a college student. Listen to me, you are the only one in our family who is qualified to be an official. At least you will be in a good position. If you go to college, you may be able to do it.
Go one step further..."
"Where did you get this money? Are you still in the right place? Why do you sound like you are daydreaming..."
"Don't ask about money. If I can come to you, don't you think it's just a dream? Second brother, don't worry about anything, just listen to me. To tell you the truth, that one is about to come back.
Now. You will know when you go to the capital and look around. It is different now from the New Year period. There are small bottles tied to the trees everywhere. This shows that everyone is of the same mind."
"Small bottle?"
That’s right, the little bottle!
All kinds of bottles!
There are them on almost every tree around the square, dancing with the wind, mighty...
Hong Yanwen did see it with his own eyes, and now he is full of glory and hope!
Yes, he believed it, he now believes every word and word Hong Yanwu said!
He thanked his younger brother from the bottom of his heart, not only because he pulled him out of the quagmire at the critical moment and allowed him to regain his self-esteem, but also because Hong Yanwu also brought him hope, a hope that was like being reborn!
At 19:00 in the evening on May 2, 1977, Hong Yanwen stood on the edge of the square of Yongdingmen Railway Station.
At this moment, his heart was filled with warmth, and he felt that even the howling spring wind in the capital had become much softer. It made him feel happiness and comfort that he had not experienced in many years.