Chapter 16 Talk to Peng Dehuai in the dark

Ba Jin felt that he was much younger again. In the summer of 1977, in his residence on Wukang Road, following the visit of Chinese-American writer Yu Lihua, Ba Jin's foreign affairs activities gradually increased.When Zhong Wen, a famous Chinese-American, came to Shanghai for a visit, the superior also invited the old writer Ba Jin to attend the meeting, because Ba Jin had already shown his charming demeanor at that time.Especially Ba Jin, who experienced the ups and downs of the "Cultural Revolution", his role and influence in foreign affairs activities is of course huge.Soon, a delegation from Sweden's "Iskra" also came to Shanghai. They asked to meet the great Chinese writer Ba Jin by name.Ba Jin's hale and hearty demeanor and calm speech once again amazed foreigners.A visiting group of writers from Hong Kong arrived in Shanghai, and Ba Jin also participated in the symposium. He once again talked freely about literature and life.People feel that Ba Jin is still as talkative and quick-witted as before, and the old man's heart is full of sunshine.In short, Ba Jin is still the old Ba Jin.The sound of car brakes and lively laughter sounded again in front of the gate of his quiet courtyard.

During Ba Jin's busy activities, the sadness and pain accumulated in Xiao Shan's heart after Xiao Shan's death did not gradually fade until this time.What made the old man happy was that some objects that were confiscated during the "Cultural Revolution" were gradually returned to Ba Jin in the process of implementing the policy.Among these things are not only his things, but also some items of his wife Xiao Shan.When Ba Jin saw the remains of his dead wife, he couldn't help crying again.He said secretly in his heart: "Yunzhen, it would be great if you could live to this day! Alas, it's a pity, you left too early!..."

When Ba Jin looked through the surviving objects, he saw many manuscripts and letters.Now he feels that these ordinary things have become extremely precious now.Suddenly, Ba Jin's eyes lit up, and he found a letter he had written to Xiao Shan before.Upon closer inspection, the old letter brought back many memories: Yun Zhen: We've got our clothes and passes, and we're leaving tomorrow afternoon.We took the train at 5:40 pm and arrived in Shenyang around 11 am the day after tomorrow.There are still about five days to stay in Shenyang.A chief of staff of a certain unit of the Volunteer Army who returned to China on business some time ago accompanied us to Pyongyang.The schedule and whereabouts after going abroad have not yet been decided.In short, this is a farewell letter sent in Beijing.I still have letters to send back in Shenyang.

Jane, holding a tube of Xinhua pen, under the bright electric light, facing the paper cut out from the manuscript, I don't know what to write.You know how I feel right now.I do have thousands of words, but I can't put them all on paper.From tomorrow we are further apart.But this is just the beginning.I will still send you a letter in Shenyang.Then, I went forward again. In Pyongyang, there are still letters to be sent, but I am afraid that I will not have the time to write long letters. It was the beginning of my new life in late March, that is, the beginning of our real separation.Even if I can't communicate with you for a few months, don't worry about me, I will definitely come back in good health.In the future, there will be fewer letters, one is because the opportunity is rare; the other is because after I arrive in the army, I have to travel more and see more, and I will be able to live after a while. Even when I live, there will be a lot of work.I will train myself to be strong and useful at work.I will endure hardship and learn.

The first month of life was probably not easy, and I had to grit my teeth.But it doesn't matter in the future.I am determined.And thinking of you, thinking of children, thinking of everyone, this will give me more courage, and I will always have you in my heart.In times of hardship, I will call your name.In any environment, I will be a person worthy of your love. Goodbye, it's 11:30pm on the 6th, you should sleep peacefully.May you sleep peacefully until dawn. good luck! Fugan Beijing, March 6, 1952 Ba Jin read and reread the letterhead whose handwriting was a little blurred and the pages had turned yellow.He remembered that it was the letter he wrote to his wife when he went to Northeast China for the first time when he went to North Korea to participate in the creation group of Chinese writers going to North Korea!He had never dreamed that this letter would survive to this day.At the beginning, he wrote countless letters to Xiao Shan in Beijing and North Korea, but after going through a catastrophe, Ba Jin didn't expect that this letter from his family could survive.

His heart suddenly jumped wildly.Seeing the letter to Xiao Shan, Ba Jin would think of his dead wife.He had made up his mind secretly, and he did not forget Xiao Shan's advice to himself before she died: "You must live well..." Ba Jin knew that since he wanted to live a good life, he had to forget the painful past with tenacious perseverance.However, he tried his best to recall the past as little as possible in the days when the new era came.However, the past was not diverted by his will, and still persisted in his mind; the more Ba Jin didn't want to think about Xiao Shan, the more his wife's shadow lingered before his eyes; When writing the letter to Xiao Shan forward, Ba Jin's thoughts could not help but fly back to the unforgettable era of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea...

The spring of 1952 came earlier than before, especially in the north of the motherland.At that time, Ba Jin had just finished a long-distance trip across half of China, and it was early January when he returned to Shanghai.Since the summer of the previous year, he has led an artist interview group to visit the poor in the old revolutionary areas.Ba Jin and the members of the delegation traveled almost all over East China, especially the visit in Shandong, which moved Ba Jin in particular.He saw that the people in the old districts still supported the victory of the Communist Party as they did in the war years despite their hard life!

Ba Jin, who is used to seeing the corrupt world of the old society, saw the bright and splendid sky in the Liberated Area with his own eyes during his visit from south to north and then from east to west!Although the people's lives are still poor, Ba Jin feels an inspiring force from his heart.He knew that the greatness of the Communist Party lies in its ability to truly be the spokesperson of the people, and the reason why the Chinese people support the Communist regime from their hearts is that they see hope in life from the ruling party. After Ba Jin returned to Shanghai, he planned to express in writing the feelings he got from visiting several provinces in East China.At that time, he had a series of writing projects.However, at this moment, he suddenly received a letter from the playwright Cao Yu from Beijing.In this letter, Cao Yu suggested to Ba Jin that he had better let go of the writing at hand for the time being and devote himself to the war-torn Korean battlefield.Because there are many moving stories waiting for Ba Jin to discover.

Of course, Ba Jin would not know that Cao Yu's letter represented the opinion of a certain leader of the Central Propaganda Department.However, he has already felt that Cao Yu's letter is the most timely and sincere suggestion to both the country and himself.Ba Jin knew that there was nothing more important than to bravely join the Korean front when the war broke out.So, he immediately decided to go to North Korea! After Xiao Shan heard Ba Jin's proposition, of course she supported it unconditionally.Whether it was during the Anti-Japanese War or in the long days after they got married, Ba Jin and Xiao Shan were always living in a state of gathering less and leaving more.Now that peace has finally been won, Xiao Shan did not expect that Ba Jin would be busier than before.Although Ba Jin often has social activities other than writing, Xiao Shan is happy about it.She said to Ba Jin: "You go, I will take care of the family affairs. You don't have to worry about the two children, I just hope you can come back safely!"

Ba Jin and Xiao Shan parted in tears, and then he boarded the train bound for Beijing.In the ancient capital of Beijing, a group of Chinese artists going to North Korea headed by Ba Jin was soon formed.The deputy team leader is Gu Yuan, a famous printmaker from Yan'an, and all the members of this creation team who went to North Korea are mostly famous writers and painters from all over the country.Under the leadership of Ba Jin, these accomplished artists carried out intense study before going to court.Ba Jin felt that he went to North Korea this time not only for writing, but more importantly, he had a special historical mission: to represent the deep feelings of Chinese writers and artists for the Korean people, to go to the Korean battlefield to condolences to China and North Korea Fighters on the front line against the United States.

What surprised Ba Jin was that among those old letters, he found a letter written by Xiao Shan himself.He took a closer look and found that the yellowed letter was also a letter from Shanghai that he received from Xiao Shan during his trip to North Korea.Such a letter was actually seen again after the "Cultural Revolution", which must have been a pleasant surprise to Ba Jin. "This letter is so precious!" Ba Jin couldn't help sighing. Looking at the letter his wife gave him in 1952, his eyes became moist again!It turned out to be a letter written by Xiao Shan from Shanghai when he first came to Beijing from Shanghai.Reading it today, Ba Jin will think of the love life he and Xiao Shan once had. Mr. Li: Tonight Xiaokang invited us to eat noodles. I thought I had a letter from you before I went out, but I didn’t wait. My little sister was clamoring to watch the movie opposite, so I mailed the letter I wrote this morning.When I went home and read your letter, my emotions fluctuated for a while, and I couldn't control myself. How much I wanted to hold your hand tightly and let you understand my mood.Shanghai hasn’t seen sunshine since you left. You left your rain hat at home. If you don’t send out another raincoat, I advise you to buy one immediately. It rains here every day.When Brother Ma went out just now, I asked him to wear your rain hat.I accompanied them to watch the second movie, and everyone was satisfied with "Chinese Acrobatic Troupe".The younger sister and the old lady all want to watch it for the second time, but they don't act recently.You can stay in Beijing until the end of the month, very good, at least we will be closer, after leaving Beijing, will you not have time to write to me, I am really afraid that there will be days without your letters.How can I imagine your life without your letter?You don't know how much I need you sometimes, how much I long for you to love me more, I seem to be a little girl who hasn't grown up. Miss Twelve didn't come back just now, the old lady repeatedly said to Ding Xiang and the others: Don't lock the back door, the little lady didn't come home!Who cares about me now?There are just people who need my care or concern and I have to be hard.One night, while sleeping on the bed, the little girl asked curiously, "Mom, why are you crying?" What can I say to a little girl.And the last thing I want is for someone to see my tears, or see me cry.When I was in Xiaokang's home, everyone was surprised that Ru Jiren hadn't come back. "Home" was still a very warm place.The sister-in-law of Chengdu and Sansan both received letters and received the money.Receipts from the Translation Association to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea were also sent, and I put several receipts together. It's still raining, which I really don't like.Guess where I am writing to you? --I sleep on the bed and write to you while lying down.The weather changed again today, it was very windy outside.My little sister heard that you gave her another gift.Very happy.Today she kept asking me if Ukraine was alone, but she couldn't explain it clearly anyway, and this child is also very subjective.It's very cold, so I won't write anymore, it's 11:05, and my brother is still awake! February 1952 Jane The past flashed back before his eyes like a movie lens. On a sunny day in March 1952, he was sitting on a train bound for Northeast China. It was the first time in his life that Ba Jin came to the strange Kanto beyond the Great Wall.When he saw the big iron bridge across the Yalu River, his mood suddenly became excited.The land of North Korea is already in front of his eyes, and the flames of war have filled and lingered in front of the writer.It was from then on that the extraordinary experience of going to the DPRK appeared in Ba Jin's life experience. When Ba Jin was flipping through the confiscated items returned from the rebels, he suddenly found a pamphlet.It was a commemorative book that he had cherished for many years. Although the cover of the magazine had faded with time, he still stretched his hands and turned to the article that he was in a tunnel on the Korean battlefield on the fourth night of his visit to North Korea. The article written by the oil lamp: "We met with Commander Peng Dehuai"! More than 20 years have passed, but the scene when he met Marshal Peng Dehuai for the first time in North Korea is still like yesterday.Ba Jin discovered that Peng Dehuai was indeed a communist who went through life and death, and Ba Jin still secretly admires this great Hunan man in his heart.He flipped through the manuscripts he had written before, and now he suddenly felt a little strange.However, the words he wrote back then still give him a sense of intimacy when he reads them now: "We met Commander Peng of the Volunteer Army before noon on March 22. It was snowing outside. It was very warm inside the cave. It was a small room, but it was on the side near the door. Under the low stone roof, there are two electric lamps without lampshades. We, seventeen writers and artists from the motherland, sat on the benches, looking out of the door with excited mood and expectant eyes. A half-lit corridor. We waited for a quarter of an hour. We waited for such a person: he didn't want others to mention his name, but people all over the world respected him as a great peace fighter; mothers all over the world thanked him He, because he saved the mothers and children of North Korea; the whole Chinese people are willing to say a word of thanks in front of him, because he protects the peaceful life of mothers and children of the motherland. Take his contribution to the world as an example, let him defend For the feats of our motherland, we were too insignificant in front of him. So when we heard the footsteps approaching, a sense of awe that dared not approach him made us suddenly nervous. He comes in.Our attentive eyes did not see clearly how he got in.He didn't hang any medals, and he was dressed in a simple military uniform. He looked tall and young.He gave us a military salute and looked at us kindly.Smiling and saying: 'You are all armed. 'At this moment, the distance between him and us suddenly shortened.We shook hands with him cordially, and he took a chair and sat down at the table.We also sat on the bench.As soon as we sat down, he said with a smile: "How many Mulans are there among you?" ' The three lesbians among us laughed.He asked us: 'How did you feel when you crossed the Yalu River? ’ A comrade said: ‘We feel that we have left the motherland. ’ Another comrade said: ‘We didn’t cross the Yalu River, we crossed the river by car. ’ He corrected with a smile: ‘No, it’s across. He grabbed the back of the chair with his left hand, pressed the edge of the table with his right hand, and began to talk to us calmly like relatives in a harmonious family.He began by saying: 'The Koreans are a respectable and excellent people.They are brave, hardworking, able to endure hardships and endure.We didn't know enough about this layer before we came to North Korea.They have been exploited by Japanese imperialism for decades, and now they are confronted with such a powerful enemy as American imperialism.They are in distress now. Due to the bombing of enemy planes, many people have no houses to live in, and some are short of food and hungry. We should try our best to help them.They have done their duty in the fight to defend world peace. '..." When Ba Jin read this, his heart seemed to be crying. That year, after leaving Fengxian May 7th Cadre School and returning to Shanghai, Ba Jin had already obtained some news about Peng Dehuai from the tabloids distributed by the Red Guards.The commander of the Volunteer Army who met artists like them in the tunnels of North Korea was also shocked and persecuted in the hurricane of the "Cultural Revolution".Thinking of Peng Dehuai, Ba Jin suddenly felt that the unfair treatment he had received during the "Cultural Revolution" was nothing at all.He is a writer, but Peng Dehuai is a Marshal of the Republic who was born and died!He also knew that Peng Dehuai had actually lost his personal freedom on Lushan Mountain long before the unprecedented turmoil because of a book of ten thousand words.Thinking of Peng Dehuai, the heaviness in Ba Jin's heart suddenly increased.His eyes moved to the manuscript written in North Korea in the early years. He wrote: "Listening to his simple and detailed repeated explanations, and looking at his kind and resolute expression, I felt a heat flow through my whole body. The simple words reveal the love for the nation and the motherland. Loving, earnest expression showing confidence in victory. He talked tirelessly, and the more he talked, the warmer and more confident we felt. My whole heart was attracted by him. I forgot the surrounding I forgot the time. I forgot the snow outside the cave. I forgot the dark corridor inside the cave. I forgot the bumps of the car and the slippery mountain road when I went back. I even forgot that we listened to The Volunteers who arrived had fought hard in the past. I only saw this person in front of me. He sat so steadily, his attitude was so firm, and he suddenly let out a happy laugh. At this time, I felt that he was the embodiment of victory. We I can trust him with everything, even my own life. I believe other comrades also feel this way. He must have seen our reverence, so he went on to say: "The battle mainly depends on Soldiers, since ancient times, soldiers are the most powerful. A strong general is just a commander whose interests are consistent with those of the soldiers. A commander is like the conductor of an orchestra. It is impossible to have a good orchestra without a good conductor, but there is no good orchestra without a good conductor. No. An individual is insignificant if he cannot represent the interests of the overwhelming majority.'  …” Ba Jin cried when he read this.Because this manuscript made him revisit it more than 20 years later, and he felt very sad.Because he is soberly aware that Commander Peng Dehuai, who met them in the tunnels of North Korea, is no longer alive now.He also suffered the same inhuman treatment as himself.Thinking of Peng Dehuai's tragic death in that storm, Ba Jin suddenly felt that he was a lucky one instead. Ba Jin recalled now that after he finished writing that article, he was invited to attend the meeting of the Volunteer Army Command welcoming the "Bacterial Warfare Investigation Team".At this meeting, Ba Jin met Peng Dehuai again and listened to the general from Hunan again.He returned to the station in the evening, and supplemented the draft "We Met Commander Peng Dehuai" written the night before.He added Peng Dehuai's speech he heard at the meeting today to the previous article.He thinks this makes the manuscript richer.Ba Jin is not a person who simply engages in work. In order to be cautious, he circulated this manuscript to the comrades around him, and after soliciting opinions, he handed it to the comrades of Xinhua News Agency for publication in China. To Ba Jin's great surprise, he didn't expect that the manuscript he wrote would actually alarm General Peng, who was busy in the war and his army was in a hurry.Ba Jin didn't even expect that Peng Dehuai would write him a personal letter.It turned out that Peng Dehuai decided to say a few words to the author of the article after seeing the manuscript that Xinhua News Agency had handed over to him for personal review.He hoped that Ba Jin would revise this manuscript.Peng Dehuai wrote: Comrade Ba Jin: The sentence "like the elders talking to their children" was changed to "like relatives talking in a harmonious family".I really hope to change it like this, is it allowed?Secondly, I am a very small person, and writing me too big scares me a little!Sincerely Comrades gift! Peng Dehuai March 28 Ba Jin was very moved.He didn't expect Peng Dehuai to be so humble and open-minded.He knew that Peng Dehuai's opinion was correct, so he immediately revised his article. "I want to cheer up, and I must use the limited time of the survivors to do something for the readers. I want to pick up the pen again and write about people and things I am familiar with," Ba Jin recalled when he was under the "dictatorship". It is because of this article titled "We Met Commander Peng Dehuai" that it has been questioned and made things difficult by the rebels countless times.During the Cultural Revolution, his manuscript of several thousand words was criticized by the rebels as a "big poisonous weed against the Party and socialism".A newspaper in Shanghai also published an article "Comment on a Counter-Revolutionary Collusion Between Peng Dehuai and Ba Jin", which was directly based on Ba Jin's "We Met with Commander Peng Dehuai". Some people even said that he was smearing for a right opportunist and counter-revolutionary revisionist!After the dark clouds cleared away, Ba Jin suddenly felt that the manuscript he wrote on the battlefield was a kind of pride!Isn't it a kind of pride for him to be honored to sing praises to a contemporary hero like Peng Dehuai? It was also among the confiscated items that were returned that Ba Jin saw the novel "Three Comrades" written by him when he returned from North Korea.This is undoubtedly a work from real life, which is an advanced model that Ba Jin discovered from countless group portraits of volunteer soldiers in the process of interviewing and "deepening into life" in the Korean battlefield. After returning to Shanghai from North Korea, he spent a month writing the "Three Comrades" with his pen and tears.However, because his social activities were too busy on the eve of the "Cultural Revolution", he never had time to polish and modify it.Thus, "Three Comrades" was never published.Now, Ba Jin re-read the "Three Comrades" which was not lost after all the catastrophes, and he suddenly felt that he should thank the young Red Guards who came to search the house.Without their protection, he might have burned such manuscripts in the "Cultural Revolution".And "Three Comrades" survived the catastrophe, which is really a blessing in misfortune!