Chapter 11 Chapter nine

Mr. Ann no longer lives at 125 William Street.That nostalgic German-style house has now become the Qingpu City Federation of Trade Unions.Mr. An is the chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions, and he works in it, but he doesn't live in it.Mr. An is currently living in the consulate area on Mary Road, which is also a small western-style building, which is quite elegant.Zheng Shaobai wanted to visit No. 125, so his husband took him there and asked him to make a phone call with the Daxing Spinning Mill trade union in the office of the Federation of Trade Unions. At the labor union of Daxing Spinning Mill, Liu Chengzhu, who answered the phone, knew Zheng Shaobai.Zheng Shaobai didn't believe it at first, Mr. An immediately took the phone, hehe smiled, and asked Liu Chengzhu to come to No. 125 Federation of Trade Unions.Liu Chengzhu came over immediately, and the two former Communists met again.As soon as they met, Liu Chengzhu said to Zheng Shaobai emotionally: Mr. An is a rare kind man, the most friendly one!Mr. An protected many friends from the Communist Party in Qingpu City back then, and some of them were entrusted with important tasks. Like him, he is now the chairman of the trade union of Daxing Spinning Mill.

Zheng Shaobai was relieved, and dispelled the last bit of doubt about Mr. An.Mr. An obviously had no malicious intentions. He brought him to Qingpu just to protect him, just like protecting Liu Chengzhu and the others when the party was cleared.The third brother Wang Shousong must have misunderstood Mr. An because he did not understand Mr. An and believed in the instigation of the bad guys. The victory of the National Revolution brought great changes to Qingpu industry.Trade union organizations, which were previously unacceptable to the reactionary warlord government, are now legalized.The blue sky, white sun, and red revolutionary banner authoritatively supported trade unions at all levels representing labor interests.Many of the backbones of the labor movement back then are now in their proper place, fulfilling their duty to safeguard the interests of workers.Isn't this exactly what he and the labor brothers dreamed of back then?Today, he can sit with Mr. An in the office of the Federation of Trade Unions at 125 William Street, shouldn't he be content?

Zheng Shaobai felt ashamed, suddenly felt that he was too ignorant and superficial, facing Liu Chengzhu who was beaming and talking non-stop, he seemed stupid and speechless.Later, Liu Chengzhu left, and the husband said, the room is too stuffy, let's go out for a walk.Zheng Shaobai agreed, and the husband asked his subordinates to arrange a car to accompany him to Huaying Mountain in the western suburbs. The car left the city and drove on the yellow mud road leading to Huaying Mountain. Zheng Shaobai remembered He Gongcheng in time, and asked Mr. An: "Mr. An, we... are we here... are we going to see Lao He?"

The gentleman nodded sadly, looked at the autumn scenery outside the window, and said with emotion: "Yes, go and see He Gongcheng, this labor brother died heroically! He died for us, for you, for me, for today The success of the National Revolution. After the victory of the Northern Expedition, I submitted a report, and the National Government issued an order to commend him and recognize him as a martyr. In the autumn of 2018, the Qingpu City Federation of Trade Unions was established, and all walks of life in Qingpu held a grand memorial ceremony for him and built a martyr mausoleum. Bury his loyal bones. I presided over the repair of the mausoleum, and the labor unions of various factories and many workers also donated money..."

Zheng Shaobai murmured: "Should be! Should be! If Lao He knew the truth, he would... be able to rest in peace." The gentleman continued: "The government and this party will never forget those labor brothers who sacrificed their lives for the success of the national revolution. The government and this party will not forget young friends like you who bravely joined the national movement. In the spring of 2017, I Participating in the purge of the party, one motive is to protect some labor friends like you! You know, there are many people like Zhang Xuzhao in our party. They don’t understand history and don’t know how to respect the feelings of labor brothers. It’s just nonsense! I have to stop them! That Zhang Xuzhao, I’ve reprimanded him many times! He’s very flawed, he’s so extravagant and flashy. Liu Chengzhu from Daxing Factory clearly wrote a book of repentance and self-rehabilitation, so why are he still arrested! He got caught, thinking of paying off! I slapped the table and scolded him at that time!"

Zheng Shaobai said sincerely: "Sir, you are really a good man! This time, if you didn't come to Weifeng personally, I am afraid that my life will also be buried in the hands of that surname Zhang!" Mr. shook his head and sighed: "Don't say it, I'm sad. I really didn't expect Zhang Xuzhao to torture you so viciously. The government has abolished corporal punishment. Seriously speaking, he violated the law by doing this! Blame me, if I knew this earlier, I shouldn’t have told him about your joining the Communist Party in Qingpu. I should have picked you up earlier!”

Zheng Shaobai couldn't help being influenced by Mr. An. For the first time, the idea of ​​rebelling against the party became words, and he uttered it from his mouth: "Mr. An, actually, I... I regret it now! At the beginning, I... If I I joined the Kuomintang on your side, sir, I am afraid that there will be no disaster like Weifeng. Sir, I... I will also write a book of repentance. Let me tell you, sir, you...you write it for me, Okay?" The husband patted him on the shoulder: "This is just a matter of formalities. It doesn't matter whether you write it or not! You just need to recognize the overall situation in the future, stop getting involved with the Communists, and stop engaging in counter-revolutionary activities! Besides, you My brother is illiterate, so I don’t think there is any need to go through this procedure! Oh, the Mausoleum of the Martyrs is here, let’s get out of the car!”

Zheng Shaobai and Mr. An got out of the car, walked up the hill slowly, and gradually saw the octagonal pavilion dotted among the pines and cypresses, the round mound and the tall tombstone in front of the mound.Zheng Shaobai never dreamed at that time that forty years later he would chip away at this tombstone with his own hands and end his life under a black locust tree next to the grave.At that time, the black locust tree that determined his life may have been very small, or it may not have grown at all.All he saw were small pines as tall as half a person. The small pines were centered on the mausoleum and covered half of the hillside. Looking from a distance, they looked like a group of human heads standing silently.

There were no cracks in the cement tombs at that time, and weeds had not yet rampant to the point of madness.The octagonal pavilion is brand new, with shiny red paint on the wooden pillars.The tombstone is white, not as mottled and black as it was 40 years later. On the front of the monument are engraved in big blue characters "Tomb of the Martyr He Gongcheng" and "Qingpu City Party Headquarters of the Chinese Kuomintang and Qingpu City Federation of Trade Unions Respectful Li". Fine print.Behind the stele is an introduction about He Gongcheng's life experience and his deeds of righteousness and righteousness. There are still two wreaths scattered by the rain in front of the tomb.

Zheng Shaobai called out He Gongcheng's name, knelt softly in front of the tombstone, and kowtowed three times to the resting place of the laborer brother who had participated in the revolution like him, with tears streaming down his face in the dead grass of late autumn. The master said: "...Brother Shaobai, don't be sad, the past is over. He Gongcheng has done justice! His spirit of loyalty and bravery will last forever, just like this Huaying Mountain, and will never be seen again. It will disappear! The reactionary warlords and the dark era they represent will disappear forever! Today, Prime Minister Sun’s Three People’s Principles are practiced in the world, and light and morality are practiced in the world. This is exactly what we can comfort the martyrs!"

Yes sir is right.Zheng Shaobai stood up silently, wiped away the tears on his face, walked behind the tombstone with his husband, and listened to his husband read the inscription to him.As the husband read it, his eyes were red and tears rolled down.Afraid that he would see it, Mr. quietly turned his back, took off his glasses, and wiped his eyes with his sleeve.But Zheng Shaobai saw it all, and felt an unspeakable sadness in his heart, unable to tell what it was like.Later, he and his husband sat on the rock behind the mausoleum and looked at the sea.The teacher pointed to the distant sea and gave him a profound inspiration. Mr. said: "...the sea will never die, the earth will never die, and everyone's body is doomed to die. This is an infinite sorrow for everyone's life. But people It is always necessary to conquer the sea and the land. Conquest is construction. If a person’s limited life is built into the revolutionary cause of national prosperity and national progress, the individual will be immortal. The prime minister’s will said: The revolution has not yet succeeded, and comrades still have to work hard .Today is the time when we need to work hard. In the past, if the emperor and warlords could not do well, we would knock them down, and we would do it. The direction of progress represents the righteousness of heaven and earth, and the conscience of the whole nation..." The gentleman is still as eloquent and impassioned as he was six years ago.Zheng Shaobai is still as convinced and revered as he was six years ago.He listened carefully, even if he didn't understand, he listened devoutly, his head nodding frequently. What is there to say to such a trustworthy gentleman?Zheng Shaobai talked about it, and told his husband about his experience and thoughts after Weifeng was released from prison—although the husband didn't ask directly.He didn't want to betray Third Brother Wang either, he only sold Old Tan who was pulling the rickshaw, saying that Old Tan was a hard-hearted Communist Party, but Third Brother Wang was not.It is said that Brother Wang was as confused as he was when he joined the Communist Party, and he must have been deceived to participate in Communist Party activities in Weifeng... Mr. is fully convinced.Mr. is this kind of person. Others trust him, and he trusts others.The husband said with deep regret: This is also a kind of sorrow for the labor brothers. Because of their ignorance, they are always fooled by the Communists, and they are coerced and blinded to engage in anti-government and counter-revolutionary activities.It was very painful and sad for Mr. to say this. Three days later, Mr. An released him. Three days later, Wang Shousong and Lao Tan were arrested in Weifeng. Lao Tan was tortured, but he confessed to the Weifeng underground county committee of the Communist Party of China. County Party Secretary Guo Yunsheng and four others were not harmed because they retreated in time, but Wang Shousong, who was arrested with Lao Tan, was executed. Zheng Shaobai didn't know these things at first, until his wife Ye Chunlan came to Qingpu to find him and told him, Zheng Shaobai suddenly woke up.Zheng Shaobai rushed to the City Federation of Trade Unions at No. 125 William Street on the same day, found Mr. An, and asked Mr. An what was going on?How could his third brother Wang Shousong be killed? The husband sighed and said: "...I really didn't expect that Wang Shousong would be so stubborn! It seems that this person is too poisoned by the CCP. There is no way, really no way!" "Then you...kill him? He...he is my...great benefactor! You...why are you so unfaithful?" Mr. said: "Brother Shaobai, it's not that I'm disloyal or unjust. You know, I value loyalty the most. However, this loyalty is first of all loyalty to the party and country! This righteousness is first of all righteousness to the party and country! Like you and Liu Chengzhu I will protect the labor brothers when they know their way back, and if they are stubborn, stick to the Communist Party’s position, and endanger the national system, then they can’t stay!” Zheng Shaobai was dumbfounded.He never thought of this level at all, never thought that Brother Wang would be "recalcitrant"! The gentleman shook his head and said, "Shaobai, you can't blame me, and you can't blame Weifeng. If Wang Shousong has repented and reformed himself, but the government still kills him, then it's the government's fault. The problem is: he didn't repent. New!" Zheng Shaobai was angry and hated, but he was speechless. The husband was still very kind, and stretched out his white hand to pat him on the shoulder. He only let the gentleman pat him once, and then avoided it in time. The gentleman is not as knowledgeable as him, so he smiled bitterly and said: "Okay, Shaobai, don't mention this matter, this is over, you can go back to Dongfang Locomotive Factory to work at ease, I have told the labor union of the factory, I can arrange You! What about Weifeng, you must not go there again, if you go there again, I will not be responsible for any troubles!" Zheng Shaobai rolled his eyelids: "Why?" The gentleman said: "Weifeng Zhangxuzhao, they will not let you go, they still want to send you to prison, so that they can claim credit from above. They didn't let the old Tan who had already pleaded guilty, and sent him to the Provincial Reflection Institute I went, they asked me for you several times, and I pushed back." Zheng Shaobai was startled: "Then...then I will be safe in Qingpu?" The husband nodded: "With me here, none of them dare to touch you. However, for your consideration, you have to come to me less in the future, and you can't tell anyone about your repentance, understand? Otherwise, the remnants of the Communist Party in Qingpu will not let you go easily, and may let you die for Wang Shousong! Brother, you are too naive, you don’t know what politics is, how cruel it is, I don’t I have the heart to hurt you, really!" Zheng Shaobai held back for a long time, and finally said what he thought was the most powerful words: "I... I will never come to you again!" After finishing speaking, Zheng Shaobai turned around and left, never looking back once he left. Since then, Zheng Shaobai has never boarded the gate of 125 William Street.125 William Street, along with its history, is overwhelmed by the humiliating memory of a betrayal.Whenever Zheng Shaobai thinks of No. 125, the pockmarked face of Wang Shousong's third brother will appear in front of Zheng Shaobai, the sound of execution guns will sound in his ears, and the bloody smell mixed with gunpowder smoke will waft from his nose...