Chapter 26 Chapter 23 Yichang

After obtaining the certificate of going east to Yichang, Li Hanzhang considered how to act.Fuling is on the banks of the Yangtze River, and Yichang is also on the banks of the Yangtze River. Traveling by water is an inevitable choice, and there is nothing to hesitate about this.What Li Hanzhang is not sure about for the time being is which boat is safer to take. Growing up in Chaotianmen Wharf in Chongqing, Li Hanzhang knew Chuanjiang very well.The first port of Chuanjiang is Chongqing.Sichuan has many brooks and rivers, and most of them eventually flow into the Yangtze River and pass through Chongqing.When Li Hanzhang was young, he was often held by his grandfather along the river bank from Linjiang Gate to Qiansi Gate, and then from Wanglong Gate to Nanji Gate, and showed the boats on the river: the long Suo Suo came from Fuxi River in Zigong. the salt boats; the ones with pointed heads and loose tails are bamboo boats from Luxian County and Yibin that carry wine baskets; Ships loaded with coal...

In the early years, there were many miscellaneous small shipping companies on the Chuanjiang River, but none of them were scaled.Later, Lu Zuofu's Minsheng Company first became small and then large, first commercial and then military, and first China and then overseas, and gradually became the leader of Sichuan Airlines. It also opened a special Yi-Chongqing line between Chongqing and Yichang.However, if you really take the Minsheng ship, you have to go from Fuling to Chongqing first, and then set sail from Chongqing to Yichang.Li Hanzhang is very reluctant to think of the word "Chongqing" now, not to mention that the Communist Party has deployed heavy troops in Chongqing, and the police are all over the streets. Those who boarded the ship in Chongqing are enough for Li Hanzhang to worry about: from 1939 He moved to Chongqing with the headquarters of the Central Unification Bureau in 1999. He stayed here for 10 years. Although he went to the anti-Japanese front line and went to Myanmar for inspections during the period, they were all temporary tasks. After the Anti-Japanese War, most of his direct conflicts with the Communist Party occurred. in Chongqing.There are many and mixed people going up and down Chaotianmen every day. If you meet one or two people you know, you may not be able to leave.

If you don't take the big boat of the people's livelihood, you can only take the wooden boat of the Dan Gang.This kind of boat is not as safe as a big boat, secondly, not as comfortable as a big boat, and thirdly, not as fast as a big boat.However, since these wooden boats can drink soup while the people eat meat, it means that wooden boats are still necessary: ​​although it is said that they are not as safe as big boats, there are still very few wooden boats that have accidents; although they are not as comfortable as big boats, they are comfortable Most of them are rich people, they can buy a bed to sleep all the way, but don't those who have no money sit all the way there?Although it is not as fast as a big ship, as long as the house is not set on fire and Niu Rolling Cliff, what does it matter if it is a few days earlier or later?

After much deliberation, Li Hanzhang thought it was best to take a wooden boat from Fuling to Yichang.Just in time, two brothers, Dafu and Dagui, who often go to the mustard factory to haul goods, want to transport fifty jars of mustard to Yichang. Hearing that Li Hanzhang wanted to take a boat, he agreed to help: "It's a small matter, what's the big deal? I won't talk about the boat fee." , just pay for food.” At this time, Li Hanzhang was a "monopoly" with tens of millions of yuan in his pocket. What he cared about was not money, but how he could get to Guangdong earlier and then go to Hong Kong from there.So, when he heard that the two brothers were willing to help, he was very happy, and hurriedly said: "We depend on the two brothers for this journey, why don't you pay for the boat? You will!"

Dagui said to Li Hanzhang: "Brother Zhang is out. Go back and bring your luggage. You will spend the night on the boat tonight. We will sail before dawn tomorrow." That's it.After Li Hanzhang broke up with Dafu and Dagui brothers, he first went to a grocery store at the corner of the street to buy a few packs of cigarettes, then turned a few streets and bought ten yuan of dried tofu, eight catties of beef and five catties of liquor at a roast meat shop, and then Back at Shuangjiangkou mustard factory, packed up my luggage, and bid farewell to all the workers. When we came to the riverside, there were densely packed wooden boats, and Li Hanzhang was looking for rich and powerful while carrying his luggage.

"Brother Zhang, here!" Hearing someone calling, Li Hanzhang hurriedly followed the voice, and saw Da Fu standing on the bow of a hemp seedling boat waving to him from a distance. "Come on, come on!" Li Hanzhang ran over in three steps at a time. This Mayangzi boat has a flat bow, a warped tail, and a big belly. Because it is loaded with a lot and has good stability, it is the most common wooden boat on the Sichuan River.Dafu led Li Hanzhang into the door of the head warehouse, pointed to several wooden boxes next to him and said, "Brother Zhang, I wrong you to rest here." Then he pointed to a family of four next to him and said, "This is Boss Tian, ​​where do you live?" Together, we will be taken care of along the way."

"That's that, that's the same boat after a hundred years of cultivation." Li Hanzhang sent Dafu away, and greeted Boss Tian while making the bed. Boss Tian was also a straightforward person, and introduced to Li Hanzhang: "My name is Tian Yongqing, and this is my wife, also surnamed Zhang, named Zhang Xiaofeng. This one running around is my eldest son Yuanwa, and the mother-in-law is holding my youngest son Jianwa." "Boss Tian is so lucky." Li Hanzhang glanced at the family of four, and suddenly thought of Sufen and Kezhen.Thinking of Sufen's mother and son, he secretly prayed in his heart, hoping that he could escape smoothly this trip and reunite with their mother and son sooner.

Just as he was thinking about it, Tian Wenqing's eldest son stood at Li Hanzhang's feet and asked him, "Why did you choose the surname Zhang?" Seeing that he was only four or five years old, Li Hanzhang knew that Tong Yan had no taboo, so he also asked him, "Why can't my surname be Zhang?" "My mother's surname is already Zhang, and you are not allowed to be surnamed Zhang later." Everyone on board laughed. Li Hanzhang teased him, "What's your last name?" "My surname is Tian." "What's your brother's name?"

"My younger brother is also surnamed Tian." "That's right, your surname is Tian, ​​and your brother's surname is also Tian. I am your mother's younger brother, so your mother's surname is Zhang, and I am also surnamed Zhang." "Is it true?" Yuanwa looked back at her father and then at her mother. Boss Tian and his wife didn't know how to answer, so they just laughed and said nothing. Li Hanzhang made the bed, got off the wooden box, picked up his bag and was about to go out, Yuanwa grabbed him and asked, "Are you really my mother's younger brother?"

Li Hanzhang bent down and took his hand and said, "Of course, you call me uncle and see if I agree." Yuanwa then shouted: "Uncle!" Li Hanzhang agreed: "Hey!" Yuanwa called "Uncle" again, and Li Hanzhang agreed "Hey"... Shouting and agreeing, Li Hanzhang came to the bow of the boat, Li Hanzhang unpacked his bag, took out cigarettes and gave them to the boatmen, Dafu and Dagui, and agreed that in the evening he would Please eat meat and drink. After being courteous to each other, Li Hanzhang set out the marinated tofu, beef and wine he had bought, first invited the rich and rich to sit down, and then took Yuanwa to invite Boss Tian's family: "Since Yuanwa called me Uncle, we are not outsiders, let's have a meal together." Boss Tian stood up and left without saying a word.But Zhang Xiaofeng seemed to know about the boats on the Chuan River, and he was afraid of women going to the bow, but shyly hugged the baby in his arms, presuming that he was afraid of the strong wind outside, and the little baby would catch a cold.

Li Hanzhang was stunned for a moment, didn't say anything, went out and chose some, and asked Yuanwa to take it in for her mother, and then everyone officially started eating.They are all people who run the rivers and lakes, and they are not restrained. They talk about the young daughter-in-law of the Dong family and the eldest girl of the Xi family in terms of the beautiful scenery of the river, and they laugh constantly.Li Hanzhang doesn't drink alcohol, but drinks water bowl by bowl.The color of water is the same as the color of wine. Everyone knows that each has its own difficulties and particularities, so we don't ask or force it. Although it was already summer, the wind was blowing in the middle of the night, and it was still a bit chilly. Everyone had enough food and drink, and each went back to rest.Dafu Dagui and Roegong are both veterans of the rivers and lakes. They drank so happily that they just fell asleep; Li Hanzhang didn’t drink, so of course he was very sober; Yiji, afraid of accidents, saw that the people on board were so kind to his family, he had mixed feelings, he ate less, drank more, and talked a lot, everyone got up, and he even pulled Li Hanzhang to talk. "Boss Tian, ​​it's cold outside, let's go in and talk." Li Hanzhang carried Boss Tian into the cabin.Both Zhang Xiaofeng and the two children were in a deep sleep, they didn't even move when they came in.Li Hanzhang wanted to help Boss Tian inside, but Boss Tian leaned against the boxes at the cabin door, patted Li Hanzhang's "bed" and said, "Brother, sit here for a while, and then talk." Li Hanzhang had no choice but to help Boss Tian onto his bed, leaning against him, and the two sat side by side.Boss Tian didn't look at Li Hanzhang either. He blushed and stiffened his neck and said, "When I was hiding from the Japanese, my family and I got separated and wandered all the way. We got rides in cars and boats, and we haven't seen any of them until now." I’ve been back, and I don’t know if my parents are still alive... Brother Zhang, I’m not filial!” Li Hanzhang looked at this man and thought, he called himself a brother, but in fact he might not be older than his real age.Of all the sons in the world, who would not want to be a filial son if there is a way?Not to mention the kindness of parents' upbringing, there is still my son watching in front of me, the water dripping from the eaves of the old nest, the younger generation is looking at the older generation!So he comforted him: "You were alone when you came out, but now there are four of you when you go back. Uncle and aunt saw how happy they are." Boss Tian laughed "haha" when he heard this, looked at his wife and children and said, "That's right, that's right. Xiaofeng is from Daxian County. She and her sister escaped famine in the late period of the War of Resistance. We I helped others unload goods on the wharf in Chongqing. Later, I met a ship owner in Gucheng, who transported goods along the Jialing River to Chongqing, and then took the ferry to Shanghai. Xiaofeng and I carried Baoning vinegar for him, and we got to know each other after a long time. , Xiaofeng's sister got married, so we took that man's boat along the Jialing River to the ancient city, and opened a small shop in Xihe Town. Xihe is such a good place, with a lot of products and kind people. Brother, I really can't bear it let's go." "No wonder she didn't go on the bow of the boat just now. She has seen the world on the pier and understands the rules." Li Hanzhang unraveled the knot in his heart, and interjected intermittently, "Then why did you leave?" "I'm liberated, and I'm going to live a stable life. I miss the old people at home!" Boss Tian grabbed Li Hanzhang's hand and said, "Brother, the fallen leaves return to their roots, and the boat has to dock. Besides, what should I do with my son? I can't let them not know about me. Where are they from, whose descendants are they!" After Boss Tian said this, he slowly lowered his head and snored slightly after a while.But Li Hanzhang was awakened by his sentence "Falling leaves return to their roots, the boat must dock".He thought back to Boss Tian's words, recalling what he said about Xihe, he believed that Boss Tian was telling the truth, because although he had never been to Xihe, he had been to the ancient city and the Guanyin Temple in the ancient city, and in his heart , has been hiding a mystery that can't be figured out. After the Anti-Japanese War, he was ordered to send the ashes of General Cheng Hansong back to his hometown.General Cheng's hometown is in a mountain village called Guanyin Temple in the ancient city.When the team arrived at the ancient city, it was already afternoon, and it was impossible to arrive at the Guanyin Temple that day, so they settled down at the Shoushan Temple in the ancient city according to the arrangement of the general's wife.General Cheng is a famous person in the ancient city. His soul returned to his hometown. Many people from all walks of life came to express their condolences, and there were also many ordinary people watching the excitement. For safety reasons and to show his respect for General Cheng, Li Hanzhang personally led people to guard the spirit there. When the county magistrate organized all walks of life to mourn General Cheng, Mrs. Cheng did not show up in the backyard of Shoushan Temple.In the evening, the mourners dispersed, and Li Hanzhang was arranging for the soldiers to change guards to rest. Mrs. Cheng entered the front hall and took General Cheng's ashes away from the incense table. He was sad, she brought the coffin, and wanted to put the urn in the coffin and carry it back. When he set off the next day, General Cheng's coffin was sent to his hometown Guanyin Temple with great fanfare.Along with the coffin, there were soldiers led by Li Hanzhang, the county magistrate and government officials, and the elegiac couplet inscribed by President Jiang himself in Chongqing.The coffin was directly carried to the dug cemetery. Before the burial, General Cheng's octogenarian mother asked to take a last look at her son.Suddenly, Li Hanzhang's heart jumped out of his throat, but Mrs. Cheng held her left wrist which was entangled in white silk, and calmly ordered to open the coffin lid! The old lady threw herself on the coffin and called out, "My son!" and was hugged away immediately.At the moment when the museum opened, Li Hanzhang saw General Cheng lying in it—yes, the coffin was not an urn, but General Cheng himself!In astonishment, Li Hanzhang saw the coffin slowly fall to the bottom of the pit with earth-shattering cries. Until now, he couldn't figure out whether he was dazzled or something really happened.If it's just me being dazzled, what about other people?The old lady can't hide it, right?If so, what happened to the remains?So... is it really General Cheng's body? Li Hanzhang thought blankly: Even though he was only a colonel back then, he was considered majestic. Now that he looks like this, I am afraid that if he stands in front of those people, they will not recognize him. Looking at his calloused hands, Li Hanzhang could figure out what his face looked like without looking in the mirror.He sighed secretly. In the early morning of the next day, Li Hanzhang and Boss Tian's family were woken up by Dagui, who asked them to leave their luggage on the boat and get off first.Li Hanzhang is easy to manage, he can just jump down by himself, but Zhang Xiaofeng woke up Jianwa for some reason, the little guy "Baby" kept crying, Boss Tian drank it last night, and he couldn't even walk steadily. Got a doll?Li Hanzhang had no choice but to hold a child in one hand, and asked Zhang Xiaofeng to help Boss Tian get off the boat.Standing on the bank, Li Hanzhang could only see a thin layer of mist covering the surface of the river, and he couldn't see anything clearly.On the boat there was the sound of banging clappers and shouts from the boatmen. Yuanwa hugged Li Hanzhang's neck and asked, "Uncle, what are they doing?" "Catch the mouse." Li Hanzhang said in Yuanwa's ear. About half an hour later, Dagui greeted Li Hanzhang and the others to board the boat.Several people returned to the boat, had nothing to do, and fell asleep again.Li Hanzhang fell asleep and woke up. When he woke up, he found that Boss Tian's family was not in the warehouse. He hurriedly turned over and got out of bed, but saw that Boss Tian was already standing at the stern with his family to watch the scenery.Li Hanzhang looked back, and he couldn't even see the shadow of Fuling City across the mountains and rivers.Li Hanzhang was about to say hello to Boss Tian's family, when Dagui at the stern sang Chuanjiang chant—— It was early summer, and the wind from the river was refreshing.Dagui's "roar" echoed on the water in the mountains, as if he was taking people along the banks of the Sichuan River.Li Hanzhang often travels on this waterway, and he likes to hear these boatmen yelling the most.There are many kinds of boatman's chant. They all sing different tunes when the boat is on the level water, when it enters the dangerous shoal, and when it is on the water.The passage that Dagui is singing now is "Running Jianghu" that all the dolls on both sides of the river will sing.Every sentence of the lyrics entered his ears, and pictures appeared in front of Li Hanzhang immediately, reminding him of his childhood and the early years when he left Chongqing for Shanghai by boat... After looking at the scenery and listening to the chant, Li Hanzhang and Boss Tian set up a battle.However, after talking about it, the topic finally turned to Qinglong Town. "Get on the boat from Chongqing and go up the Jialing River. The nearest wharf to the ancient city is Qinglong Town. There is the largest market in the southeast of the ancient city. There are many people coming and going. You can support your family by opening a shop. Ting Street The people on the street said that there were not so many people in Qinglong Town before. After the Japanese planes bombed the ancient city, many city people went to the countryside, and Qinglong Town had the most people. The one next door to me used to buy rice in Guancaiyuan, and the Japanese planes were the first. When they came to bomb the ancient city for the first time, they came to Qinglong Town to rent a house to sell beef and mutton. Later, after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, they returned the house to Uncle Li and went back to the ancient city.” Boss Tian said looking at Jiang Shui. "Then why don't you go directly from the ancient city to Chongqing, and then back to Yichang from Chongqing? Are you going to come to Fuling for a walk?" Li Hanzhang wanted to ask this question yesterday, but he just met at that time, and he was not familiar with him, so he couldn't ask. exit. "Her sister is here. At that time, the two sisters were helping people move goods for a living at Chaotianmen Wharf. My sister and I got married, and my sister found a boatman in Fuling. Now we are going back to Yichang, and we don't know in this life. Can we see you again, or say hello before we leave." Boss Tian looked at Zhang Xiaofeng and his two sons, shook his head and said, "I can take care of one end, but not the other. It's so hard to live a lifetime." Talking all the way, not long after, the boat arrived at Fengdu Wharf.Dafu asked Li Hanzhang and Boss Tian: "I'm going to go ashore to buy some watercress and stinky tofu as food on the road. Do you want to play around?" Boss Tian shook his head and said, "I'm not going, the two children are on the boat, I'm afraid she won't be able to see it alone, and it will be bad if she falls into the water." "I'll go. I'll eat enough for one person and the whole family won't be hungry. Wherever I go, it's just a matter of lifting my butt." Li Hanzhang thought for a while, stood up and said. The two got off the boat, went ashore, and arrived in Fengdu City.It was the day of rushing to the market, and the people in the street were crowded with farts and hiccups.Dafu asked Li Hanzhang: "Are you going shopping with me, or going around by yourself?" Li Hanzhang looked at the crowded crowd and said, "Forget it, I'll wait for you here." Dafu agreed, and was immediately sucked into the flow of people, like raindrops into the Yangtze River.Li Hanzhang looked around and found that not far away, many children were squatting on the side of the road watching an old man pouring sugar.He smiled and walked over to see it too.The old man who pours sugar seems to have a very good handicraft. He holds a spoon in one hand and pours sugar juice evenly on the marble slab. Shovel up the sugar figurine with a special small shovel, and with just a few clicks, a lifelike sugar figurine becomes.After a while, the old man sold one "Wu Song", two "Zhang Fei", three "dragons", one "phoenix", one "cow" and one "horse". Li Hanzhang stared blankly, thinking that when he was a child, he had bought such sugar figurines on the streets of Chongqing, and was envious of how they made them come alive with just a few shakes.Later, when I grew up, I began to want to be a "promising" person. I couldn't tolerate these artists anymore in my eyes and hearts, and I didn't even want to waste the time of looking at them.However, over the past few decades, what "does" have I made?Artists are still pouring sugar people on the street, and they are still those sugar people, but the children who come to buy them have changed one after another, that is to say, these sugar people have brought happiness to people after crops .What about yourself?Who have you made happy in your life?Family members far away in Hong Kong?Is the superior in Taiwan far away?Or have died tragically, or colleagues and friends whose whereabouts are unknown? Li Hanzhang was thinking silently when a boy next to him pulled his sleeve and said, "Uncle, do you want to buy it? If you don't buy it, get out of the way. You stand here and cover us." Li Hanzhang said "Oh" and stood back embarrassedly.Almost all children like sugar figurines, but not all children can afford sugar figurines. The greatest pleasure for those children without money is to watch one thing change into another in the hands of the artist, and is something they like.They like it, Yuanwa and Jianwa must like it too, right?Li Hanzhang wants to buy one for each of his two children.But what to buy?Both children were born in the ancient city. The ancient city was the place Zhang Fei guarded during his lifetime. Later, he died and was buried there. People in the ancient city regard Zhang Fei as their patron saint, so buy two "Zhang Fei "Bar.I decided to buy it, but I didn't dare to ask the master to do it immediately.Sugar figurines are brittle and not exposed to the sun, they will break when touched, and they will melt at the slightest temperature.No matter how beautiful the sugar man is, the joy and happiness it can bring to people are short-lived and will melt away soon after all.Looking back at the life I have experienced for more than 30 years, how many "sugar people" have melted! The weather was a bit hot, Li Hanzhang was secretly expressing emotion, while going to a tea shop by the roadside to take a rest, ordered a bowl of tea, drank it slowly, and listened to people's battles. In the tea shop, a tall tea customer was asking another tea customer: "Cao Mazi, I heard that you came back after making meritorious service?" "Yes, first-class merit." The man named Cao Mazi stared and said, "You don't believe it?" "Yes, I remember that you were arrested many years ago and went to eat the military rations of the Kuomintang. It would be good if you didn't get hit by the PLA. Why did you make meritorious service?" The tall man leaned on the bamboo chair, shaking his legs and asked. . "You know, when I was eighteen years old, I ran to the mountains to hide for fear of being arrested. One day, I was so hungry that I ran down the mountain to find something to eat after dark. Alright, the chief security officer brought me with him and kidnapped me. First we fought the Japanese, then we fought against the People’s Liberation Army, and then our whole regiment surrendered. Do you understand surrender?” Cao Mazi asked lying on the table. Li Hanzhang knew that the soldier might not recognize him, but he was still extra careful, holding up the tea bowl to cover half of his face. The tall man shook his legs and said, "Do you think I'm a fool? Surrendering is an uprising." "There was an uprising, and our army changed its designation and became a member of the four fields who fought all the way from the northeast. Afterwards, we drove to Guangdong. Why did you tear off the collar badge, cap badge, or the same clothes? Once we became the People's Liberation Army, we fought I won’t be afraid of death if we start a war? Three days, you know? Canton City was taken in three days! Then, we drove to Bao’an, in the area from Dapeng Bay to Chiwan, to deal with the bandits coming from Hong Kong Te, also intercepted the bandits who fled to Hong Kong. Hey! You don’t understand what I’m showing you. That’s where I made my contribution.” Cao Mazi took a sip of his tea and acted like a fool. . "Why did you do meritorious deeds? Just listen. I don't believe it, but you can do meritorious deeds." The tall man stretched his long neck and asked Cao Mazi. "That day, when I was on duty, I saw three people, one fat and two thin. I saw that they didn't look like good people. As soon as I opened my mouth to check, one of the skinny people showed his feet. Do you know how I found out? The wind was strong, blowing The corner of his clothes was covered with the underwear of the national army. I was in the national army and knew the fabric. At that time, I concluded that Guizi was the national army who was going to flee to Hong Kong. I was about to ask, but I didn’t know that the skinny man had a guilty conscience , and ran away. I caught up with him along the Shenzhen River, and he tried to resist, so I beat him to death. This time, I made a contribution. Do you know? That fat man is the commander of the national army. I have made great contributions to arresting a military commander, first-class merit! But I was also injured. I was shot by that skinny man on the shoulder. This arm was crippled by the turtle son. After recovering from the injury, I will be demobilized I'm back." When Cao Mazi spoke, he shook his right arm, but did not lift it up. "Since you came back from meritorious service, why didn't you hear that you became an official?" The tall man still didn't believe it. "Originally, the organization asked me to be the minister of the township armed forces, but, as you know, I don't know a lot of Chinese characters. Wouldn't being that minister embarrass the party and the army?" Hearing what Cao Mazi said, the tall man put down his Erlang legs and gave Cao Mazi a thumbs up: "Cao Mazi, your brother is a man, I admire you brother. To be honest, I will ask someone to invite you to come here today." , I want to match you up." "Brother, don't lie to me. Brother, I'm in my thirties. I don't have any skills, I don't have any family property, and I have a mother to take care of me. How can any woman marry me?" None, stood up abruptly. "Who coaxed you? The person I'm talking about is my own sister!" ... Whether Cao Mazi agreed to the marriage proposal proposed by the tall man, Li Hanzhang was in no mood to listen.But Cao Mazi's words cast a shadow over his heart.Originally, I planned to go to Yichang, then try to go to Wuchang, and then try to take the Guangdong-Han Railway to Guangdong from there.When Cao Mazi talked about the Communist Army's defense between Bao'an, Guangdong and Hong Kong, he was at a loss. Just as he was figuring it out, from a distance, he saw Dafu approaching with his pockets in both hands. Li Hanzhang hurriedly paid for the tea, and went to the old man who poured sugar and said loudly: "Master, I want two Zhang Fei!" The children also cheered happily, shouting "Mr. Zhang", "Mr. Zhang", watching Li Hanzhang enviously holding the two Zhang Fei high and walking away with Dafu.Back on the boat, Li Hanzhang gave Yuanwa two "Zhang Fei" and asked him to give one to his younger brother.Yuanwa was very happy and shouted: "Thank you uncle, thank you uncle." It was when the water was rising, and the boat sailed fast, and they arrived at Wushan in the evening of the third day, and they parked the boat on the shore to rest.Li Hanzhang stood at the bow of the boat, looking at the city walls on the shore, thinking about what to do next after arriving in Yichang.After thinking for a while, feeling a little irritable, I returned to the cabin. Standing is boring, lying down can't sleep, Li Hanzhang has been in a mess since he heard Cao Mazi's dragon gate formation three days ago.At this moment, he stretched out his hand and touched something. He took it over and saw that it was a bunch of old newspapers. It was probably brought back by Dafu when he went ashore to pack things. It was useless, and was picked up by Yuanwa into the cabin. Li Hanzhang slowly unfolded the newspaper. Unexpectedly, the first thing he saw was a series of thick and black news headlines: The British government announces its recognition of New China!Take a look at the following content: "Today, the British government announced its recognition of the legal status of the newly-born Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China. At the same time, the United States affirmed that there would be no regular delay in claiming the new China... The Chinese government has clearly declared its disapproval of all unequal treaties in history. Admitting the position negates the legal basis for the UK to continue to rule Hong Kong. Our People's Liberation Army has also arrived on the north bank of the Shenzhen River. Although the UK has sent troops to reinforce Hong Kong since the second half of 1948, these actions do not have any substantive military significance .Although Britain is unwilling to lose Hong Kong, but it is unable to defend Hong Kong in the face of our liberation army, so it can only choose to maintain 'as friendly a relationship as possible' with the new Chinese government..." After carefully looking at the date, Li Hanzhang found that this was old news from January of the first year.This news shocked him even more than Cao Mazi's words.The United Kingdom has been showing favor to the Communist Party for almost half a year, so even if it escapes to Hong Kong, it is very likely that it is not safe.This news almost completely made Li Hanzhang give up, and he began to worry about his parents, wife and children far away in Hong Kong... Li Hanzhang rolled up the newspaper again, threw it away, and walked out of the cabin.He wanted to take advantage of the clear river breeze and the scenery along the coast to calm down his beating heart.However, in this Wushan gorge, Li Hanzhang could not see the clouds, the rain, nor the future. He could only see the waves on the bow of the boat and the unfathomable river water below the side of the boat... Dagui and Ronggong sang together, their singing sounds like a flying fish flying over the misty river, and like a monkey jumping out of a silent forest, making everything alive in an instant. Li Hanzhang's mind was interrupted by Dagui's singing, he listened to it, and his mood improved inexplicably.Looking at Boss Tian's family again, he can understand why women in ancient times "repented of teaching their husbands and sons-in-law to seek titles": these men who are down-to-earth and busy with the basic necessities of life for their wives and children have real temperaments and are real men.If I was born in an ordinary family, wouldn't I be the same as them now? Although life is hard, I have already lived the comfortable life of ordinary people that Zhou Yungang has been longing for?It's a pity that no matter whether it is going with the current or against the current, this wooden boat can go back and forth, but in this life, there is only one road that cannot be turned back... In this way, the wooden boat went non-stop for ten days, and finally a boat full of people arrived in Yichang. Li Hanzhang looked at this military fortress, which is located at the mouth of the Xiling Gorge of the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River. Moving westward into Sichuan, Yichang became a transshipment base for people and materials moving westward.He has read a document, which roughly states that “From November 1937 to June 1940, 1.1 million troops were transported from Yichang to the east, and 1.5 million people from institutions, schools, factories and refugees went to Sichuan from the west. , 290,000 transit passengers, 105 ships transferred to Chuanjiang, and 1.25 million tons of various materials rushed to Chongqing.After the fall of Wuhan, Yichang became the focus of competition between the Japanese army and the national army because of its important strategic position. Therefore, the damage suffered by Yichang in the Anti-Japanese War was unprecedented and devastating. In May 1946, the "Hubei Province Temporary According to the Minutes of the Senate Council, Yichang can be described as "the worst destruction, the highest in the country" in terms of the extent of the city's destruction.Li Hanzhang can see this just from the bumpy road under his feet.He let out a long sigh, and said in his heart: If the construction started after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, how could Yichang be like this now? When Dafu Dagui was about to deliver the goods, Li Hanzhang and Boss Tian's family disembarked at the pier.Boss Tian didn't want to stay longer in Yichang, so he had to find a car to go back to his hometown when he got on the pier.Since Li Hanzhang was an uncle all the way, he couldn't ignore it and was busy helping them find a car.As long as the car is coming, the people waiting next to it will squeeze up like a dog chasing it.After Li Hanzhang and Boss Tian pushed Zhang Xiaofeng's mother and son into the car, the car had already started. Fortunately, Li Hanzhang was behind. Seeing the car staggering away, Li Hanzhang clapped his hands, and was about to leave, but found that the car had stopped again, and hurried up to ask, only to find out that the car they were in was dilapidated, and they left within a few steps not moving.Then, everyone in the cart got off, women and children stood by and followed, and all the men came to push the cart.Li Hanzhang joined in, replaced Boss Tian, ​​and asked him to follow the car door with his wife and children.After being bombed, the road was full of potholes. After pushing for a while, the car finally started again.The car door opened, and this time, Li Hanzhang saw Boss Tian's family and went up easily. After standing still and watching the car go far away and turn around the corner, Li Hanzhang turned around and planned to find a small inn near the steamship company to stay and see the situation in Yichang before making further plans. Early the next morning, Li Hanzhang, who had been thinking all night, arrived at the steamship company and looked around the shore, trying to find someone to find out if there was a ship bound for Wuhan. The chaos on the pier is not the same as the chaos in the vegetable market.There are not only the shouting and running of men and women, but also the shouting and running of horses and dogs, the sound of all kinds of goods falling to the ground, and the roar of various machines... However, the more crowded the more chaotic, Li Hanzhang's heart The more down-to-earth, because at such a time, everyone is busy with the things under their noses, who has the leisure and ability to care about other people? Li Hanzhang was squeezing forward leisurely, when suddenly, he heard a sharp, crisp, overwhelming voice, "Boom——huala", "Boom——huala"... That was the sound of iron chains hitting iron plates! The pier suddenly fell silent, and everyone's eyes were attracted by the sound.Li Hanzhang was tall, so he could see without tiptoeing that a large group of People's Liberation Army and police guarded five or six people, and they were walking towards him from a small motorboat.Those five or six people were handcuffed and their feet shackled, and the sound that people heard was the chains being dragged on the barn board. With so many people in custody and wearing shackles, they must be criminals.Li Hanzhang knew that generally long-distance escorted prisoners, as long as they are not repeat offenders, will not wear shackles, at most they will be handcuffed.So, I stood closer to the front, wanting to see what happened. Seeing this, Li Hanzhang was shocked—he knew at least three of the people who came here! The man in the beige police uniform with a small pistol slung over his shoulder was actually Zhang Zhenzhong who had interrogated himself in the Anle Temple Market in Chengdu more than half a year ago, and finally sent himself to the Yiguan Temple study class!Among those who were escorted, two were Wang Jinpeng and Jiang Shengyuan, the commanders of the East and West Mountain Independent Guerrilla Columns who were personally appointed by Yang Sen to Dazu. Before they approached, Li Hanzhang turned around and shrank into the crowd, turning his face sideways at the same time, never daring to look at those people again!Just squeezed a few steps back, I heard Zhang Zhenzhong whispering: "Liu Lianchang, this journey from Guangdong is by railway and ship. The comrades in the army have worked very hard. Let's go ashore here and rest for a day. Tomorrow, go up the river to Chongqing. When we transfer from Chongqing to Chengdu by land, your mission will be considered complete. These people are all serious offenders. When they landed, there are many people with mixed eyes, so we have to be more careful!" Li Hanzhang glanced out of the corner of his eye, and he saw that Company Commander Liu was saying to Zhang Zhenzhong: "Deputy Director Zhang, we are a family, so don't be polite. These bandits, although they used to be vicious, once caught, they will be a bear. To deal with them, My comrades-in-arms and I are very experienced. Besides, Wang Jinpeng and Jiang Shengyuan put together a gang of mobs, ran from Dazu and Yongchuan all the way to Pengxian and Guanxian, burning, killing and looting. Enough robbing, killing so many people, and trying to escape to Hong Kong! My hometown is in Peng County, and he harmed my folks and elders. Don’t worry, I will never take them lightly!" "Okay! Then let's go ashore. Comrades, be vigilant and pay attention to all abnormal situations!" Zhang Zhenzhong waved to several policemen in beige police uniforms. After speaking, he walked in front of the team and looked at Li Hanzhang They are a bunch of people coming! "Scatter, scatter! Folks, please scatter quickly, don't watch!" A few PLA soldiers ran to the front to open the way, and the onlookers quickly opened a wide passage and split into two piles on the bank. They were still huddling together, pointing fingers at those who were detained. 李涵章借着人流分离的机会，赶紧往人群外面挤，但看热闹的人顶着他，根本走不脱，只好尽可能地哈着腰，侧过脸，装作找人的样子，不把正脸给张振中他们。然而，在张振中走过他们这堆人面前的时候，他还是觉得脸上被一道刺过来的目光，划了一下！ 从张振中和刘连长的对话里，李涵章觉得，王金鹏和姜生元他们很有可能是因为从广东企图出境到香港而被抓，然后从广州一路被押解过来的。再联想起几天前在丰都听到曹麻子摆的龙门阵，还有那张旧报纸上的消息，李涵章随即得出结论：广东那边风声太紧，绝不能去！ 随着“咣啷——哗啦”的声音远去，码头上很快又变得乱哄哄一片。李涵章赶紧从逐渐散去的人群里挤出来，直接就往客栈赶。 路上，几个散兵横着从李涵章身边经过，把李涵章逼到街边，差点撞倒了一个卖踏豆饼的小摊儿。摊主是位老大爷，看到散兵们走远，朝着他们后背吐了一口唾沫，骂道：“拿着遣散费不回家，在外面吃喝嫖赌，把钱用完了就去偷去抢，真是狗改不了吃屎！可惜了那些遣散费，不如全把他们关起来劳动改造。” 李涵章想不明白一个摆小摊儿的老大爷怎么能说出这番话，直盯着老大爷。老大爷脾气暴躁，看到李涵章的样子好像不相信自己刚才说的话，撇着嘴说：“你是外乡人吧？离那些烂皮远些。我有个远房侄儿就是这个样子。抓壮丁之前是个说话发抖脸红的人，当了两年国民党的兵，啥没学会，学会了抽大烟。说是起义，呸！是被逼得没法子了，才投降的。从解放军那里领了钱，哄人家说要回乡下去和父母一起种地，结果在我这里住了两天，把我的本钱偷走，又去跟那些人鬼混了。” 李涵章说：“难怪他们会打败仗？这样的队伍哪有不打败仗的嘛。” 老人还在那里抱怨，李涵章扶正摊子，继续往前走。他低着头，走在那几个散兵走过的路上，心里一阵一阵地发紧。他和父亲一样，都是学法律的，但最后，父亲在认识到他的知识对国家毫无用处的时候，辞职去了香港；而他想坚持走自己选择的路，最终却依然发现，自己的一生所学对国家毫无用处。到底要怎么做才能成为一个祖父说的“对国家民族有用”的人呢？李涵章拍打着胸口，似乎想把那里的“忠”字拍下来，捧在手里，放在眼前，仔细看清楚…… 广东是去不了了，下一步去哪里呢？回到客栈，李涵章一夜翻来覆去睡不着。眼前的凄惶日子，让他刻骨地思念妻子和儿子。然后又想起来田永清、张小凤夫妻俩，他们现在终于可以回家过安稳日子了。从涪陵顺江而下的这一路，自己不知道何去何从，他们却是满怀希望…… 李涵章的耳朵边像又有人在喊“舅舅”，又像有人在说：“周哥，你是懂家子（内行），这样跑来跑去总归不是办法，要找个地方落脚才是长久之计。” 这句话是那个神秘莫测的吴哥在泸县给他说的！ 这时候，李涵章的脑子里突然冒出一个大胆的想法：看样子，田老板一家离开古城青龙镇，再也不会回去了，我何不假装到那里去找他们投亲，然后就在那里落脚呢？这个想法让李涵章非常兴奋，他决定折回涪陵找李主任帮忙，另外再开张去古城的证明。 打定主意，李涵章连夜收拾了一下，天不亮就乘坐从宜昌到重庆的民康轮，买好了从宜昌到涪陵的船票，找个僻静的地方，躲了起来：他总觉得张振中走过人群时的那道刀子一样的目光，在自己的脸上划，在自己的心里戳！ 到了涪陵，李涵章回到原来住过的客栈安顿下来，然后去城区政府找到李大勇主任，对他说：“我到了宜昌，没有找到师傅和师娘，只好返回来。现在我无路可走了，只能去古城投靠姐姐。” 李大勇扶了扶眼镜，问他：“户口都落下了，你为啥不回榨菜厂上班？” 回榨菜厂去，那不是等于把自己放进了苟培德的手心吗？李涵章找借口说：“我也三十多了，总得找个最后落脚的地方吧？姐姐那边儿也来信了，可以给我分田落户。” 李大勇听了，看了他一眼，然后，又冲他笑了笑，说：“哎呀，你好福气，有这么热心的亲戚。”然后，就给他换了去古城投亲的证明，并又很热心地带着他到公安分局签字盖章，办理了户口迁出手续。 李涵章很顺利地办好了迁移手续，但他并没有马上离开涪陵。 张振中他们押解着王金鹏和姜生元那帮倒霉家伙，要从宜昌到重庆上岸，再去成都，这和李涵章从宜昌回来的水路是一样的。他们是什么时候回到重庆的？会在重庆逗留吗？想到这些，“小贩张子强”躲到涪陵乡下的一个小镇子上待些日子，干起了老本行，天天担着担子到处赶场，买卖一些针头线脑的小杂货。过了些日子，才小心地经重庆去了古城。