Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Lao Yang

one Lao Yang is an old patient, and there is almost no refreshing place in his internal organs.The most serious ones are stomach ulcers and asthma.In winter, he would curl up in a big cotton bucket (his padded jacket was as big and thick as a bucket), with only his sallow, dry face full of age spots showing.With more than two years left before the prescribed number of years, he filed a retirement report.Considering that he was the oldest among the "land reform" cadres, the county organization department suggested that he retreat to the second line and arrange work at the county people's congress or the CPPCC.He resolutely declined: since he has a job, he should do things; he is hospitalized for half a year, and taking an empty name will affect his work.The county also agreed.After he completed the retirement procedures, Yin Daoyan came to his door again and asked him to work as a consultant in the head office of Li Bawan Agricultural and Commercial Consolidated Enterprise: Speaking of decades of friendship, and being Lao Geng, it would be good to go to recuperate.Lao Yang panted heavily, and said, "Old Yin, I appreciate your kindness. You know me too." Yin Daoyan opened his eyes and said, "I just know that, so I invite you. You Look at the characters in the town, who doesn't reach out to Li Bawan. You haven't even eaten a meal. You look down on me!" Lao Yang said: "You can think what you want." He lowered his head I just took a breath.

Lao Yang, who had retired, fell in love with old-style poetry, and often went to Ai Lao for advice on the rules and regulations of old-style poetry.Later, a few retired teachers joined in, and a few old people discussed and set up a poetry club.If you don't have anything to do, you just get together in a bunch of words.Lao Yang studied in private schools for several years when he was young, and he still has a little foundation in ancient Chinese, so he quickly grasped the way.In addition, having worked as a cadre for decades, he has some knowledge, so he will not fall into the pedantic style of Mr. Dong Heng.Poetry is written, compared with other "experts", it is often less restrained by law and intention.Ai Lao repeatedly sang, often full of praise: "Clear water comes out of hibiscus, and it can be carved naturally." Ai Lao said this from the bottom of his heart, and it was also recognized by everyone in the poetry society.Everyone suggested to Lao Yang that Xiao Ding is now considered a figure in the literary circles of the provincial capital, why not send him poems and ask him to recommend them for publication in provincial newspapers.Lao Yang naturally refused: such vulgar and 80-year-old words, just use it for entertainment, and bring it to the province to live in this world?

However, this suggestion made Lao Yang think of Xiao Ding. Xiaoding has been in the province for many years.In the first few years, he often received letters, but then they gradually became rare.But I always remember to send a greeting card during the Chinese New Year.Lao Yang knew that he still respected himself.I often read in the newspapers that he was out of the province for meetings and visits abroad. Lao Yang was very upset, but also had some inexplicable worries: After Xiaoding wrote the famous work, he did not see any more influential works. .It would be a pity if his talents were exhausted so soon.Thinking about it, I wrote a letter to Xiao Ding overnight, said a lot of words of encouragement for him, and implicitly hinted that he should often go to the villages and towns; after many years, I would look back at the places I was familiar with before , the emotion will be deeper.That's probably what the ancients meant when they said that the sea has changed.

On the day Xiaoding received the letter, he happened to be discussing with some friends in the cultural circles in the provincial capital. He felt a little tired of staying in the city and wanted to find a remote village to find a feeling of returning to nature, which is called looking for a "spiritual home".After working in the city for so many years as a "spiritual aristocrat" who has become increasingly dilapidated, I feel that I have lost my home.After reading Lao Yang's letter, several people jumped up and said, "It's just right, let's visit the former residence of the great writer."

two With the approval of the higher authorities, the town is now really named "Jiangjun Town".Although no naming ceremony of any kind was held, the faces of the people in the town were very bright.When I went outside the town, when I was asked where the family name was, they all answered loudly and grandly that they were "from Jiangjun Town".Even Li Bawan is like this.It seemed that he was the general in that town, and the town changed its name because of his existence.Inference, of course, first of all, it is the honor left by the deceased general to the town, and I am afraid that the influence of Xiaoding's novel cannot be ruled out.It has always been a fact that the place is based on the name of the person, and the name of the person is based on the text.

Several cultural people from the provincial capital who came together said that they should follow Xiaoding's novels to trace the small town back then. More than ten years later, the small town known as Jiangjun Town has already changed beyond recognition.The old streets in the town that used to be lined with old carved buildings have long been demolished, replaced by shop fronts made of low-quality cement and high-grade ceramic tiles.The small river outside the town has long since dried up. It is said that the company run by Li Bawan pumped too much groundwater.The extremely crude concrete bridge, which was titled "Flying Rainbow and Lying on the Waves" by Minister Feng of the prefectural committee, appeared to be a bluff. There is no river, but roads have been built along both sides of the river, allowing people to sell poultry, eggs, fish, vegetables, snacks, clothes and hats. Various vendors of shoes, socks and daily necessities were congested. All kinds of sewage poured into the river from the roads on both sides of the river dyed the river a foul-smelling green. The narrow town streets are still as noisy as before, It’s just that there are many modern sounds in the noise. The former pigsty has been converted into a video game machine room. There is a pool table a few steps along the street. There are not many young people playing pool who are not unkempt, slippers and stockings. Pool table Down there are men shitting and dogs eating shit. A few provincial-level intellectuals sighed: Chinese people have a great appetite for absorbing foreign cultures, and even the most elegant content can be digested in the most vulgar way.

Xiao Ding saw the shaved guy at the street corner.He seemed a little depressed.He was completely deaf in both ears, which caused a fatal obstacle to his reception of the news.The only thing he can tell others endlessly now is the news about the barber shop.The shaving shop has been contracted by a young man from other provinces, and it has been renamed as a hairdressing salon. It is decorated in colorful colors, and it is much more beautiful than the dark and dull one before.Just don't shave your head.The barber was a former apprentice, so he was particular about where the first cut was made, and he couldn't just shave his head.Instead, according to the identity of different people, determine the location of the operation.The rule is "in front of the monk, behind the monk, and half of the place".Ordinary people shave their heads from the left side of "Baihui".To shave the head of the family, the first cut must open the door of heaven.If you shave the baby's fetal hair, you should also read congratulatory speeches such as "Ruiqi's door machine, my teacher recites blessings; the baby's hair is shaved now, and the house is full of glory".How can there be such stresses nowadays.The young man from the province brought a few girls from other places. Those girls didn't even know how to use clippers. They only used long scissors to trim the ends of their hair, and then used a toothbrush-sized brush to oil their hair.This is called "hairdressing". The main method of "beauty" is massage.Massage to go upstairs. "We used to call it 'pinch points', but now they call it 'massage'. God knows what they are touching upstairs." The barber squinted his eyes and nose, and pointed to the second floor of the "beauty salon" with the curtains closed.His purpose was to make people hate that place, but instead it aroused curiosity, which was equivalent to being a volunteer propagandist for that beauty salon.

The old tailor is dead.Said he was mad at his daughter.My daughter is an only child who didn't get into high school. She went to Guangdong to work for a few years with a few classmates who were not afraid of anything. They earned money and learned fashion tailoring skills. When they came back, they took over my job.The old tailor was happy about this, but he didn't expect that his daughter would bring a lot of bare-bottomed female models from the city to the town, and let them fill the already crowded frontage, becoming a A beautiful view on the town street.The old tailor was out of breath at that time, and when he woke up, he was shaking like chaff, but he couldn't speak.Just push those models.After pushing a few times, I didn't have the strength.He fell ill and never got up again.But his daughter's fashion shop (formerly known as the tailor shop) is thriving.The annual tax payment is the most among all the self-employed in the town.

Xiao Ding received a cold reception from Huang Hat.He took the initiative to say hello, but the yellow hat inside the counter said coldly: "I don't remember what Xiaoding Laoding is. I only have regular customers here. What do you want to buy? If you don't buy it, don't get in the way at the store entrance." The face is inexplicable jealousy.Xiao Ding had no choice but to walk away, and heard him "spit" viciously behind him. A group of people walked around the town street and found it boring.Lao Yang, who has been accompanying him all the time, said that there is a quiet place, that is, the place where the general was exiled in Xiao Ding's writing about Diarrhea Mountain.The trees grew up there and became a forest, but now there is the town cemetery area.I don't know if you are interested.

Everyone said: What's the matter, love and death are eternal themes.Going to feel death consciousness. Diarrhea Mountain is not satisfactory.The cemetery area occupies half of the hillside.The other half of the hillside facing the river is the General Villa with dance halls and sauna baths.Several provincial-level intellectuals said: This is interesting. The activeness of life and the silence of death are unified on one mountain, which are the two extremes of life.Because Diarrhea Mountain is actually just a big earth slope, the slope is also gentle, and there are wide and straight concrete steps from the foot of the mountain to the top of the mountain.On the top is a simple but solemn monument to the local martyrs.On the hillsides on all sides overlooking the monument is the home of the deceased in this town.Because it is a newly opened cemetery area, the tombs have been erected in the past ten years, and each one has a very pious tombstone, and each side looks like a very particular gatehouse.Cement, bluestone, granite, and marble are all high-quality materials that spare no expense, and the words on the stele are all painted in gold or red.In contrast, the cement is peeling off, the cornerstone is sunken, and the monument with illegible handwriting looks cold and lonely.This phenomenon is not difficult to understand.In Xiaoding's unit, the office is as dilapidated as an abandoned cold kiln, but the dormitory pretends to be more luxurious than the other.Xiao Ding visited Japan last year and saw the dilapidated state of the Japanese National Assembly, but the office buildings of private companies such as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries are more suitable to be called palaces.It seems to be a worldwide fashion trend that rich monks lose temples.

However, the entire cemetery area is not as grand as every grave.On the hillside of the cemetery area, there is a grave, no tombstone, no sod, just a small pile of bare soil.The water flowing down from the slope has washed the small pile of soil sparsely, and it is difficult to see that it is a tomb without careful identification.It was discovered by a person while urinating.The man chose a higher mound to stand on, and he just stood on the mound, and the urine just happened to be sprinkled on the mound. "It's like a pile of graves." Aside from the joy, he seemed to feel it. "It's not bad." Lao Yang confirmed, "It's the grave of the mayor that Xiao Ding wrote about. Every year, except for an old widow who comes to burn a few pieces of paper, no one cares about it. It's like a wild grave." "What did you say?" Xiao Ding, who had already walked to the front, turned around and asked, "Which mayor?" "It's the one who opposed the general in your novel. When he died, no one in his family came to collect the body, and the County Civil Affairs Bureau handled it. Otherwise, there is really no place to bury him." The scene of the encounter with the mayor of Haba Diarrhea at the small river bridge in the town that time suddenly reappeared.That used to make Xiao Ding feel sick whenever he thought of it, and he couldn't help but feel hot on his face, like being slapped in the face in public.He heard that Haba had died of dysentery in the provincial capital, and he was still bitter, regretting that he could not whip the corpse.As the years went by, the memory of the town gradually faded, and naturally Haba Diarrhea and Haba Diarrhea's insults to him also faded away.Now recalling the past again, my mood is much more peaceful. After all, the mayor is a small person.At the same time, the general recited it upright and respected by all.Haba's dysentery was unknown until his death. On the night when he locked up the widow's family to build a new village, he went to the warehouse alone.He entered the warehouse by himself and closed the door behind him. The situation in the warehouse was a mess.The widow's sons, except for the eldest who was tied up like her and was taken away by the militia during the day when he was breastfeeding, the other sons were lying on the ground in a mess, their heads and faces were black, and they were all asleep.One of them turned over suddenly and grunted, as if crying for hunger.During the day, the food brought by Haba’s dysentery was still scattered on the ground, not a single bite was touched, and it was already cold.Apparently the widow had ordered a hunger strike.The widow's eldest son was awake, and when he saw Haba's leprosy coming in, his shoulders moved and then drooped weakly, his eyes were also very dim.The widow who was sitting on the ground probably opened her eyes when Haba Diarrhea came in, but now she is leaning on the pillar with her head tilted, her eyes are tightly closed.She was clearly trying to control herself.The mast lamp hanging from the beam was not far from her head, and the light shone brightly on her face.The face was yellow and haggard, like a piece of shriveled pasted paper.But the upper and lower eyelids of her eyes were trembling extremely powerfully and nervously, and there was a huge condensed force rushing out inside, but it was not tears. Haba Diarrhea lowered his head.Watching quietly, he seemed to be tired and felt that he was going to collapse, and suddenly his knees gave way, and he knelt down in front of the widow. "Auntie!" he called softly, "I'm sorry for you." The widow opened her eyes and looked suspiciously at Haba Diarrhea. Haba dysentery avoided her eyes, looked at the ground, and continued: "I have no choice. I grew up eating whole grains. I don't know if I can't do it! Now the superiors are telling you to do it. If you don't do it, you have to do it." Yes. It doesn’t matter if I’m alone, you still won’t be able to escape this catastrophe in the end..." The widow leaned back, gulped her mouth, and suddenly spat out a large mouthful of bloody phlegm on Haba's dysentery forehead. The stench of thick blood flowed down slowly, into the eye sockets, and along the bridge of the nose to the lips.Haba dysentery let it flow, do not wipe. "If you're angry, just vent it out, just don't belittle yourself. The dead ghost left you a group of cubs. This is a treasure. In a few years, they will stand up like poles one by one." The widow closed her eyes again and ignored him, but her eyelids stopped shaking. "Auntie!" Haba Diarrhea shouted again, "I'm doing it for your own good. You can live in a new house when the old house is demolished. The new house will be built by the team, and you don't need to pay for it. A few cubs are my brothers, and I will give them to you every month." Send rations. If I am alive, you will not die." The widow took her eldest son to work the next day.Everyone felt strange.The widow had really sought death over and over again, but now she has calmed down. The days are neither salty nor dull, but they drag on very hard.The widow didn't talk much in the first place, but Haba confessed that night that she would not talk about what he made a wish outside.Since ancient times, even if he was covered with iron, he couldn't hit a few nails. Haba's dysentery has been counted.After the new village was built, two technical buildings were built next to the new warehouse of the production team to accommodate the widow's family.Haba leprosy delivered rice to the widow's family for several years as scheduled, and he always recited it by himself at night, until the widow's nursing son joined the team to herd the cows.The town's agricultural brigade ate fixed-sale grain, and the rice that the mayor ate was recorded by the grain station in his own name. When he stepped down, the grain station reported the embezzled grain.At that time, the widow had a son who was going to be a soldier. She was afraid that she would fail the political examination and dare not speak out to Haba Diarrhea, so she asked her eldest son to collect money and send it to Haba Diarrhea's home at night, so that he could return the grain.Haba doesn't accept dysentery, saying, if there are many lice, it doesn't itch, and if there are many debts, there is no worry. After this matter, am I still a sinner?It wasn't until Haba died of dysentery that the widow couldn't stand her conscience and burned paper money on the grave, and then she cried out.It's just that it's too late to say anything at this time. The mystery that the director of the Provincial Revolutionary Committee left for the town that night was also solved after Haba Diarrhea stepped down. First, the director of the township post and telecommunications office exposed Haba's dysentery, and once asked him to send a fake telegram to the town radio station announcer—the Shanghai female educated youth, asking her to go back to Shanghai.At that time, the post office in the small town did not have direct telegraph business capability.Telegrams from other places are first sent to the post office in the city, and then made a long-distance call to the town. The post office in the town records it and then sends it to the recipient.But there was no telegram from the city that day.The telegram at the announcer’s home in Shanghai was dictated by Haba Diarrhea over the phone.He wanted to ask at that time, but Haba Diarrhea said, don't worry about it, just remember it, remember it, and deliver it to the announcer in person, and don't tell others about it.If you make a mistake, I can't handle you.The director of post and telecommunications said, at that time, this stinky dysentery dominated the town, and I was frightened by him. Today, justice can finally be served. The task force separated this matter into a separate case, and Haba confessed to the telegram dictation.He also added that it was true that the announcer's grandmother was sick, but the old man was already paralyzed in bed.In addition, the truck was also temporarily arranged by him.Later, when the announcer came back from Shanghai, he also wrote a letter to inform him.On the day he came back, he gave her a recommendation form for going to college.All the procedures required on the recommendation form were completed under his supervision in a flash.It happened to be an art school in Shanghai, and the announcer disappeared from the town forever within a few days. The task force sent people to Shanghai to look for the former announcer of the town's radio station to provide circumstantial evidence, which confirmed the above.The ex-announcer who was going to college just never figured out why the mayor of the town suddenly came to her that night and told her that there would be a telegram at home, and told her to leave immediately and go under the camphor tree at the entrance of the town. There will be a van waiting for her there. "Don't hesitate," the mayor said. "You don't ask anything. You are the one who leaves. I will tell you the reason when I have a chance. I will live here when I return to Shanghai. I will write to you when I come back. If you want If you don’t listen to me, don’t blame me if something happens.” The mayor looked mysterious and nervous at the time.Although the announcer was a bit confused, letting her go back to Shanghai was always an unexpected good thing, and she couldn't care less about it.Later, the mayor wrote another letter, asking her to go back to the town to go through the formalities of going to college.She hurried to go, and quickly returned to Shanghai.That's it.As for why the mayor hurriedly let her go that day, she never asked, nor did she think too much about it, because it was unnecessary.She thought the countryman was ugly, but he had a good heart.When asked if she knew why the mayor was so kind to her, she smiled and said, "Who knows!" The superiority that Shanghainese often have was clearly displayed on her face, and the meaning was very clear: a Shanghai girl like me, can I Let men like it!And he is such a countryman from other provinces!It gave the feeling that Haba dysentery had her idea, and the toad wanted to eat swan meat. This relieved Haba from dysentery.The task force originally wanted to find out the personal relationship between Haba Diarrhea and the announcer.Looking at this situation, it really doesn't look like it.When I came back, I made a final check with Haba Diarrhea, and asked him why he cared so much for the announcer. He said, why do you think it is?You can write whatever you want.The conclusion is that you did it. Haba dysentery was later suspended for six or seven years.During this period, the wronged big and small cadres, whether they were in the town or rushed to the town from outside, all implemented the policy; Everyone took their seats and put that damned "mayor" on Haba Diarrhea's head, because he was the only one who could recite time.It is natural for him to have resentment.But he is not a person who bears grudges.That time when he bumped into Xiao Ding, who was proud of the spring breeze, by chance at the bridge head, his words were not intended to trouble him, and there may not be any malicious intentions in his heart. This is evidenced by what he said later. Shortly after that, he died.He went into the city with a tractor to deliver vegetables, and there was a mountain road in the middle.It was a rainy day, the mountain road was slippery, and the tractor overturned down the hillside, trapping several people sitting on the pile of vegetables inside.He and a vice-captain of the production team gave up the place where there was a handrail in front of the trailer to a few female commune members, and the two of them sat on the side of the cart beside them.As soon as the car overturned, the side of the car fell on them sideways, and the deputy captain died at that time.He was sent to the town hospital and lived for a few days. Before he died, for some reason, he specifically mentioned two people: one was the announcer of the town radio station, a Shanghai female educated youth, and now she is familiar to ordinary viewers on TV and movies. An actor; the other is Xiao Ding, who is now a writer whose name often appears in magazines and newspapers.One he saved with his life; the other he made a stepping stone.At any rate, there are famous people in this town, and it seems that these have become some kind of glory for him.This makes everyone feel sorry for the weakness of human nature.People are unwilling to be lonely. A person like him is already worthless, but he still wants to associate himself with some famous people until he dies.In fact, these celebrities have nothing to do with him. The actress came to town once.They are going to make a TV series, in which there is also a character like the French bell ringer, who is beautiful inside but ugly outside.They searched in Shanghai for a long time but failed to find the ideal person.In the end, the female star suddenly remembered the mayor of the place where she jumped in the queue, and he was not dead at the time.A group of people ran to the town in a hurry, and when they inquired, the "mayor" supervised the labor below, and they were very frustrated.This place has nothing to show for it. Xiao Ding came later than the star.This made him feel a kind of pitiful apology.He suddenly remembered Li Furong, another influential figure in the town back then. Lao Yang said, "She is here." Li Furong was called back from the pickle factory in the town, and she was at a loss when she saw Xiao Ding, who was getting a little fatter after being hugged by the town cadres.Like the first time many years ago, someone suddenly called back from the field to face a group of unfamiliar cadres and reporters. It took a long time to choke up and say: "Thank you to the superior, thank you to the province, and remember me." In her It seems that Xiaoding and the reporter are the same thing, they are both "pen holders", who are propagandists, that is, people who represent the intentions of their superiors. Li Furong returned to Li Bawan with the man a few years ago.When I first came back, Xie Zhen was the mayor.She visited Li Furong several times in Li Bawan. After Xie Zhen left office, no town cadre came to Li Furong's door again.Many years have passed, not to mention the counties, provinces, even small towns, few people remember Li Furong.The cadres in the town changed from group to group, and occasionally someone talked about the past in the town, and when they mentioned Li Furong, it felt like they were talking about characters from the Three Kingdoms.Li Furong fell back to the ground like a fresh and bright leaf, and soon disappeared without a sound. But Li Furong herself couldn't stay idle.The two daughters have long been working and married, and both live in the city.The man lost his previous anger, and spent his whole day with a few disgraced old men, buried in low-quality cigarettes, wine, and tattered and dirty cards.Fortunately, the bet is not big, just being poor and having fun, so as not to ruin the family.Li Furong was still full of energy, and felt that she had to get up and do her own thing when she didn't sleep for a few hours a day, so she was busy.But there are only two people, she is not busy enough.Three meals and a litter of chickens will be ironed out, and they will be bored.The adobe walls of the house in the country are tall and empty. Sitting in it alone will feel panic, and I often miss the days of going to work, holding meetings, listening to reports and talking to people.That day is not far away, it seems like yesterday.After so many years, she still has a faint feeling that that day will start from scratch tomorrow.This hope is naturally slim.Year after year, except for the two daughters and grandchildren who come back to Li Bawan every so often, no one needs her anymore.Just review yourself and feel that you have not done something useful to others.Her personnel establishment is in the county, so it is inconvenient for her to participate in the activities of retired veteran cadres in the town.The retired old cadres in the town don't have any activities, just like their own men, wiping cards, playing chess or squatting on the wall to bask in the sun.She calculated carefully and found that there were several people in the same situation as her in Li Bawan, so she went to organize a "service group for the elderly" in series to help the pickle factory in the town cut radishes and wash pickle jars, Make dried general radish.The pickle factory provides two meals as compensation.Because all the young and middle-aged laborers have gone to Guangdong to work, this pickle factory with low efficiency is on the verge of closing down, and there is no one to do the dirty, hard, and troublesome things.The few Li Furong persuaded were people who had the same free time as her, but no other interests.Li Furong became the team leader of this service team, so she was naturally busy, and she smelled sour from old pickles all day long.The man didn't think much of it (he himself smelled even more badly of tobacco, alcohol and dirt), and the two daughters accompanied the son-in-law and brought their children to visit relatives.They eat a lot, and wear a lot. Isn't this hard work deliberately embarrassing the children?Li Furong listened, her eyes were red, she lowered her head.As soon as they left, she restored everything again. The greatest comedy or tragedy of human beings is often that they cannot give themselves an accurate role positioning. When Li Furong was a model, mayor, secretary of the county party committee, and even a member of the provincial party committee, she never offered to do private affairs for her relatives.Even the conversion of her man into a national cadre was first proposed by the county personnel department.Therefore, after Li Furong's downfall, few relatives felt sorry for her.Some even said angrily: You also have today!It seems that I have reached the day when I can feel proud and elated.Li Furong felt guilty for seeing this kind of wink too much, and felt really sorry.The most painful thing is that there is no chance of compensation.Leaving aside distant relatives, Li Furong's only younger brother suffered from pain in his feet and died on the bed for many years.When Li Furong gained power, he wanted her to bring her two nephews into the factory in the county, but she just refused.After Li Furong returned to Li Bawan, several nephews honestly let them grow vegetables at home, and they didn't even enter a town-run enterprise.Both older ones have families.The youngest one graduated from high school last year and did not enter university. He wanted to be a soldier, but he did not intercede.In the winter of this year, my younger brother came to the end of his illness. Before he died, he said to Li Furong, "I don't blame you. After all, our Li family is not tough." Li Furong cried, but did not make a sound. On the day when the conscription work began in the fall of this year, she got up early and rushed to the county town to set up a target for her nephew to serve as a soldier.After all, she had influence, after all, she had been the leader of the county, after all, it hadn't been many years, and she believed that she would not lose face at all. The county seat has been greatly improved.The former old city was in Hexi.Now a large development zone has been opened up in Hedong, which is actually a huge infrastructure construction site, with potholes dug everywhere and piled up high and low.Because the development is carried out by dismantling capital or loans, many project funds cannot be in place on schedule (some will never be in place), and they stop at the beginning of construction, leaving a lifeless mess.The new buildings of the county party committee and the county government had been erected early, looking very eye-catching in the mess.Li Furong got off the long-distance bus, and when she looked up, she saw the two buildings standing in the wind and dust. The construction site for the new building has not yet been cleared.The watcher was the former concierge of the county party committee, who also retired early, and was hired to watch the show.He actually recognized Li Furong, and after feeling a lot of emotion, he quietly told her like a thief that a group of leaders of the county party committee hid in the empty room of the old county party committee for a meeting today, and the research was on the distribution of conscription quotas.I need to hurry up to find them, it's almost noon, and the meeting is about to adjourn. Most of the county party committee compound has been evacuated, only some scattered clothes are still hanging on the balcony of the single dormitory building.The yard was empty, the weeds quickly grew, and the birds were jumping in it.Li Furong was hesitating when she came to the porch, a group of people crowded out from the broken glass door, laughing and making noise, very happy.At first glance, they look like a group of soldiers, and they are indistinguishable. All of them are uniformed in suits, and their faces are young, round and full of vitality.They talked and laughed happily all the way, and they didn't care about Li Furong at all when they walked past Li Furong.These days when the county party committee was relocated, it was inevitable that there would be old women picking up junk every day.Seeing that everyone was about to leave, Li Furong became anxious and shouted: "I am Li Furong." Those people didn't pay attention at first, but she shouted again: "I have something to do with you, I am Li Furong!" One of those people probably knew some local anecdotes, turned around, looked at her, and asked, "Are you Li Furong?" "I am, I am Li Furong." Li Furong replied quickly. "She's Li Furong." After the person finally confirmed, he turned to greet the person in front, "She was the secretary of our county party committee before." The group of people stopped together, turned their heads and looked Li Furong up and down, their eyes were strange, as if looking at an ancient chant that was suddenly unearthed.After reading it, I felt that there was nothing special about it, so they all dispersed and went to their own cars. There were all cars, but there was not a jeep that Li Furong shared with several county party leaders.The two leading ones are shiny, with foreign codes marked on the buttocks, and the others are half new and old.The convoy "sizzled" (it was not as frighteningly roaring as a jeep), and meandered out of the county party committee compound in a very quiet and orderly manner. Li Furong stayed alone in the porch of the old office building of the county party committee, paralyzed and trying to lie down.The porch was tall and wide, with a triangular vault supported by two thick concrete pillars."Four Greats" were previously written on the pillars; on the triangular surface of the vault, there were only faint traces of the blue sea waves, supporting a round of red sun and radiating golden light, which were painted on the triangular surface of the vault. The long-distance bus station is east of the river.Li Furong got on the Chaoyang Bridge somehow, and couldn't move her feet, so she lay down on the bridge railing to rest.Just now I was looking for someone in a panic, so I didn't pay attention when crossing the bridge. Now I can take a good look at the bridge that I haven't seen for many years.This bridge was once closely connected with her name. Autumn is deep.The river is very thin.The spring flood widens the river, so the span of the bridge is longer and the bridge is taller.Standing in the middle of the bridge and looking down to the river, several wooden boats are like fallen leaves drifting with the water, hanging in the distance, which makes people's brain tense and eyes darken.Li Furong recalled the situation when she asked the director of the Provincial Revolutionary Committee many years ago to build this bridge, and remembered that many people suggested calling it "Furong Bridge" or "Wynne Bridge", but she disagreed.In fact, it was really called that way, and who of these people who happily drove over in a car now would remember anything.Later, there was a widely circulated saying: the director of the Provincial Revolutionary Committee gave Li Furong a bridge because Li Furong worked for the director of the Provincial Revolutionary Committee overnight.The director of the Provincial Revolutionary Committee has always had a good appetite, regardless of age, beauty or ugliness.Li Furong has a criminal record.People can't help but believe things that are said with eyebrows and eyes. "Thirty years in Hedong, thirty years in Hexi", Li Furong remembered the old saying that has been passed down from generation to generation for countless years. "Is it Mayor Li?" A person behind her suddenly startled her and woke her up. Li Furong blinked her eyes for a long time, but couldn't remember who the other party was.That person remembered her firmly.He built a house many years ago and filed a lawsuit for the eaves water. Because of his high status, according to Li Furong's judgment, the house he built could only be one head shorter than the other family's eaves water. Li Furong's heart said "Gordon", once the early things were brought up, she remembered them all very clearly. "I can't help you..." Li Furong said slowly. "I don't blame you. In those days, there was no other way." The man said with relief.Later, he sold the house in the town whose eaves were one head shorter than the neighbor's, and came to the county town to start a small business. He made money, built a new house in the county town, opened a shop, and moved his whole family here.He is old now, and his son is in charge of the shop.He invited Li Furong to go home.Li Furong said, no more.He hesitated to leave.He felt that Li Furong's face was ugly, and he was worried that something would happen to Li Furong. Li Furong smiled with difficulty and said: "It's nothing, nothing, don't worry." Li Furong was indeed thinking, why should I seek fault?Many others remember me.I can do many other things. "You said, is that so?" Li Furong asked Xiaoding and the others. Xiao Ding looked at her deeply, not knowing how to answer.What kind of demeanor Li Furong was back then, although lean, but hot.Now walking and talking, the most prominent feeling is: dry.Hands are like dead branches that have been broken for many years, hair is like sparse withered grass, eyes are like orange wells, no matter how big the impulse is, it will not spark a single tear. Xiao Ding felt that he couldn't bear to watch, and said emotionally, "Take care of yourself, I will come to see you later." He politely pulled out the hand that Li Furong was holding tightly.Li Furong grasped his hand very heavily and tightly, as if it was a glimmer of hope that suddenly appeared. Xiao Ding walked a long way, then turned back.Li Furong was still standing there in a daze.Her two hands still retained the posture when they held him just now, but there was nothing in the two embraced palms.Behind her is a bamboo pergola with feet tied with rusty wire.Behind it is her old house.The old house seems to be a magnification of her image: the doors and windows are all cracked, the weathered part of the adobe wall has peeled off; the wet part is full of moss; Squeezed by a pile of loose firewood.屋顶上盖的茅草已经腐烂而灰白了，有的地方偶尔伸出一两茎高挑脆弱的嫩草，都早早夭折了。惨淡的夕阳不明不白地映照着那一切，看上去像一张积压多年已经模糊昏黄的照片。只有那张残破的凉床上，李芙蓉敬给小丁的一碗茶，还在冒着一缕青气。 小丁转了身，再也不敢回头。 three 小丁这回到镇上来，想见而没有见到的一个让人注目的人是殷道严。 殷道严不久前由省里的农业部门组织出国考察去了。来了电话说是已经结束考察回到北京，再有几天就回来了。 这次出国考察，经费都是由参加人员所在的单位负担。一个泥脚杆子出国，而且还是“考察”，这在李八碗是旷古未有的。经费上可以自主，又是这样一件史无前例的荣誉，上上下下也就格外振奋。县、镇、村三级组织了一个庞大的欢送队伍。去的头天，摆了几十桌庆贺酒席、第二天一早出发，李八碗和将军镇十几里路上，爆竹震耳，鼓乐喧天。先行到达省城的人，事先用红包给机场的管制人员打好了招呼，车队一直开进停机坪。然后，人下来，在飞机舷梯下面站成一个夹道，殷道严昂首挺胸穿过夹道跟欢迎的人一一握手。一边，由郑风指挥的农民铜管乐队在太阳底下吹得满头满脸油汗横流。到了登机口那儿，殷道严又回过身来，向下面的人挥手。 所有这整个程序，是由老董设计并且导演彩排过的。但殷道严到底上了年纪，怎么也学不精到，他挥手挥得很难看，像是赶鸭轰鸡的架式。 他们是在其他乘客已经登机后才进行这仪式的。先上飞机的乘客又好笑又好气，就提意见，说这又不是乡下人的专机。空姐也就不得不收敛起职业性的笑容和温柔，严肃地“请”殷道严尽快到自己的座位上去。 头一次出国的殷道严临行前的夜晚一直没有睡好，心里总有种生离死别的感觉。早上起来怔怔地在院子里站了好久。 院子很大。整个院子的格局包括全部建筑，都仍是出自他的设计：一前一后两幢三层楼，仍是五大三粗，雄浑古朴像座城堡。两幢楼之间用露天楼梯连接。同样的为求牢靠，建得像火车站的天桥。天桥上面原来只用石棉瓦盖了天棚，因为挡不住斜风雨，还是做了墙，结果使天桥成了工厂的运料管道。楼房之外，还有很大的空地。很多人出主意，劝他，像外国人一样敷成草坪，可以采购那种进口的丝茸草，或者照中国传统园林的风格，种上竹子，堆个假山等等。 对前一种意见，殷道严马上就断然否定，说： “操。” 这“操”是有来由的。一年前，殷道严参观过北方那个“中国第一村”。那里村头们的房子就是一律的外国式建筑，院子里就一律铺的是这种“鸡巴毛草”。殷道严当时就私下前咕，很不以为然。参观完了小结的时候，殷道严不肯发言，问了半天，他说：千个师傅千个法，做得好我都佩服，不过不见得就要事事依样画葫芦。我们早先就是吃了一刀切”的亏。回来他对李八碗的人讲这次参观的观感时说：那样搞跟外国资产阶级有什么两样？不保持中国劳动人民本色，迟早要死卵（完蛋）的。 他从不知什么地方翻出了早已废弃的犁，到别的乡去借了一头牛来，把自己院子的空地耕了个底朝天，种上了好几个品种的瓜果菜蔬。儿子们群起反对：菜地一上粪，太阳一晒，屎臭尿骚。 “怕臭你们莫来，我又不请你们。不要忘记你们一个一个都是屎尿里爬大的。到如今，城不城，乡不乡，土不土，洋不洋，不像个鸟样。” 殷道严骂。依旧很利落优美地挥舞着粪瓢子。 好在院子外面，一边是马路，一边是将军山庄的树林，没有外人来干预。院子的围墙又高又厚。在北京开会时，殷道严特地留意了紫金城的围墙，心里默下了尺寸。 殷道严喜欢这个院子。这之前，他盖了好几回屋，按顺序，分别留给了儿子。到这一回，他才是真正给自己造了养老的。 他是真老了。一盆火烧得再旺，也总有熄的时候。他的日子也快到头了。年轻时候他喜欢寻相好。那时候虽说是大队的天王老子，也多少要动些心思，打点些小恩小惠。如今将军山庄做桑拿按摩的细妹子水葱一样，个个都等于是他园里的菜，他想掐就掐。他却力不从心。弄得那些没有顾忌的细妹子在背后笑他是“送信的”，才到门口就完事了。他有些伤感。上了车往省城的机场去的路上，他把手机贴在腮帮子上，不停地跟家里人打电话，问老太婆喂猪了没有，喂鸡了没有；问几个孙子过早了没有，拉屎了没有，拉了，是干是稀，是多是少，是长是短……”问得一边开车的司机哈哈笑起来，差一点撞人。 殷道严结束考察回到北京给家里人打头一个电话，一开口就大叫大喊：“这回是受足洋罪了。” 使他受罪的其实是他自己脚上的鞋子。他是打赤脚长大的，经年累月光着一双脚板子，地上晒得滚烫也好，结着冰雪也好，都一样。最早是因为穷，后来就成了习惯。一双脚板又黑又硬，竟比牛皮鞋扎实。再后来当了干部，当了劳模，常要出入一些庄严场合，不好老是光着脚板子，但又受不了鞋子的拘束，就穿了踏板子：把两片木板子，削成脚板的形状，靠头前钉了半环胶皮，就使他文明了许多。但还是有些地方连踏板子也禁止人内，他还是难免尴尬。公社化的时候，他成了全地区的劳模。开发奖会那天，工作人员因为他趿着踏板子，死活不让他进会场。后来台上等得急了，派人下来找，把工作人员克了一通。地委书记在大会上宣布，至少在全区范围内，殷道严可以穿着踏板子进出任何他需要进出的场合。这给予了他穿踏板子的特权。 随着物质文明的极大进步，木头的踏板子也终于不能为社会见容，只好不得不去买了一双塑料泡沫拖鞋，总算是有了一点现代气息。至此，也是他保守赤脚传统的最后一道防线。任谁也无法突破了。 这便成了他的一个显著特色。 电视台老董的儿子拍他的专题片，先是一个自然景物的长镜头，然后是他的“奔驰”车迎面驶来，刹住，然后是一个大特写：闪闪发亮的车门从里面推开（殷道严坐车喜欢坐前面，跟司机并排，并且他从不让司机给他开门），渐开的车门底下伸出一只脚，裤腿挽到小腿以上，又黑又粗，脚板上趿着一双已经老化变形的塑料拖鞋。然后就是他穿着这双拖鞋进行的各种活动：察看农田和村办企业，接待包括外国人在内的来访者，召开干部会，慰问敬老院……他的趿拖鞋的赤脚不时在这些镜头中间显现出来。片子结尾的画面是一条宽阔的大路，大路的尽头是一轮巨大的红日，殷道严裤腿挽得高高的，赤脚趿着拖鞋，向画面深处的红日走去，又一个逆光特写：那双在宽阔的大路上坚实地拍打着的拖鞋渐渐融入灿烂夺目的阳光。 这专题片后来在全国的评比中得了奖。 殷道严的赤脚趿拖鞋终至成为一种风范，一种象征，许多记者、作家以此大作文章，大歌大颂“踏板子精神”，又使这许多的记者和作家也大大地出了名。 可惜的是这踏板子却走不出国门。这回考察团去的是英国，参加的人大部分来自乡村基层，又是头一次出国。事先特别宣布了外事纪律，对衣着也有具体明确的规定，说是服饰有民族风格是可以的，但拖鞋跋袜、光脚板子绝对不行。说话的是个带金丝眼镜的小白脸，一身上下好像刚刚从熨斗底下熨出来的。说这句话的时候，眼睛特别地看着殷道严。又特别加重语气说：英国是个特讲究绅士风度的国家（说“绅士风度”的时候他先说的是洋文，然后又自己给自己翻译），我们是代表国家出去的，要讲国格，也就是国家的面子。 殷道严原来一直正襟危坐在沙发上，一双趿着拖鞋的脚也很规矩老实地并排摆平在地毯上，一动不动。换个场合，他早就把赤脚从拖鞋里抽出活动脚丫子了。小白脸说不能光脚的时候，他本来很窘，恨不得地毯上有个洞让他把脚埋进去（沙发是靠墙围成一圈的，中间没有别的摆设，他那双穿拖鞋的赤脚早已暴露在众目睽睽之下）。小白脸说到“绅士风度”，说到“国格”的时候，他不由恼恨起来。小白脸明明是在说他那双穿拖鞋的赤脚会丢中国人的脸。“倒他娘的，大不了不去就是！什么鸡巴东西（这'东西'不知是指小白脸还是指英国），资产阶级穷讲究。农民就是打赤脚的。毛泽东也是作田出身，从来没有去过那个鸡巴国，不照样当了几十年主席？”这些话殷道严当然都是在心里说的，没有说出声来，只是脸色很可怕地由涨红转青灰，牙巴骨一跳一跳。他真想站起来一跺脚回老家了事。但到底还是忍住了。心字头上一把刀，有些事是非忍不可的。跑回去，怎么交待？ 踏板子又一次受到挑战。这一回再没有哪个能给他特权，殷道严头一回隐隐约约地感到了世道变迁的悲哀。 他后来由一个工作人员陪同，到附近的商店去买了一双皮鞋。那工作人员还有几分通人情，理解他保持了一辈子劳动人员本色，穿皮鞋会很不习惯，便特地帮他挑了一双软底的。 就是这双软底皮鞋在外国也把他害得死去活来。每天回宾馆头一件事就是解放那双脚。每天出门，便愁眉苦脸，心惊肉跳，似乎是上酷刑室。实在忍不住了，便一到觉得没有人注意时，就赶紧用两只脚尖相帮着，把皮鞋后跟上的帮子坐下去，趿拖鞋似的趿着，使脚板子略略得到一点放松。他就这样悄悄地、做贼似的趿着这双软底皮鞋，去瞻仰过金碧辉煌的白金汉宫，在典雅的泰晤士广场和泰晤士河边迟迟疑疑地漫步。考察团并没有几个真心考察的人，都是来开洋晕，看西洋景的。他则连这样的兴致也没有，心思大多放在那双脚上。脚被束缚着，他想要解除这束缚就像打算做一件见不得人的事，跟一个惴惴不安的预谋越狱的犯人差不多。因为老是提防着别人发现他趿着鞋跟，他的神气就总有几分鬼鬼祟祟，像个非法入境者似的。到了英国，他感到一种压迫。那压迫使他说不出“什么鸡巴东西”那样的话，也使他开始怀疑踏板子，光脚杆子是不是就真的那么体面光荣。他见到的英国农民（如果也可以叫“农民”的话）一个个上下笔挺，就是小白脸说的那种“绅士”吧。在他们面前，他老是浑身不自在，总觉得身上的衣服不干净，有股不好的气味。总觉得自己有些像个叫化子，一点架子也搭不起来。 终于在回国的中国民航班机上找到自己的座位坐下来之后，他长长的吁了口气，好像获了大赦。行李还没有放好，他先不先就甩脱了两只皮鞋，把一双赤脚板子在地毯上来来回回地磨蹭。一个很细心的空姐马上发现了，殷勤地告诉他，机座上是备有拖鞋的。他一面答应“好的，好的”，却不用。回到国内的宾馆，他把鞋袜狠狠地撂进卫生间，狠狠地打了赤脚在地上走来走去，报了仇似的。 “等回了李八碗，老子要天天打赤脚。农人就是农人，走遍天下也还要回来作我的田。作我的田，走我的路，打我的赤脚，天王老子也管不着。”他狠狠地说。 他说这些话，以“农人”自居，心里当然是晓得自己并不是“农人”，并不须作田的。考察期间，他还买了许多外国糕点，装满了两个大蛇皮袋子，前胸一个，背后一个地驮着，打算回来办不成药厂，就办糕点食品厂。他一点没有想到，他回去作农人的那些话，有可能成为事实。 那次李八碗人拦路“索赔”，“专员”夫人在县、镇干部的保护下好不容易从人群中脱身，很没有趣味地当时就打道回府。回到省城，她履行向李八碗人作的承诺，先是去几个相关的宗教事务和文化、旅游部门跑动，为李八碗争取到一笔修复傩神庙的政府拨款。至于办华夏制药厂的事，则永远地搁置起来了。也就意味着李八碗农工商联合企业总公司从此寿终正寝。先前还抱了希望观望着的贷款单位慌了，纷纷向李八碗猛扑而来。李八碗农工商联合企业总公司宣告破产，所有的动产和不动产都被没收抵债。并且陆续作价拍卖。 已经退出总公司的殷元中出面，组织李八碗人集资入股，以待价位压到最低的时候，买下江南制药厂的厂房和设备。然后将此作为股份，同一家泰国公司合资，办一家大型饲料厂。那家泰国公司是一家经营畜禽产品的跨国集团公司，老板是华裔，在中国的许多省份合资建了一些现代化饲料基地，也早打了李八碗所在的这个农业省份的主意。 给李八碗牵线的，竟是殷元中多年前在庐山上偶然邂逅的那个海外女人。李八碗刚办农工商联合企业总公司的时候，就听老董说打算恢复同年轻时那个苏联女专家的联系，好把李八碗的生意做到俄国去，殷元中受了启发，也就私下里动了脑筋，翻出那个香港女人千叮咛万嘱咐留给他的地址。去了几封信，竟联系上了。那女人已经有过不知多少新伴，不过她还记得殷元中的力气和情分，说，只要有事，用得着她的地方，她一定尽力帮忙，比如殷元中离开大陆到海外谋事之类。先前叫得最响的老董反而没有戏。殷元中没有动过去海外的念头，他留了这张牌到要用的时候再打。大家叫他“骚牯”，但他并不只是“骚”。 那家公司同李八碗的合资，便是那个香港女人动员自己的挂名男人促成的。 殷道严出国之前，形势已经有些不妙了。县里和镇上碍于面子，尽力劝说了那些要来封账的单位，让殷道严最后尽兴快活了一回。殷道严从国外回到北京，给家里打头一个电话，茂生就哭诉了李八碗这场天翻地覆的劫难。 李八碗将要江山易主，殷道严恨了半天，还是给殷元中挂了电话。他在电话里咬牙切齿： “侄子，你敢搞垮李八碗的集体经济，我就敢要你的命！” 殷元中轻轻地笑说：“叔，你在李八碗当皇上的日子怕是到头了。” Four 几个省级文化人当天就吵吵着要回去，这一趟将军镇之行让他们觉得很失望。这很可以理解。他们不像小丁，跟这地方有许多牵藤襻叶的瓜葛。小丁原也没有准备长住，但也没有打算当天就走。许多故旧之人他都还没有见到。有的是人家不在当地，比如殷元中，他到广州跟那家公司的代表签协议去了。李八碗许多人都在焦心地等他回来。都说脸瘦身壮的男人是有福之人，刀削脸的壮汉殷元中如今是李八碗人最大的指望了；还有老董，搬回了市里，陪老婆儿子，李八碗没有他什么事了；有的是小丁的时间不够了，没法去拜访，比如郑风，还有洪一鸣。 艾老倒是随老杨一起，从早上开始一直陪着小丁一行。老杨哮喘得厉害，多数时候都是艾老在讲解。他自然也是最适合讲解的人。省里一干人要走，他们自不好挽留。只把小丁扯住，走在一群人后面。老杨一边喘着、咳着，一边说：“小丁，你该再来，住些日子。不是为我。说不定下次来，你就看不见我了。日子总是在变，永不会只有一团漆黑，也永不会只有一片光明。不是人指望什么，什么就一定成了事实。但指望总有的，永不必绝望。总要有人做些事，让日子总是变好……”艾老不断眨着细小的眼睛，鸡啄米似的连连点头：“我们是做不成什么事了，就靠你们后生。自古为文，凡成大器的总有些底气，不然就是无源之水，无本之木。” 小丁看着两个实心诚意的老人，很感动，说：“是的。”再说不出什么。 临离镇之前，小丁还是特地拐到傩神庙那里，去看了一下瞎拐。 瞎拐住在一间简易工棚里，给正在再次修复的傩神庙看场。他把小丁上上下下摸了个够，快活得不晓得怎样才好，忽然说：“我还是给你唱歌子吧。” Never sing "Demolition White Song", The wind blows the stone rollers and flies across the river, On the top of the big tree, the fish beats the child, Rapid water beachhead birds make their nests, The scalper has fallen to the buffalo woman, ... 瞎拐一面唱，一面笑起来，一脸的折皱霎时都变得极为柔和、生动，里面熠熠地放出光来。 小丁想起瞎拐走路的时候怎样在地上划着有力的逗号和句号。他的人生历程，就是这种逗号和句号的交替——多少次看来结束了，却又从头开始了。 这又何尝不是将军镇，乃至这个世界的历程呢。