Chapter 30 Chapter Twenty Nine

1 In the early morning of this day, I opened the door, and Qian Dayu stood in front of me as if he had come out of the ground. Under the bright electric light, his skin was still so dark, his eyes were still so bright, he was wearing a checked shirt, carrying a travel bag, and looked dusty, but he was obviously thinner and his eye circles were dark.After this period of time, some subtle changes have taken place in our relationship, which is tacit to each other.I let him in and jokingly said hey, you're James Bond, when did you come back? He replied in a low voice: My mother passed away, and I went home to attend the funeral.

I was taken aback, and apologized quickly, saying when did my aunt leave?How come no one told me? He sat down on the edge of my bed, sighed and said: The funeral is over, it's very simple, I'm here to tell you.In the Golden Triangle, few people know that she is the widow of Qian Yunzhou, the former famous chief of staff of the devil.People only know that the death of an old woman who has been crazy for more than ten years is as insignificant as the disappearance of a grass. I had no choice but to advise him to take care of himself and rest.He grinned so ugly that he looked like he was crying, and the man's grief was touching.But he said, dude, you are running out of time in the Golden Triangle. I promised to accompany you to Mount Phra Meng, and to take the exam. Are you still interested?

Oh my good brother!I jumped to my feet, so grateful that I wanted to hug him on the spot. A quarter of an hour later, our car set off. Qian Dayu was speechless all the way, I know he is a dutiful son, he is filial to his mother, from this point of view he is more like a traditional Chinese.I couldn't share and dissolve his grief, so I just patted him on the shoulder.Unexpectedly, he raised his head and said to me: You are wrong, in fact, my greater grief is for my father.After all, my mother lived her whole life. Although there was no happiness to speak of, my father was even more unfortunate.He spent his entire life as a soldier, but in the end he didn't know whether he was a human or a ghost?

I suddenly understood.I said, you are not going to Mount Phra Meng for me, but for yourself, right? He nodded and said, it can be said that way.You will see that it is the most glorious place to commemorate my father's life. As a professional soldier, he finally achieved his final career on the battlefield.Of course, this also means the coming of destruction, just like a shooting star, when it is most dazzling and brilliant, it will be reduced to ashes. I saw tears glistening in the eyes of this strong man. I said how did your father disappear?He is not an ordinary person, but a well-known Han commander in the Golden Triangle. Doesn't anyone know his whereabouts?

He shook his head and turned his face out of the car window. 2 The car came to a mountain named Menglan, Qian Dayu asked the driver Xiao Dong to stop, saying that there is a worldly scenery here, which will open your eyes.I followed him closely and walked along the mountain path for a short time, when a hillside appeared in front of me, on which crops such as wadi yams were planted.The first thing that catches my eyes is some local people who are working. They are all women, wearing colorful clothes. To my surprise, they may not be people at all, but like people or some rare primates. Not aliens!

At first I was dumbfounded, thinking that I was blind, and the aliens were working. When they saw us approaching, they stopped what they were doing and looked at us friendly.At this time, I saw that they had the same face, the same hands and feet, the same body, the same expression and smile as ours.The difference is that under the bright sun, they have a gleaming long neck, which is at least two or three times longer than our human neck. God, are they really human?I can't believe my eyes.They are obviously working. Marx said that labor creates people, and animals cannot work or grow crops. It is certain that they are all human beings and our own kind.But how can humans grow such long necks, similar to giraffes?Are they aliens, or miracles of life?I looked at Qian Dayu suspiciously, but he was squatting on the ground, smoking a cigarette out of curiosity, and deliberately turned his face to the side.

Strange people came around us, and they spoke a language that sounded strange to me, maybe Indian, or Eskimo Martian or something, but I couldn't understand it anyway.Only then did Qian Dayu say slowly, telling you, this is a special product of the Golden Triangle, a unique long-necked family in the world. I argue that on this earth, all human primates have short necks, why do they have long necks?Qian Dayu pouted, saying that you should ask them questions, and you will only be given ten minutes to find the answer, because we still have to hurry. The world is so big, there are so many wonders, I quickly figured out that the reason for their long necks to shine is because of the dense metal collars around their necks. These metal collars firmly support their necks, making their movements look strange. All were odd, stiff and uncoordinated.I asked Qian Daewoo to tell them, can you take off the collar and let me see the secret inside?They laughed together and chatted for a while, and Qian Dayu translated that they said they would die if the collar was taken off.I was surprised to say there is such a serious?Qian Dayu answered instead of them, yes, they did not lie.

I saw a little girl, probably only in her teens, who also wore a metal collar and also had a long neck.I asked her, did you wear a collar when you were born with a long neck?She smiled shyly and refused to answer.I began to guess that there must be a secret in it.Of course, it is impossible for them to do anything in the collar, such as padding something to lengthen it, and it is even more impossible for them to play magic tricks.I said can I see your babies?An older long-necked man replied: No!We're going to work. I was at a loss, and said in a hurry: Hey, why are you all women?Where did your men go?Do they have long necks too?How do you have children without men?

Qian Dayu laughed and said approvingly that it was good, you really found the key to the problem.He said a few words to the men, and a woman walked back to the stockade, and soon a young man was brought in. I could tell at a glance that the young man was normal, without a metal collar, so the neck was the same length as ours.I figured the problem turned out to be the metal collar.I was very excited by this discovery, and I took advantage of the victory to say that your men do not have long necks, which means that it is impossible for your women to be born with long necks.So what is it that lengthens your soft necks, women?I guess it should be an acquired reason.

Qian Dayu nodded while listening.Those women with long necks couldn't understand Chinese, they could only laugh and laugh, so Qian Dayu translated my words to them.I said this is similar to the Japanese making square watermelons that are easy to transport. They put small watermelons in a square box, but the watermelon can only grow into the shape of a square box.Do you start girls wearing metal collars when they are young and then increase the collar height every year so that when they are adults their necks will be stretched and become what they are now? They still refused to answer, which shows that they have acquiesced.Qian Dayu said, I still want to test you, why do they do this?

I racked my brains to say, it must be some kind of ancient custom, handed down by the ancestors, and it has become a natural habit over time, right? Qian Dayu said, so why don't the Han people have such customs?Of course I can remind you, why do all women have long necks?Why don't men have long necks? My mind brightened, as if opening a skylight, I shouted excitedly: I understand, it's because of the aesthetic concept!They regard the length of the neck as the most beautiful, the longer the more beautiful, so only girls wear neckbands.Just like we Han people have forced women to bind their feet for hundreds of years, the smaller the better, the smaller the more beautiful, isn't it the "three-inch golden lotus"? There is another sentence I didn't say in the back, binding feet is the destruction of women, so why is it not the case with long necks?It is said that they can only remove the collar around their necks if they die.I can't imagine what it's like to live with a cold and hard metal collar for a lifetime, but I can conclude that this kind of forced acceptance must be no better than bound feet.In order to show respect, I put my hands together to bless according to the local custom, and then presented a hundred baht Thai currency to show my gratitude. 3 The 1960s and 1970s were the heyday of anti-imperialist and anti-colonial movements and revolutionary trends in Asia. U.S. imperialism has reached out everywhere. North Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Southeast Asia. The two major camps in the world have evolved from ideological confrontation to direct military confrontation. The poor and backward Southeast Asia has become an experimental field for promoting various doctrines and theories.In the late 1960s, some radical international communist groups infiltrated from the border of Laos and Thailand, organized an armed uprising in the Golden Triangle, and declared the highest political goal to overthrow the reactionary king and seize power by force. In the southeastern part of the Golden Triangle, there are large mountains, dense forests, and deep river valleys. The main residents are Miao, Wa, Lisu, Laohei, Shan, etc., especially the Miao tribe.The Miao people live in deep mountains and old forests, lack of medical care, poverty and disease are their natural enemies, but here, like other places in the Golden Triangle, there is never a shortage of opium, because British missionaries taught them to grow poppies at least two hundred years ago.From the geographical point of view, the smuggled opium here is mainly exported to Bangkok, Laos and Vietnam. At that time, Kunsha and Luo Xinghan had reached an agreement with the local Miao king to buy Dayan in the Miao area. Therefore, the problem of drug control in the Miao area often caused the government a headache.The local government once sent tax collectors to the Miao area to collect land tax and opium tax. Unexpectedly, the wild and fierce King Miao didn't buy it at all. He led the Miao people to rebel, killed the tax collectors, and took up arms to riot.Some Vietnamese brought in guns and ammunition from Laos and Vietnam, and sent party representatives to organize the Hmong tribes into guerrillas and command them to wage guerrilla warfare against government forces.This encirclement and anti-encirclement war has lasted for more than ten years. The Miao people still grow opium poppies and smuggle drugs, but their lives are still poor. The government forces are helpless in the face of deep mountains and ravines. The two sides are in a hostile and stalemate war state. In the late 1970s, with the defeat of the United States in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, and the wave of revolution in Southeast Asia, the Hmong guerrillas began to show a strong interest in the regime.Based on Mount Phra Meng, Mount Khao Kho and Mount Khao Ya, they went down the mountain to attack the Thai county seat, killed the county magistrate and police chief, and then marched towards Chiang Rai, Phayao and Nan provinces, capitals of the northern provinces of Thailand, with red flags. The flag of armed revolution was planted all over Thailand. The ruling and opposition parties in Thailand were shaken.The government troops rushed to intercept and sent tanks and planes to join the battle. The Americans, who had just experienced a disastrous defeat in the Vietnam War, also dispatched fighter planes from the Pattaya US military base at the request of the Thai government in order to curb the spread of communism.For a time, the Golden Triangle battle was clouded and the artillery was rumbling. After all, the guerrillas were not regular troops. They had an advantage in fighting guerrillas in the mountains, but they became incapable of fighting when they went down the mountain. Therefore, they suffered heavy losses under the three-dimensional offensive of the government army on the ground and in the air. There is no way to fight back.The revolution was temporarily at a low ebb, and the guerrillas fell short and had to retreat to the mountains to resume a protracted war. The government learned from the painful experience and ordered the army to go all out to suppress the serious troubles.The problem is that the government troops marched from the plains into the mountains, and their planes, tanks and cannons were all blocked from the natural barriers, just like a sharpshooter, if you have to put down your weapons to wrestle with the enemy, wouldn't your advantage be cancelled?So the government army became in the way again, but the guerrillas were at ease again, and the situation became extremely complicated and confusing. The terrain of the Dalong Mountains is complex, and there are mountains within a hundred miles. The northern foot occupied by the guerrillas is called Padang Mountain, which looks like a natural castle. There is only one trail to reach the main peak, Padang Peak.The guerrillas set up their headquarters in hidden caves, built fortifications, and sent guerrillas to attack everywhere to contain the government troops who were not good at climbing mountains, forcing them to engage in jungle guerrilla warfare that they were not familiar with.The guerrillas are all local Miao people. Their ancestors have made mountains their homes and are good at hunting and climbing mountains.The government army is usually majestic, wearing big leather boots, American military uniforms, good at going forward and accepting inspections, but once they enter the Golden Triangle, the mountains are densely forested, the road is difficult, the valley is like a ecstasy, and the swamp is like a trap. A natural labyrinth that cannot be walked out.In the face of eternal nature, human beings are always small, fragile and naive. The airtight tropical plant community turns the forest into a death trap. In this trap full of murderous intentions and dangers, the superiority and self-confidence of the government forces Just like the temperature on the surface of the skin, it dissipates little by little in the cold and humid air. When danger comes, people are often not aware of it. For example, if you find a suspicious target, you immediately respond correctly according to the requirements of the military instructor: lie down, aim, pull the trigger, and shoot a string of bullets, but the other party does not move.So you approached slowly with high vigilance, but found that there was nothing, no blood, and no corpse, so you secretly rejoiced, maybe you were blind, maybe some beast passed by.Just when you were about to breathe a sigh of relief, suddenly gunshots rang out, from an invisible dark corner, from behind trees, on trees, in holes in the ground or in crevices of rocks, the cunning enemy fired, and a string of deadly bullets You were beaten to death.You can't see the enemy, but the enemy can see clearly. This is the terrible tropical jungle.This is how the Americans were defeated in Vietnam.Many Thai soldiers were killed inexplicably, and they didn't know where the enemy was hiding when they went to see God. Most of the time, the soldiers obviously found the enemy, and the enemy deliberately exposed the target in front of you to attract your attention, but before you pulled the trigger, another wave of enemies came out from behind and opened fire, just like those despicable thieves, Steal the victory that was almost yours in one fell swoop.You wanted to catch the enemy alive and followed him quietly, but unexpectedly you were led into the minefield. With the bang of a series of landmine explosions and the heart-piercing screams, many young soldiers lost their lives or some parts of their healthy limbs and became adults. Dead bodies or living bodies.There are also soldiers who search and advance cautiously. They are repeatedly reminded to be careful not to be fooled by the enemy.But they still failed to escape bad luck.For the solid ground suddenly splits open under your feet, a deep fissure, and you fall right into it, into a well-disguised trap.That is the hell of the devil. There are many sharp bamboo thorns, iron picks and hunting organs inserted upside down at the bottom of the pit. You are like a prey. You are poked with holes all over your body, and you don’t even have the strength to scream... The invincible American soldiers suffered a lot in the Vietnam battlefield and were finally defeated.This effective jungle tactic was transplanted to the Golden Triangle, making the pampered government forces hit the wall everywhere.Every time the government forces launch an offensive in the dry season, many officers and soldiers will be lost, and the treacherous mountains and jungles are always on the side of the guerrillas, making them hopeless and helpless.The army cannot win battles, and it is useless for the high command to be anxious. It is like a butcher whose knife is not fast and cannot cut through hard bones. You can't chew with your teeth, right?The only way is to find another sharp knife to replace the blunt knife that can't cut through hard bones. Someone stepped forward to meet His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, King Rama IX of Thailand, and offered a wonderful plan.This man is the son of the former army veteran Marshal Ping and the future Prime Minister General Chachai.Chachai is indeed a talent for managing the country. Facing the complicated political and military situation and the crisis situation, he formulated a good prescription for calming the country and chaos, which made His Majesty the king very happy, and forwarded it to the cabinet for adoption and implementation.This trick is: in the name of His Majesty the Supreme King, the former Kuomintang Han army, which is also a headache for the government, is recruited to fight on Mount Phra Meng.In this way, the Han Chinese army entrenched in the Golden Triangle can be recruited, and the goal of eliminating the future troubles of the guerrillas can also be achieved.When two tigers fight, one will be injured. 4 Duan Xiwen is very old. If this huge Han tribe can continue to be called the army, it is only because they still retain the army system, or from a customary point of view, they are of course more willing to be regarded as an army by others.From the defeat of the mainland in 1950, the two major withdrawals from Taiwan, the end of the Mengsa era and the Jiangkou era, living in Mesle, and the Golden Triangle for 30 years, these Han officers and soldiers have completely changed their appearance.In the past, young soldiers who were twenty years old were already over half a hundred at this time, married and had children, and their sons and daughters were on a trip. In the Third and Fifth Armies, there were only a few thousand soldiers who could really take up guns and fight, while the elderly, family members, and children had more than ten thousand soldiers. Tens of thousands of people.They can no longer fight here and there, they can't move, they can't march long distances, just like a prehistoric dinosaur destined to become fossils, they can't go to the sky, they can't ride the clouds, they have to crawl slowly on the ground with snakes and earthworms.This is an evolution of time, a metamorphosis of a species. The army is a machine, and refugees are a society. From the army to refugees, it is like that everything will eventually return to the soil, and gradually complete the return from special people to ordinary people. In 1968, Taiwan’s Kuomintang saw the appearance of this out-of-control refugee army changing day by day. Traveling thousands of miles, he personally traveled long distances to Maesle, and announced to the officers and soldiers that Chiang Kai-shek had finally decided to sever ties and return to Thailand. Taiwan's Kuomintang reluctantly gave up the third and fifth armies, while the Thai government had doubts about the loyalty of this Han army. Once you turn your face, you become the one who lures wolves into the house, so who can do it?So the surrender negotiations have been going on for more than ten years, just like Taijiquan. You move one way and another, intermittently, good and bad, and there have been reversals and conflicts. The two sides have never been able to reach a final agreement. I asked Lei Yutian, where is the focus of the differences between the two sides?Lei Yutian did not answer directly, he said: Surrender is not surrender, surrender has no right to bargain, but surrender requires some legal rights.We handed over our weapons, even the local mountain people are inferior, because we are outsiders and refugees in the Golden Triangle.In the Golden Triangle, if you don't have a gun, you are like a sheep. Who will defend your interests? I understand that this line of thinking is actually consistent with the principle of "government grows out of the barrel of a gun", and the barrel of a gun is the right to life.But can the Thai government rest assured about a foreign army that refuses to hand over its weapons?How does the government account to the parliament and the people of the country?Therefore, in the end, the negotiations always focused on several key issues such as weapons and stalled. Duan Xiwen was sixty-eight years old at the time and suffered from heart disease. Due to years of opium smoking, his body was obviously aging and his mind was weak, but his mind was very clear.Although the government army was fighting on Mount Phra Meng several hundred miles away, the rumbling artillery was blocked by heavy mountains, but the commander-in-chief still kept a close eye on the progress of the battle every day.Once Qian Yunzhou saw his serious face, so he asked the commander-in-chief why he was so concerned. Wasn't our army fighting?He sighed, and replied worriedly: "The fire at the gate of the city will affect the fish in the pond. I am worried that I will be affected!" I thought with admiration that Duan Xiwen might have become an excellent politician if it hadn't been for the chaos of war, because he often has amazing intuition and judgment.Soon the premonition was confirmed, and a special government envoy rushed to Mesle in the starry night, announcing that His Majesty King Rama IX of Thailand summoned the generals of the Han army. The king's summons was obviously a momentous event, indicating that a fateful moment was approaching.All the generals were very nervous, because no matter what consequences this summoning would bring to the Han army, whether it was opportunities, disasters or blessings, they could not resist, because this was the supreme will of His Majesty the King. A few days later, His Majesty King Rama IX had a cordial meeting with Duan Xiwen, Li Wenhuan, Lei Yutian and Qian Yunzhou at the Bangkok Palace. This extraordinary courtesy made the hearts of the four former Kuomintang soldiers beating like drums and full of doubts.His Majesty the King is an amiable middle-aged man. He was born in the United States. He studied in Europe when he was young. He first studied science and then music. The great significance lies not in the content, but in the specifications and meanings embodied in this form.The court ministers whispered a few words in the king's ear, and the king suddenly realized, and asked them: "I heard that you have long intended to surrender, but is it true?" The four of them were terrified and shouted long live, wishing to show their loyalty and loyalty.So the king said with satisfaction: "Well, I will announce now that the four of you will be granted the citizenship of the Kingdom of Thailand. You must work hard to be loyal to the country, and don't let down my painstaking efforts." At the end of the meeting, the four of them made no promises, bent over and retreated.After leaving the palace, the limousine took the group to the Prime Minister's Office. The Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces General Jiangsar Chamanan personally met them, and the surrender negotiations immediately started the final procedure.The Prime Minister said straight to the point: His Majesty the King personally received you. This is the highest honor.Now that national security is threatened and rebels are waging war, the King needs you to prove your loyalty with your actions.Whoever disobeys the king's order will be regarded as an unforgivable traitor and sinner in this country. At this point, they finally understood that this was a noble and elaborate strategy. The Han generals had changed their nationality and became royal citizens, and they swore allegiance to the king. Now that the king has issued an imperial decree, can they not lead the Han army to fight on the front line?The wild horse puts on the bridle, can you disobey the master's order? After a final round of arduous negotiations and bargaining, the generals and the government reached an agreement as follows: the Han army was temporarily renamed the Northern Thai People's Armed Self-Defense Force, and the government provided funds to supplement weapons, ammunition and equipment. Implement amnesty.The self-defense force's organizational structure remains unchanged, and its weapons are retained. Han officers and soldiers and their families are naturalized as Thai citizens on the spot.etc. This is a life-and-death gamble, and the remnants of the former Kuomintang have no choice but to be tied to the chariot. 5 Padang Peak soars into the sky. If we have a chance to see from the sky, we can see the beautiful Padang Peak like a princess locked in a medieval castle, and this lush and huge castle is Mount Phra Meng located at the northern foot of the Dalong Mountains in the hinterland of the Golden Triangle.The shining Mekong River is like a gorgeous silk, winding and winding from the depths of the far mountains to the foot of the castle, while the lingering clouds and mists are like the tide of the sea, rising and falling among the valleys and forests.In fine weather, the passionate sun is like a poet, pouring down the fiery poetry from the sky. At this time, Padang Peak is like a real princess showing a mysterious figure from the clouds and fog. The princess wore a gorgeous white gauze scarf on her chest, and led the fairies out of the castle, flocks of fairies played and chased among the mountains, forests and valleys... However, war ruthlessly destroys the beauty of nature.Gunpowder smoke was everywhere, flames shot into the sky, planes roared and dived from the sky, and the explosion of artillery shells and mines raised countless dirty black smoke columns.The government army attacked the guerrillas every year, pouring countless tons of shells and bombs on Padang Peak and the surrounding hills. The guerrillas fought back tenaciously, making the government army stand still. In the dry season of 1979, a Han reinforcements were ordered to arrive at the front line. The so-called reinforcements consisted of only five hundred people, and the commander was a short old man who looked to be at least seventy years old, with white hair and beard, and a senile appearance.His subordinates are all bearded soldiers, carrying all kinds of long and short weapons, ranging in age from twenty to fifty, making people feel like a group of impromptu mobs.When they arrived at Changkong County at the foot of the mountain, not only did they not follow the strict secrecy required by the military, and quietly passed through with no flags and drums, they rested for three days and held many activities such as swearing-in meetings, condolence meetings, resolution meetings, and gatherings, which made the world turmoil. , as if afraid that the mountain guerrillas would not know. Lieutenant General Mo, the commander of the Thai army, frowned.The Black Tiger Division commanded by Lieutenant General Mo was the elite of the government army, and the elite could not defeat Padang Peak, not because of weak combat effectiveness and poor weapons, but because the enemy was too cunning and the terrain was too complicated and unfavorable.The dilapidated Han Chinese team in front of him didn't look like reinforcements, but rather came to trouble him.Of course, he didn't know that this team was the remnant Kuomintang army that used to be majestic, and the commander of the white beard was the famous General Duan Xiwen. What can I do? Many years later, Lei Yutian told me that General Mo made a suggestion on the spot to hold a shooting competition, with multiple shooters from both sides shooting targets.As a result of the match, the Han reinforcements fell short of the standard. No matter the rifles, submachine guns or machine guns, they lost to the Black Tiger Division. I asked Lei Yutian: Can't you send some good shooters to play? Lei sighed: If there is no war for a long time, even the best technology will be abandoned.After all, age is not forgiving, veterans are getting old, the second and third generations are still young, have no experience in combat, and it will take time to hone them. This is our reality. Duan Xiwen ordered the formation of a death squad, with a division commander surnamed Xu as the front-line commander, and asked them to attack halfway up the mountain within three days.Government troops bombarded with artillery fire, planes dispatched to drop bombs, and incendiary bombs poured down. In short, the louder the momentum, the more lively the scene, the better.The main force of the Black Tiger Division followed up and took on the task of supporting and expanding the results of the battle. General Mo almost didn't laugh out loud, he began to wonder if there was something wrong with the old Han man's nerves in front of him.Because the appearance of the support army was as fanfare as the opening of a drama, the mountain guerrilla must have obtained information, and it was undoubtedly prepared for it.In mountainous jungles with complex terrain, cannons and planes are basically useless. Even if you deafen the enemy's ears, you can't blow up the entire mountain.Then the general was a little bit angrily, how can this bad old man be a commander?This is not a war, it is clearly a child's play!Why do you let the Black Tiger Master follow behind, collect the corpses for you Han people?No matter how dissatisfied General Mo may be, the Ministry of National Defense's strict order is: must cooperate with General Duan, and meet all his requirements without any mistakes.The military order fell like a mountain, this time General Duan played the leading role, and the proud Black Tiger Division could only submissively play the supporting role. After a period of silence, there was another violent sound of guns and guns from Mount Phra Meng. The planes roared, the guns rumbled, and black smoke rose from the valleys and jungles. On the battlefield dozens of miles away, forests were burning everywhere.The ugly Han Chinese death squads are actually masters of jungle warfare. The biggest difference between them and the Black Tiger Division is that they are not helpless in the dense jungle, but take the jungle as their home and foundation, just like a tiger entering a deep mountain and a dragon soaring into the sea .Look at the monkeys in the zoo, usually locked in a cage, they are all lazy and cowardly, but you try to go up the mountain?As soon as they go up the mountain, everywhere becomes their world.These Han soldiers, they never charged forward with straight backs, nor howled with bluff, nor crowded together in groups to embolden each other.These ghostly killing experts roam the jungle like shadows, fighting jungle warfare with jungle warfare, and guerrilla warfare with guerrilla warfare, slowly penetrating into the depths of the jungle like mercury cascading down the ground.The small tricks of the guerrillas have never been able to deceive the Han soldiers. They used these methods to deal with the government army's suppression in the past. They have fought in the Golden Triangle for 30 years, and all of them are masters of jungle warfare.You are still very young!The bearded soldier sneered, the shadows in front of him flickered, they lay motionless on the ground, swaying back and forth, the other party lost patience, waited for the enemy to show his head, shot him straight, and a flower of blood bloomed on his head. Three days into the war, the Death Squad suffered more than 100 casualties and forcibly pushed forward five kilometers to reach the half slope of the main peak of Padang.On the contrary, the guerrillas had never had any experience in fighting the Han army, so they lost their composure when they couldn't resist. The guerrilla commanders, political commissars, and the wounded who could hold guns all went to the battlefield, vowing to live and die with the base area.For a while, the sound of wolf smoke billowing and killing was everywhere on the mountain. After all, the strength of the Han army was weak. The guerrillas fought tenaciously by virtue of the favorable terrain, temporarily blocking the enemy's attack.For a while, it was difficult for both sides to win, just like two exhausted boxers in the ring, putting their heads on each other's stomachs.The two sides confronted each other on the mountainside of the main peak, and the battlefield was in a stalemate. At this time, a bad news came from the mountain, and Mr. Xu was unfortunately shot and killed.Duan Xiwen's face was livid, and he gritted his teeth and said to Lei Yutian: "Chief of Staff, I have to ask you to go up to supervise the formation... Blow the guns tighter, bite them, to preserve strength, and don't increase casualties." 6 Nearly 20 years after that bloody war, on a rainy afternoon, Qian Dayu and I passed through Changkhong County, and the car sped northeast toward the Mekong River. The Dalong Mountains are lush and lush, with steep slopes and deep valleys, and dense forests.The road circles in the valley, and the thick fog fills up the deep valley like a tide, and sometimes submerges the road. This is a dangerous moment. The thick fog blocks the view, and we are driving in the dark. The driver Xiao Dong turns on the anti-fog lights and drives fast Slowly and carefully.After climbing up a high slope and finally breaking out of the fog, the sky suddenly brightened up. It turned out that a round of golden sun above the head was shining on the woods and the earth.I saw some tall and low bamboo building spiers in the valley on the opposite side, and I knew it was a cottage. When the car drove forward, a group of barefoot mountain women appeared on the road. They carried bamboo baskets and wore bright mountain costumes. , with many silver ornaments hanging on his chest, and silver collars of various sizes around his neck, which makes people feel very cumbersome.Seeing the car approaching, they all stopped to pay attention.I say this is Miao people, because I have seen it in Guizhou, China, and it is relatively similar.Qian Dayu replied yes, this is the famous Battlefield of Mount Phra Meng, and roads had not been built at that time. I was a little nervous, how about now?Are there guerrilla or anti-government armed activities? Qian Dayu looked at me and said: Don't worry, that is the old emperor's calendar in the era of political confrontation and ideology. Now there is only one thing to worry about in the mountains, and that is drug trafficking and production. The car turned over the mountain pass, and a shining river seemed to fall from the sky, and it was like a myth before our eyes. This is the world-famous Mekong River. Not long ago, I went to Jiangkou along its upper reaches for interviews.Qian Dayu said that before the battle on the main peak started, a capable Han commando team quietly drove out of Changkong County under the cover of night and headed in the opposite direction of the battlefield.They traveled quickly overnight, detoured to the upper reaches of the Mekong River, and then took several bamboo rafts down the river, and abandoned the raft behind Padang Peak without anyone knowing it.The commandos are all veterans with rich combat experience and are well equipped with American automatic rifles, submachine guns, grenades, flamethrowers, small walkie-talkies and so on.The commander of the commando is Qian Yunzhou, and the deputy captain is Mi Zengtian. I said your father is responsible. Is he familiar with the terrain? Qian Dayu's expression was grim. He said that his father, as the intelligence chief of the remnant army of the Kuomintang, used to go deep into Miaoshan, had contacts with the king of Miao and the head of the chieftain, jointly dealt with the government army, and did smuggling business together.Now friends have turned against each other, the Miao people play the banner of anti-government, the Han people are ordered by the king to attack, and the soldiers meet each other on the battlefield. You can't help yourself! I yelled, I said have you read it?Song Jiang called for security, and then went to conquer Tian Hu, Wang Qing, and Fang La, who were also insurgents in the past.The experience of history is worth noting. Does the tragedy of the Song Jiangs have to be repeated by your father? Qian Dayu didn't answer, I could see that he was in a heavy heart.The car came to a gentle slope by the river and stopped. I followed Qian Dayu and got out of the car. The driver Xiao Dong guarded the car. We turned into the mountain along a grassy path.This is a rugged mountain road that can be called a secret path. Because there are not many people walking around, the shrubs and vines block the way. I have to push through the grass to find the way, so within forty or fifty minutes, I was already sweating profusely and panting .I saw that the valley was getting deeper and deeper, mosquitoes were flying in groups, the air was filled with a cold and damp smell of rotting vegetation, and there was no one around, so I couldn't help but feel a little guilty.Going forward, God knows how far?Will you get lost?You must know that this is the Golden Triangle, and the deep mountains are very unsafe, and there are drug traffickers on both sides of the Mekong River.I said hello, where are you going?How long do we have to go?But Qian Dayu ignored me, he seemed to be sulking with someone, he put his head down and kept going forward, I kept complaining, I had to reluctantly follow behind like a big stupid bear stumbling. Suddenly he stopped, and I was unprepared and bumped into him.I heard him whisper: Well, this is the place! What can I say, what is this place? He raised his face and said, my father led the commando, and it was from here that he climbed to the main peak. I looked up and couldn't help being dumbfounded.sky!I just buried my head on the road, and it turned out that we had come to a thousand cliffs.Seen from the bottom up, the knife-like blue-black cliff soars into the sky, and our two little humans are like two tiny ants.A gust of cold wind blew by, I trembled tremblingly, and my sweaty clothes were coldly stuck to my back.这是一堵天然的高墙，是上帝之手制造的大自然杰作，就跟著名的黄山天都峰、泰山玉皇顶和峨嵋山金顶差不多。悬崖不知有几多高，不知有几多险，总之它的庐山真面目被雾岚和云团所笼罩，让人感到心惊胆战凶险莫测。我安慰自己应该向国际攀岩运动组织报告这个绝佳地点，当然一定要事先打下许多牢固的钢钉，备好安全带，制定周严的安全措施，做到万无一失才能进行比赛。有诗人云：“暮色苍茫看劲松，乱云飞渡仍从容，天生一个仙人洞，无限风光在险峰”。问题是怎样才能乱云飞渡到达无限风光的境界而不至于摔成肉饼？诗人固然可以凭借丰富的想象力，用文学语言去飞渡，军人用什么？用梯子？天底下有这么长的梯子吗？我绝望地仰望绝壁，倒吸冷气说，恐怕……出动直升飞机吧？ 钱大宇横我一眼说，什么鸟飞机，还不惊动敌人！……悄悄爬上去，用手和脚！ 我不服气，说你试试看，人要是摔下来，还不变成罐头牛排？ 他自言自语说是啊，攀岩运动失败了还可以再来，战场上人人都是最后一次。那年我父亲带领一百人突击队，就是从这堵绝壁攀上去，打了对方一个冷不防，活捉敌人司令和政委。但是他们为此付出惨重代价，至少有将近一半人不是死在战场上和敌人枪口下，而是从绝壁上滚落下来，尸骨无存，永远消失在黑暗的深渊里…… 我感到头皮发炸，惊心动魄。我能想象二十年前那个月黑风高之夜，山林一片死寂，偶有被惊起的飞鸟发出惊慌叫声，拍着翅膀划破夜空的寂静飞走了。一队穿黑衣服的人影胼手抵足，像一只只顽强的大蜥蜴紧贴在陡峭的悬崖上。死神的翅膀在空气中振动，魔鬼的阴影笼罩着每一个人，地狱的邪恶和腐朽气息弥漫在人们的心中，这就是说，你与魔鬼摔跤，只有胜负，没有平局。队伍中不时有人发出凄厉绝望的惨叫，他们不幸因为任何一个小小的失误；手指酸软，一脚蹬空，或者手没有抓牢，或者脚下一块石头松动，树根藤葛因不堪重负而断裂，而连根拔起，于是死神的大餐就开始了。魔鬼的利爪牢牢攫住他们，就像猎鹰攫住兔子，把他们带往另一个世界。 我感到自己心在哭泣。我喃喃说：难道没有别的路径？ 钱大宇庄严回答：是的，这是唯一没有防卫的方向。正因为没有路，没有可能，他们才取得胜利。 成功与代价同行，非凡的成功需要付出非凡的代价，这是永恒真理。我大脑突然产生另一个非凡感应。我说帕勐山之战，发生在1979年初春对不？ 钱大宇有些莫名其妙，他点头说对呀。 我说1979年初，在距帕勐山以东，直径距离不超过几百公里的中越边境还发生一件什么大事你能记起吗？他想不起，很抱歉的样子。我大声说还有另一场战争，那就是轰动世界的中国对越自卫反击战。两场战争惊人相似，都是以中国人为一方，他们的对手都是越南人和越南人支持的游击队，这是一种历史巧合吗？ 钱大宇茫然摇头，他回答不了我的问题。 我们离开的时候，钱大宇从怀里掏出一枚小小的玉佛像，他把它举向头顶，连续三次在额头、嘴唇和胸口触碰，之后才把它恭恭敬敬地放在岩石上。这是当地人的一种祷告仪式，用以寄托哀思和追怀亡灵。 我也面向那座巨大而且不可逾越的千仞绝壁，深深地和无比虔诚地三鞠躬。 7 队伍凯旋班师，金三角一片嚎啕之声。 出征五百男儿，个个生龙活虎能征惯战，转眼间灰飞烟灭，只有半数人活着归来，其中不少人被担架抬回来，变成短胳膊少腿或者高低不齐的伤兵。另一半人则变成冰凉的骨灰，有人甚至连骨灰也没有，只好在盒子中装一战场泥土代替。 悲痛的哭声像潮水淹没了金三角。 钱大宇说，那段日子，举凡金三角汉人难民村，家家有丧事，户户门前都挂出召唤死者亡灵的招魂幡，披麻戴孝的孤儿寡妇比比皆是，凄惨的哀嚎和啼哭此起彼伏，昼夜不息。人们渴望和平，但是和平竟要以如此沉重的代价来换取！ 钱大宇父亲钱运周跟随段希文、雷雨田来到阵亡的徐师长家。 名为国民党残军师长，在当时那种艰苦环境，条件也跟士兵差不多，唯一特权是配有勤务兵。刚刚成为寡妇的师长遗孀按照中国习俗全身披麻戴孝，三个孩子，最大男孩子才十三岁，见了长官就哭成一团，哭得死去活来，搞得大家唉声叹气，陪着掉下许多眼泪。按规定，阵亡将士除少量抚恤金，特殊政策就是吸收满年龄的男孩子当兵，这样可以为家里挣得一份薪饷。徐师长儿子才十三岁，不够当兵年龄，段将军的意思，提前让他进部队，相当于开个后门，跟大陆后来的“顶替政策”差不多，子承父业，在总部当个小勤务，挣份薪饷。 不料师长遗孀恶狠狠地拒绝了将军好意。 “我再不让儿子去当兵！”眼睛红肿的妇人像看见老鹰的母鸡紧紧护住三只小鸡，她大声嚷道：“……你们滚开！我们一家要死就死在一起，不在外面死得不明不白！” 不管人们如何劝说，寡妇就是不允，长官只好悻悻地离开。段希文苦笑道：“要是政府不能兑现和平诺言，我们都是历史罪人了。” 雷雨田慨叹：“如今我们这支队伍，老的老，小的小，再也不能像正规军那样去应征打仗。” 钱运周说：“是啊，到头来只怕会把我们自己彻底搞垮。” 段希文表情异常坚决，他说：“马上给曼谷发报，催他们派特使来，公开对阵亡将士进行抚恤，兑现和平协议。” 当天夜里，更加不幸的灾难发生了：一场突如其来的大火席卷美斯乐，将所有茅屋草房和宿营地夷为焦土。因为是旱季，风高物燥，大火连烧几天几夜才熄灭。关于失火原因众说纷纭，有说是烧纸钱点燃草屋，有说香蜡火炷不慎烧着枯草，有说故意纵火，也有说天火，因为大火破坏现场，到处一片狼藉，所以始终没有定论。 火灾对于灾难中的难民来说无异雪上加霜，把他们艰难的生活推向更加绝望的深渊。他们流离失所，刚刚经历战争，失去亲人，悲痛还像大山一样压在他们心头，接着又失去了家园和遮风避雨的小窝，命运对于他们是不是太残酷了？人们流干眼泪，默默坐在废墟上，这时候刚刚抵达的政府特使，未来的政府总理差猜将军大人一行出现了。 差猜大人亲自视察火灾现场。 他一眼就看见这个令人触目惊心的悲惨场面：数百座新坟矗立在山坡上，那是战争镌刻在金三角大地上的特殊文字和纪念碑，背景则是一片被山火犁过的焦土，残缺的树干高举起光秃秃的枝桠，好像一个个巨大而愤怒的惊叹号，向苍天哭诉人间的罪恶和不幸。成千上万的汉人难民聚集在废墟上，这些难民面色焦枯黝黑，因为缺少营养，大人面黄肌瘦，孩子发育不良，你根本分不清他们是平民还是士兵，他们手中都有枪，失去亲人的悲痛使男男女女咬紧嘴唇，用饱含敌意的沉默迎接特使大人的到来。 我不知道未来的泰国总理是否受到震撼，但是我相信任何一个正直的政治家都不会对眼前这个惨烈场面无动于衷，因为一旦这些走投无路的汉人难民为生存而战，那将是官逼民反，他们干出任何惊天动地的事情都不会令人吃惊，就像他们从前曾经干过的那样。所以后来发生的事情，基本上说明特使大人是个务实和富有人情味的政治家。钱大宇说，特使大人抱起一个失去父亲的孤儿，并且当场掉下眼泪，这个细节立刻缓和了在场难民的对立情绪。特使大人双手合十，亲自为死者灵魂和妇女儿童祈祷祝福。他还逐一看望慰问死难官兵家属，到医院看望伤兵，向他们保证政府将会给予抚恤优待。 正式磋商只进行几小时就宣告结束。 特使返回曼谷，一道电波把喜讯传向金三角，国王陛下亲自发布大赦圣旨，仁慈高贵的国王圣喻，对所有非法入境的前国民党残军官兵及其家属实行特赦，不再追究责任，嘉奖所有参战官兵。阵亡官兵按照政府军待遇给予优厚抚恤，负伤官兵依伤情分类抚恤。所有汉人可以难民身份志愿加入泰国国籍，宣誓效忠国王，信仰佛教，政府接纳其为泰王国公民。考虑金三角的复杂情况，政府原则上同意归顺后的汉军仍然驻扎原地，保留军事组织形式，保留枪枝武器，协助政府军维持治安，政府发给薪饷，服从政府调遣，等等。取消“国民党东南亚游击总指挥部”称号，汉军正式授予番号为“泰北山区民众自卫队”。 一条孽龙，历经数十载沧桑巨变，吞云吐雾兴风作浪，搅得周天不得安宁，一旦皈依佛门，虽未修成正果，却也立地成佛矣。 段希文向他的部下，这些曾经是中国人，今后应该算作泰国人的大人孩子宣布这个姗姗来迟的和平喜讯。他的声音一点儿也激动不起来，好像有种发霉变质的幸福味道。 “我宣布，从今天起，我们不再是中国人，我们是大仁大德的泰国国王的忠实臣民……我们不再漂流，我们的土地就在脚下！……我们的任务是盖房子，重建家园！盖最好的住房，铁皮顶，砖瓦房，楼房，琉璃瓦，不许搭草房！谁搭草房我就掀掉它！……汉人住草房的流浪日子一去不复返了！” 太阳斜斜地照射下来，废墟好像起了火。人们惊讶地发现，总指挥的脸仿佛被阳光灼疼扭歪了，泪流满面泣不成声。 一年后，段希文因病逝世，泰国国王亲自发唁电追悼，段将军遗体上覆盖泰王国国旗。泰北山区民众自卫队由雷雨田将军继任总指挥，兼任第五军军长，开始了金三角最后的“雷雨田时代”。