Chapter 3 Reporting.3

In the afternoon of that day, the floating clouds covered the sky, one part was lighter and the other was thicker, and the sky was like a faded gray cloth with uneven color.The atmosphere is hot and humid, making people flustered. Zhang Wen'an climbed up the not-so-high hillside, but felt that his legs were very heavy and his breath was not smooth.He stopped in bewilderment, raised his eyes, glanced lazily at the crops on the hillside, and then sat down on a stone by the roadside.After all, the top of the slope was brighter. After sitting for a while, he felt that the irritability in his chest gradually subsided.He looked at the road he just came to, the town lying in the ravine, the cluster of dark houses, long like a mottled gray and black caterpillar; he stared intently for a long time, and the irritability in his heart gradually rose again , and then sighed softly, and turned his face away as if he didn’t want to look like it anymore, and looked in the opposite direction. Here, the downhill road is relatively flat, but like waves, this slope has just finished, and the other slope arches again Get up, and after passing another slope, you will find the village where Zhang Wen'an's family lives.He watched from a distance, thinking that his mother was probably busy preparing dinner at this time—this morning she said that she would slaughter a chicken for him who came back from a faraway place.At this time, the hen that is reluctant to eat during the Chinese New Year should have been stewed on the fire, right?Zhang Wen'an suddenly felt an inexplicable sweet and sour taste in his heart.And this taste immediately changed into a single bitterness,—or rather, he became panicked.It's like a person who went out to do business and worked hard for many years. Now when he comes back, his family expects him to bring back a lot of money, but they don't know that what he brings back is only a pair of empty hands. He is full of shame. When he saw the inner door, he went in I can't even bring up the courage.Although Zhang Wen'an's parents didn't expect their son to get rich and come back at all, they felt that it was good for their son to come back, which was the greatest fortune; although Zhang Wen'an's plans along the way and this morning he used excuses to go to the town to visit friends , but actually had a "big plan", and his parents didn't know it at all: Although the simple desire of the two old people was to watch their son enjoy the stewed hen; Sitting blankly on the side of the road across a hillside, I couldn't help but feel panic, thinking that I should go home early, but my legs were stuck there, and I always refused to get up.

He took a long breath, looked at the big gray-black mottled caterpillar lying in the ditch downhill, remembered that gray-nosed caterpillar he encountered in those dirty city streets only half an hour ago, and remembered the journey he had made after leaving the front and returning all the way back. It was a good dream, and he couldn't help being angry when he remembered that he was still so confident when he came out of the house in the morning.Who does he hate?I can't explain it clearly, but there is also himself in the hatred, but it is true.He hated himself for being a big fool.Not to mention that he is incomprehensible to the diverse world, even the society of the little gray and black mottled caterpillars at the bottom of the hillside.

Although Old Man Dong laughed at him for going out for a few years and only learned a few words about selling dog skin plasters, but when he thought about it now, he was really grateful to this outspoken old man with a bad nose and a bad nose.He lifted the lid off the musty dark pit and let Zhang Wen'an take a look.When the old man told him "I can only buy half a beef leg for a thousand dollars", although Zhang Wen'an was stunned for a moment, it was just a disappointment, and then the old man hoarsely talked about those hoarders who were full When it comes to those people's means of stealing the sky and changing the sky, and their extravagant lives, Zhang Wen'an was terrified, and a complex emotion disturbed his heart.He was still listening, but he couldn't listen.Finally he walked out of the town bewilderedly, and climbed up the first slope to go home, full of annoyance and anger.

He didn't quite understand why he was in such a hurry to go back.He only felt that his purpose of going to the town had been shattered all of a sudden, and he even vaguely felt that his return from the front this time had become meaningless.His resentment is naturally because he knows that there are still these unpopular people who use the national disaster as an opportunity to make a fortune, but if the plan he thought of along the way has not turned out to be a cake, then he may be in the resentment. Not so sad yet. A cuckoo was hiding somewhere, and it was always singing. The cloud formation seemed to be lower, as if it was pressing directly on the head, making it difficult to breathe.

Zhang Wen'an finally stood up lazily, and reluctantly walked downhill.But after taking a few steps, his pace quickened.Now he was anxious to go back home again, as if he had suffered a disadvantage outside and missed the warmth of home, which he needed very much right now. "I can only buy half a cow's leg!" Thinking of Father Dong's words, his heart shrank again, but a sinister smile emerged from the corner of his mouth.To be honest, he may not be concerned about whether there is a cow, but what makes him most angry and sad is that his plan of how to use the one thousand yuan has been completely overthrown!

Subconsciously, he reached across his clothes and touched the stack of bills in his shirt pocket.Square, hard, right there, not fake at all.But although the feeling in the hand is still the same as that of touching and touching countless times along the way thousands of miles away, the feeling in the heart is quite different. "Hey, half a cow's leg!" he thought again.This time he couldn't grin, he spit. Four After going down the slope in one breath, after walking a few steps on the flat ground, it was time to go uphill again.Because it is in the canyon, it is particularly dark here.There are a few thatched houses scattered, leaning against the sunny side of the hillside.A thin brook intermittently passed through the middle of these thatched cottages.

Just as Zhang Wen'an was about to go up the slope, a person ran down the slope, greeted him happily when he saw him, but Zhang Wen'an didn't know this person. The young man's face was flushed, and his eyes were shining with excitement and joy. He stopped Zhang Wen'an and told a lot of miscellaneous things.Zhang Wen'an understood halfway through; this young man was Chen Haiqing's son, he had just been to his home, and now he rushed back, hoping to see him earlier and learn more about his father. "Ah, ah, are you Chen Haiqing's son? Ah, your father took four pack horses to the front?..." Zhang Wen'an said in surprise.The excitement and happiness of the young man obviously infected him. He forgot that he and Chen Haiqing had never met before, and he didn't even know where this character was. "It's amazing, your father is a hero!" He said He solemnly said to the young man, "Brave!...not bad, of course he is the platoon leader." He answered the young man's overjoyed question casually, completely forgetting that he made it up to deal with the villagers.

It turned out that everything that Zhang Wen'an casually said about Chen Haiqing this morning had already reached the son's ears. The son believed everything and was very happy. Zhang Wen'an, ask him to say it again with his own mouth, and let him listen to it again with his own ears. At this time, the two had approached a thatched hut, and there was an abandoned manger lying on the right side of the wooden door.Chen Haiqing's son said: "This is my home. Please come in and sit down. My grandmother will ask you something. She won't be at ease unless she hears it herself."

Zhang Wen'an's heart skipped a beat suddenly.As if waking up from a dream, only then did he realize that his harmless fabrication had trapped him.What should I do: continue to fabricate it or confess myself in front of this son?He was hesitating, but the son had already pulled him into the hut. Thanks, welcome, and all kinds of inquiries, Zhang Wen'an was immediately surrounded and stayed for a long time before he saw that besides the son, there was an old lady in front of him, and the one lying on the corner bed, There was another emaciated middle-aged woman.He looked at it blankly, and although he responded with "huh" in his mouth, he didn't hear anything in his ears.The feeling of being interrogated floated in his mind again.But finally regained his composure, he suddenly asked his son, "Who is sick?"

"My mother," the son replied. "It's been almost a year, and I can't afford to hire a doctor, and I don't have money to buy medicine." The old lady interjected, and then complained again: "The preferential treatment is enough for three mouths, but not enough for illness; how can I not wear clothes?" , I also get a little extra pension every year, but life is expensive, and the thread money for sewing a garment is worth the previous two garments. "Mom's illness is caused by an emergency," the son interjected, "I feel much more energetic after hearing the good news today!"

"It's not! Thank God, it's really there," the old lady's face suddenly seemed to be wrinkled, she looked solemn and pious, "Bodhisattvas protect good people! Mr. Zhang, you go and ask, our Haiqing has always been He is a well-behaved and good man, I have lived for more than seventy years, and I have seen a lot, good people always have good rewards!" "No, good people should be rewarded with good rewards!" The patient on the bed also murmured in a low voice, as if praying. Now Zhang Wen'an has really settled down.He couldn't be unhappy seeing the three-generation family of three being so happy; however, he felt uneasy, not daring to imagine what would happen if his lie finally failed.Now he fully understands: if his lie can't be fulfilled, then he has committed a serious crime.This point forced him to take up courage, settle down, make up his mind, and lie to the end. He began to falter and make up about Chen Haiqing's recent living conditions; he boldly created a very promising future for Chen Haiqing, and he assigned Chen Haiqing to a certain division, a certain battalion, a certain company, and even made up the name of a place where he was stationed. . The three members of the family of three generations of grandparents listened quietly, their pious and excited mood can be seen from their trembling mouths and rapid and heavy snorts.After Zhang Wen'an finished speaking, the three members of the three-generation family seemed to be in meditation, extremely solemn and solemn. Suddenly the old grandmother asked in a trembling voice: "Mr. Zhang, didn't our Haiqing ask you to bring a letter when you came back?" Zhang Wen'an was embarrassed again, thinking about it in his mind, he habitually stroked the hem of his clothes with one hand, and accidentally touched the stack of banknotes hidden in his close pocket, suddenly his heart skipped a beat, and he got a second thought.The current situation did not allow him to think too much, and he himself became excited for no reason, holding the banknotes with one hand through his clothes, and stretching out the other hand, like the officials in the team often do when they announce important things. With a hand gesture, he said loudly: "I don't have a letter, but I brought money!" The old grandmother and grandson let out an "ah" in surprise, and the patient on the bed let out a long and soft breath. Zhang Wen'an's face was flushed, his heart was pounding, and he took out the stack of banknotes from his pocket with great difficulty. It was still the same as it was wrapped in oiled paper after receiving it from the teacher half a month ago.He tore the thin paper in a panic, laying down the not-so-thin stack with his fingers stiffly, his heart beating even harder, his fingers were about to touch about half of the stack, when suddenly a grin Looking across his face, he stood up recklessly and stuffed the stack into Chen Haiqing's son's hand. "Ah, how much?" The young man only thought it was too much, but he didn't think that it was beyond his expectation. Before Zhang Wen'an could answer, the old lady interrupted, "Well, it's five hundred, Hai Qing..." But she couldn't go on, Zhang Wen'an's answer made her jump. "One thousand!" Zhang Wen'an burst out these two words from between his teeth. The three generations of grandparents and grandchildren in the room could hear it clearly, but asked in unison in disbelief, "How much?" "One thousand, enough for half a cow's leg." Zhang Wen'an said lazily, feeling a strange feeling of pain and bitterness in his heart. "Amitabha!" After being stunned for a while, and finally realizing that it was really one thousand, the old lady spoke first, "Where did he get so much money?" Zhang Wen'an turned his face and looked around, as if he was looking for a suitable answer; by chance, his eyes met a worn-out pack saddle hanging in the corner, and he said nonsense casually, "Given by the public, compensation His pack horse." "Hehe——" the old lady suddenly choked up and couldn't continue, and after a while, she smiled and said to her grandson: "No, I said that being a good person will always be good report!" The patient on the bed was sobbing softly, and the young man was holding the banknotes, always in a daze, not knowing what to do. Zhang Wen'an breathed a sigh of relief, as if he had lifted a heavy burden, stretched out his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, stood up and said, "Good intentions are always rewarded. With this little money, let's buy medicine and treat illnesses." Surrounded by three generations of this family who expressed their thanks in trembling voices, Zhang Wen'an fled as if fleeing.He hurried up the hillside until he saw his own village, and then he stopped suddenly. As if waking up from a dream, he rubbed his eyes and asked himself, "What did I do?" Touching his pocket, he replied softly: "Oh, I finally managed to manage the money given by the teacher reasonably!" Looking back at the vaguely Chen family's thatched cottage, he said resolutely, "I should report Teacher, check it out for them." So, as if he was about to rush to do the "quick mail", he rushed downhill in one breath, wishing he could get home in one step. July 22, 1943.