Chapter 7 Chapter VII

Teaching in Dongxue turned out to be quite strenuous, which Gu Gang did not expect at first.The school is on a hill five miles away.Usually, I don’t feel anything when walking this little distance, but now because I’m hungry, I’m sweating after I can’t walk a mile.Facing the choking northwest wind, I climbed up the mountain out of breath, and when I stood in front of the blackboard, I couldn't hold a piece of chalk firmly in my hand.  There was simply nothing to eat.He went to the countryside this time because he planned to endure hardships, and he had made some mental preparations in advance, but he never expected such a thing to happen.There are many friends who have gone to the countryside to participate in the land reform, and they are unavoidably complacent and full of experience.They gave him a lot of advice. "Farmers are naive," they said. "If he has a crush on you, maybe he will give you the pancake he took a bite of. If you don't eat it, you will offend others. You go to the farmer's house, maybe they wipe it with a dirty diaper Stool, please sit down. If you frown and dare not sit down, you will offend others." Gu Gang didn't think that the peasants were as naive as they said, bordering on stupid.As for the flatbread, I have never seen such a thing in the countryside.People here eat three meals a day in a pot of thin rice soup, with grass cut to an inch long floating in it. 

Of course, it is inconvenient to tell people about this matter, especially Comrade Wang.Therefore, it is impossible to find out whether this is a local situation in these counties or a common phenomenon in the vast area.There was never a word in the papers that there was starvation in this part of the country—or anywhere in the country.He had a strange sense of void, as if he had jumped out of time and space, and life was a place that didn't exist.  It was the first time he tasted the taste of hunger.There was a dull emptiness in his heart that gnawed at him constantly, grinding him with dull knives and saws.That kind of pain is between toothache and sadness, making him look out, everything is as unreal as a dream - the sun shines quietly on the fields, there are people chopping firewood on the hillside, and the wind blows. The sound of gongs and drums... In the past two days, the village has held the Yangko team to practice there every day. 

People are still going about their lives as usual, as if nothing had happened, it is almost unbelievable.Still cooking three times a day.In the humid air, blue cooking smoke floated low on the ground, lingering for a long time, and the smoke contained a slightly pungent fragrance.  At noon, all the black-tiled and white houses all over the mountains and plains were smoking. From a square hole dug in the wall, a puff of white smoke slowly spewed out, just like "soul stealing", as if in a kind of religious fanaticism. Here, the soul leaves the body, slowly rises, and gradually "the soul flies out of the sky, and the soul disappears." Gu Gang looked at the smoke, and suddenly remembered the old saying, "Food is the sky for the people." In their hard life, food It was everything, and now he was starving for so many years.How can it go on like this? He couldn't help but feel a little fear. 

He saw himself losing weight day by day, and this was what he was most worried about.Those who participated in the land reform boasted that after three months in the countryside, they all gained weight.Others said that the visit cured their old stomach problems for many years.It is said that everything is cured well.Seeing some backward people shrinking back, they said: "Although life is hard, as long as your thinking is clear, you will get fat." Conversely, if you lose weight without suffering a little bit, it is obviously because of thinking I haven't figured it out yet, and I'm still resisting subconsciously, unwilling to reform.Gu Gang thought to himself: In two or three months, he must be skinny and skinny. How can he see people when he goes back? He must not tell people that he was hungry.Saying that the country people are starving is something that no one can say, unless he is not afraid of being arrested by the public security bureau as a "national spy for spreading rumors". 

Gu Gang is very proud of his sense of humor.He said to himself that although the Communist Party is a materialist.But when it comes to the treatment of employees, he immediately becomes a 100% idealist, believing that spirit can overcome matter.Although the working hours are extremely long, you can still be refreshed and healthy.Gu Gang couldn't help smiling wryly when he thought of Bo Quanxiang's going to the countryside for land reform, which had been heavily publicized in the newspapers.This beautiful Shaoxing opera actress has suffered from lung disease for many years.This time she also signed up for the land reform, and wrote many letters to all her friends in the newspaper industry in the countryside, saying that since she came to the countryside, she has worked hard and her health has improved greatly.She once did a "communication" for the farmers' association, and went to a neighboring village to deliver a letter. She walked thirty miles in two feet of heavy snow and wore a pair of straw sandals. Now she can eat three big bowls of rice for a meal. Gained twenty pounds. ——If there were three big bowls of rice here, Gu Gang thought he would be able to eat it. 

There is always such a thought entrenched in my mind, and I can't let go of it for a moment, so it is difficult to work with peace of mind.He wants to collect some materials, which can be used to add a little rendering to show the prosperity of the countryside after the land reform.He always told himself that the situation at this time was probably always a partial phenomenon.Generally speaking, after the land reform, the standard of living in the countryside must have improved, as you can tell by looking at many statistics in the newspapers.  He has spoken to many individuals individually.Comrade Wang also accompanied him to a neighboring village to visit several military martyrs.Everyone is smiling and very friendly, but they don't speak much.In addition, there are some people, he thinks they talk too much.These people probably couldn't figure out his origin, thinking that he was a high-ranking official who visited privately and had the power to improve their lives.They stammered and murmured about their suffering, saying that life is worse now than before.When meeting such a person, Gu Gang discovered a very useful term, "not typical".They are all "individual phenomena" and cannot represent the masses of the people.But among the countless "atypical characters", it is really as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack to find one or two "general" typical characters.

In the eyes of Comrade Wang, Aunt Tan probably can be regarded as a typical character.But Comrade Wang had never lived with her, so he didn't know that there were only a few lines in her praises, and she felt monotonous after hearing too much.Sometimes Gu Gang almost suspected that she was saying that he also talked to Jin Gen and his wife.They were all shy, but Gu Gang still hoped that after they got to know him well, they might talk more.  Jin Gen is very serious about going to winter school.Yuexiang also goes every day.Because he seemed to enjoy her going.She taught singing, and she could hum the tunes of those songs, "Dongfanghong", "Down with the American Wolf" and so on. However, she didn't pay much attention to her homework. She didn't want to reform herself. Like all women who are happy after marriage, she Very complacent.

Jin Gen went to Gu Gang and wrote several blocks, "door", "table", "chair", "tank" are all things in the house, and he took them and pasted them on them.Everyone crowded at the door of Gu Gang's room to watch him swipe his pen.Yuexiang also came over, stood on tiptoe behind the person and looked around, with one arm around Jin Yousao's neck.  Then she said: "Hey, Mrs. Jin, there is a gentleman in your house. If you can't study well, I will be embarrassed!" She pushed Mrs. Jin, and ran away with a smile.  Mrs. Jin You blushed and smiled embarrassedly, because no one had ever joked with her.Yuexiang ran away, and Gu Gang smiled and raised his head to have a look.Sometimes she can be lively and generous, he thought.  One day when he came back from a walk, he saw her washing the clothes and hanging them on the big tree.There is no need for a bamboo pole, and there is no clamping, so it is just hooked on the branches of the branches.I don't know what kind of evergreen tree it is, densely covered with dark green leaves.There are two children's shirts, remade from pink old-fashioned cloth, and they are picked on the highest branch, looking very pleasing to the eye.That tree is like blooming red flowers in the middle of winter.She is not tall, but looks very strong.Gu Gang couldn't help thinking, she didn't know what she looked like when she took off her cotton jacket and trousers in summer.Wearing this bloated cotton padded jacket, every woman seems to be pregnant.The thick cotton trousers are being folded on the belly, and the cotton jacket is pushed out and stretched far away. 

"The winter here is colder than Shanghai," he said.  She graciously agreed.He sat down on a nearby boundary marker and asked where she lived when she was in Shanghai.It turned out not far from his home.She said that the place is just as good, the vegetable market is only two streets away, and it is very convenient to buy vegetables.  She seemed to talk a lot today, which was different from usual, and he felt very happy.As we talked along the way, she asked him how many people there were in his family, how many servants, whether he lived alone or with others, and whether he had many relatives and friends in Shanghai.He suddenly realized that she was inquiring about his financial situation and social status, and she seemed to be inquiring about his tone, hoping that he could find a job for her in Shanghai.Find another one for her husband if possible.  He was very disappointed in her.After this time, he never talked to her again. 

He often wrote letters to his wife and friends, and walked thirty miles to the town to post the letters. After posting the letters, he had lunch in a restaurant—rice or noodles, with winter bamboo shoots, shredded pork, fried tofu Vegetables, fried eggs and the like.Every seven or eight days, there is always such an excursion.His longing for this journey became more and more urgent. Then one day, Comrade Wang came to see him and asked him if he had any letters to send.Comrade Wang is going to town for a meeting, so you can post it for him.  Gu Gang found himself trembling with anger.Is he not allowed to eat such a full meal after so many days? However, he tried his best to restrain himself.Of course, every time he went to town, there was a good chance that someone would follow him and spy on him.But he paid for a better lunch out of his own pocket, probably Comrade Wang would not object.It was another thing to despise him for it. 

"I have no letter to send," he said with a smile.Fortunately, there was a book on top of the letter he wrote last night, because the seal was not secure.Natural glue is "for the public". After the price drops, it will not stick. It's really dangerous to lie and stare like this.If Comrade Wang happened to pick up this book and flip through it, and saw the letter underneath, he would definitely think there was some secret in the letter.Otherwise, why dare not send it to others? He must ask Comrade Wang to send this room, the sooner the better.  "It's almost Chinese New Year, you must be homesick, right?" Comrade Wang patted him on the shoulder and said jokingly. "Do you want to love someone?" He used the common pronoun of "wife" in the old communist area. Gu Gang just laughed. "Comrade Wang, don't you go home to see your lover during Chinese New Year?" "I haven't been home for two years," Comrade Wang said with a smile. "I'm so busy all year, I really can't leave." "You are too enthusiastic about serving the people, Comrade Wang. I see that you are really busy from morning to night, so I have no chance to learn from you." "You are too polite. Comrade, you don't need to be polite."  "No, I have a lot of things to ask you. If you go to town this morning, I'll take you for a while, and we can talk on the way." "That's great, let's go. I should have gone too." Comrade Xiao Zhang was waiting for Comrade Wang outside the yard.The militiamen don't wear uniforms, and they don't have all the weapons. Most of them carry clubs, broadswords and red cherry guns.Comrade Xiao Zhang was holding a rifle.A group of them walked out of the village slowly, looking very imposing, with such a guard behind them.  Comrade Wang asked Gu Gang how his script was going.Comrade Wang has said this several times, and this time he said again, "It would be great if you were here during the land reform. That is really touching! Really good material!" Gu Gang hates people always exposing his sores, saying that he did not participate in the land reform.That winter was extremely cold, and his lungs were always weak, so his wife didn't let him sign up.Of course he knew what kind of person he was in Comrade Wang's eyes—a backward person, a 100% opportunist.  "It's really touching—you didn't see the look of liking these peasants when they got the farm tools," Comrade Wang said.  "But the joy of turning over farmers is out of date," Gu Gang said angrily. "Last month's Literary Newspaper had an article devoted to this point. It said that literary and art workers should no longer use the joy of peasants after the land reform as a theme. That should be a temporary stage, and we should not stay in that stage forever. One step forward."  Comrade Wang listened carefully, showing proper respect for authoritative national publications. "Well, that's right," he said, nodding. "There is still a lot of work to be done." "Literature and Art News severely criticized the current ideological situation in the countryside. It said that the farmers who turned over only wanted to eat and drink, and dreamed of "producing and making a fortune." In the north, they even made up a song, a cow on 30 acres of land, Wife and baby are hot on the kang. That is all their ideals." "They really lack political awareness," Comrade Wang admitted.  "As long as there is a pig in their family, they would like to kill it when they marry their daughter, and everyone celebrates it. This kind of thinking is really bad." Gu Gang continued to paraphrase the words in the article.  Comrade Wang nodded his head regretfully. "Peasants are indeed backward, or they lack political awareness." "How is your support group doing?" "Our autumn harvest team did a good job this fall," Comrade Wang said happily. "Next spring we plan to organize the Autumn Harvest Team into a mutual aid group, and prepare to unite more closely. Gather all the cattle and redistribute them to each group. As soon as the whistle blows, everyone will go to the fields together." Gu Gang was not interested in these—the initial steps toward collective farms.It is a very painful process of wresting from the peasant the land he has just acquired, and gradually he loses it, step by step, like weaning.Gu Gang absolutely did not want to adopt this subject as the subject of his script.If it is an understatement, let the farmers in the play readily join the mutual aid group, then there is no drama at all.If they retreat a little bit and need some persuasion, it is not easy to write the level of retreat just right. If they are not careful, it is like peasants distrusting and rebelling against the government, so it’s okay! When Comrade Wang talked about this matter, although his attitude was cheerful and his answers were fluent, I am afraid that he was also worried about something in his heart, but he just didn't want to show it.While speaking, he had already arrived at the entrance of the village, and suddenly he saw the bright stream lying in front of him.As they walked on the bank of the stream, Comrade Wang sighed.  "It's not easy, doing political work," he said. "I really envy you literary and art workers. In this great era, there are so many epic things waiting for you to write. About the workers, peasants and soldiers, write for the workers, peasants and soldiers. Things that were not allowed to be mentioned by the reactionary government in the past are all allowed now. I wrote it. There are current themes everywhere." Gu Gang nodded. "This is indeed a big time." "I used to like writing when I was young," Comrade Wang said wistfully.  Gu Gang could imagine the kind of things that Comrade Wang wrote in the school magazine when he was a budding Communist Party.However, he patiently listened to Comrade Wang's account of how he used to submit manuscripts to a newspaper in a small town in Jiangxi, and changed from contributing to being an editor of a supplement.  In winter, the water is shallow, and piles of gray stones are exposed in the stream, which reminds Gu Gang of road repairs in cities.At this moment, he suddenly had an idea and remembered the story of the dam building.Assuming that the stream overflows every year, flooding the farmland on both sides and destroying part of the crops, then an engineer was sent here to plan a countermeasure.After discussing with local old farmers, he built a dam on the suggestion of the old farmers, with movable gates on it, which can be opened and closed at will.So this problem is solved.This story can show the combination of farmers' wisdom and technical knowledge.If the engineer came up with this idea alone, the screenwriter would inevitably be criticized for "indulging in the fantasies of intellectual self-importance." In the play, there may be a stubborn old farmer who refuses to cooperate with the technicians and relies only on his own past. experience of.He committed "empiricism", but he was finally won over.  There have been many films about how engineers and old workers work together to accomplish many miracles.They repaired an exploded boiler; a lathe was too old to last, and they extended its life; the spinning mill lacked an important part, which was imported from the United States and could not be added now. There are ways to take scrap iron and make new ones.But so far, this situation has always been limited to factories and has never been transferred to rural areas.He has opened up a new path for new China's movies.This theme is enough to make at least thirty or fifty films.  He was so excited that he broke his usual silent attitude. When Comrade Wang's memoirs of writing life paused for a while, he stepped in and asked, "Comrade Wang, is there a dam near here?" "Dam?" Comrade Wang was taken aback. "No.—what? You're going to visit the dam?" He smiled suddenly, his eyes fixed on him with sudden interest.Gu Gang could see that he was suspicious.  "No, I'm just thinking this way. If the small river is not big in summer and the crops are flooded when it's full, it's useless to build a dam." Comrade Wang still seemed a little suspicious. "In summer, the water is a little higher, but it is not full."  "But for example, if it is full—" Gu Gang explained. "I just thought so, maybe I can draw up a story based on this." "But—" Comrade Wang looked at him in surprise. "I don't understand why you want to create a fake story. In this great age, there are so many good materials ready-made..." Now he finally knows what kind of writer Gu Gang is.He almost laughed out loud, but he couldn't help it.But suddenly a large group of ducks appeared upstream, and they were going down the river at a speed that was unimaginable.There was a cry of "呱呱呢呢", like the flat and sharp laughter of the elderly.For a split second, this seemed to create an illusion, as if Comrade Wang used the most wonderful ventriloquism to transplant his laughter onto the water, and "xiaxiaxiaxia" went down the river.Both Comrade Wang and Gu Gang felt a little embarrassed, and the colors on their faces changed.