Chapter 108 0108

end In the late autumn of the sixteenth year of the Republic of China, it was a day of frost, white and wind. The entire county was busy with a grand celebration; people rushed to tell each other in joy, saying that the world-renowned General He in the Northern Expedition Army would come to the Huaihe River on behalf of Commander-in-Chief Jiang to commemorate the martyrs of Chengren in the Battle of Restoration, and declare Consolation to thousands of people in Guangfu area. The people on the Huai River, even the three-foot children, are familiar with the name of General He Yingqin, and are familiar with his brilliant achievements before and after the Northern Expedition. With his chant for the revolution:

"The general is ignorant of wind, Abandon the horse and jump the boat to go downstream! " The kind of heroic poems and his anecdotes before the battle. On the eve of General He's arrival, the residents were preparing with cheers. On the dozens of miles of city walls and every street in the county, there were countless welcome wall characters, five-color slogans, and large red cloth banners. The archery tower of the gate has been newly painted, and the portraits of the father of the country and the commander-in-chief of Chiang Kai-shek are hung separately, surrounded by a ten-foot colored ring.

The Dayang Bridge outside the north gate is the passage for General He to enter the city. A long red carpet is spread out on the bridge deck. Near each bridge pier, there are party-state flags, fluttering in the wind and the sun... Then it should be It is the most beautiful and warm auspicious cloud in the world. The Xuanwei Platform is built in the center of the Dajiao Field in the west of the city. Cloth in three colors, white and red, these flowers and countless cypress branches were sent by the people of the four townships on their own initiative, and the cypress branches were collected from the ancestral tombs of countless clans. Even the dead will be grateful for the revolutionary feat of the Northern Expedition to save the people and save the people. They will sleep forever with smiles because of the reunification of the country and the peaceful prosperity of their children and grandchildren.

The drum team of the Huaishang garrison of the Northern Expeditionary Army practiced diligently very early on, preparing to lead the parade to celebrate the recovery of Huaishang on the night of the celebration, whether it was the early morning when the clouds first moved, or the evening when the sky was full of rainbows, People can hear the melodious and loud horns and thunderous drums. Yuwang Terrace, which has always been desolate and desolate, is also bustling. Thousands of steles of unknown martyrs and martyrs are erected on the top of the towering old trees. In their hearts, eyes, and deepest memories, a page of real history that will never be easier, easier, and unforgettable will be carved out. This history will be passed down from generation to generation like a long wind, and will be remembered and enlightened by future generations.

"Commander He has entered the city!" "Commander...he really entered the city!" On the day of the celebration, although the autumn wind was a bit tight, the sky was blue and cloudless. Countless people gathered from neighboring towns and counties hearing the wind. The golden sun was shining everywhere inside and outside the county , the streets and alleys are full of noisy people. The scene of welcoming Commander-in-Chief He into the city was extremely warm and touching. Residents used to express their welcome and gratitude to the Northern Expedition King in a traditional and primitive way. From morning till night, the sound of firecrackers continued throughout the day , string whips, big dragon whips, paired cannons, skyrocketing cannons, and expensive celebration fireworks, one after another, bursting continuously, making it impossible for people to hear the whispers clearly, and the sound of the firecrackers bursting. The smoke curled up from all sides, covering the county town, turning into an auspicious curtain of light blue fog, which condensed for a long time.

The flow of people stepped on layers of soft firecrackers, and there were so many firecrackers that they completely covered the streets paved with stone slabs. No matter where people went, they could see incense tables placed in front of every house. The long table with gold lacquer is equipped with fine porcelain, bronze, or tripod-shaped large incense burners, sterling silver candlesticks carved with dragon and phoenix patterns, and full of large plates and bowls. The content-rich offerings, dragon roll wax, red wax, shining bright tongue, incense sticks and sandalwood smell, make people have the association of a long time ago.Some people live in small households with relatively poor incense cases. The red kiln clay incense burner, small white wood candlesticks, a small stick of incense, a pair of fine wax, and a bowl of clear water also express their sincere hearts.

Is there anything more exceptional than this? Hundreds of beggars in Huazitang, holding on to the newly painted red lacquer sticks, filled the street singing folk songs praising the teacher of the benevolent and their newly compiled lotus flowers. The table was carried to the side of the street, and everyone was allowed to eat tea and drink for free. In order to compete for the appearance of General He, there were crowded hats and shoes everywhere. This is the case during the day, but after dusk, it becomes even more lively. "Let's go! Watch the parade!" "Go to the lantern festival!"

"Listen to Commander He's speech first to be true." Through the bright lights along the way and the rising moonlight, tens of thousands of people crowded to the Dajiao Field on the bright and joyful first night, enclosing such a vast plain into a mountain of people. On the stage of consolation, dozens of tung oil fires with long flames were lit. The festive, bright reddish, lively flames illuminated the image of Commander He standing upright in front of the stage, and the surrounding There are thousands of smiling faces blooming around him, even if the loudspeaker persuades people to be quiet, they can't suppress the roar of excitement and joy from countless hearts.

"...Brother, on behalf of Commander-in-Chief Jiang, has gone through the Jianghuai River. With a heart of fear, he accepts the encouragement and encouragement of his compatriots and strives to march northward. He vows to eradicate the warlords and chaos, complete the Northern Expedition, and unify our territory of China!" Commander-in-chief He said. His voice was so firm and his demeanor so calm, but his speech was repeatedly interrupted by thunderous applause, so he had to stand and wait. Such applause has made him wait many times. At this time, in the middle of a narrow Linhe side street on the other side of the river, in the shadows beside the front porch of a small inn, a blind man who threw away his name—Yesterday’s Haoshiguan Baye stood quietly, and the little Wonton girl was standing there. While supporting him, he raised his face slightly, facing the comfort platform across the river, and listened attentively to General He's sincere and touching speech.

The general explained the main content of the Three People's Principles upheld by the whole people with simple metaphors and fluent and popular words, and concluded in an affirmative and confident tone: "The great doctrine guarantees the unlimited future of the revolution! Even if in the course of the future revolution, we encounter obstacles from the great powers, as well as any obstacles and serious setbacks, the glory of the doctrine will not diminish. We firmly believe that we will win the final victory and victory." !" Guan Baye listened, his dusty face showed a comforting smile, every time General He said a paragraph, he would break out of contemplation frequently, nod his head, he sucked his lips like talking to himself, muttered Muttering:

"The reasoning is indeed good. How about going backwards? It's time to see what to do!" Immediately after the speech, the parade began. The procession was led out slowly from the Dajiao Field by the drums. The procession stretched for tens of miles, and there were dozens of miles of colorful lights. The procession walked east from the root of the city, and the lights reflected On the surface of the river, thousands of colorful rainbow waves flashed, making people dizzy.Numerous government agencies and non-governmental organizations in the county, representatives of teachers and students from Zhunbei Yunshang School, Sannong, Sixth Division, and schools in neighboring counties all participated in the lantern parade. They chanted slogans and sang songs familiar to the folk: "Down with Beiyang, get rid of the warlords, get rid of the warlords..." Such an exuberant singing voice is bursting up, just like a stream of fire that warms the hearts of the people, flowing along the long road between the masses. , a group of people sang along, and a large group of people sang along, and all those who could hear this singing, men, women, and children, burst into tears of joy and excitement, all in unison. , Singing drunkenly, one time was not enough, they sang again, through tears, they saw the hope of rising like a cloud. But Guan Dongshan, the blind man standing in the dark of the corridor, just listened attentively, the voices were as magnificent as the waves of the sea, and he couldn't even understand the meaning of the words, but he felt that it was a brand new, joyful, rising sound , he can't tell how moving it is, yes, the old time has passed, and the new time has come!He didn't doubt, he didn't doubt all the reasons that could be explained, and he felt that he had never felt so comforted in his life as tonight, that this night, this night alone, had made up for half of his life's misfortunes and pains. . A group of young children frolicked in front of the porch, some learned how to light firecrackers, some pointed to the lights on the other side of the river, and counted the names of the lanterns. "Here, a big carp!" "It's another big carp." "Look, there's a tall red rooster over there!" "Look, the blind man is stretching his neck to look at the lamp." Whoever saw Guan Baye standing there listening, shouted, and then they gathered by the porch, singing curious, childish and naughty ballads Come: "Blind people are blind, celebrate the Lantern Festival, I can hear it, but I can't see it... ah! " "Hey, baby, I don't want to mock people like this," said a woman, "Go and see the lamp elsewhere, don't hang around here and make a fuss!" "My child is right," Guan Baye turned to Little Wonton and said, "My eyes are so dark that I can't see anything." "There are so many lights, Lord Ba." Little Wonton leaned close to Lord Guan's ear, and said in a low voice, "There are never as many lights at the lantern festival as there are tonight...there are countless lights. Ten thousand lamps. The lights illuminate the river brightly...Baye." "Yeah, um," Guan Baye nodded, "That's great, Miss Bian, are you happy?" "Yes, Eighth... Lord." Her voice trembled, choking with excessive joy: "What about you, Eighth Lord?" "Me too...too..." he said, "It's a pity that those who died...wounded people like me...can't see... anymore." From the chaos of the rivers and lakes to the ordinaryness that no one pays attention to, Guan Baye feels that he is happy and has no complaints. However, he retreats to the dark place in the corner of the corridor, so that he can hold a piece of indifference when the crowd is carnival. Although he has no doubts about this new era and the sound of the new tide, he has a hidden worry—maybe it is just caused by excessive concern and excessive expectations. He is not worried about any tangible external forces, only Worried deep in his heart, Gu Ye's incident made him touch this point of experience. Who dares to say that in the Northern Expedition camp, there is no such beast in human skin as Gu Ye? Life is difficult for people, and it is even more difficult to be a pure person... If the human heart cannot be cleaned, no matter how good the truth is, it will be empty? ...It always depends on how people go about it. This is indeed the case. For the coming of this new era in front of him, it is just like the strong wind he felt when he first experienced a long distance. With his keen sense of hearing, he can describe the scene that he cannot see; The ring-shaped fire, the dragon-like winding lanterns, and the singing voice with sparks hit it with such a rough and loud sound, it seems that it is not just a human voice, but a fiery, bursting from the center of the earth. The fountain drowned out the noise of the crowd. Just like this, pray like this, may all those in power open up their benevolence and cover all peoples, so that they will slowly wake up from their dreams, and when they open their eyes again, it will be a spring breeze. May such lights not only shine on the ground, but also It should shine in the bottom of everyone's heart... the people in the countryside are always like this, and there will be no too much peace in the world, but a tragic disaster in a troubled world will make them unbearable.Regardless of the situation in various parts of the country, this catastrophe alone will destroy people's hearts forever and is irreparable. I hope the Northern Expeditionary Army will take care of it... "The wind is turning tight, Ba Ye, you should go back to the shop to rest." Guan Baye turned his face away, a gust of wind blew a fallen leaf onto his face, there was a lonely beech tree standing by the wall outside the corridor, its twigs blew the wind, and made a faint moan, he just realized Arrived, autumn is almost disabled. "It doesn't matter to me, Bian Gulang," he said, "You should rest earlier,...tomorrow morning, you still have to go on the road." "I...Ba Ye. I am determined not to leave!" She bit her lip several times, and finally said: "Let me stay by your side and take care of you,..." Before she could finish her words, she was stopped by sobs Living. He sighed in vain, and took her slightly damp, cool hand. "You agreed?" "I'm...I'm thinking..." Xu Xu's voice was desolate and hoarse, and he didn't answer the question: "I should give away that...white horse!" General He was going to go further ahead. On the eve of leaving the Huaihe River, he lingered outside the stables of the teaching ground, admiring this good horse that was said to be presented by an unknown person. As well as its loud neighing, he admired it from the bottom of his heart. "The dedication of the white horse to the Master Wang is to encourage benevolence!" He said: "This should be the best encouragement and the heaviest spur. I want to convey the heart of the horse presenter to our commander-in-chief... " "It is rumored that this was ridden by a private hero on Mount Guandong on the Huai River," said his left and right: "The Northern Expeditionary Army successfully recovered Huai Shang, and he was the main help." "Do you want to chase him to see the general?" Another general in the garrison suggested, "It's extremely worthy of a reward for meritorious service." "It's too vulgar." The general said: "A man with such a heart, do you think he would care about 'merits' and 'rewards'?...Everyone has his own aspirations, and we can't compete with each other. He rewarded us too much. Acting righteously and benevolently is our best gift! Let him go..." Just as the general said, when the general watched the white horse, Guandong Mountain had already left the county seat, and the ruins of Yanshi City were illuminated at dusk. He was standing blankly on the long pile of bones, and the little wonton was still wearing a blue cloth turban that suppressed the wind. , squatting in the vines and burning the incense candles. At night, they passed by the sand nest, and a ray of setting sun shone on a skull half buried in the sand. The skeleton may have been left unnoticed by the body collector at the time. The flesh and blood of the skeleton had already been turned into mud. With wet sand in his mouth, his eyes are wide open like a black hole, as if he is staring at something, and he seems to be telling merchants and travelers: The peace of a generation is produced through a chaotic world of extreme pain .And the shadow of that pain is left on my round skull of white bones. But when Baye Guan passed by, it was already dark, and he could only hear a gust of wind, and was stimulated by a faint and strange mournful moan, as if a ghost was calling. They walked by. Two days later, a wild man with a bearded face passed by Shawozi obliquely from the direction of Wanjialou. The man was downcast and looked a little nervous. "I went, but he left again! The world is so great, where can I find it?" He murmured to himself. Suddenly he saw a skull half-buried in the sand, so he picked it up, held it in his palm, looked at it, and looked at it again. "I'm really sorry, brother, maybe you died at the muzzle of my gun in the first place, and I missed you when I buried the body, leaving you here alone to bask in the sun, it's really my big bear's fault, ...However, I don't feel good to be alive. Isn't it like a lonely ghost basking in the sun? I am a human being, and you are a ghost. The two of us are like father and son - the same thing: Don't mention that account in the past, you have to tell me, have you seen our eighth master?" Skull didn't answer. "I'll bury you, old brother. If you don't tell me, I'll know that a person like our eighth master, even if he loses his eyes, he won't be able to hide himself!" He took out the shovel, dug a hole in the sand, buried the skeleton, patted the sand on his hands, and faced the wind and sand, a little stumbling, walked northward until the sand fog blocked his grand vision. back view. Strong winds occur every year. Whenever the haze falls like rain, people in the Jianghuai area will recall the past and think of the immortal hero Guan Baye. The strong wind blows sand into clouds and fills the sky. What about Guan Baye?But there was no news.There was an unconfirmed rumor that arose during the Anti-Japanese War. It was said that Ba Ye was still alive, and he opened a incense hall somewhere in Lianyungang, and swore a blood oath to break the blockade of the Japanese invaders and smuggle sea salt to the rear. Some people said vividly that they saw the arrest notice posted by the devil in North Xuzhou, with Guan Dongshan's name listed first on it, and they said fiercely: If this person is caught, he must be sent to an electric mill. But they never caught him. Regardless of the legends, during the Anti-Japanese War, it was a fact that they risked the blockade and smuggled illegal salt to feed the people in the rear. There was a salt convoy, still under the banner of the Liuhe Gang. Although they were the next generation, their chivalrous deeds , brave and majestic, still the same as the previous generation, the difference is that the previous generation fought hard with the Beiyang army, but the next generation was replaced by the Japanese devils. Countless Guandong Mountains have risen in the midst of the nation's suffering, facing greater violence and wilder sandstorms! The book was completed on the eve of the 55th National Day of the Republic of China