Chapter 5 chapter Five

After the movement to study the theory of the dictatorship of the proletariat was launched, the production team of Old Man Xing was like other production teams.Farmers go to the fields during the day and have meetings at night, so they hardly have any time for themselves.One night when a meeting was held, at the end of their speeches, the cadres of the working group announced an inexplicable notice to the farmers that all dogs in the countryside should be "eradicated" within three days.The cadre said: "Even if a dog eats half a catty of food a day, it will be 15 catties a month, and 180 catties a year. I really don't know this account. It's shocking. It's almost equal to our Half of a person's ration. Now we have to feed the people of the whole country, and we also need to feed the dogs of the whole country. How can this be done! Therefore, within three days, all the dogs will be killed. Anyone who does not beat them is tantamount to harboring class enemies; Two days later, the commune's militia unit came down to fight for him."

In the first few days, old man Xing didn't take this notice seriously.He has the simple reason of his peasants.He thought to himself: "I've never heard of any family that let the dog eat the poor, let alone any country that is poor because the people raise dogs. In the old society, beggars still get dogs!" But , Within a few days, the farmers who had dogs actually slaughtered their own dogs one after another. Even the old man Wei hung his big black dog that he had raised for five years from a tree and watered it to death.It turned out that dogs were still a way to make money. Some people in the city heard that dogs were going to be beaten in the countryside, so they rode bicycles to the countryside to buy dog ​​meat.A dog can be sold for three or four yuan for the meat alone, and if the peasants bring it to the city for retail sale, it can be sold for four or five cents per catty.Ten days later, old man Xing, a lone big yellow dog, was left in a few villages nearby, and the militiamen wearing red armbands also noticed this dog. trip.

On this day, four old men were playing on the field, and when the wind stopped, they gathered together to chat. When they talked about Old Man Xing's dog, Old Man Xing said angrily, "No matter how poor you are, you can't be as poor as a dog! To be honest. , whoever has fed the dog of our farmer? It’s not that they are looking for wild food all over the beach. My dog ​​is definitely taken care of!” An old man said: "It doesn't matter whether you feed it or not, you feed your dog with your grain, and the government cares about you! I heard that it was because someone called the dog to take the government's corn cobs home." This sentence amused everyone laughed.The old man Wei said: "If the farmer's dog has this ability, we will stop growing crops and lead the dog around to play tricks."

An old man who used to like to listen to ancient books said: "I went back that night and thought about it. In fact, it wasn't about feeding food. It was old man Xing who said, who in our village has ever fed dogs seriously? I thought about it. This is not about criticizing Confucius. The second child is related." Except for the old man Xing who was still frowning, everyone laughed again. "You see, what Confucius talked about was loyalty, filial piety, and righteousness. What is loyalty, filial piety, and righteousness? Loyalty is about horses. Everyone knows that horses are the most loyal to people. Once Guan Gong died, the red rabbit and horse would not eat food; this filial piety It is about sheep, and a lamb will kowtow to its mother when it hits the ground; this verse is about tigers, and a tigress will know the pain after giving birth to a cub, and she will never let a male tiger make trouble again; It’s just a dog! Now criticizing Confucius’ loyalty, filial piety and righteousness, I think that’s what the above means, start with the dog. Or how can you say that keeping a dog is equivalent to harboring class enemies?”

The experienced old men all understood the meaning of the joke told in a mocking tone, and smiled at each other knowingly.Finally, the old man Wei sighed and said: "Don't say it, I see, the higher-ups think the dogs have eaten the food. Now the higher-ups ask for more, and the ground will not grow for a while, so we can only make an idea of ​​spending less. In the future Wow, if the higher-ups keep asking for it, even the feed for big animals will have to be reduced.” He turned to the old man Xing and said, “That’s right, laugh or laugh, it’s better to put your yellow dog down early. Or else Those militiamen still have to fight. They are all stupid young men. The day before yesterday, they tied a melon seed seller with a rope, and yesterday they took away a carpenter, making people cry and howl. They don’t care if they come. Seventy-one, if you fire a few shots and poke a few holes, you won't even get a good skin."

After dinner, old man Xing squatted on the edge of the Kang and smoked a cigarette.The dog lay on the ground, raised its head, wrinkled its nose, sniffing the familiar smell of smoke.Old man Xing pondered over a few pots of cigarettes and came up with an idea, which is to seek official protection for the dog.So he put on his shoes, locked the dog in the house, and went to the captain's house. Captain Wei happened to have no outsiders at home.The captain was lying on the kang, and his wife was sitting under the lamp holding the soles of her shoes.Because the old man Xing never visited the house, Captain Wei quickly turned over and sat up when he heard that he was coming.His wife brings a glass of water.

As soon as Old Man Xing sat down, he stammered about the fact that he would not allow the dog to be beaten. "I take it as an important matter," Captain Wei said with a smile, "it's a dog, and there are instructions on it, just hit it." "Forget it?" Old man Xing said angrily, "It has been with me for several years, and I can't bear to beat it. I promise not to ask the team for relief food. My dog ​​eats my food." Captain Wei still said lightly: "Actually, it's not about food. It's a fact that dogs harm crops." "Tiangui, you are also a farmer. When did you see dogs harm crops? Dogs are not livestock, and they are not chickens and ducks. That day, he said that the family is allowed to raise a chicken, but I am not allowed to raise a dog?" The captain's woman understood the meaning of the old man Xing with the sympathy unique to a woman, and said softly from the side: "That's right, he is Uncle Xing. There is no one around, and a dog can relieve the boredom." This remark aroused old man Xing's affection for dogs, and he said in a very serious manner: "Tiangui, I can promise you that I will kill you if you want to kill me." My dog ​​will kill me first, Old Man Xing!"

The hearts of all three sank.Captain Wei restrained his smile and kept scratching his short hair.He began to understand the close relationship between the dog and the old man Xing's life, and knew that it was not something that could be solved with just a few words to persuade the old man.At the same time, facing this old man who has lived in the same village as him for decades, a deep sense of rural friendship rose from his heart, and the years of depression were also rolled up with this rural atmosphere, and he couldn't help but sigh with emotion. Said: "Old man Xing, you have your difficulties, I know this, but I have mine difficulties, who can I talk to? I have nothing to do tonight, let's chat." "On this Zhuangzi, you also look at I have grown up. The year I let the donkeys fill the beach, you did a long job for Wang Hai’s family. After liberation, we started mutual aid groups and cooperatives, and we were all together again. At that time, I was young and vigorous, and I was determined to lead Let’s all take the road of common prosperity. Later, I went up and down three times, and you know this. Every time there is a movement, I have to be punished. I don’t prostitute or gamble, and I don’t commit corruption. I told the truth a few times, but I always said that I was leaning to the right. Later, I also figured out a truth: the cadres that everyone approves of, the superiors are not satisfied with; if the superiors are satisfied, everyone has to suffer. Over the years , I also learned to carry a burden, and I have to take care of both ends. If I can’t take care of one end, the pole will slip. Some things, I also have no reason to think, but I am a party member, and my level is low. I can’t do it according to my superiors. Okay? In the year of the Cultural Revolution, you know, I went to Dazhai with a tour group from the county. They did a good job, so it’s impossible not to admit it. The handfuls of corn and the handfuls of millet are delusional to buy so many machines and build such a large project. It’s not that the state subsidizes the money. Now we are asked to learn from Dazhai, and the state does not subsidize the money, so we have to eat more It’s a bit bitter, and you need to start more side jobs to make money. Who knew that this year’s movement came, and I was almost criticized again, saying that I emphasized sidelines over agriculture and developed capitalism. You also know that, the carpenters, plasterers, cobblers, The blacksmiths have all taken it back, and the two carts are parked there for nothing. While calling for mechanization, they don’t give money, and they don’t let people earn money, and the machines are not given for nothing. How can mechanization happen? This year, I see, don’t Speaking of mechanization, it means that the work points are not as much as in previous years. You are alone, and even the small bench is not hungry when you are full. You can make up for it anyway. Here, the whole team of more than 300 people all open their mouths to eat I stretched out my hand to wear it. If you don’t ask everyone to see some cash, next year they won’t be motivated to work. You worry about a dog, and I worry about three hundred people here!”

Captain Wei squatted up excitedly on the kang, and said, "Just wait and see! This year is passable, and in the spring of next year, this and that will happen. Everyone has no energy to work, and I can work hard? They are all poor. Lower-middle peasants, people from the countryside. But I am also thinking about it. Sports are always a trend. When this trend passes, we have to do side jobs. If we don’t engage in side jobs, everyone will be poor, and mechanization will not be possible. But don’t get caught in the limelight Come on, let’s go along with the big things, so there’s no need to confuse the boss in the small places. Let’s talk about beating dogs. It’s really a matter of catching sesame seeds instead of watermelons. I don’t think it’s interesting, but the boss will handle this matter It has already been mentioned on the board that not beating dogs is tantamount to harboring counter-revolutionaries. The leader of the work team who came up from our team is also a member of the county party committee. I counted them that day. There were ten dogs on our team, but only nine were beaten, which is called work. The team said that our advanced team can't even beat dogs, so how can we criticize capitalism! To be honest, old man Xing, if the sky falls and asks Wei Tiangui to support you because of your woman, it's a big mistake! Captain Guquan. This dog, you just kill it and let the superiors be satisfied. From now on, our team’s affairs will be easy to handle. He walks on the front foot, and you will raise another one on the back foot. What do you think?” Mr. Xing I haven't listened to it yet, but the more I listened to it, the more I heard it, and finally mentioned his woman. Old man Xing really had mixed feelings.He knew that Tiangui had helped him sincerely, for a dog, he could make Tiangui difficult?He lowered his head, slapped his head hard twice, and said sadly and decisively: "Tiangui, I can't make things difficult for you, what you're telling is the truth, you can call someone to beat you tomorrow. I can't do it myself."

That night, he didn't sleep, just sat on the adobe under the kang and smoked.The dog didn't know at all that this was its end, and still lovingly put its head on Old Man Xing's lap.While stroking its satin-smooth back, old man Xing recalled his experience of wind and rain for more than half a century.He has also heard that urban cadres, workers, teachers, and opera singers have been punished in the movement over the years, and he has seen small rural cadres like Wei Tiangui suffer criticism, but he did not expect to end up in trouble. He, an ordinary farmer who has been a long-term laborer for more than ten years, can't settle down: first, his status problem hinders his family's happiness, and finally he is deprived of even the remaining vain comfort.He didn't know why, but only vaguely heard that it was called "politics" and that it was called "class struggle."He shook his head slightly and sighed silently; he felt that such "politics" and such "class struggle" were terrible.He felt that in such "politics" and "class struggle", life had become meaningless.

He patted his dog as gently as he would his child.We Chinese farmers are always calm and patient in the face of inevitable disasters, and he once again played this characteristic.What was the use of keeping a dog now that he had discovered that his life had no meaning?Moreover, the life of this dog is actually related to the future life of the whole team.He said to himself: "You go first, then I will come." He raised his head and looked around the hut, looking for some traces left by the beggar woman.This earthen house, from the roof to the ground, has been cleaned by her in almost every square inch, and everything in the room has been scrubbed by her.However, after she left, these things were as silent and gray as death, only a deep mark was carved on his own bloody heart.However, he didn't blame her for leaving him quietly.He thought that a good woman with a conscience should go back; moreover, her leaving without saying goodbye had left him with a glimmer of hope that he would still have the energy to live in two years, so he only had her for her. gratitude. The next morning, he fed the dog well and let it out.Before noon, he heard a desolate gunshot suddenly sounded in the stables on the field.He knew it must have been aimed at his dog, and he felt a sudden pang of guilt and remorse.When he ran to the stables, the executioner had already left, only a group of dolls surrounded his dog.The dog was lying stretched on its side on the ground, a thin stream of bright red blood flowed from the neck, and one eye with dilated pupils, like the eyes of the beggar woman, squinted at the blue and blue eyes with a look of fear and uneasiness. Sky. The old man Xing stood next to the dog's corpse with his head down, his whole body trembling and crying loudly.