Chapter 21 who is the captive

Feng Jiachang stood in front of Deputy Chief of Staff Liao. With his hands behind his back, the old man paced back and forth in front of his eyes... In his memory, the old man had never been so serious, his face was taut and his hair was unruffled.He was a good old man, and very kind.What's more, he is nearly sixty years old, and every morning, he brings the staff, officers, and secretaries in the agency up for a run, rain or shine.Of course, the old man was also rough sometimes. I remember one time, during morning roll call, Staff Officer Xu didn't show up.The old man ran into the dormitory and kicked the door of Staff Officer Xu's bedroom open!At that time, Staff Officer Xu was terrified, hurriedly pulled up his pants, and stood at attention beside the bed... The old man asked, "Why don't you go to the gym?" Staff Officer Xu panicked and stammered, "Report, report Liao, Deputy Chief of Staff Liao, I, my family members are here..." At this time, the old man turned around slowly and said with his hands behind his back, "Is that so?" Staff Officer Xu said, "Yes. My family members last night Here we come.” Then, the old man waved his hand and said, “——Continue.” After speaking, he closed the door and strode out.Later, when people saw Staff Officer Xu, they joked with him: "Go ahead!"

The old man finally stopped.The old man still had his hands behind his back, stared at him, and said, "Has your transfer procedure been approved?" Feng Jiachang tightened his body and replied, "...not yet." The old man nodded slowly, and said, "Oh? Oh. Oh, oh." He said "Oh" four times in a row, and then said seriously: "I have a problem here. As for the problem, don't ask, Don't go to inquire...According to the decision of the organization, I will go down. Go to Qingnihe Farm... for a short stay. Now, you have two choices: 1. Follow me. 2. Stay and reassign the work. you consider it."

Feng Jiachang was taken aback.A "drum" was beating in his heart, and the "drum" was ringing... But, he knew that he couldn't hesitate at this time, and he didn't dare to hesitate.Besides, the old man treated him well, and he was the one he asked for by name.Then bet on it, he must bet on it!So he immediately replied, "I'll go down with you." The old man stared at him for a while, and said: "I tell you, I am the one who made a mistake. Now that I have gone down, it is difficult to say when I will come back...Don't rush to answer, think again."

Feng Jiachang repeated again: "I'll go down with you." The old man looked at him, and suddenly there was some warmth on his face.He waved his hand heavily and said, "Okay, you go." However, when Feng Jiachang was about to go out, he stopped him again and said, "Let's play a game of chess." The two sat down, silently. He placed the chessboard on the ground and played a game of chess. At the end of the game, Feng Jiachang lost.At this time, Deputy Chief of Staff Liao lit a cigarette and said, "What you lose is not chess, but psychology." At night, Feng Jiachang lay motionless on the bed, staring blankly at the roof... The "little Buddha's face" lying on the opposite bed glanced at him, then looked again, and finally said: "Do you want to know?" I can’t tell you about it.” Feng Jiachang said: “I know.” “Little Buddha’s face” said again: “Let’s put it this way, someone threw a stone in the lake and it affected Deputy Chief of Staff Liao…” Feng Jiachang couldn't help asking: "Is it a political issue?" In those years, once a "political issue" was involved, it was very serious. "Little Buddha's face" paused for a while, and then said: "Brother, that's all I know." At this time, Feng Jiachang sat up suddenly and said, "Brother Hou, do you think I can go?" Go?" Secretary Hou was silent for a while, and said, "You can entrust someone to ask about this matter." Feng Jiachang said, "Who do you entrust?" Secretary Hou said, "...Li Dongdong." Feng Jiachang was silent for a while, Shaking his head, he said, "No, I won't ask her." Secretary Hou said, "Then, there is one more person you can ask." Feng Jiachang said, "Who?" Secretary Hou said, "Director Zhou."

The next day, Feng Jiachang sent documents to Director Zhou three times in a row.Those were written materials, whether they could be given or not, and he also gave them.Every time he entered the door, he would type "Report" very loudly, and waited for the sound of "Come in" to be heard in the room before he opened the door and went in.In order to attract Director Zhou's attention, every time he enters the door, he stands at attention first, salutes, and then submits the document... When he delivered it for the third time, Director Zhou raised his head and said blankly. Glancing at him, he said, "What's the matter?" Feng Jiachang hesitated for a moment, and said, "It's nothing, I... I'm going down." At this time, Director Zhou said "Oh", and suddenly said: "You If you don’t want to go, you can bring it up.” Before he recovered, Director Zhou glanced at him again, and said coldly, “Sometimes, people don’t have to be too smart.” Feng Jiachang’s face was hot when he heard this !He didn't say anything more, just saluted, and left silently.

In this way, three days later, a jeep took them to the Qingnihe Farm three hundred miles away.Qingnihe Farm was originally a reform-through-labor farm, but was later taken over by the army and became a military farm.This place is surrounded by mountains and rivers, covering an area of ​​more than 2,700 mu, with large tracts of tea trees and crops.Accompanied by the head of the field, Deputy Chief of Staff Liao looked around and said casually: "Can I go fishing?" it is good." The farm is hidden in the green trees, and it is a row of small bungalows.Under the arrangement of the field manager, they picked two cleaner rooms and let them live in them.After arranging the accommodation, the field manager said: "Secretary Feng, there are frequent power outages here. There are still two lanterns in the factory department. Come and pick them up." So he followed the field manager to the field office.After entering the room and closing the door, the field chief whispered, "Secretary Feng, we are just taking care of Deputy Chief of Staff Liao. You are responsible for his safety. You will also report his situation to the superior truthfully... Feng Jiachang nodded silently, and said: "Is there anything else to explain?" The director said: "The superior's instructions are just two sentences: don't die and don't run away. Others, it's nothing." Feng Jiachang listened , his heart suddenly felt heavy, and he said, "Understood."

"Don't die, don't run", this sentence has been lingering in Feng Jiachang's mind.What is this concept?For Feng Jiachang, it was countless anxious days and nights! Fortunately, during the daytime, Deputy Chief of Staff Liao can walk casually in the fields, look at the sky, touch the tea trees with his hands, and sometimes do some farm work.An old Red Army with the "March 8 style" and a chief of staff with the rank of deputy army, once the so-called identity is removed, he is not much different from an old farmer.It was August, and it was still very hot. The old man often wore a pair of big underpants, a broken straw hat on his head, and his bare feet, squatting in the vegetable garden of the farm to pull weeds.The farmers and workers didn't recognize him, so what was his name?He said Liao, surnamed Liao.So people called him "Old Liao", and he smiled kindly.Sometimes I also go to the grain field to do some odd jobs, just like those farm workers, stripped naked.At this time, if you look closely, you will find that on the old body soaked in sweat, on the slack and wrinkled chest and back, there are one after another maroon scars... Afternoon , he will play a game of chess with Feng Jiachang, no matter whether he wins or loses, he will only play three games.Sometimes I take a fishing rod and Maza and go fishing by the fish pond.The old man doesn't eat fish, he catches one, throws it down, and catches again... The old man is silent most of the time.Sometimes, the old man also said something, he said: "Fish is stupid."

It's not easy at night.There are frequent power outages on the farm, and the night is so dark... Every night, mosquitos swoop back and forth like bombers!Mosquitoes are very fat. During the season when mosquitoes are buzzing, the old man can't sleep well, especially Feng Jiachang.Those were simply the days of "boil the eagle". Every night, Feng Jiachang's heart was like being fried in a frying pan.The old man doesn't sleep, he doesn't dare to sleep, the old man sleeps, he still doesn't dare to sleep... The four words "don't die, don't run" have been stuck in his heart!Whenever the old man made any movement in the middle of the night, Feng Jiachang would get up from the bed and put the urine can first; They were equipped with mosquito nets, but since the old man could not sleep well, he often kicked over the tucked mosquito nets, so Feng Jiachang didn't dare to enjoy them to himself, so he simply lifted the mosquito nets and didn't use them.There were many nights when Feng Jiachang slept sitting up. He was barebacked and wearing a pair of underpants. He sat in the lighted place by the door, holding a book in his hand, and went to "hey" the buzzing Mosquitoes!

One night, Feng Jiachang took a nap on the bed, but he fell asleep.When he woke up, it was already midnight.At this time, he suddenly broke out in a cold sweat, the old man's bed was empty!So he hurried around to look for it.Not in the field, not in the vegetable garden, not by the fish pond... Feng Jiachang's mind went "sigh", and a terrifying voice suddenly jumped out of his heart: It's over.Your life is coming to an end here!How to do it?Do you want to notify the director, should you notify the director immediately and mobilize everyone in the venue to find it? !But he said in his heart, look again, don't panic, the more this is the case, the less you can panic, look again.

Just like that, in a state of confusion, he turned back to the valley field.It was a huge threshing floor. From a distance, the threshing floor was empty, with nothing but two round grain stacks standing upright.But, all of a sudden, in the black night haze, he saw a little red fire head!The head of the fire was flickering on the valley field... At first he was a little scared, he thought it was a will-o'-the-wisp.However, when he walked forward step by step, he realized that the black mass on the west side of the valley field was not a tree, but a stone roller, and the old man was squatting on the big stone roller on the west side of the field!The old man was barefoot and stooped, looking like a big toad.He stared blankly at the night sky, and was smoking a cigarette.At this time, Feng Jiachang's hanging heart slowly fell into his stomach. He stood three steps away from the old man and called softly: "Deputy Chief of Staff Liao."

After a long time, the old man said: "Look at the stars, they are far away." Then he said: "The hearts of people are also far away." After a while, the old man murmured: "I was sixteen years old, I ran away from home, and it's worth it for decades..." At this time, the old man smacked his lips and said, "Remember, when I was leaving , I ate a meal of noodles in the town, it was delicious." The old man said: "Back then, one of my best classmates and I broke up after eating that bowl of noodles. We were going to leave together. , he had something to do at home, so he left two days late, saying that he was going to get together in Xi'an. But when he arrived in Xi'an, he couldn't tell the east, west, north, and south. At that time, there were many recruits. Followed away in a daze... After being separated for many years, I found out through family inquiries that I voted for the Eighth Route Army and he joined the New Seventh Army of the Kuomintang. At that time, the New Sixth Army and the New Seventh Army of the Kuomintang were all uniform With American equipment and good food, he became an enemy. Later, on the battlefield, he became my prisoner... At that time, he was already the head of the regiment, the head of the colonel of the Kuomintang. He asked to see me , After asking the leader for instructions, we met. When we met, he said that I am thin, and my nickname is Ma Zhuer. We are only two days apart! I said Maitou, and his nickname is Maitou. If you have anything to say, just say it. He said, I only have one request. I say, you say. He said I want to eat a bowl of noodles with flour paste. So he asked the cooking team to make it for him. The noodles were made, but there was no flour paste. , On the battlefield, where can I find flour paste? After eating the bowl of noodles, he left, stood up and left without saying anything. Later, on the way to escort him back, he tried to escape, but was killed by the soldiers on the spot. Killed, the bullet hit the back of the head, and it became a pot of paste... Later I realized that the reason why he made such a request was to let me let him go. But I can't let him go, and I dare not let him go But he thought I would let him go, otherwise, he wouldn't run away..." The old man murmured: "When I was in school, his family was in good condition, while ours was poor, and the two of us ate together. Yes, he posted me a lot... I owe him a bowl of noodles." The words are lingering, the night is so quiet, people seem to be in a dream.After a long time, he said again: "I am old and can't sleep, so come out and sit for a while. Are you scared?" Feng Jiachang stood there without saying a word.Feng Jiachang said in his heart, old man, you scared the guts out of me! Then, the old man said lightly: "Don't worry, I won't die. I won't implicate you." After hearing this, Feng Jiachang's eyes were wet, and for some reason, there were tears in his eyes.The stars are far away, the stars are twinkling in the sky, the night is as cool as water, and the night ink is like a pot.The old man was squatting on the stone roller all by himself, like a poor, homeless old dog.For some reason, Feng Jiachang suddenly thought of the dog in his hometown... This is the general! The next day, Feng Jiachang found the field chief and said, "The old man is in a bad mood." The field chief was old, and he could be regarded as a subordinate of Deputy Chief of Staff Liao, so he said, "Then what should we do? Don't go out." What's the matter!" Feng Jiachang said: "I have a solution. But..." The field manager said: "As long as the old man is happy and nothing happens, you can ask for anything." So Feng Jiachang borrowed a day from the field department. bikes.He rode that broken bicycle and ran for more than sixty miles. After inquiring all the way, he finally found a shop selling jelly in Wangjing Town.Then, he rushed back with the half bucket of jelly jelly, and went to the four townships overnight to find out who is good at making "noodles with jelly".He asked from village to village, and whenever he saw a woman, he asked.Those women said that it is possible to do anything, but not necessarily well.Ask again, and some people say that there is a woman married from Heimaji who can make "flour noodles" and she does it well.So people found the woman from the dark horse collection.The woman looked clean and refreshing, but she was a widow who left behind. She said that a man before her had been a bandit and was suppressed during liberation... When we met, the woman said: "Flour paste noodles are not easy to make. That's for your mood." Hearing this, Feng Jiachang couldn't help but glance at her, took out two yuan, put it on the table, and said, "I'm from the farm, come with me." Unexpectedly , the woman looked at the money on the table, and said: "Wait a minute. Is there any pulp? Is there any black sesame? Is there any soybean? Is there celery? Is there any sesame oil?... You just say what you want?" Feng Jiachang said: "Yes. Come with me." At noon on this day, Feng Jiachang took the old man to the cafeteria as usual.Not long after sitting down, Deputy Chief of Staff Liao sniffed, and suddenly said, "Noodles with flour paste?" Feng Jiachang said: "Noodles with flour paste." So, without saying anything, the old man ate three bowls in a row... After eating, he said, "It's okay, it's okay." Two days later, Feng Jiachang rode his bicycle to the lotus store again.He heard from people that the pan-fried buns in Hedian are very famous in the local area.The steamed stuffed bun was made of beef. It was fried in hot oil in a frying pan, and covered with dried lotus leaves. When the lotus leaves were eaten into the oil, there was a fragrance.There is also a snack in this place with lotus leaf fried buns, called Dou Mo, which is a kind of mushy soup. Tofu and the like, fragrant but not greasy, very refreshing.Feng Jiachang originally planned to buy some to take home, but he was afraid that it would be bad if it got cold.As soon as he had an idea, he asked the master who set up the stall, how much did he earn a day?The chef who sells fried buns said, not much, only about ten yuan.Feng Jiachang took out 20 yuan from his pocket, put it on the stall, and said, "Come with me." The stall owner wanted to bargain, but when he saw Feng Jiachang was wearing a military uniform, his face turned dark suddenly. Immediately there was a bit of "capitalist" panic, and I didn't dare to say anything more. Another day, at noon, when the old man sat down, his eyes lit up and he said, "Lotus leaf buns?!" Feng Jiachang said: "Lotus leaf buns." The old man said, "Huh, Doumo?!" Feng Jiachang said, "Doumo." The old man touched the lotus leaf with his hand, picked it up and smelled it, then picked up a hot fried bun with his chopsticks, took a bite and tasted it carefully; he took another sip and put it in a bowl Take a sip of the bean foam, taste it, and taste it again... After a long time, he said, "That's right, it's that taste." A few days later, Wuqiao's biscuits were placed on the table. "Wuqiao Biscuit" is very famous in a radius of hundreds of miles. The biscuit is burnt on the outside and crispy on the inside. Hu spicy soup, that Hu spicy soup is famous far and near, there is a very unique way, the kind of spicy is beyond imagination... There was a local saying that after eating Wuqiao's sesame seed cakes, drinking The town's hot and spicy soup, dick, is worth dying for! On that day, the old man ate the "Wuqiao Shaobing" bite by bite, drank Yaozhen's Hu spicy soup, sighed, and said: "Very good, very good." Later, after a few days, Feng Jiachang will definitely come up with some tricks: it may be Yang Linji's five-spice dog meat, Fancheng's "fire burning", Fancheng's fire-flavored dog meat with Yang Linji, full of tooth fragrance!That is Xichuan's mustard jelly, Huazhen's small steamed buns, hot steamed jelly rolls, hot and cold, and then corn grits, beautiful!That is the double-yellow duck eggs from Fuergang, that is the siu mai from Qiuling, that is the sheep double intestine soup from Huangcun, that is the meat box from Feng County, that is the burnt rabbit meat from Linxiang, That is the "gas-bellied toad" of Hengganliu, or the "beggar's chicken" of Yingshui, or the stewed cake of Xiaoyou... These are all very unique local flavors, which exist in each region. You will find it if you look for it. At night, when the old man couldn't fall asleep, he would talk about the words from thirty years ago...the words were threaded, intermittent, very dreamy!Feng Jiachang listened very carefully and didn't ask easily.Sometimes, the old man's words are very "dustpan", tossed and turned over and over again, not "hierarchical". He only talks about that time, that place, that smell or that glance of warmth, most of which are related to "eating".The old man said: "That smells so good!..." The old man closed his eyes and said, "The woman who sells pot helmets has a drop of sweat on the tip of her nose. The sweat is crystal clear and so tender!..." Sometimes, when the conversation stops, Feng Jiachang lost no time in continuing, and said, "Is it Zigou?" The old man said vaguely, "Huai Town, it's Huai Town. There is a double-eyed bridge in Huai Town on the other side of Xiaoji..." This is like A bamboo pole is handed over, and the memories follow the "shun" and go away with affection... Just like this, use "memories" to treat insomnia, talk about "dustpan" and "dustpan"... ...and fell asleep while chatting.Sometimes, as soon as you open your eyes, the sky is bright.The old man said, "Hey, it's dawn?" Feng Jiachang said, "It's dawn." The old man said, "Before I knew it, I could sleep until dawn." The next day, Feng Jiachang went to Huai Town... In this way, day by day, Feng Jiachang felt that he did his best for Deputy Chief of Staff Liao.As for the old man, he was also calm emotionally, and he didn't seem so anxious.However, despite such dedication, Deputy Chief of Staff Liao never said a word of gratitude to Feng Jiachang.This old man, he is still silent.Silently playing chess, silently fishing, silently working in the vegetable garden... Only once, he sighed to the field manager: "I fought guerrilla warfare thirty years ago in this place... It was a worthwhile trip, In this life, this trip is worthwhile!" As for what the old man was thinking, Feng Jiachang had no idea. In autumn, Li Dongdong came suddenly.That day, he was playing chess with the old man in the field, when he suddenly heard someone shout: "Secretary Feng, someone is looking for him!" Turning around, he saw a bright little girl standing under the locust tree, it turned out to be Li Dongdong!It was Li Dongdong who saw him coming. Li Dongdong was standing there upright with a bag full of fruits and canned food and a very chic little cloth bag.So, he stood up, walked forward, and said in amazement: "It's so far away, why...how did you come here?" Li Dongdong said, "I'll come and see you." Then, she said, "It's really hard to find. Ah, the car backed up six times..." Suddenly, Feng Jiachang felt warm in his heart.For many days, the anxiety and the depression came to his heart at the same time, and he almost shed tears!But in front of everyone, it's hard to say anything, so I arranged for her to stay in the field clinic temporarily. In the health room of the field department, Li Dongdong took out a checkered sweater with a blue background from his bag, and said, "I made a sweater for you, but I don't know if it fits you. Try it on." Feng Jiachang looked at it. After looking at it, he said: "You don't need to try it?" Li Dongdong said: "No. You must try it. If it doesn't fit, I will take it apart and beat it again." So Feng Jiachang put the sweater on his body. Wear a sweater once.The sweater is very soft and fits well, and the sweater is warm on the body.Feng Jiachang took a breath and said, "It's not like me, is it?" Li Dongdong smiled and said, "Who do you look like?" That night, Feng Jiachang accompanied Li Dongdong for a walk on the tree-lined avenue in the field.Feng Jiachang said: "It's such a long way, you shouldn't come..." Li Dongdong coquettishly said: "I just want to come. I tell you, you can't escape. You are my 'captive'!" Feng Jiachang watched silently She is silent.At this time, Li Dongdong said angrily: "For such a long time, you neither wrote nor called. It caused me to look for you everywhere, you are too bad!..." Feng Jiachang knew in his heart, one year and three It's been a month, and he hasn't made a phone call or written a single word. This is what he wants!It seems that the "cold war" worked... Feng Jiachang asked: "How do you know I'm here?" At this time, I only heard Li Dongdong say: "Then don't worry about it." After saying this, Li Dongdong suddenly turned around and whispered in his ear: "Do I look like the wife of a Decembrist?" That night, when he returned to the bungalow, the old man joked with him for the first time: "You have a good eye. Did you put the 'little flag'?" Feng Jiachang looked at Deputy Chief of Staff Liao in surprise. The old man never joked... But before he could reply, the old man said in an orderly tone: "'Capture' her!" Feng Jiachang blushed and smiled.