Chapter 16 Thrilling scene (16)

In the stage dressing room. This place where face powder used to be applied is now filthy.There was a layer of dust on the ground, and some melon paper balls were thrown around.There were even traces of urinating in the corner of the room, and the house smelled like urine.The whitewashed walls are covered with snot and smeared with dirty curse words.In the long and narrow room, there is only one fifty-light electric bulb, and the light is very dim.A row of large mirrors embedded in the wall had been smashed to pieces, leaving only one or two complete pieces.A three-drawer table and a few chairs are placed under the two complete wall mirrors, which are also covered with a layer of dust, and there are marks of a few buttocks sitting down.

After reading Red Finger's "Letter to the People of the County", Hou Yukun dragged Duan Guobin into this "temporary secret room". , what do you think of this situation?" Duan Guobin: "What to do? Do it! Criticize! Fight!" Hou Yukun: "I think it's better to have a long-term plan and follow the original plan. Now that the black fingers are not defeated, we should find ways to coax and lie to Ma Yanxiong, subdue him with a soft policy, and ask him to make a statement for us. We have the support of Political Commissar Hu of the Ministry of Armed Forces. This way, the power of the whole county is at your fingertips. After the power is stabilized, it will not be easy for us to try to eliminate him?"

Duan Guobin: "Your idea is good, it's good, it's wonderful, but it's really a dream! I won't listen to your nonsense anymore. It turns out that the trick you came up with a few days ago was not fishing with a line, but Let the tiger go back to the mountain! Ma Yanxiong has almost become a trump card in the hands of Heizhi! Now that he has thrown himself into the trap, I also have a long-term plan: keep criticizing! Keep fighting! It is the general direction of the cultural revolution, if the general direction is right, everything is right.” Hou Yukun: "Power, power, and fate are connected! If you can't grasp the political power, you won't stand up for the general direction!" Duan Guobin: "With the general direction, I will have everything."

Hou Yukun: "You are the toad at the bottom of the well!" Duan Guobin: "You are a poisonous snake that swallows elephants!" Hou Yukun: "I'm a stupid pig!" Duan Guobin: "You're a mangy dog!—Damn you!" Hou Yushen: "Damn it!" Duan Guobin: "Bah!" Hou Yukun: "Bah!" The two giants of Mr. Hong are gearing up, and they are about to fight in this dirty dressing room!Many "politicians" newly produced in this great revolution are like this: "in the same boat" fight others fiercely; in the "same boat" they also fight fiercely with each other! "

Just when the two of them were about to practice "Cultural Attack and Military Defense" first, the door of the dressing room suddenly opened. The two of them dropped their postures one after another, and they both turned their heads to see: it was Zhou Xiaoquan who came. Duan Guobin couldn't care less about dealing with Hou Yukun, he turned to Zhou Xiaoquan and said hastily, "Where have you been? I've invited you several times but you can't come! We're going to implement militarization soon, you, the deputy captain of 'Sun Dasheng' Can’t it be so loose? That’s it,” he put his hands behind his back, walked quickly on the dusty ground twice with his thick and short legs, and then stood still and said, “According to the scouts, when the black finger fled, a few people were left behind. The backbone is going to organize the bullshit 'left behind corps'. It is believed that these people are still hiding near Shimen Commune. The general headquarters decided to send you to bring a 'Sun Dasheng' team to search immediately! I wanted Guolong to go, but Guolong is presiding over the criticism meeting and cannot do without."

Hou Yukun came over, grabbed the air with his thin hands, and clenched them into two fists. He added to Commander Duan, "Quick battle! Cut grass and roots!" "Yes!" Commander Duan nodded appreciatively to Commissar Hou. The two giants soon fought side by side again. Zhou Xiaoquan tapped his right foot on the ground nervously, and listened to the two men's orders with a reserved smile. Now he put away his reserve, his handsome face became solemn and serious.He said quickly, "Unfortunately. I can't go on this mission." "Why?" Commander Duan asked with his yellow eyes wide open.

Zhou Xiaoquan said calmly: "From now on, I have decided to leave us. Leave forever!" "What?" Duan and Hou shouted in surprise at the same time. Zhou Xiaoquan smiled, and soon became serious again.He continued to say calmly: "In the early days of the movement, I rose up to rebel, and I don't regret it now. But after that, I was labeled a counter-revolutionary for myself, made many crazy mistakes, and even committed a crime. Nightmare, I have woken up now. I am determined to bid farewell to this terrible life! This is one. Second, I now have doubts about some practices in front of me, such as fighting, and others..."

"You are attacking the beloved Comrade Jiang Qing!" Duan Guobin raised his arm and pointed his finger to the sky vigorously.Zhou Xiaoquan: "..." "Then you are going to seek refuge with Black Finger?" Hou Yukun's face showed vicious sarcasm.Zhou Xiaoquan squinted: "You are ridiculous!" Duan Guobin took a step forward and asked, "So where are you going?" Zhou Xiaoquan said sincerely: "You probably won't believe me to participate in Black Finger? As for where I will go, I don't know." Hou Yukun suddenly turned from vicious sarcasm to heartbroken.He advised with a trembling old voice, "Ah, good my Xiaoquan! Young people are too simple-minded! How can you ruin your glorious history of rebellion? Do you know that, in this way, Have you left a stain on your history? Go through the files in the future..." "Please don't scare people!" Zhou Xiaoquan interrupted Hou Yukun, "You know, I am a student in the sixth and seventh grades of high school, not a three-year-old Child! You are ridiculous!"

Hou Yukun smiled sinisterly, turned his face murderously, and said to Duan Guobin: "Arrest this kid and take him to the confinement room!" Duan Guobin ignored Hou Yukun.He looked at Zhou Xiaoquan with the demeanor of a great statesman, and it took a long time before he gritted his teeth and said, "It's easy for me to skin you and kill you, but I will laugh at me, Duan Guobin, for being narrow-minded and lacking in statesmanship. After all, we also fought side by side once. For this sake, as long as you don’t go to Black Finger, then, if you want to get out, get out! However, on the day we celebrate our victory, I don’t want to see Come and wag your dog's tail at us!"

After Commander Duan finished speaking, his yellow eyes gave the "traitor" a contemptuous look, turned around and quickly paced on the dusty ground. Hou Yukun stared at the pacing Duan Guobin dejectedly, surprised that the commander-in-chief who only had "politician demeanor" but no "politician mind" wanted to let Zhou Xiaoquan go so absurdly.You must know how seriously this "hardcore" betrayal will have a serious impact on Mr. Hong!There was a proud smile on Zhou Xiaoquan's pretty face.His big eyes glanced at the two men, and he said easily: "Okay, I wish you victory. I'm leaving!"

He turned quickly and walked towards the door. He opened the door of the dressing room, and a ray of soft light highlighted his young and fit figure.He left without looking back! The dead silence of the re-darkened dressing room. Duan Guobin and Hou Yukun lowered their heads, no one spoke, and no one was allowed to look.One is in a hurry, the other is slow, each taking their own steps. Suddenly, the door of the dressing room opened with a bang—as if someone had smashed it open with an old hammer!Then, a pale-haired old man walked in from outside the door, shouting, "Guobin! Yukun! Guobin! Yukun!..." The two rushed forward to meet him, and saw that it was Yi Guotai.They hurriedly asked: "What's the matter? What's the matter? What's the matter?..." The former material director who had been punished and stepped down was out of breath and said in panic: "Jin... Guolong... got... Ma Yanxiong..." Duan and Hou trotted out of the dressing room and came to the table. Now, the auditorium is empty below.There is only a circle of people around the stage. The thugs He Chongde, Xu Yanjun, Gao Jianhua, and Hei San have long since slipped away.Jin Guolong was alone on the left side of the stage, with his face turned away from the group of people, closing a window intently: he closed it hard, then pulled it open hard; then he closed it lightly.He was still muttering something, as if it was a broken window that had to be closed; as if he was a window locker and he didn't know what was going on in the auditorium.Duan Guobin and Hou Yukun broke through the crowd and walked into the circle. Ma Yanxiong lay curled on his side on the ground, his wet clothes were completely turned into mud pieces, with various patterns of shoe soles printed on them.There was a gash near the temple on the right side of his head, and blood was bubbling like a fountain.The wound was not cut by a knife, but struck by something blunt. Hou Yukun looked through the crowd to see Jin Guolong who was continuing to concentrate on closing the window.When his gaze swept from Jin Guolong's head to his feet, he saw that the toe of the yellow suede shoe on Jin Guolong's right foot was stained with blood.He understood that this blood belonged to Ma Yanxiong... seventeen On October 28, 1967, at 5 a.m., Ma Yanxiong, secretary of the county party committee, died in the hospital. The news spread throughout the county that day. Before dusk fell, thousands of peasants poured into the county from all directions, shouting the slogan "Catch the murderer! Avenge Secretary Ma!" Boss Hong immediately collapsed like a bird or a beast.Duan Guobin and Hou Yukun fled to a neighboring county in haste with Jin Guolong and about 20 "hardcore men". The next day was unknown, and farmers carrying shovels and shovels continued to pour towards the county from all directions like a tide! Political Commissar Hu of the County People's Armed Forces Department led two cadres, stood on the street and read out the announcement over and over again that farmers were not allowed to enter the city to fight, but no one listened to the propaganda—they were not entering the city to fight, but to arrest the armed forces. A murderer who fights to the death! At the same time, Minister Cao of the County People's Armed Forces led the soldiers of the county squadron to join the torrent of farmers and marched and demonstrated in the streets with the farmers. So far, the county garrison has split openly. The mighty northwest wind carried the black clouds and rolled back to the southeast.The rain that had lasted for several days stopped.The muddy streets and alleys of the county town were quickly trampled dry by thousands of feet.Over the city, the sky was filled with dust. The bright sunshine after the rain shines through the glass windows of the hospital ward, and sprinkles on Ma Yanxiong's calm, thin and pale face.He once had a small wish—— Get a good night's sleep.Now, he's asleep forever! Right now, the entire county has not caused any deaths of people due to fighting.But he died!He used his own death to prevent a large-scale mass fighting.This loyal soldier of the party, the gunfire of the war did not take his life, but now he fell in a "cultural revolution". Countless farmers continued to rush towards him from all directions.They gathered around him, mourning his death, angry, and at the same time bewildered by what was happening before them! The county hospital has been besieged since last night.The bowed people, with tears, walked past the cave dwelling where his body was placed, and said their final farewell to the dear county party secretary through the glass windows. The streets of the city, the stadium by the river, and all the empty fields were full of people.The whole city has become a farmer's world.Here and there, everywhere, there was talk of the good deeds the dead man had done.These things have long been known, but those who tell them are still passionate, and those who listen are still interested.When illiterate peasants talked about him, their eloquence was as smooth as running water in the city.From time to time, a strong young man with some elderly people on his back passed through the crowd and ran towards the hospital.These elderly people came from remote villages and were carried overnight by their sons to visit the dead county party secretary.Someone proposed to avenge the secretary's grievances as soon as possible, but everyone didn't know how to express such anger for a while.Some fellow villagers from remote areas suggest reporting the case to the "intermediate court" in the area as soon as possible. Isn't the court a place to deal with human life?And the villagers around the city immediately told them that the district court had been smashed, and they heard that the president of the intermediate court had also been locked up by a group of ex-convicts. Ah, the world has become lawless! At noon, the farmers in the whole city suddenly spread the news that "Hongdu" had received a "power call". Send a "helicopter" to solve it.The news that some naive man dreamed up was immediately taken by all the naive peasants as a real thing.So, all the purple-red faces looked at the blue sky in late autumn after the rain! People looked up all afternoon, and the bleak sun was about to fall behind the mountains in the west of the city.But not even a single bird flew over from the sky!So, before and after sunset, thousands of disappointed people held an unprecedented funeral for their county party secretary with grief. When some peasants covered in mud carried the coffin out of the gate of the county hospital, there was a sound of sobbing in Huicheng immediately.The coffin was carried by some veterans who fought guerrillas with the secretary of the county party committee, and they walked slowly and heavily through the cobbled streets, thousands of people pressed behind the coffin.The autumn light is bleak, and the yellow leaves are falling; in the autumn leaves, how many hot tears are swaying! People carried the Du Chi coffin of Cha Honggong slowly.On the coffin lid, an old rooster was placed according to the ancient tradition of the country; in front of the coffin, a plain white wreath was tied in the modern way of the city; in the middle of the wreath was embedded his face copied from a photo by an unknown artist. A charcoal portrait—the portrait is extremely vivid: he has a stern but kind look on his thin cheeks, a pair of slightly squinted eyes, and he is lovingly looking at the city and distant mountains, and looking at thousands of people! When the sun was setting, they buried him on the top of the highest hill in the east of the city.In the mountains, the flowers have withered in the wind and rain of the past few days.People broke off many branches and leaves of sorbus trees and piled them in front of his tomb—the leaves dyed red by wind and frost are as bright as blood and as dazzling as fire in the setting sun! Comrade Ma Yanxiong left this world forever.For his death, for this soul-stirring scene that took place in the whole land of China, history will eventually make a fair and severe judgment-this is certain! Written in Xi'an in September 1978 and revised in Beijing in May 1980