Chapter 76 The Six Encounters Between My Fifth Uncle (2)

In the autumn of the fourth encounter, I was sent by the newspaper office to the area where my hometown was located to interview the situation of the rural production responsibility system.My first stop is to pick up the relevant departments in the region to understand the situation, and then do key interviews.Therefore, although the long-distance bus has to pass through our county, I can't go home to visit my parents.I can only stop by our county seat, and our village is still more than 20 miles away from the county seat. From the bottom of my heart, I am eager to go back to our village.Needless to say, I want to visit the elderly, but more importantly, I want to see the changes in my hometown.I heard from a letter from my younger brother that after the responsibility system, the family’s food harvested in a year is enough for a few years, and the money is much better than in previous years.These situations, although I have not been home, have been felt.In the past, every time I received a letter from home, I always had a frowning face: I didn’t need to read the letter to know that it was either asking me to send them money or to buy food.In the past two years, letters from my family asked me if I wanted anything other than my money and food.I am often excited about this in my heart.

I have a history of poverty in my hometown.The Loess Plateau, on that barren land, is crowded with a dense population.Open every county record and government record, and there is a creepy history of hunger.After liberation, this place has always been one of the poorest areas in the country, and it has to eat a lot of relief food almost every year... Now, how did this page of history turn over?And what kind of appearance does the new industry policy show in my hometown?I have been interviewing industry before, because the gospel from my hometown has made me determined to ask to interview agriculture...

Although I can't go back to our village this time, the bus bound for the district almost passes through the entire territory of our county. Stay in the friendly and familiar small mountain town for an hour or two, maybe you can meet a few acquaintances! After the car entered our county, it drove on the river road between the mountains.I pressed my face against the car window, looking through the glass at the fleeting autumn fields. In Dachuan Road, it is no longer the same as in previous years, almost all the crops are of the same color.Now, the earth is as colorful as a colorful tapestry.All kinds of crops are interconnected one by one and form a unique family, and the creative personality of each laborer on the land is vividly expressed.There is also a field where the crops are not growing well, and you can tell that its owner must not be a hardworking person, but such a person, who has taken the same share as others in the collective cauldron many years ago.

Some crops have been cut down and put on the threshing field at the head of the village.Shirtless peasants shoveled golden particles into the blue sky.The five grains fell like broken rain, and fell on the children rolling and frolicking in the grain pile.The melodious Xintianyou came from the mountains in the distance.Beside the road, you can see peasant women carrying rice cans, walking slowly and shiningly.In the fields, there are few sheep, cows, donkeys, and horses in groups, often in small groups, and they are herded by some children and old people respectively.No one was idle.Life and work are calm, but full of a tense rhythm.Land and people, all enthusiasm seems to be mobilized.It's incredible.Who would have thought that our countryside would suddenly change from an ant colony lifestyle to the current state?The fact that the new policy was adopted so quickly and willingly by the majority shows how tiresome the past has become.Of course, this new policy has just started and it is not perfect, but it is welcomed by lovers, which shows its appeal especially in the impoverished mountainous area of ​​our hometown...

I also got off the car in the county town with an extremely excited mood - as usual, passengers are going to have lunch here. This is the bus station in my hometown.Nothing has changed, only countless vendors have been added.Country people selling local products and city people selling cooked food immediately surrounded the passengers who got off the bus, and they all peddled their things with sweet words. I didn't want to eat anything yet, so I got rid of these enthusiastic pesters and came to the waiting room.I saw a group of people arguing in a corner of the waiting room.These people spoke with foreign accents and had peasant bodies clad in some cheap urban clothes.Based on experience, I judge that it is a mason from the Wuding River Basin.They used their craftsmanship and coolies to wander across the towns and villages on the plateau, and contracted to build various cave dwellings and buildings.

It seems that a group of people is besieging a person.I couldn't see the faces of the besieged, but one or two words caught by my ears sounded like locals, and the accent was quite familiar. Benchi, I am not interested in this kind of common quarrel, but I can't help but want to see who the besieged must be in a mess because of my lack of compassion. I walked over to have a look and was surprised: it turned out that this person was my fifth uncle Zhang Zhigao.Uncle Wu seemed to see me at the same time.He immediately elbowed away the person who was arguing with him, and came over and shook my hand enthusiastically.He shouted: "Ah, my nephew! You big reporter is back!" This was hardly a welcome to me, but a deliberate address to those with whom he had quarreled.

Those stonemasons who were still glaring and ready to fight just now looked at me curiously, all of them had pale faces, as if they were suddenly facing some important person.Of course they didn't dare to quarrel with the "big reporter" uncle anymore. But Uncle Wu immediately turned to attack and shouted at those people: "What? Are you still cannibalistic? I, Zhang Zhigao, had a bad time? Huh? Go to Damahechuan and ask me about my character!" He turned his head and called me by my nickname, "Junwa, did you just get out of the car? Are you going back to the village today? If you can't bring your things, I'll go back with you!"

I told Uncle Wu that I can't go home this time, and I have to get in the car after dinner. Uncle Wu heard that this was the case, so he grabbed my cuff and said, "Let's go, I'll take you to the cafeteria. Both of us, uncle and nephew, have a good drink!" After he finished speaking, he pulled me away, and the stonemasons who had quarreled with him had to stand aside resentfully, watching us out of the waiting room. On the way to the cafeteria, I asked Uncle Wu, "Why are these people arguing with you?" "Hmph! Said that I underpaid them." "What's the salary?" "I contracted the county non-staple food company to repair the cave, and these craftsmen were all involved in this project. After the work was finished, they thought that my wages were underpaid, and threatened to beat me if they didn't increase their wages!" "Humph! ""Why did you come out to contract work?"I asked him in surprise. "Oh... what if we don't contract labor? The agricultural cooperative has a bad contract!" A rather unhappy expression appeared on his face.I know it's about accountability.

"Are you still the brigade secretary?" "Of course. But now this secretary doesn't even stand up to a fart!" I didn't know what to say for a while. We entered the state canteen next to the station. Uncle Wu pushed me away like a backlash, and went to the ticket gate to buy food.I had no choice but to buy some side dishes and a bottle of white wine on the small cabinet next to it. Uncle Wu and I sat down at a dirty table in the state-run cafeteria (there were hardly any clean tables) and clinked glasses three times in a row, and Uncle Wu's face turned red.He asked me what I plan to "record" when I come back this time?I briefly explained my mission to him.Uncle Wu immediately said excitedly: "You reporters have a lot of power! Can you tell the central government that our socialist collective is completely screwed!"

"Why is it a bad bag? Uncle Wu, the party's new rural policy has just started to be implemented. You are a party member and brigade secretary, and you have the responsibility to implement the party's policies. Your current thinking is not right..." I was a little bit Speak to him seriously. "Hmph! Just because I am a party member, I don't want to take the road of capitalism!" He said plausibly.This is already pretty ridiculous.I know I can't convince him for a while. So I changed the subject and asked him: "How is my uncle's family doing now?"

"How? I've made a fortune! The dry tobacco and cabbage in the private plot alone can earn a thousand yuan! As for the food, there is nowhere to put it. Now this policy is beneficial to private individuals! A few years ago he went around sucking my foreign cannons, saying that I Make Zhangjiabao poor. This time he is crazy!" He even attacked his own brother. We were silent for a while, each holding a glass of wine and sipping. At this time, I suddenly thought of another person in their village.The man's name seems to be Zhang Kuan, and he is about thirty-five or sixteen years old now.This is an orphan. After the death of his parents, he left a river bank of debts for him. But the young man knew how to roll felt, so he went out to play crafts to earn money to pay off his debts.As a result, he was dragged back by Uncle Wu and criticized at the members' meeting, saying that he was taking the capitalist road.I happened to be in their village for that criticism session.I remember that honest young man crying bitterly at the criticism meeting, saying that he could not pay his debts, was still a bachelor in his thirties, and could not marry a wife... I remember hearing his words at that time, and I was very uncomfortable.But at that time, the tail of capitalism was being cut, and this was what was reported in our newspapers every day, so I could only swallow these uncomfortable feelings back to my stomach.I remember that Uncle Wu was very powerful at that time, with two big eyes aggressive, pointing his nose and scolding Zhang Kuan for forgetting his roots and taking the road of capitalism... How is Zhang Kuan now?So I asked Uncle Wu, who was already drunk: "How is that Zhang Kuan in your village?" I can’t put it down, so save it in the bank! I just got married in the last two months, and married the granddaughter of Liu Guozhang, a dead old landlord in Gaojia Village. This kid has completely forgotten his roots. His father was a long-term worker for Liu Guozhang in the old society! He is now It's so beautiful to sing about love!" Uncle Wu angrily downed a large glass of wine in one gulp. I myself felt an indescribable relief. In order not to irritate Uncle Wu, I casually asked him how his family was doing now—I knew his situation had always been very prosperous. Unexpectedly, this stimulated him even more. He pounded his fist on the table, foaming from his mouth angrily, and shouted, "My house is ruined! You know, my eldest son graduated from high school and managed to find a contract worker at the county non-staple food company." I have been cleared to make a living. Now that the land is separated, I have to plant it myself. My son can’t bear the hardships and wanders around outside all day. I don’t have the heart to plant those lands. If there is no food, no money, I will run away When I come out to hire a job, I will lose money. The craftsmen will not leave and ask me for money... You have seen it at the station just now. Alas, this policy has killed me! Many years ago, what happened to me, Zhang Zhigao? Now? I have been talking about people all my life, and I have become a servant! Good girl, we have been leaders for decades, but now..." He barbed his head in pain.I know this is not drunk talk. The food on the table is almost gone.I looked at my watch, and it was almost time to drive, so I got up and said goodbye to Uncle Wu. He stood up and walked out of the cafeteria with me. When we parted, he said: "...I won't see you off, the tortoise grandson is still on the station... If you go home again, you must come to Zhangjiabao. Your aunt and uncle often talk about you. !” He shook hands with me as experienced as a full-time cadre, and walked to the other side of the street.He staggered a little from the drink, but not to the point of being overwhelmed. After he walked out for a while, he turned around and yelled at me: "Junwa, you have to write materials to report the situation in our countryside to the higher authorities..." I knew what he wanted me to report, so I smiled and shouted to him: "Don't worry, I will report it!" But he didn't know what I wanted to report. He is gone, where is he going now? ... After a while, I sat on the speeding coach again.Outside the car window is still such a pleasant scenery of mountains and rivers and pastoral scenery. I was sitting in the car, thinking about the conversation I had with Uncle Wu just now, and at the same time remembering another encounter between me and him...