Chapter 7 -2

Who else needs to understand the shadows in the hearts of this group of stupid things?These people don't even need to understand what desires they were born into this world for, and they must have some so-called human upward desires. In the construction department, soldiers and workers lack acquaintance.In the sense of survival, a soldier is a higher-level person, a kind of thing that is raised by a warlord, but there is no shortage of amphibious elements who can also become a warlord because of convenience. Under such circumstances, soldiers are not Will be friends with a worker.However, an unexpected chance and a small matter finally brought the two young people in hell together and became a pair of good friends.This happened one night last month.The workman, in front of a house on River Street, was trying to get off that loincloth by a gambling trick of two well-fed wharf wretches. As a last resort, but the two little villains don't need such a belt, so they don't want to play it again.But the worker was in a hurry, so he had to gamble again anyway.A small conflict naturally occurred between the two sides.The loser cursed wild words, and the two of them grabbed the young worker together and rolled them into the mud.This young worker is a character who grew up in the countryside, and he has no fear of the two swindlers. Although he fell into the muddy water, he crushed a swindler under him at the same time.From gambling to beatings, all these situations were witnessed by a soldier standing by.In another season, this soldier saw this worker digging mud in the ditch of the construction site, very diligently, and at this time saw a man fighting with two swindlers here. He was very brave. Look, take a spectator attitude, and see if you can win in the end.At last, he saw a swindler take out a piece of sandalwood from a rope shop, and was about to hit the worker on the head from behind. That liar was punched in the face.A soldier was added to the field of the three, and it goes without saying that the two swindlers were caught in the mud within a short while.In addition, the people who lived in Hejie came out to persuade them at this time.It turned out that because of the soldiers, the two swindlers not only returned the seventy cents and some coppers they cheated, but also bowed to them as a gift, and it was over.With the help of the soldiers, the young worker gained the upper hand, and when he arrived, he invited the soldiers to the teahouse and spent all the little money he had on eating and drinking.The worker's generosity delighted the soldier, and a strong and unshakable friendship was established between the two.From then on they got to know each other, and with the convenience that life allowed, the two young people often went to play in River Street together, and adopted the usual habit to become brothers.

When Boss Zhang was discussing the ambiguous deal with the soldier in the teahouse, the two young men happened to be drinking tea at a teahouse not far away.After hearing the conversation for a while, and seeing that the two men had gone far away, the worker asked the second-class soldier of the 17th company that XX was waiting for. "Brother, I don't understand what they are talking about." "It's a box." "'Box'?" "box." "What 'casket' 'box'?" "It's my thing, understand?" "Oh, I see. I was wondering if it was the 'ointment' that was worth so much money, but I didn't expect it to be the 'box'. They seem to have a deal. They said that they will make an appointment here to deliver the goods tomorrow."

"He's a fucking dog. Tomorrow we'll make fun of him. It's the best use." "He has a box, how do you beat him?" "He is going to sell the box. After he sells, the two of us will stop him, so that he won't get so much money by himself." "Brother, are you serious?" The worker was serious, but asked this way, as if he had concluded that it was a lie, so he laughed first. Said the soldier, "If you have the guts to take it seriously." "He knows what we do?" "If you let him go, you will know about us, and let him go to Bao Cheng to get along with him and settle his fucking account."

"Where shall we wait for him?" "Still come here and see how they trade." "We've decided!" "It's decided! What kind of big deal is this? Are you afraid!" "I—" the worker couldn't speak clearly, because this was the first time.Because he remembered the situation of those workers who were hung by the water pipe and beat three hundred workers with big rattan canes.Because he remembered something else. This man was born in the countryside. After he came to the project office, he was paid three cents a day and did the work assigned by the foreman on time. A character eating coarse rice.A most orderly and serviceable workman, a "foolish but honest" worthy of the priests sent by the church to coax an animal that does this work forever with the title of St. James.If you want him to be shaken by a new desire at this time, if you want him to take risks, if you want him to kill someone, he can't just agree like this!

Because of his status, because of the special status of the Chinese soldier, the soldier didn't take this incident as a big deal.Usually well-behaved, going to the gymnasium every day to practice and run, calling names every day, being insulted by the boss every day, making others think that the hearts of these stupid things must be made of a special material, and they will never be troublesome Understand.But, thanks to the great men, another kind of education is often given to such soldiers, and they often make them fight for a good name, and sometimes make them fight for a worst name. War, that is, The continuous war, which every soldier has the opportunity to encounter, has completely changed the soldiers' minds.A person who is new to the army does not lack the childlike feeling of being afraid of ghosts, but after a while, these people are different.They all have to do a little fluke out of convenience, and they all have to be willful, because they all have to die!They have no need of morality, nor of any other good standing.For three months or a month's salary, they go to the side of the ditch and use spears as weapons to fight hand-to-hand once, and they often do the same stupid behavior for a reward of five dollars.They all understand that they put their lives on a gamble. If there is no war, then they will do stupid things similar to war at other opportunities.

At this time, the soldier had already understood the futility of the worker, so he smiled. When the worker saw the soldier laughing at him, he was a little upset. He said, "Let's go, I swear to go. I won't strangle his throat with my hand. I'm the son of a bitch." The two of them had made an agreement on the matter, so they left the teahouse and went back to ××. As soon as they reached the end of River Street, they heard the roll call on the hill of ××. After being insulted, he looked up at the sky, cursed wildly, parted ways with the workers, and ran to the foot of the mountain.

The worker went back to the building alone, and when he passed the gatekeeper, he also cursed softly. This man, at night, in that smelly and dirty residence, when he wrapped his whole body in a bed of old cotton wool and slept, he would have a dream. I squeezed my hand full of eight yuan dimes and woke up.After waking up, I got up and walked out of the house, standing in the cold moonlight to urinate, and saw the figure of a sentry on the hill, walking back and forth.Hearing a rooster crowing in the distance, he still returned to his residence, unable to sleep any more. three one A new day shines on the old world.Dirty, smelly, rotten, all in one place and still unchanged.All the gentlemen look down upon, still live in the world, there is no need to pity or take care of them.All hypocrisy is still a kind of decoration on a gentleman, which is extremely dignified and dazzling.All the stupid people still put all their energy into the smallest amount of money, beat them, and died of casualties.Silent is still silent.On the pulpit in the church, there was still the pastor in the cassock, leaning on to peddle God, living a very comfortable life.

Still hearing the sound of the gong, the three hundred workers came out of the dark room one after another like dogs, and a group of prisoners stood in the open yard, with thick and thick white gas from their mouths, and they rubbed their hands together. Rubbing their hands and feet, the cold forced these stupid men to have only one solution, and that solution was to work as hard as they could, making their whole bodies hot and sweaty.Such smart weather!Even if it is cold, it is still used to whip everything, and it is a kind of favor to help the rich and noble in another world! The little foreman stood at the fence to roll the rolls, issued badges according to the number of people, and called the workers who should go to work that day in a loud, short, sandy and disgusting voice.This is a first-class man, a tall man who can be placed in the game field as a money-grabber.After the foreman handed the badge to a worker, he would inevitably use a critic's eyes to inspect the hands, feet, waist, and rear of the worker passing by to see if there were any defects. This work is necessary because if a worker above is found to be incompetent, his leniency will be punished.In order to fulfill his duty and win a compliment from foreigners, this man's temper, which was not suitable for seriousness, has completely changed.He didn't joke at all, he didn't tell jokes, his face lacked a smile, and his seriousness on his thin face had a strange effect, making people speechless in front of them.But with such a model, such a foolish and loyal expression, the big foreman thought that this man must have made the tall man so sad because his wife at home did not learn well.

The foreman is still standing in the same place today, still wearing the big sheepskin jacket backwards, pinching the brand name with one hand and tucking it in the belt under his waist with the other hand, tickling the roll call and inspection, and the workers file by him. "forty seven!" "sixty-four!" "Seventy-eight!" Every time a number is called, a person squeezes through the crowd, walks up to the foreman, takes the badge and walks away.Every worker showed an air of sleep deprivation.The sun rising from the top of the eastern mountain, when it shines on everything, it looks like it is coated with a layer of light red and light silver. It's just that these dirty and greasy men, the sun is only a convenience for them, the sunlight shines Seeing those dirty faces, it becomes more and more that they are not human.If you look closely at the faces of those things in the sun, they are flat and boring, or full of cunning, and a falcon nose is used to express this cunning.Or the cheekbones are high, and the ears are flaring out like a most unattractive clamshell.Or hemp seeds are like flower spots, sparse and uneven, and he has a colorful face.Or knife marks and sores, with no decency to conceive, showing where the eyes are most exposed.All in all, it is difficult to find a decent face among these three hundred people.The life of these people makes these people go down to the lower level day by day, working tired and ordinary life, turning them into ugly and stupid.And that heart, when it is in the belly of gentlemen, becomes the source of wisdom and art, when it belongs to these people, it is really an unexpected activity!What are they thinking?What can they think?They just want to tell a little lie, because lying can make a little more money!They want to be lazy, because it is the most natural thing to do when the weather is so inhospitable to work.All they had was a constant desire to steal a little light material, go down to River Street and sell it for a few dimes, and spend it on the women with big hips and little feet in boats by the river.They can only dream these immoral and stupid dreams.Apart from this, their minds were doing a kind of false tameness when they inspected the little foreman.At this time, the little foreman was shouting the number "eighty-three", and a dwarf jumped out from the crowd. The dwarf stood by the wooden fence at the entrance and grabbed the man with both hands. Looking up at the wooden fence, he saw the thin face of the foreman, and because he was intimidated by the majesty, the boy only avoided the foreman's eyes and noticed the protruding larynx attached to the foreman's long neck.

"Eighty-three, why did you sell five pounds of broken steel heads to Boss Wan Yuansheng on He Street for forty cents?" These words made the dwarf even shorter, closed his eyes, and tried to use the old method to support the situation, just like a clown, shaking his hand and saying: "Master, this is a joke!" He smiled reluctantly, and said to other workers, "This is a joke from the uncle. The uncle must win money at night, so he made us happy. He said steel. I don't know what steel is. I dug mud all day yesterday. Some of you are with me, come out and be a witness! I fell asleep early last night. I dreamed about the New Year, drank a good wine in my dream, talked a lot in sleep, Shi San laughed at me in the morning , Shi San can be a witness to see if I have money to drink these days. I can only drink in my dreams." He searched for Shi San in the crowd, but he didn't find Shi San, and deliberately shouted, "Shi San, Shi San, come here and help me explain to the uncle, otherwise I will be wronged again."

After talking for a long time, the boy thought that he had said enough, and according to the usual practice, there was only one thing left to do, so he looked around for a while, and finally looked up at the foreman.He still saw that it was part of the protruding larynx.So although he is extremely tough but still extremely cowardly, he himself thinks that as long as the foreman smiles, he will take the belt badge to the work place.But there was no order for a long time, and the kid became a little flustered, so he timidly looked up from the throat bone to see what the foreman's face was like. The foreman was silent.As soon as the waist card was handed over, the boy wanted to take it, but the waist card was still held by the foreman. "Why do you often go to Wanyuansheng?" "Why so often? My God! I have only been there once, and I bought him an old fire scythe with four copper dollars. Look, sir, this is it." He said, pulling out the fire scythe from the waistband of his trousers. Come on, "He insisted I get six, and I said it was only worth four anyway. I bought it for three days before I got it, that's what 'often' means!" "I'm afraid you didn't buy it." "Would he give it to me if he didn't buy it? I'm not a brother-in-law. If I look like this, I won't be able to sing a female role. How can I get this?" "You must have taken some other things at your convenience. You must have exchanged the fire scythe in this way. We have lost a lot of bits and pieces in the past few days. I think you are the only person who likes to do such things. Your ability to steal things is actually more capable and brave than your digging in the mud, tell me what I took yesterday?" "I swear, if I stole something yesterday, I came from the rhinoceros by the river." "Rhinoceros can't raise you." The foreman stuffed the badge into the short man's hand, "Short man, go in, just be careful not to fall into my hands." The dwarf got over his words and went into the engineering office again. About fifteen feet away from the foreman, he stuck out his tongue and said to himself: "I stole your wood, you say steel, two yuan You say Si Mao, I bet a thousand curses that I won't be afraid of you!" A worker followed behind, grabbed him by the collar unexpectedly, and wanted to take him back to prevent him from turning around.The dwarf was taken aback, but from the way he knew it was a friend's joke, because the unknown figure blindfolded him, he said, "Shi San, it's you, it's you! I know it's you!" You! You bastard, why didn't you come forward and say something for me when I called you? You bastard!" The young man let the dwarf go, pushed the dwarf, and let the dwarf slap him forward, and said, "You thief, if you want me to come out as a witness, I will have to tell you how to steal wood and go to sleep with Mao Po things." "You sue, I have to sue them too, saying that you did that thing before." "You old dog, if you dare to say a word, I will stuff your mouth with sweet potatoes." "Only Liu Sanjie will be happy if you stuff her mouth. Shi San, let me ask you, have you really been on the boat these days?" "The bitch has no money, she cares about you?" "Let's go tonight, go earlier, I have money." "Old robber, you still swear! Where did you get your money from?" "Don't I have any money at home?" "You only get rich if someone in your family is a whore and sells things." While talking, the two reached the side of the ditch. The dwarf saw a cigarette box floating in the water, so he bravely picked up a stone and hit the cigarette box.Then the man named Shi San also squatted down to pick up small stones to do this.The two fought for a long time, and finally sank the cigarette case.The combined age of these two people is fifty-seven, the dwarf is thirty-three, and Shi San is twenty-four. They are still so innocent, and they regard this matter as a most enjoyable pastime.After sinking the cigarette case, the third gong sounded, and the two separated and went to the work place to go to work for 30 cents a day. The work that the dwarf does is often changed.Sometimes I was sent to dig mud, sometimes I was sent to the river to carry iron bars, sometimes I was sent to take care of the poured stones in front of the cement and gravel truck, and sometimes I climbed into the clouds to take care of the steam hammer.Originally, in the engineering department here, there are some jobs that have a fixed number of people.If you do this, you can't do that.But this clever and cunning thing seemed to fall from one place to another more than the other workers, as it seemed because of his dwarf stature and habit of talking to anyone.He was often beaten for stealing but never fired by the foreman.He came here the first day the engineering agency started work. He was a worker known to foreigners, so the foreman dared not tell the foreigners that he must be fired.He was sent down the river today to haul some American pine with a row truck, which is a kind of building material that was brought to Shanghai by ships from foreign countries and then transported to the small river here by barges.These timbers were all piled up in the empty ground to form countless small towers, but the barges from XX continued to be brought in one by one.When the wood arrived on the ground, these workers moved the wood to a large row of trucks, dragged it to the engineering office for unloading, and then returned to the river for the second transportation.When twenty or thirty of the long orange or yellow timbers with fine patterns were placed on the row of carts, and seven people pushed the cart back and forth and passed by on the side of River Street, the wheels rolled. They made a harsh sound, and when children saw them on the street, they would always call those workers loudly, and use an indecent address, either "Look at the horse-drawn carts" or "Look at the cows pushing the carts."As for the workers, as usual, when they see children in these places, they always call "wild species" as a means of venting their anger.It is never wrong to call ugly words on children in River Street. It is not easy for these children to ask the origin of the children who are mothers, and to understand that the father lives in the same place! The children were scolded, although they were a little bit aggrieved, some expressed their aggrievedness by grabbing a handful of mud and throwing it far away, or following the workers and singing a ditty composed of obscene words , or in the same way return the sarcasm to the workers.But these things are all so natural, and they are all unworthy of the parents' interference. The mothers who are doing something in the bungalow or on the river boat, at night, still have to be supported by these men who pull the wooden row carts. A lot of money with a lot of energy.Don't ask how the children are messing around in the street, don't ask what shameful things this mutual insult is, even if they hear about it, they won't bother to ask.They don't need to be stingy in these things, and many of the things they do are stranger than the ugly things children say.These "warriors", these human mothers, did not give birth to their children for a certain right, so after the children live in this world, they certainly lack any obligation to educate them so that they are like a Children live their lives in their duty!Children lack knowledge, so they still scold these workers. When they grow up a bit, they are either workers or turtles, and they will no longer find it strange. Rows of cars pass by He Street, and the loads of timber, one after another, make everyone on He Street feel disgusted.This disgust grew up mixed with a strange emotion, and it is unclear who can explain it.Everyone knows that the Engineering Department spends 10 million or 5 million yuan to build houses and run schools. Everyone knows that the place will prosper when there is one more school here.At present, what everyone has seen and what everyone knows clearly is that since the beginning of construction of the engineering department, a thousand big men have been transported from all over the place, except for the boats, and each person is worth 30 cents Money, every day there is an extra 300 yuan in activities on River Street.Because of the addition of 300 yuan, the teahouse on Hejie became much more lively, and the two barbers in white clothes from X port in the barber shop can also eat and work with peace of mind, doing their best work assigned by the social division of labor system. This kind of life obligation, many low-class prostitutes can live more calmly from a kind of convenience.There are also the small businessmen, and the people on the dock who pimp the boatmen and live on the commission of four coppers each time, and many, many people live under the meaning of three hundred dollars.Three hundred dollars is really a frightening amount in this place. It is a bet of property and an unassailable force, except that the thousand workers have to rely on this thing to continue to put their lives and strength into the future. , and the lives of two thousand people are also attached to this sum of money.However, there is a kind of disgust, a kind of hatred stored in every heart and every blood, since the three hundred dollars in this little market have completely ruined their original life.They were originally walking in the direction of hell, but now they are also speeding up their pace.The depraved among them became more depraved, and the lazy became still more lazy.The bad ones are worse, and the shameless ones are even more shameless. Therefore, they have reason to share an inexplicable hatred for the future church buildings made of money and blood. There were a total of seven workers pulling the timber cart with No. 83. Among the seven, there was the young man who discussed the matter with Soldier A last night. , when the wood piled up to the row of cars, he yelled, supported the wood according to the rules, pushed hard behind the car across the river street, walked into the engineering office, unloaded the wood, and came a second time.He silently thought about the brand new things of the night.He doesn't often fight with people, but he feels that if there is a situation that must be fought, courage is not lacking.He treats robbery as a kind of fighting. He can swear that he will not yield to the strength of the enemy. He is not afraid of anyone or breaking the law. Deal with the two thieves who are going to take him down.In order to understand this matter, to rely on his own imagination, to figure out this nonsense before doing it, and at the same time to make a convenient and beneficial preparation for himself, he is moving wood. I thought about it from time to time, and when I was pushing a lumber cart across the river street, I only thought about it.The children on River Street called him a fool, and he didn't seem to hear the children teasing him.He devotes more energy to his position than his peers, and does not control his energy at all.Because of this, his two hands were pinched by wood due to a small negligence, and blood was squeezed out of the palm of his left hand. The man only cursed softly, put his palm on his leg and wiped all the blood. It turned black on the dirty and tattered blue and green cloth, and when he finally reached the dry soil, he grabbed a handful of soil and spread it on the palm of his hand.He used his right hand to do things, and he was still equally efficient and competent, and his companions all saw that this palm was amused. The dwarf, with a funny look and small bony eyes, noticed his companion's wounded hand and spoke. "Brother in the country, there is a happy event in your hand. It is covered with red and colorful. This is a sign that you will have a glass of wine tonight." He understood the sarcasm in that statement.That's his companion making fun of him, so he shouldn't be angry.He is often called a person from the country, but those who call him as usual think they are far away from the country.Under that name, there are some obligations, such as working hard, being honest with friends, not gambling, not stealing, and other such behaviors.All of these should naturally be laughed at by other workers, because the meaning contained in it is only "to suffer a loss".Why suffer?Going to these places and doing these jobs will not hurt anyone!Anyone who has been at work for a while knows how to use laziness, cunning, brutality, and many rascals to make his life more convenient and more suitable than it is at present.All workers have to learn to steal from convenience, and all workers should understand the deception of gambling, and sometimes put on a fierce look to bully their peers.No matter how faithfully you do your best and how you work in a disciplined manner, you will still be a triangle every day.No matter how honest you are with others, your companions will still try to cheat you of your money when you encounter gambling.If you are honest, everyone will bully you, or you will do the most stupid and strenuous things by yourself, and they will all sit with their hands folded and bask in the sun.Workers who do not understand the evil virtues of life have a common name, that is, "country brother". Then the country worker heard the dwarf teasing him, and he saw the dwarf laughing.He was thinking about other things, not understood by the dwarf. Because of this secret, because of the unrealistic title, he accepted the dwarf's ridicule without malice. The dwarf was even more pleased when he saw the countryman smiling at him. "Brother, it's a pity that your hands are only messed up on these trivial things! Have you ever shot a tiger? Have you ever caught a wild boar; in the country, can you climb trees? When will you put your arms, Have you ever hugged a woman's waist?" Their car was passing by a small house where twenty or thirty people were gambling, and anyone passing outside could hear the clang of coins and dimes inside him, and the hiss of a man. Shouting the count, the car couldn't help but slow down a little in front of the house. It was here that the dwarf lost all the money he earned from working and stealing.Every time I come here I always come empty-handed, and I always have bad luck every time.At this time, it was impossible to do it at this time. He didn't have time and money, so he listened carefully to the points reported by the hissing voice inside, guessing that the next time it must be Tianmen's success.As expected, he immediately heard the voice of shouting for Tianmen again, so he stomped his feet and slapped the "country brother" beside him. "If I have one dollar, if I close my eyes, it will be two dollars—×Luck of my ancestors!" The other is also a worker who often gambles on Pai Gow and loses everything!He just said, "Short, you only have a mouth. Your mouth can talk empty words, but it's no match for Mrs. Huang Si's crooked X." The dwarf appraised the man who was making fun of him, and he fell silent.He licked the corner of his mouth with his tongue, and still pushed the cart hard to walk, thinking, and after thinking for a while, he came up with a witty answer.He said, "You are so capable!" The man didn't seem to hear this sentence, he only put his hand to the end of the log, and leaned forward, because at this time the car was passing over a ridge, and the four people in front were all trying to drag it, and two of them even put their bodies on it. Bending into a bow shape, yelling while exerting force. Because the countryman was going uphill, he didn't care about the injury on his hand, so he put his left hand on the wood again.The soil on the palms was already wet with the new blood, and the blood also stained the wood. When the dwarf worker noticed this, he couldn't help but say a word or two.He still yelled "Brother from the country" loudly, he asked him to use a little strength, to be brave, to carry the wooden tree on his shoulders, and move forward.At the same time, he told the countrymen to be careful not to stain the wood with blood, because this wood was used for the roof of the auditorium. "Brother, be careful of the red water on your hand! Wood and iron don't eat blood, he has no mouth. These things will bite us anytime and anywhere, and you will bleed or cut off your limbs, but she bites us They don’t want to eat us. They have to climb to the roof. They come from foreign countries, and they look down on you. Don’t put your hand on it, but put your shoulder on it, and with a little force, the car will move forward .” After unloading the wood to a designated location of the engineering agency, the worker whose hand was crushed by the wood leaned against the side of the cart, wrapped some silk smoke in a piece of cloth to treat the wounded hand.Hearing the trumpet blowing in the barracks on the mountain, hearing the queuing, and knowing that the army there was going down the mountain for drills, I wanted to stand where I was and see my friend.After waiting for a while, but no line came down, so I had to follow my companions to pull an empty cart and go to the river to move the unfinished wood. After the hand was crushed, the wood was pulled four times, and the weather gradually turned dark.After getting off work and handing over his badge, this man, who was called a countryman, hurried to the place agreed with the soldier to wait for his sworn brother.The two saw it there, and the soldier was a little strange when he saw the injured hand, as if it was a bad omen, and said with a slightly unhappy expression, "Why did you hurt your hand?" "It's the wood." "Does it matter?" "..." The worker was embarrassed to speak, because he could see from the expression on the face of the righteous brother that he was a little disappointed in this unfortunate disaster, and he felt ashamed in his heart. He couldn't tell that he had shed a lot of blood, so he wanted to lie to the soldier. , and because he is not good at lying, he has nothing to say. The soldier said, "We really have three hands, even if we have three hands, we have to do it. You go to eat, and they play the gong. After dinner, we will gather with me at Qianheba, and we will go to the teahouse to wait for them." The worker still didn't say a word, and ran to the residence.The soldier stood on the huge tar barrel and saw the backs of the workers rushing to the eating place. The sun was setting, and there was only a scary blood red at the sunset. Four The two still sat down in a corner of the teahouse, drinking a pot of thick-leaf fragrant tea with four coppers.The lights in the teahouse are on, and there are more and more people in the teahouse.But there are people drinking tea everywhere, but the man from yesterday is still missing.The more vigilant soldier went out to look around for a while, and then looked at the shop opposite, but couldn't get any results, so he had to go back to his seat and wait. From about half past six until eight o'clock, there was no shadow of the man from yesterday.The worker put his wounded and feverish left hand on the table, and without saying a word, he heard the little voice of the woman on the boat from the hanging building singing the song of sister Xianglang.The soldiers, on the other hand, were very restless and regretted what they had done wrong. They knew that they would not come here, so they thought it would be better to wait on the river street, or it would be easier to meet them.Because he suspected that the two men might have already delivered the goods and paid the money in a smokehouse on River Street at this time, and maybe the man who got the money was running down the river from the smokehouse to sleep with the woman with the money he got. Feeling dry in his heart, he suggested that the two of them should go outside for a walk instead of waiting here.He told the workers that they might have been deceived, because at that time last night, the fat-faced fat man noticed the people around him, because it is inevitable that the wall has ears, just to be careful, or the two of them agreed on another place during the day. went. The two left the teahouse, but as soon as they went out, they saw the veteran-looking man walking side by side with the big sauce-faced man, and they hurried back to their old seats in the teahouse.After a while, those two people sat down to drink tea at the corner seat yesterday, and the distance between these two people and those two people was only a table with bowls and a pillar, so the soldier turned his face away. The two people who were talking about business pretended to be drinking tea and listened quietly to what they were discussing. The matter was a complete failure. The man said that he couldn't get the things out and had to talk about it in another day. He was a fat man with a thick face who didn't really pay the money, and he seemed to be a little angry for an excuse, thinking that the veteran should not get out of the wrong, The two were arguing lightly over this matter, but in the end, the fat man was angry and wanted to leave, but the veteran still pulled him down, speaking even softer. There was still no result when the people came, and both of them felt disappointed, the soldier just sat there patiently, and the wounded handman felt his left hand was inflamed and painful, and he was not happy to sit at this table again and do stupid things.He is leaving. The soldier also grabbed him, "What are you busy with? What woman is waiting for you on the bed?" The worker got angry, "wait for me! What am I doing here? My hand hurts like hell. I'm going back to sleep. I'm impatient to do this stupid thing." "Can't you just slow down for a while?" There was nothing wrong with it, but at this moment the soldier, before his friend could think about it, said something that made the workers angry.He asked him if he would like to go out on the boat and see the big-footed woman in that place.He remembered the little worker's taunts in the day, there was no need to answer, and he left the teahouse with inexplicable anger, and left by himself.He was really planning to go back to his residence and go to bed.Walking from He Street, I heard the voice of a woman singing a tune somewhere in Linhe.After leaving River Street, you have to walk a little bit of the stone embankment. After passing the stone embankment, you turn a corner and you arrive at the small house where people gambled money when the cars passed by in the daytime.When I walked to the small house and turned around, I heard many people inside were gambling, which aroused a desire, so I touched the waistband of my trousers.身边是一个钱也没有的，但当时触手的是一个硬朗而又发沉的东西，就是一把小小铁锤，一把从工程处取来藏在身边，预备在今晚上抢劫的武器，现在是没有用处的东西了。因为这铁锤梗在腰边，从铁锤想到在日里所作的一切好梦，这小子心中重新又起了一种不平，他不愿意这样回到住处躲到那脏地方过夜了。 他仿佛今夜非要生一点事情不可，他得想方设法同谁去打一架或喝一杯酒不行，所以即刻就回了向原来的路上走去。 他预备仍然回到茶馆去，找那个兵士借两角钱，到了茶馆，那个义兄已不知道什么时候走了，就是那另外两个人也不见了。一个奇拔的思想钻入这汉子的简单而又有趣的头脑中，他忽然觉得前途一定有了变化，一种日里预期的事情仍然是在进行，他以为必定是在他离开茶馆以后，那两人所谈的话已为兵士所听到，两人一走，所以兵士也就跟到走了。 为了这个思想的缘故，这乡下的哥从茶馆出发，又取了一个与回去的方向相反的地方走去。他想要在中途碰到兵士，只有到下堤去一路可走，因为若非三个人皆从吊脚楼甬道上了船，则无论如何在下堤一带可以见到兵士。他一面还是打算到两角钱得到手后如何处置到牌九上一个问题，一面走出那河街。下堤那方面也有一条小街，先一时并且很出过名，因为当风，沙浅，所以那地方泊船较少。但××市的下等烟馆出名的还是下堤烟馆，初来的人问路，也只知道有下堤这个名称。这是一个曾经有一个时节比河街还热闹一步的地方，到后因为河身沙洲上涨，街上又遭了两次火，所以就衰败了。 下堤去河街约有一里路样子，因为河身转了弯成弓形，若是沿河走，道路较远，较荒凉，想走捷路的人皆从另外一条路走去。但若有一个把散步当消遣的人，他是愿意让自己的脚从沿江那一条路上走去，绕那黄土岸嘴慢慢的走的。因为那嘴上有树木，在那堤上看河上风景，白天则有一只一只小乌篷船过身，船上常常坐得有新娘子，晚上则可以看到水面的红灯，天气一夜，虽小河如何肮脏，也仿佛有一种江上风味。不过住到这里的人，实在是没有一个人懂到享受，他们都去忙到做工，都去忙到吃饭吵骂。所以这一条路，在薄暮的时候，除去了间或有几个住在市里的年青学生，到河街来观光，留到这河岸欣赏落日，其他就只是一二个住到××市里，往来工程师处传教的洋牧师的影子了。 这工人这时所选择的路却是沿河的一条。天气有理由让他在这些时候做一种遐想。他正想到在那里会遇到那个卖枪的汉子，或者另外一个人，手上或腰兜里有得是银元赤金戒子，就利用了那一只完全的手，把身上所藏的小铁锤一扬，在脑部或什么方便地方一下：于是就得了一些意外的财喜。他这思想是在他平常日子没有的思想，全是一种方便，一种意外的巧合，假若有这方便，有这巧合，他是不再拒绝它的。昨天被义兄一怂恿，今天又被那矮子一奚落，这乡下人此时就只想到作一件坏事来了。 他慢慢的走到了那有两株先一些日子还有红叶子缀在枝上的不知名树木下面，他在那里呆了一忽。正在这个时候，从那一方来了一个人。天气已经黑了，又没有星子，明天一定不会有好天气。他听到一个人的脚步，看见一个修长的轮廓，他明白了来的人不是他所要等候的人了。这是一个靠卖圣雅各的牧师，一个到中国来引度人到天堂去的上品美利坚人，在本国时那脑袋里装满了知识，来到中国后，又在那空地方装满了虚伪的数不清楚的诡计。这个人是因为××的工程处兴工以后，由××会派来驻在××教堂里面，专来在工程处传教的。这时有学问的人正从一个隐秘地方喝了一肚子烧酒，走出来发散，无意中遇到这样一个冤家。 从那脚步的速度上，来人已经被树下的那一位估计分明了。他想避开这牧师，就站到那树下，屏息着呼吸，尽牧师从自己身边走过，但希望不要为牧师见到，省得许多麻烦。但那位牧师一听到前面有小小声音，就和和气气的用中国话喊叫：“是哪一位？是哪一位？这个时候到这里做什事？” 他走到了那工人身边，且忽然把工人的肩膀拉着了。“你是工程处的人，我认识你，你在这里做什么事情？” “我等一个人，”这汉子一面很不高兴回答了牧师，一面把肩膊摆着，不愿意牧师那只手搁到自己肩上。 “你等谁？你不应当有仇人，在黑暗里等仇人，是不行的，若是朋友，你一定是等候他去同你喝酒。”这好人平常为圣经所醉，现在一喝了酒，只想感化人，不想到要感化的是谁，就想拉了工人往工程处走，“回家去，好好的睡觉，明天好早早起来做工，你这孩子要听我的话才能做一个好人。” “怎么？鬼打你？” “上帝在我们面前，经上说骂人是不对的，你样子是喝醉了，我一定要送你转去。” “不要抓我！” 但牧师总以为对面的人已经是喝醉酒了一个人，他明白他的责任，他要按照经上说的规矩，把醉人送回住处去，所以抓不着肩膊，另一只手把那工人的衣角又拉着了。工人想挣脱走去，用了力想跑脱身，牧师另一只手伸出时，触着那武器了。 “你这人是做什么事情我知道了，你要打你的仇人，带了凶器，等在这里。你一定是常常吃酒，才会做这样事情。你不跟我回去，明天一查出来就革了你。” 牧师一面唠唠叨叨的说着，一面就想去检察那汉子裤腰上所有的硬朗东西是一种什么器械，忍耐到不能忍耐的工人，同到这醉人揪在一块，想脱身总是办不到，到后那只受伤的左手一把又为牧师抓着了，心上冒了火，把铁锤从腰间取出，就在那大而圆整的脑袋上，象敲一颗钉子一样，用力气打了三下，那牧师，软软的，仿佛需要睡眠样子，全身向前扑，工人略把身体一闪，这上帝的掮客，就趴伏到地下了。 那汉子，钉锤还握到手里，用脚踢了伏在脚边的牧师一下，毫无动静，这人即刻蹲身下去，用手摸牧师的头部，得了一手湿东西。他明白事情已经不可收拾，站起身来把铁锤奋力向河中掷去，只听到卜咚的一声，沉下水底了，自己就飞奔的向前面跑去。跑了一会，望到了下堤灯火，忽然又觉得这事不是一跑了事，就又向回路上奔去，到了那原来的地方，摸到那牧师尸首还静静的伏在地下不动，就拖着牧师一只脚，从较低处把那尸身用力一掀，于是第二次又听到咚的响了一下，牧师已经水葬了。 他做完了这件事后胡胡涂涂又向河街奔去，到了河街，还见到那茶馆有许多人进出。他觉得很不安宁，头脑混乱，左手疼痛，到后仍然回到住处，到那肮脏发臭的低小湫陋板屋里睡了。 他对于自己所做的事情一点也不明白，到了第二天，还是仍然听到锣响，就从那板屋里爬出来，听到工头喊叫号数，又仍然大声的答应，捏了腰牌走去。 他自信所做的事绝对不会有人疑心，所以第二天他仍然做工，仍然被派到同矮小工人一起下河，拉那永远拉不尽的木料，只沉默的做事，那这矮子，因为方便的缘故，也仍然在方便中用各样话嘲弄到这“乡下人”。 Fives 第一天事情过去了，到了夜晚，兵士来邀那个工人。两人选到一堆大铁管子上坐下了。 “昨天我到河船上打了一架。” 听到说打架，工人身上发抖，问兵士，“你同谁？” “同一个女人。同一匹水牛。我们那个事既然作不成，你手又痛，什么也不能干，我当然只好到船上去睡觉。” “我不能干什么？……” “你只有……”另外一些意思，那个兵士咽着了。 “我——是的是的，我一点不中用。我问你，昨天我回头到茶馆找你，怎么就不见你了？那码子也即刻不见了，我以为你是跟到他们走的。” “我×他三代，他们注意到我们！他们拿那个到沙嘴子去办交涉，我们怎么能跟到去。我从船上面到营里，过了钟点，罚了三十分钟立正。你是早睡了。” 工人干笑，说不出话来。兵士很不平，因为好象兵士无理由这样笑。 "You're dreaming." “我做梦怕人得很。我……” “见你的鬼！我问你，今晚上同我到船上去，好不好？” “我没有钱。” “要钱么？你同我去还要钱，蠢死人。” “无钱老婊子理你？” “我引你去看我的水牛。吓坏你。有一身白肉，一个圆脸，一个宽……”“一定？” "must." “我仍然在这里等你。” “你不要到别处去。” ... 同伴两个人走到河边，爬到一个小船的舱里去，在摆有鸦片烟灯的低低木床边沿，坐得是一个肥硕健壮的辰谿女人。 “苗子，你带你的同伴来了。” “带来让你看，就是我说的老弟。是初出山的老虎，因为陌生，他一切都怕。” 女人不信，白眼摇头，“老弟？老哥，大五岁，是不是？ 那样子不知道有几个妇人同他好过，怕什么？说鬼话！ " 工人害臊了，不好意思脸红了。女人见到，明白话一试验就试验出来了，拍手大笑。 “苗子不说假话，你瞧，我只一下，脸庞就红了。原是十八岁后生家，十八岁闺女，在人面前红脸，小雏儿，只能算一只有老虎样子的猫。” 兵士望到工人做一个怪脸嘴，要他放肆一点，坐到妇人腿上去，工人只呆呆的坐在一边。邻船上有人用浇筒舀河水，咚的一声，工人听到心里一惊，想出去看看，就到舱外去望河水。 河上白茫茫一片薄雾。一些远近船上的灯，大小如星子，闪烁于水面，情调一切象昨日。 在外舱的工人听到里面兵士纵声的笑，以及女人小声的唱歌，心上有一件东西想摆脱可做不到。他到后又仍然躬身进到舱里去了，到了舱里时女人递了一枝烟，不知道擦自来火。 女人同兵士说，“你这个老弟象犯了案的人。” 兵士把话夸张的回答了，“就是昨晚上，做了事情，你瞧那手，还带了伤。” 工人懂到这是个笑话。工人估计到兵士说谎的口，有那么一拳打去的意思，但是，听到末了，听到兵士又说到这案子是为女人而起，工人不自然的而又悍暴的笑了。 第二次被兵士嗾使接近妇人的他，毫不思索的把那只健全的做工的手，抓着妇人的裸露的膀子了。在这样新的把握下，妇人用着本能的知识，懂到这男子对于她已经燃烧一种情欲的火焰，那力量，那含有暴乱的不能节制的原始人野性，已经从最深的一处暴露了，这妇人于是便用了好奇的心情，瞅着工人。她这样作是使工人苦恼的。她要虐待这男子，使男子不能在今晚上离开，要在她身上尽一些属于男子汉应尽的义务。 兵士躺在一旁烧烟，慢慢的滚烟泡，仿佛一点不注意到他们。把烟烧好，喊妇人吃烟，妇人摇头。 “你想吃别的，我懂。” “什么别的？你冤枉人我要生气的。” “你欢喜生气也好，听人说观音菩萨生气才美。” “什么观音如来佛，你的口除了吃东西就得说混话，要喝酒不喝？喝我就叫船来。” 这时河面正驶过一只小船，船上卖猪蹄，卖烟，卖酒。把船满河划去，一个人曳长了声音喊叫出各样名字，有人叫唤时就将船泊拢来，从船里递出红烧的热的猪蹄同烫好的白酒。 工人听到这个喊声，记起身上的钱的数目了。他知道这不能赊账，恐怕兵士答应了妇人却拿钱不出，赶忙接应说才吃过饭不久，还打嗝。 妇人似乎懂这个意思，因为许多人喝一杯酒或者本来说是打噎的也好了，今天应当轮到自己做东了，自己就爬出去掀篷，尖声的叫把船泊过来，问有什么菜下酒。那只小船到后系定了，妇人跳到那船上去了。 “我们回去，慢了又要挨打。” “你怕打么？” “我要转去，我留到这里有什么用处？” “有用，你不看别人为你买酒去了么？” “为我？” “不是为你是为哪个？” “我知道她为哪一个！？我要先回去了。” 兵士轻轻的说道：“呆子，你回去做什么？到这里住一夜试试，你可以明白许多事情。” 工人不再作声了，害着羞，想象这句话那些为自己所不分明的意思，他这时，记起昨晚上的事情来了。记起那个牧师的样子，记起那一钉锤，同到结果的种种，再上溯又记起拉木料车时同伴所说的一切话语。他记得事情太多，有点不安了。 他从兵士身边挨过去，要上岸。 "How about it?" “我要回去。” “慢一点，喝一杯酒！” "I do not drink." "why?" "I do not drink." 两人正争持着，听到妇人在那小船上喊人，问要多少酒。 兵士说，“弟兄要走。” 妇人以为是笑话，就仍然当笑话答应，说，“既然要走，就请便，让他上岸去，我们喝个醉。” 工人听到这个话。推开船头篾篷，跳上岸，从甬道上飞奔走去了。 妇人听到声音了，从小船上喊，“不要走！不要走！”到后回到自己船上，看到兵士，就骂兵士为什么放走了他，兵士干笑，因为他看出妇人的野心了，他笑妇人贪心不足。 兵士是愿意把工人打发走后作些别的事情的。 six 因为××市去××地方只是四个小时，照例牧师来往两处是极平常的事情，所以牧师失踪的第二天，毫不为教会致疑，到第四天×牧师的尸骸被人在河口发现时，这谋杀事件才露出传遍了×市。但这件事究竟为什么缘故而起，没有一个人能明白的。因为在牧师身上，发现一个金十字架同一个钱包，所有东西完全没有失去，所以这谋杀方向就转到抢劫以外的意义上去了。既不是抢劫，那末只有复仇了。但什么人会同牧师结仇？中国的官同教会，皆不大好意思疑心到工人同河街上一切市民的，因为他们知道这些人是不会同一个美国牧师有仇怨的。 ×市出了这样大事，照例是管理×市行政长官悬赏缉凶，照例领事馆就拍了电报回本国去，照例就有从××来的新闻记者，由各方面探听了一些消息，夸张的毫不落实的写了一篇通信放到次日的报上，用次号字刊登出来，而且这新闻，一个月后所有在中国各地方的传教师，就皆从中外新闻纸上知道在××发生这样一件不幸事情了。 有一点事还可以记述，就是驻××山上的军队，为了这个缘故，被调防到另一个地方去了。这算是最严重的适当的处置，因为军队驻到这里，却不能使一个喝酒的牧师不为一个工人无意中用铁锤打死。 但是自从那件事情发生后，有了两个月，官厅同教会还是察不出那死者的理由。这里就轮到一个故事的布置了，按照了一个时代的风气，按照了一种最通常的执政者无耻的习惯，就是由中国官厅藉口说是“共产党有意破坏中美邦交”所行的一种手段，请求美国外交官谅解，领事方面则在承认这假定是一个最有益于中美邦交的估计以外，也照例请求中国赔一点款，且在换文里声明把这笔钱捐到××将来的大学里面去，作为纪念这为敦睦中美邦交而死去的牧师。中国官厅凡是这类事自无有不答应的道理，款项数目何况又不多，息事宁人，派交涉员来去商量了几次，双方很爽利的就把这件事结束了。 那个乡下来的人还是依然做他三毛钱一天的粗工，先是还常常做梦，梦到那三铁锤前后的事情，还不忘记那个软软的身体倒下去的情形，以及拖着那只又体面又长大的皮靴时，想同样也得到那么一双皮靴的一种感觉。但是，这些事是不适宜于保留到这种人记忆里很久的，正如这样人不适宜于为一种不合事实的欲望所苦恼一样，人们的心是十分健康的，缺少病态的，所以他能够把自己处置到新的生活上面，不必记那些无意中作成的错事。他对于这事也不骄傲，也不惭愧，久而久之这件事他就忘记了。 到第二年四月，教会方面为那牧师在工程处选地建筑一座纪念亭时，派十个人挖地基平土，那乡下的人也有分，因为特别勤快做工，得了一点奖赏，他拿这个钱就到当日同兵士所到过的船上去，同那个肥臀大脚女人住了一夜，他才明白兵士说“水牛”那字言所所代表的意义。 这家伙任何人见到都觉得是一个好工人，因为年青，有力，不懒惰。 一九二九年作