Chapter 142 "Be sure to stand in the front" - Reading Ru Zhijuan's "In the Quiet Maternity Hospital"

In the team of young writers, there is Ru Zhijuan. As a female reader, I like and appreciate him very much. After liberation, China underwent an earth-shaking change.Society is changing, people are changing, especially in terms of women, the change in mental outlook is indescribable!In our reports and novels, I don’t know how many deeds of women’s labor heroes and advanced models have been written.The images of women in these reports and novels can also move and educate people, but from a woman’s perspective, I always feel that there are still some places that are not delicate enough, not deep enough, and not deep enough for women. Familiar with and understand, the bright image always seems to be covered behind a thin layer of veil, not so clear-eyed and radiant.

Ru Zhijuan observes, researches and analyzes Chinese women before and after liberation from the perspective of a new woman in new China. She grasped the strong and distinct revolutionary and combative nature of the story, and did not let go of every moving delicate and profound detail in her observations, and every moving delicate and profound detail, especially about women , from the perspective of a female reader, it seems that only female writers can write so deeply and so movingly! Here, I only mention her short story "In the Quiet Maternity Hospital" ("People's Literature" June 1960 issue) to talk about my feelings.

This "Quiet in the Maternity Hospital" is not peaceful, it is the same as the strong wind of the night where the story took place, in the turbulent and leaping environment, everyone—inside and outside the maternity hospital—feels like "wind". With a huge, invisible force, pushing her and hugging her from behind, forcing her to move forward as if her feet didn't touch the ground." Aunt Tan, the protagonist in the story, is a widow who has been a widow since she was thirty-nine years old. She has seen a woman give birth like a "closed" experience. When my daughter-in-law gave birth, the fetus was stepped on by the midwife. In the junior commune in 1956, the president, who is now the commune’s Secretary Du, asked her to go to the town hospital to learn the new method of midwifery. Tell her that this is also a revolution, a struggle against the feudal and backward forces.

Aunt Tan learned the new method of midwifery and began to work. On the one hand, she constantly struggled with her old thinking and habits and the old midwife.On the other hand, she was also discouraged, shed tears, and complained to Secretary Du. Secretary Du persuaded her: How many times have changed in our hands, and the situation is developing so fast, will there be fewer old ideas and old habits?So when we do work, we call it revolution, and when we study, we call it revolution.If you don’t know it, you have to learn it quickly, and if you don’t know it, you have to learn it quickly. "

Aunt Tan is not picky anymore.After the establishment of the commune, a "quiet maternity hospital" was organized, where there were delivery beds, electric lights, white walls, and all midwifery utensils... and her "obstetrician"—— It was the title she quietly added to herself when she couldn't think of an appropriate name to call her position. In the two years since the establishment of the maternity home, a total of 356 babies have been taken in. No matter how many risks have passed, Aunt Tan has won the love and affection of the mothers in the commune.Aunt Tan felt proud and happy. Her quiet maternity hospital made her happy and cheerful.

Of course, there are also cases where women do not give birth smoothly, but as long as they call the hospital in the town to ask for a real obstetrician, the problem will be solved. "It can't be compared with those big hospitals in the city." Aunt Tan began to be satisfied with her current situation, and began to dislike new things, such as electric lights.As for maternity exercises, women clap their hands and stamp their feet. If she can't learn it by herself, she doesn't like it, and so on. However, the situation does not allow people to be complacent about the status quo. New things must be learned and understood quickly.Mei He, representing the new force, came in steaming hot, carrying 80-odd years worth of luggage, and turned on the light with a snap.Aunt Tan’s first impression of the doctor who watched her grow up and came back from training in the city was:

How did she know where the switch was?It seemed that there were electric lights in the maternity hospital, there should be electric lights, and electric lights are a matter of course. Aunt Tan was surprised at first, but then she felt a little unappetizing. This "old and serious" second girl, that is, He Mei, is not idle for a while, asking this and that, making water pipes, and getting the mothers to do postpartum exercises. one slice. "It used to be a quiet maternity hospital, but now it seems that a gust of wind broke in and disrupted everything." Aunt Tan walked out of this quiet maternity hospital quickly, her mind was empty and full, she I just feel unhappy, and I can't say why.Probably because the older I am, the less satisfied I am.She began to convince herself... She regarded the contentment in life and the backwardness in work as one thing.

At this time, another woman who was behind three years ago, the old midwife Grandma Pan, gave her a big stimulus. Grandma Pan worked in the chicken farm, and she drove forward wholeheartedly. In order to let the chickens eat some meat, she bent over to catch frogs by the water... Turning around and talking to Aunt Tan, her face looked kind and smart, The eyes are also bright. Aunt Tan looked at Grandma Pan and remembered what Secretary Du had said. Aunt Tan saw the red arrow on Grandma Pan's name on the chicken farm's competition table, and her head was raised high.This is the backward person who jumped and complained to her three years ago, and now looks so young and radiant in front of her!A person is always young and happy in the continuous revolution and continuous progress.Aunt Tan deeply felt the pain of Grandma Pan three years ago, "It was because she panicked, but refused to admit that she was behind the times."

"Could it be that I'm like Grandma Pan three years ago..." At this time, the strong wind outside the door and the strong wind in her heart blew together.The warm greetings from the mothers she received by the cotton fields on the road just now, as well as the pride and happiness she felt, are all things of the past, and have been blown away by this gust of wind! This burst of "invisible storms swept forward, like a torrential wind and waves rushing forward, they are majestic, pushing forward and rushing forward", but the respectable and lovely Aunt Tan did not let the strong wind After blowing down, she clearly felt that the life she is living now is different from day to day, and looks different from day to day. She is uneasy, dissatisfied with herself, and she refuses to fall behind. She hurried back to the hospital just in time for the delivery Maternal Cai Di gave birth.

Like a seasoned veteran, with the trust of the mothers, she "was waiting for that joyful and tense moment in her combat position." The author intersperses a very delicate description here. Mei He was stroking the mother, and the three of them were chatting lively. When they talked about the issue of being born late, Caidi said: Hello sister, sister He is better than your Aunt Tan, don't you think so? " Mei He was massaging Caidi, feeling slightly uneasy.She quickly glanced at Aunt Tan, but Aunt Tan didn't pay attention... Mei He is not the main character in this novel, but she is the first wind that breaks through the tranquility of this maternity hospital.Her personality is hearty, lively, and serious, and she is a big girl in the new society. However, she also has her delicate and tender features.She was afraid that Caidi's words "Mei He is better than Aunt Tan" would hurt Aunt Tan's heart, so she couldn't help feeling uneasy, and quickly glanced at Aunt Tan.

But Aunt Tan didn't care about these words at the time, when she was full of confidence "waiting for that moment of joy and tension" Now comes the test!If the mother yawns and wants to sleep, the baby may suffocate to death if it is not quickly taken out with pliers!She stood up almost instinctively, "I'll call!" She called the doctor in the city again. She lost her self-confidence. She didn't believe in herself or sister He. She was inspired by the secretary's firm voice broadcast to the commune members. She remembered what Secretary Du had said to her, remembered how the situation was developing so fast, and remembered that He Mei was the commune's doctor.She turned her head and almost flew back with the wind, and saw He Mei was preparing for a battle, walking around solemnly, and then she remembered Caidi's words. The word "revolution" shone brightly in Aunt Tan's heart: To learn, Secretary Du, I want to learn, I want to make revolution. ..." Aunt Tan straightened her body and walked towards Mei He, she felt her legs trembling again like when she delivered the baby for the first time. "Sister He, let me learn!" Hemei raised her head and saw that Aunt Tan was timid, but she was so brave and resolute standing in front of her.At this moment, Mei He almost remembered the entire history of this maternity hospital... She also remembered how Aunt Tan was so proud and cherished to flip the light switch... This is the climax of this novel, after that, naturally "Everything is as it should be," Aunt Tan was working ecstatically and nervously. She could only see the gestures of sister He giving her pointers, and only heard Secretary Du's resolute and loud voice...Suddenly there was a "wow", the baby Crying... As soon as Aunt Tan straightened up, she was hugged by He Mei, who was full of moving tears. Which readers who are moved don't want to hug this Aunt Tan who has "revolutionized to the end" tightly. The structure of this short story is rigorous, there is no waste of writing, the time is only one day and night, the characters on the stage are only Aunt Tan, Mei He, Grandma Pan, Brother Cai, and two pregnant women, one is the captain of Fengsantian, The advanced producer—A Ling, the other one doesn't even have a name.For the above female characters, their speech, actions, and psychological activities are all coordinated in detail.For example, Grandma Pan only played for a moment, and everything about her past was vividly described in Aunt Tan's memories and excitement.Aunt Tan's recollection of Hemei doesn't have much material, she's just a "second girl" who was sent to the city for training.Therefore, Hemei's character is portrayed in her own activities and conversations with Aunt Tan.The only supporting actor is Caidi's husband, one of the first batch of drivers trained in the club, a young and lovely "daring daredevil", and another extremely important supporting actor, who is almost the soul of this story. The trustworthy, guaranteed to him in his heart, Secretary Du of the commune.We don't see his fullness, we only hear his voice, how firm it is, how loud it is, how optimistic it is.This voice will always echo in Aunt Tan's ears and in the ears of all members, just like the beginning of the last paragraph of the story: "The wind seems to be deterred by Secretary Du's firm and loud voice, and it begins to shrink back. , and she has returned to her peaceful and normal state.” The party’s wise and correct voice will always echo resoundingly in the vast and vast land of our motherland.Ye, symbolizes Aunt Tan, and also symbolizes all those who are content with the status quo, only feel proud and happy, but are pushed by the wind of the times.Only by listening to the party's words, going forward, and standing in the front can they restore their "quiet normalcy"! The strong wind this night is indispensable, and the strong wind set off Aunt Tan's restless heart, making her more nervous.The strong wind made everything around the maternity hospital come alive, assuming a fiery posture of "golden drums beating together": The trumpets sounded together, and the voice of Secretary Du of the commune was speaking...all the machinery and personnel in the commune were mobilized, the sound of cars and the sound of encouraging slogans on the radio were blown into the maternity hospital by the wind, and carried away by the wind Far away... the sky is so thick and thick, the wind is raging, and Secretary Du's clear voice can be heard on the radio speakers. In the fields, on the roofs, at the head of the village, and beside the road, there are people like him. A loud, unwavering voice echoes..." The loud broadcast in the strong wind, even though it was far and near, made Aunt Tan's restless and turbulent heart catch a pillar of the sky!Made her a member of the revolutionary masses inspired by loud slogans. As I said before, the women in Ru Zhijuan's works, old and young, are so vivid and lovely.Now I only mention women who are the same age as Aunt Tan described by the author in the past, such as the protagonist in "Aunt Guan", Erma Zhao in "Sister-in-law", Aunt He in "Fulfilling Your Wish", and Aunt Wang in "Beside the Sports Field". ...Wait, their psychological activities are significantly different from those of Aunt Tan.After liberation, the society changed, they completely turned over, they were happy, they were grateful, they felt happy, like Aunt He in "Fulfilling a Wish", she also thought of herself as "a person who is about to enter fifty, and for the first time Earned a salary," proud with tears in his eyes.In the future, they may gradually become like Aunt Tan in "Quiet Maternity Hospital", contented and peaceful, and regard satisfaction in life and backwardness in work as one thing. The author is advancing with the times, and with the eyes of the times, she looks for images of women in progress. Around a "quiet maternity hospital", she blows a strong wind, which makes Aunt Tan and all readers There was unprecedented turmoil in my heart! Let me repeat, among the young writers, there is Ru Zhijuan. As a female reader, I am very fond of and grateful to her. 1961"