Chapter 21 Chapter 19 Shipwreck

Heizi was baptized by a flood in the autumn of Mao Zedong's death.The death of Chairman Mao made people in Quliu Village feel strange.Heizi thought, how could Chairman Mao die?But Chairman Mao really passed away, falling like a giant star in the night sky.Death is the same, that is to enter a huge black hole and never come back to life.Who can escape death?Who can refuse the invitation of Death?Death is the fairest, he will not let you live forever in the world because of your greatness.Heizi knows the power of death, a power that no one can contend with. Heizi has grown into a young man during the long years of suffering. He feels that his whole body is full of inexhaustible strength, his bones are growing crisply, and he is full of fantasies and passion for youth.After graduating from high school, he punted on the ferry with the punters.

He was very confused and lost for a while.The brigade clerk Wang Songguo discovered his confusion and loss.He found Heizi. Wang Songguo asked: "Heizi, do you feel that your book has been read in vain?" Heizi nodded. Wang Songguo said deeply: "You have to believe what Teacher Zhu Bitao said, it will change, it will definitely change! Be confident and wait for that day to come." Heizi asked, "Will that day come?" Wang Songguo said firmly: "Yes, definitely." Wang Songguo's eyes are full of hope. He is married and has children, and he is full of hope for the future. He is studying hard.Heizi was infected by his spirit, as long as they are free, they will talk about the future together.

The future is bright and colorful in their hopes. Inspired by Wang Songguo, Heizi is full of confidence in the future, but he still has to face the miserable life in Quliu Village. After all, the future has not come yet, and they still have a hard way to go. The punter is no longer what it used to be. With the passing of the big river, he is getting old gradually, his hard muscles are beginning to relax, and gray hair appears on his temples.His eyes gradually softened, not as fierce as before.He was also a little weak to prop up the boat, and he was often out of breath. Heizi's mother never gave him children, which may be his own problem.He no longer thinks about this issue anymore, he really wants to treat Heizi as his own son, even though he has never heard Heizi call him father, and he rarely shows his fatherly love for Heizi.The boatman gradually became better towards Heizi's mother, and the beatings and scolding basically disappeared.Over the years, he has seen clearly that Heizi's mother is a good person, a woman who can be with him for the rest of his life, and he doesn't have any ideas anymore. It is quite good to be with such a virtuous woman until old age.Sometimes at night, when the boatman put his arms around his wife, he would say with longing, "It would be great if Heizi could call me daddy instead." Father, it was Heizi's mother's wish for the two of them to live in peace.She respects her son very much, and has never discussed this issue with her son in a forceful tone. She just reminded Heizi in a circumstantial manner.Heizi understood what his mother meant, but he really couldn't call the boatman his father.Since the son doesn't want to bark, the mother can't force it either, as long as they live in peace, she is satisfied.

Heizi was well aware of the change of the boatman, and he did everything possible to make himself and the boatman live in harmony, but when he saw that ugly face, many hidden pains in his heart would be aroused.He will remember an incident from his childhood.It was a noon when Heizi delivered meals to the boatman shortly after he arrived at the boatman's house.Heizi was called into the cabin by the boatman.The boatman tried his best to open his small eyes, and forced an ugly smile on his face, "Boy, you should call me Dad, do you understand?" Heizi was terrified, and he murmured: "You...you are not my father." Heizi will always remember his father's appearance, he is a handsome man, not as disgusting as this ugly monster.When the boatman heard Heizi's words, he immediately became angry, his eyes showed a fierce light, and he picked up Heizi. At that time, Heizi was a little sparrow, and the boatman was a ferocious eagle.He picked Heizi up and said viciously: "Stinky boy, if you don't scream, I'll throw you into the river to feed the fish!" of.At this moment, footsteps were heard on the shore, and someone came, and the boatman released Heizi.From then on, every time Heizi delivered the food to the boatman, he hid on the bank and watched the boatman eat from a distance. After the boatman finished eating, he put the food on the bow of the boat, and Heizi ran over again. He picked up the bamboo basket and left as if fleeing.It wasn't until he grew up that he no longer resisted the punter.

After Heizi graduated from high school, he came to the ship. This comforted the boatman. Psychologically speaking, the boatman doesn't want Heizi to fly out of Quliu Village after graduating from high school, because he has a deep fear in his heart. He is afraid that after Heizi leaves Quliu Village, Heizi's mother will also leave him.This is his long-standing anxiety. Last autumn, when the troops went to Quliu Village to recruit soldiers, Heizi signed up.The punter was very uncomfortable in those few days, and he was very worried. Heizi excitedly participates in the medical examination.

Wang Songguo encouraged him: "Go, you graduated from high school, and you will definitely be able to do something in the army." Heizi believed Wang Songguo's words. Heizi and several young people from the village went to the town for a medical examination.The first level is visual inspection.The cadre who received the soldiers walked up to him and looked at him from head to toe, as if trying to see his soul.The expression on the face of the receiving cadre is very rigid, so rigid that Heizi can't breathe, and his eyes are very sharp, like a sword, a sword with a cold light.The receiving cadre inspected him for a full five minutes, and in the end, he passed the visual inspection.

Although he passed the test visually, when it came time for the physical examination, he was eliminated because the doctor said he had an enlarged liver.He quietly returned to Quliu Village alone. As soon as he got home, he hid in the house and sulked. He was sulking, but the puntman was elated. That night, the boatman drank a special drink, not knowing whether he was celebrating his victory or laughing at Heizi.Heizi had no choice but to comfort himself that the future still existed, and hope was still ahead.After eating, he went to Wang Songguo's house and talked with him late into the night.

After Heizi boarded the boat, the boatman felt very calm.He wants to teach Heizi the skills of punting without reservation. After Mao Zedong's death, there was heavy rain in Quliu Village for three days and three nights.The torrential rain caused the water level of the big river to skyrocket.The boatman and Heizi were guarding the boat in coir raincoats.They heard the roar of the river. This growl is different from the usual whimper. The water was yellow and powerful, and the waves of the flood hit the ferry in the wind and rain, and the sky suddenly became cold.The punter was a little unable to resist the cold snap, and coughed.

Heizi said to the boatman, "Uncle, you can go home, it's fine for me to watch here alone." There was a warm current in the boatman's heart, and he said, "It's okay, it's okay." Heizi said, "Uncle, you should go back, it will be difficult if you are sick." Seeing Heizi's sincerity, the boatman said, "Okay then, I'll go back and rest for a while. You see, if it's too bad, you come back too. I can see that no one will pass through such a heavy rain." Heizi said, "Hey——" The boatman went back. The figure of the punter became so weak in the storm.

Heizi felt sad for a while, to be honest, the boatman was kind to his mother and son!There was a lump in his throat.The heavy rain lashed the boat, making dense noises.Heizi used a ladle to scoop out the rainwater that had flowed into the cabin, and the water was still rising. At this time, the embankment was full of people. The water level is getting higher and higher, and has crossed the warning line.People on the embankment are strengthening the embankment. Suddenly, Heizi saw a layer of muddy yellow water rolling over from the distant surface of the water.No, there was a flash flood.The terrible childhood memory of the flood is about to reappear. It was this kind of flash flood that engulfed his biological father.There was a pain in his heart.He watched helplessly as the flood flooded the ferry and the riverbank.

He heard someone on the embankment yelling towards him: "Heizi, come up the embankment quickly, come up quickly!" The people on the embankment clearly meant that they wanted him to abandon the ferry boat.He doesn't want to give up, the boat is the life of the boatman, and the boat and Heizi have also formed an indissoluble bond, how can he give up?The captain is there.He ignored it. Heizi watched the boatman wading through the water and running towards the ferry. He shouted to the boatman: "Uncle, go back quickly, go back quickly!" The boatman didn't seem to hear Heizi's cry, he moved towards the side of the boat, and the water on the ferry was already waist deep.The boatman untied the cable in the water and threw it on board, and the boat was spinning in the flood.A huge wave rushed over, and the boat pushed down more than a foot. Heizi exclaimed, "Uncle!" He saw the punter being overturned by a wave. The people on the embankment on the bank also exclaimed. The boatman took off his coir raincoat in the water, his water skills were undeniable, and he swam towards the ferry.Heizi propped the boat with a long pole, preventing the fast current and one after another huge waves from washing the boat downstream. The punter approached the boat in the wind and waves. He grabbed the side of the boat, lifted himself up vigorously, and rolled over into the cabin.Heizi was terrified.The boatman said to Heizi, "Bail out the water in the cabin quickly. If the water is full, the boat will sink." After speaking, he took the long pole from Heizi's hand and propped it towards the river bank.Heizi felt that the boat stabilized in an instant. The punter's punting skills can be said to be top-notch. The boat was slowly cruising towards the embankment under the long pole in his hand.There was a cheer on the embankment. The boatman coughed. Heizi scooped water out of the boat and said, "Uncle, let me do it." The boatman's voice still had a lingering power in the wind and rain, "You can't!" Heizi knew that he was not good at punting the boat, and it would be very difficult when the weather was calm, not to mention the raging torrents, if he were to do the punting, the boat would be swept downstream in no time. The river is still rising. The sound of water was loud. The whole world was filled with the roar of the flood. Heizi's heart was extremely cold. The boat approached the embankment.The boatman asked Heizi to throw the cable onto the embankment, and a man on the embankment took the cable and tied it tightly to a big tree.The punter looked at the huge waves crashing against the embankment, and said, "Not good! This flood is beyond that of the flood in 1964. It's dangerous!" Heizi asked, "Uncle, what should we do?" The river was surging rapidly, and the embankment was about to lose its hold.No one expected that the flash flood would come so fast, and within a few hours, the water level was almost approaching the river embankment. Heizi was very worried. The boatman shouted loudly: "Go and call the party secretary over here, I have something to talk to him!" Someone hurried to find the branch secretary. The branch secretary hurried over after a while, and asked the boatman loudly, "What's the matter with you?" The boatman was completely soaked, and the rain lashed his ugly face. He yelled, "What are you still doing on the embankment? Go back to the village and evacuate the crowd, the embankment is broken!" Qiu Huomu said, "You're talking nonsense." The boatman trembled all over, and said to everyone: "Everyone, go back quickly and send the old people and children to a higher place. It's too bad, the river embankment will be washed away soon." After hearing what the boatman said, everyone hurried back to the village. Qiu Huomu said loudly: "Don't run, don't run, fasten the embankment!" The punter said: "Fart, there is a fart for reinforcing the river embankment at this time. I usually know that there will be criticism meetings, drinking, and working hard!" Qiu Huomu was furious, "Boatman, if the embankment collapses, I will shoot you! You are here to disturb the morale of the army!" The boatman saw that everyone was gone, so he sneered, "Secretary Qiu, go home and help you move your family, don't give orders here, water and fire are ruthless, it can't control you." Qiu Huomu shouted, "I won't leave!" At this time, Heizi said to a person who was running behind, "Don't forget to get Chimao Granny to the shore." The man said, "Got it." The rain clouded the punter's face. He confronted Qiu Huomu. After a while, the river flooded the embankment. The punter jumped onto the embankment and untied the cable.He looked into the village from the embankment, and saw many people running wildly up and down the village, the shouts of the people were mixed with the sound of the flood and rainstorm. There was a hint of a smile on the boatman's face. As long as people survived, there was still hope. If everyone drowned, there would be nothing. He heard a loud noise, and the river bank not far away was washed out a gap by the flood, and the gap was getting bigger and bigger.After a while, the flood broke out several gaps. The boatman pushed the branch secretary who was standing there blankly onto the boat. The ship was swept into the gap. The boat nearly capsized. But the punters managed to turn the tide and stabilize the boat. Floods hit the village. After a while, Quliu Village turned into a swamp country. The boatman pushed the boat to the village and rescued the people who were too late to run onto the boat one by one.Qiu Huomu was stunned. Flood water quickly reached the roof. The boatman sent the boatman to the shore, and then he and Heizi went to the village to rescue people in the boat.People in one boat after another were sent to the shore one after another. The people on the shore were tearful and yelling, their homes were destroyed, can they not be sad?Most of the crying ones were women and children, while the men watched silently at the raging muddy yellow river.Qiu Huomu stood on the bank in a daze. Heizi saw Chimao Granny sitting on a piece of grass, clasped her hands, muttering something, the rain drenched her, and her appearance moved Heizi. The boatman coughed violently. He got a few people aboard and sent them ashore. The boatman's voice became hoarse, and he said to Qiu Huomu loudly in a hoarse voice: "Qiu Huomu, don't stand there like a fucking idiot, you quickly ask the production team leaders to nod their heads, and see if anyone can still stand there." In the water!" Qiu Huomu reacted and immediately called the production team leaders to count the number of people. Heizi's mother looked at Heizi and the boatman silently. At this time, she would not let them go ashore, and nothing was more important than saving lives.Of course, she hoped that they would abandon the boat and go ashore immediately, as long as they stayed in the water for one minute, there was one more minute of danger. Just as the production team leaders nodded, they heard someone on the shore shouting loudly again.There are people on the river!They looked from a distance and saw a person on a beam-like log on the river surface with many farm sundries and animals floating there. "Come on!" said the boatman hoarsely, his small rain-drenched eyes shining with determination. Heizi's heart twitched. Ever since his good friend Wang Chunhong was drowned, he always thought that the boatman was a heartless person who would not save him. But today, he saw something in the boatman's eyes. He scooped water quickly. The punter steered the boat across the river. He wants to intercept the log floating down from upstream and rescue the person who washed down from upstream.Apparently, the villages upstream were also affected. The boatman is desperately pushing the boat. The boat shuttles quickly in the wind and waves. Everyone on the shore was sweating, especially Heizi's mother, who was extremely worried and stared intently at the old boat that was shuttling through the wind and waves. The boat passed quickly. A wave came and the boat rocked. The puntman gritted his teeth. They heard a heavy bang as the heavy beam came rushing toward the ship.As soon as the hands on the wood were loosened, they fell into the water and disappeared without a trace after a while. The boatman let out a low growl. Heizi didn't say anything at this time, he couldn't speak at all.Hateful flood. After that loud noise, the bottom of the boat cracked. Water bubbled up from the bottom of the boat. The speed at which Heizi scooped up the water could not keep up with the speed at which the water came up. He let out a cry. The ship is sinking. The boatman leaped into the surging river, clinging tightly to a log. He surfaced and shouted to Heizi, "Son—" Heizi heard the shout. He felt hot in his heart, and he saw the punter struggling to swim towards him. The punter's water skills were so good that most people would have been swept away by the flood long ago. The boat sank slowly. Heizi also jumped out of the boat. The ship sank, a huge whirlpool. Heizi was sucked into the vortex. He managed to float up to the surface of the water, and saw the boatman push the log towards him, "Hold it!" Heizi managed to catch a life-saving straw. He had no strength left, but he still clung to the log. The punter tried to get the log closer to the bank, but his strength was too limited to account for the force of the flood.Blackie closed his eyes. The boatman gave him a push, "Open your eyes!" He was afraid that Heizi would be washed away by the flood as soon as he closed his eyes and let go of his hands. Heizi opened his eyes. In the crest and crest of the waves, they are ups and downs and drifting with the current. They could no longer see the crowd on the shore. There is already a desert on the shore. Heizi's mother couldn't even cry. She just looked at the vast flood with confused eyes, and her whole body was stiff. Could it be that it was fate that all her relatives would be buried in the flood? Heizi saw the boatman's face looming in the flood, it was a pale face. The punter couldn't bear it any longer. He said something, then slipped his hand and sank to the bottom of the water, and disappeared after a while. Heizi screamed wildly, but his voice was drowned out by the flood. A piece of muddy yellow. Heizi was rescued. He was rescued by an assault boat of the People's Liberation Army. On the assault boat, he looked at the yellow and roaring flood with a dull expression. He's like a kid who's done something wrong. Back on the shore, as soon as he saw his mother, they hugged each other and cried. The punter was buried by the flood. Not even a body was found.Despite this, his mother insisted on building a tomb for him. He should have a good home. Heizi and his mother came to the new grave and burned paper money for the boatman, and his mother cried while burning. Mother suddenly said to Heizi in a low voice, "Kneel down!" Heizi fell to his knees with a plop. Mother whispered again: "Call Dad!" Heizi's tears welled up, and he yelled: "Father—" Under the Nine Springs, it's time for the boatman to rest in peace. Heizi and his mother stood for a long time in the desolate autumn wind. They could hear the whine of the great river. Since then, every year when Heizi returned to Quliu Village, he would kneel down at the grave and call him daddy. He also made a big, big paper boat, filled the paper boat with wild flowers, and then put the paper boat in the river at the ferry, watching it float away.