Author: Li Jixin Editor: Fu Yang Produced: Marriage and Family Magazine id: hunyinyujiating99
On the night of July 10, 2021, the Beijing Tianqiao Grand Theater was full. On the stage, Zhejiang Province's original Yue opera modern drama "Love of walnut trees" for the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China is being performed.
"Spring has the fragrance of flowers, summer has shade, autumn has fruit, winter has warm sun, holding the hand of the son, growing old with the son, and spending time quietly with the lover..."
When the drama ended and the theme song slowly sounded, the audience was deeply moved. In the thunderous applause, 76-year-old Wang Xianqin sat under the stage, tears flashing in his eyes...
Wang Xianqin is the prototype of the heroine in "The Love of the Walnut Tree". The walnut tree she planted with her husband Wang Ronghao is not only the crystallization of love, but also witnesses the feelings of an ordinary couple spanning half a century of home and country.
In July 2021, Wang Xianqin was named "2021 China Good Man List Honest and Trustworthy Person". Looking back on those long and difficult years, she said: "My life is worth it. ”
01
See you once a year, under the walnut tree plant acacia
In Xianrenkeng Village, Sanjiang Subdistrict, Shengzhou City, Zhejiang Province, the large walnut tree in front of Wang Xianqin's house is a famous landscape. Tall and stout trunks, adults can't hold their hands together. The huge canopy of trees floats like a green cloud over the courtyard. The breeze blows, and the sunlight shines through the gaps in the leaves, sprinkling a cool place.
Every morning, the first thing Wang Xianqin did when she woke up was to boil water, fill 9 kettles first, and then clean the courtyard, and unconsciously two hours passed. For more than a decade, this seems to have become her regular routine. Because after dinner, the villagers always like to gather under the walnut tree of her house to drink tea and chat. Accompanied by cheerful laughter and dappled tree shadows, those times of being with her husband will always come to Wang Xianqin's heart again and again...
It was the Spring Festival of 1965, and with the mediation of matchmakers, Wang Xianqin, a 20-year-old zhiqing in the countryside, met for the first time with Wang Ronghao, a 30-year-old lathe worker.
Looking at the beautiful and lively Wang Xianqin, Wang Ronghao's face turned red, and it took half a day to squeeze out a "hello" to come. This generous appearance actually made Wang Xianqin instantly have a heart-warming feeling, "Others are of good character, honest and down-to-earth." The fly in the ointment is that Wang Ronghao works in a factory in Qinghai, and if they get married, the couple can only live separately. But after several contacts, Wang Xianqin still decided to join hands with him for a lifetime.
"Xianqin, I will definitely live a good life with you in the future." In just a few words, they were stuttered by Wang Ronghao, who was not good at words, which caused everyone to laugh.
In August 1966, the two married in a simple wedding in a thatched hut, solemnly vowing love. That night, looking around the poor home, Wang Xianqin's heart was as sweet as eating honey: "Good people are the most important." ”
However, the reunion is too short and the parting is too fast, and the annual family visit leave is fleeting. Wang Ronghao packed his bags and hurried back to work.
Wang Xianqin didn't even know the specific location where her husband worked, and couldn't help but ask with concern: "Where is your factory?" What do you do? Unexpectedly, Wang Ronghao quickly put away his smile and said with a serious face: "There are some things that I can't tell you yet, but everything I do is for the prosperity and strength of the country, you are waiting for me at home, and one day I will come back to guard you." ”
Out of trust in her husband, Wang Xianqin pressed her stomach full of confusion and said, "Well, I won't ask again." Either way, I'll take good care of this home and wait for you to come back. ”
Worried that Wang Ronghao was living a hard life outside, Wang Xianqin specially asked his mother for advice, brine a large piece of wine-flavored pork, and also prepared rice cakes, tea leaves, fried peanuts, etc., and packed two large bags. Wang Ronghao smiled and said, "This is enough for me to eat for half a month." When parting, Wang Xianqin sent her husband to the car, looked at the car and went away, and the tears that she had to endure fell.
Wang Xianqin, who has been loved by her parents since childhood, has a personality of not accepting defeat. From the city to the countryside, growing vegetables and cultivating land, doing housework, taking care of the elderly, the burden of the family is immediately on her shoulders, she learned from scratch, and she insisted on living herself as a "female man".
"Rural life is not as poetic as the novel poems describe, but it is actually very bitter. The farm work doesn't stop all year round, and the days go by. Having said that, many years later, Wang Xianqin recalled the past and still felt a thousand emotions, "At that time, only I knew the suffering I suffered." Near the hut where I live, it was a deserted grave, there was no light at all at night, and I could hear the sound of owl everywhere, and I was really afraid! But I always have to do the things at home, and the things he promised cannot be counted. ”
Countless long nights, Wang Xianqin spent in thoughts. Two or three letters a year, Hongyan passed on the book, but how can three words and two words be enough to pour out the thoughts in your heart?
In September 1967, Wang Xianqin finally looked forward to her husband's annual family visit leave. She was so happy that she laughed all day like a child, and specially put on her best clothes to welcome her husband's return.
At this time, Wang Ronghao, who had been transferred to Sichuan to work, also made full preparations for his return trip. Qinghai woolen thread and Shanghai nylon socks were scarce goods at that time, in addition to these things that relatives and friends all had, he mysteriously pulled out a paper bag: "Xianqin, I have another gift for you." She opened it, and three green-skinned walnuts came into view.
"This is the walnut I brought back from Sichuan, if you are lonely, plant walnuts." There are no walnuts in the south, so let the walnut tree guard you in my place. When the walnut tree grows up, I'll be back. That day, the two carefully planted walnuts together.
In fact, the humid and hot climate of Shengzhou is not suitable for the growth of walnut trees, but under the careful care of Wang Xianqin, a few months later, a small seedling actually emerged. Wang Xianqin was overjoyed, and immediately wrote to her husband with a pen: "Our walnut tree has sprouted, it is the crystallization of our love..."
02
Only for the homeland, half a life parting without regrets
Lu Yao said that even the most ordinary people have to fight for the world he lives in. Although Wang Xianqin did not know what her husband was doing, since everything he did was for the sake of the country, he could not drag his feet.
The family built a house, in order not to let the father-in-law tired, stirring cement, building bricks, paving tiles are all her own hands, at the end of the day, tired waist and back pain. After the death of her father-in-law, her mother-in-law suffered from a serious eye disease and needed someone to accompany her in and out. Wang Xianqin tirelessly stayed by her side and became the eyes of her mother-in-law.
The days are tight, and the greens and turnips she grows in the field are the daily lunch. Occasionally buy some fish to improve the diet, she is reluctant to eat, all to the old man. Wang Xianqin's virtuousness and filial piety were looked at by the villagers, and everyone praised her as a good daughter-in-law.
But there are also times when you can't carry it. Once, Wang Xianqin had a high fever for several days, and she was weak, but no one took care of her. She rushed to buy medicine, went home and lay on the bed in tears: "Why am I alone in everything?" After recovering from her illness, she hid back at her mother's house, crying and not wanting to come back, and wrote a letter to Wang Ronghao to complain. The husband's reply was also full of helplessness: "You have worked hard, there is really no way, wait for me to go back and take good care of you!" ”
In the endless waiting, the walnut tree is the only sustenance in Wang Xianqin's heart. Watching the little tree grow day by day, every bit of growth condensed her hard work. Water it regularly in the summer when it is dry, and wrap it in a bag to protect it from the cold in the winter. Insect infestations require spraying and regular pruning. Once when a typhoon struck, the small tree swayed desperately in the storm, and Wang Xianqin was very distressed and quickly asked the neighbors to help. Everyone wore raincoats to firmly fix the small tree, which allowed it to escape the disaster.
Every time I write a letter, after saying that the parents are short, Wang Xianqin always does not forget to mention a few words, "The walnut tree has grown tall again" and "the walnut tree has grown new leaves"... In her eyes, no matter how hard it is, as long as the walnut tree still thrives, the love between her and her husband will be tempered by extraordinary tenacity after the storm.
In Wang Xianqin's memory, she had only been to Wang Ronghao's place of work twice. In 1980, Wang Ronghao was hospitalized due to illness, and Wang Xianqin carried the specialties of his hometown and rushed to Sichuan in a hurry. The road is so far away, first take a day's car to Shanghai, and then take a two-day and two-night train to Reach Mianyang. I don't know how many mountain roads I took before I finally reached my destination.
Wang Ronghao's face on the hospital bed was pale and he looked particularly weak. Wang Xianqin was very distressed, and rushed into the dormitory, changing her tricks to cook delicious food and send it to the hospital. He ate, she watched, and the two of them chatted with each other, quiet and peaceful, and this day lasted for a full 3 months. When his body was healed, Wang Ronghao returned to Shengzhou with her, chanting along the way: "It is really hard to let you take care of me on such a long road." He still couldn't speak sweetly, but his eyes were full of affection, and she understood.
In 1984, the leafy walnut tree suddenly bore green fruit, the first time in 17 years. Carrying more than a dozen pounds of walnuts, the excited Wang Ronghao gave them away before he had time to taste one.
The fruit of the walnut tree may mean consummation and harvest. In 1985, the 50-year-old Wang Ronghao took early retirement due to illness, and Wang Xianqin came to Sichuan again. With the big packed boxes and small boxes, this time, they never had to separate anymore. From full of green hair to gray sideburns, the couple who have been separated for 20 years finally reunited and lived an ordinary and peaceful life.
Soon, Wang Ronghao's hidden secret for many years was revealed. When Wang Xianqin sorted out the boxes that her husband had brought back from Sichuan, he accidentally found medals and certificates: "Comrade Wang Ronghao has been engaged in the construction of the nuclear industry for a long time and has made contributions. "Comrade Wang Ronghao made contributions to the successful detonation of the first atomic bomb on the mainland." In the lower right corner, the official seal of the Ministry of Nuclear Industry of the People's Republic of China is in sight.
It turned out that Wang Ronghao was not an ordinary worker, but a nuclear bomb worker. He worked in the Shanghai Iron Works in his early years and was later selected by the Qinghai Arsenal. Because of his excellent technology, he was sent to the Arsenal in Sichuan to engage in secrecy work. That's why he can't say anything to his wife and give up a small home for everyone.
After years of confusion in his heart, wang Xianqin's nose was sour, and he couldn't help but choke up: "It turns out that you really contributed to the country!" I support you! At that moment, a sense of pride came out of her, she was proud of her husband, and she was deeply worthy of her efforts for so many years.
Wang Ronghao especially likes children. Although I don't like to talk on weekdays, I can always mingle with the children around me. Perhaps because of their work as a nuclear bomber, the two have not had children for so many years. Someone felt sorry for them and suggested that they adopt one, but Wang Ronghao shook his head: "The walnut tree is our child." "In addition to fishing, his greatest hobby is to stand in the yard, looking at the growing walnut trees, looking, touching, and staring at them for half an hour.
One tree, two people, three meals, four seasons, except for his wife, no one knows what Wang Ronghao has done, and no one knows the medals and certificates pressed at the bottom of the box. He lived every day plainly, cherishing every inch of time spent with his wife.
03
Returning to each other, the green fruits are warming
Wang Ronghao has been away for many years and knows nothing about housework, but as long as he sees his wife busy, he takes the initiative to help, which makes Wang Xianqin, who has worked for half a lifetime, feel relieved. Once, Wang Ronghao asked Miao to burn the fire. The dry and thin firewood did not even burn a few times without success. Wang Ronghao's eyes often shed tears due to work injuries, and he was very embarrassed by the smoke. But he persevered, and after a few times he learned to burn fire.
Growing vegetables, he is also a novice. Sowing seeds, watering, and fertilizing, Wang Ronghao especially asked his wife for the essentials of growing vegetables. Once, he bought back the seeds of yellow cauliflower and broccoli from the market. Seeing Wang Xianqin's surprised look, he smiled and said, "This is your favorite food, of course, you have to plant it." He also scribbled names on the bamboo tubes and gourds where the seeds were stored to prevent mistakes.
However, Wang Ronghao's best is handmade. The tables, chairs, cabinets, etc. furnished in the home are his masterpieces, and they are no less than professional carpenters. "Smart mind, serious work" is the villager's evaluation of Wang Ronghao. Wang Xianqin's family still treasures a husband's homemade pressure cooker, which can be eaten in less than half an hour to stew pig's trotters. In the 1970s, this invention caused a sensation throughout the village, making everyone look at Wang Ronghao with admiration and winning many envious eyes for Wang Xianqin.
On weekdays, the villagers encountered something difficult to repair, as long as they shouted, Wang Ronghao solved it in three or two clicks. Therefore, the villagers are also particularly willing to sneak under the walnut tree, sit down with him to drink tea and chat.
In 2005, 70-year-old Wang Ronghao unfortunately suffered from stomach cancer and suffered from pain. But he was open-minded, and in the face of his friends who came to visit, he said calmly: "I am very satisfied that we can live to this age in nuclear research." Before his death, Wang Ronghao on the sickbed still did not forget to tell his wife: "The state does not allow you to say things, you absolutely cannot say!" "Rest assured, what you promised will count." Wang Xianqin tearfully agreed to keep her husband's secret.
After the death of her husband, Wang Xianqin was devastated and could not sleep all night. Brick by brick, grass and tree in the house reflected his shadow, and she didn't know how to spend every day after that. Relatives and friends take turns to accompany and enlighten: "The best memorial to the deceased relatives is to live well." Wang Xianqin, who was optimistic and strong in nature, gradually came out of the pain and told himself over and over again: "As long as the walnut tree is there, Rong Hao has not left me." ”
As the days go by in 2021, it is an open secret that a generation of nuclear industry people has become an open secret. A netizen said emotionally: "Thank you to that generation of obscure devotees, it is because of them that we have the rise of our great power today." ”
Today, Wang Xianqin is still guarding under the walnut tree. The gates of the courtyard are open every day and bustling with activity. In recent years, there have been a bumper harvest of walnuts, and Wang Xianqin has distributed thousands of walnuts to neighbors for free. Everyone cooks together, sings Yue opera together, peels walnuts together, and their music is harmonious, a lively and warm scene.
She also participated in the "Neighbor +" volunteer service team in Xian Ren Hang Village and volunteered with the team members. "My old man has a very high consciousness, in the past the road should be widened, he took the initiative to contribute half of the road to the government, do not lose a penny, I can not be left behind."
In May 2021, Wang Xianqin's courtyard was set up by the Shengzhou Municipal Government as a "patriotic education base", which has become a small museum, telling the story of the hardship years between small and medium-sized families and everyone, and the number of people who visited them was endless. Different identities, the same original intention, everyone receives the baptism of the soul in admiration.
In July, Wang Xianqin left for Beijing to participate in the "Outstanding Stage Art Exhibition Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China", and the scene at the beginning of the article appeared.
In an interview with reporters on September 30, 2021, Wang Xianqin said: "In life, there is always a pursuit, a hope, a commitment, something that you cherish, yearn for, protect, and are willing to live for or even dedicate yourself to, this is the value." He was like that, and so was I. ”