Author: Peng Heping
By chance, I saw a yellowed photograph of a woman sitting on a chair and holding a box, with a dilapidated stilted building eroded by wind and rain in the background. The box was a gramophone, and the stilted building was the field hospital of the Red 26th Army at that time. After taking the photo, the box was handed over to the visitor and donated to the Xiangxi State Museum. Through many visits and understanding, a story of singing and crying, and the deep love between the military and the people has been restored.
One
In the late autumn of 1896, the cold wind carried a slight drizzle and sprinkled on the dam that had just been harvested in Ciyantang, and it was a little desolate. In the courtyard of the Tang family, in a low thatched house, there was a raging fire in the fire pit, and the old Tang still kept adding firewood to the fire, and there were bursts of painful moans from the check-out, and the cousin Peng was about to give birth. At the time of the lantern, a clear cry pierced the night sky, and a fragile little life came to the world. Old Tang walked into the room quickly, saw that the hall was full of exhaustion, and gave birth to another girl, the forty-year-old Tang was not sad or happy, and his heart also broke off the idea of giving birth to a son, and called these seven girls "little sister".
The little sister is smart and clever, and she thrives in those difficult years, beating pigweed, carrying firewood, making tea and rice, and needlework is omnipotent. The old Tang couple loved this young girl even more, in the cold night of heavy snowfall, two bowls of baogu wine in the stomach, the thatched hut will sound the old Tang couple's song:
Snowflakes are falling all over the sky
There was a lot of laughter in the thatched hut
The girl is my little padded jacket
Old Don (I) was warm in my heart
It's warm in a thatched house
Don't be afraid of the cold for 39 days
Even if there is only one bowl of rice
No matter how hard it is, you have to put it on the table
The husband sings with the wife, affectionately. Lao Tang has studied private school for a few days, is coarse in literature and ink, and teaches his little sister to read and write in his free time. The little sister was exposed to it in those years of suffering, and she also learned some rhyme and long shortcomings, coupled with the little sister's tactful singing voice and natural good voice, so the little sister always sang the turmoil of youth when she was alone, and whispered about the ups and downs of fate and the yearning for a better life:
Mom and Dad gave birth to me in the world
Ups and downs and sufferings are just waiting for leisure
Wait until the snow melts
I'm like a spring flower
Two
Cold and summer, a heavy snow overflows, located in the courtyard of the Tang family under the tiger slope, surrounded by mountains on three sides, in the karst cave on the slope of the mountain, the clear stream murmurs, Ding Ding Dong jumped down the hill, washed into a ditch with the trend, semi-circular around the yard of more than a dozen households, flows to the distance without hurry, merges into the Qingshui River, the two sides of the ditch are shaded by trees, the fish in the water of Qinglingling is shallow bottom, the ditch is on the middle or a few smooth and flat bluestone slabs, or washing vegetables or washing rice, or mallet clothes or foot soaking, are all excellent places. The pear blossoms are white, the peach blossoms are red, the little sister is older, fifteen or sixteen years old is already slim, the face is like a peach blossom, and a smile can be loved.
On this day, Xiaoxiao spring rain break, the warm spring sun sprinkled in the courtyard of the Tang family, the little sister carried a wooden basin of clothes, came to the side of the ditch, poured a basin of clothes into the water and floated, and then one by one the mallet hit, the sound of the mallet rhythm was even, spread far and wide.
On the slope of the tiger, next to a swamp, two fragrant roe deer were chased by two hunting dogs, one male and one female, the female's big belly poop, as if pregnant, can no longer run. The male grinned, revealing two scimitar-like fangs, and wanted to fight to the death, but the hound did not dare to act rashly when he saw this. At this time, the young man lying in the rock broad, took out a handful of iron sand from his waist, poured it into the barrel of the musket, and pulled away the "rooster" to aim. The man was faintly uneasy, so he stood up, raised his musket, whistled, took the hound, and watched as the prey in his hand scurried into the jungle and disappeared without a trace. If the young man was lost, he led the hound to the edge of the cave, got down and drank a few sips of mountain spring water, washed his face, felt better, looked at the Pingbazi, and saw the Tang family's yard with smoke, peach and willow green, and faintly heard the sound of a laundry mallet, so he cleared his throat and sang:
After the rain, the water turns clear
Throw the rock head to test the depth of the water
The water splashes on the girl
Brother wants to hug you and kiss you
The singing voice is deep and low, full of energy, and some vulgarity is revealed in the witty, the little sister is not happy or angry, and she said in a deep voice:
The mountains are high and the roads are far away, and the water is not muddy
Who is the other door?
You want to kiss me when you open your mouth
What are your skills?
The young man was stunned, but he didn't expect this girl to be able to speak out, activate his arrogant heart, and sing:
Yang Erlang by the Qingshui River
Eighteen or nineteen years old looks good
The boar has an empty mouth
The roe deer has a natural musk scent
When the little sister heard this, as soon as this kid took off his vulgar coat, he was actually a little good, and she had a good impression:
Water and water come to bay after bay
The mountains are beautiful
The cuckoo is spring-provoking
It's better for the second brother to sing
The little sister was in spring, the second brother understood it, so he quickened his pace, walked to an old peach tree and stopped, about ten zhang away from the little sister, the little sister also stopped washing, stood quietly by the ditch, and the second brother sang again:
The little sister's heart is like a butterfly spring
Coo-coo-coo-clump waves
But I have my sister's permission
Hold hands for a lifetime
The second brother was dressed in a robe, wearing straw sandals with hemp ears, wearing a narrow-brimmed cloak, holding the musket in his hand, two hunting dogs lying in the grass behind him, the sun shining from behind, outlining the second brother into a silhouette of a dragon and a tiger, and the little sister replied tenderly:
Hold hands and hold hands
My sister is slightly hard-willed
As long as the second brother likes me
Even if the sea is dry and the rocks are rotten
After singing, the little sister looked at the second brother, and the second brother was also looking at the little sister, looking at each other, flashing like lightning, the little sister lowered her head and twisted the edge of the floral dress with her fingers. A breeze blew, the peach blossoms fell one after another, and the second brother was wrapped in the peach blossom rain.
Three
The second brother is called Yang Wenxu, lives in the Qingshui River under the red deer slope, the ancestors are solid, there are two Sanheshui corner buildings, I read a few years of private school when I was a child, and the surnames and three characters of the family have been recited by the eye, and the Xianwen is familiar with it. He also learned some fist and foot kung fu, and a homemade musket pierced Yang in 100 steps, and became a good young man at the age of eighteen or nineteen. Often with two hunting dogs, climb the Wollongong red deer slope, drive the mountain to hunt, every time you catch pheasants, hares, muntjac roe deer, and will share with the clansmen to enjoy.
Since the farewell of the Tang family's courtyard, Wen Xu has always thought about his little sister, her red face, and her watery eyes, and her little sister is like a warm and brilliant peach blossom blooming in his heart, and he is always restless. Mr. Yang saw his son's thoughts, so he talked about this family affair with three media and six evidences.
In the first month of the following year, a heavy snow covered the Ciyan Pond Dam and the surrounding mountains and ridges, the jungle on the red deer slope was crystal clear, and the ice and snow trees hung into a beautiful picture. In the Qingshui River, a group of children, some of them were barefoot, their torn cotton jackets were tied with a section of straw rope, a chair without a backrest fell on the ice, and a child sat on it, the child's face was full of numbness, and under the red nose were two snot that would not be broken, and the little hands like baba tightly grasped the chair legs, and let the friends hula and push the chair, the chair seemed to have an acceleration, and quickly crashed into the river, and the chair led people to fall there, the children laughed, the kid got up, touched his forehead and touched his buttocks, and quickly joined the game of pushing a child。
The atmosphere of the New Year is still strong, the Yang Mansion is full of lights, three teas and six ceremonies, a sedan chair eight lifts the little sister from the Tang family yard through the ice and snow to the Yang family house on the bank of the Qingshui River, at this time the fine music is great, the sound of firecrackers, the three-eyed gun is deafening, the's matchmaker twisted the Yangge in the Pingba, and stopped the old man from reciting the mantra of "a purple cloud in the East", the knife fell, the rooster flew over the red umbrella covering the little sister, and the blood was sprinkled on the ground, and the evil atmosphere was swept away. The little sister stepped on the edge of the steps, changed her shoes and socks, stepped over the bamboo screen smoked with fireworks, and the two aunts led her to the shrine, standing with the second brother religiously, and the master of ceremonies sang praises in a high-pitched manner, "My Fair Lady, the gentleman is good", and then the first incense, the second incense, and then the incense, worship the ancestors and ancestors, and send them into the cave room, which achieved the marriage of the second brother.
Four
Time flows slowly, like a clear stream in the Qingshui River, and occasionally there are waves. The vigorous canna on the river ridge was red for one season, and then it was beautiful again, but it couldn't hide the excitement of one stubble after another. Red Lupo and Wollongong correspond to each other, lying there like a spirit animal, silently guarding the Jiuwan and Liuzhai on the dam. Yang Wenxu and Tang Xiaomei are male farmers and women weaving, with deep love for fish and water, and melons and melons. The younger sister gave birth to four sons, due to family changes, Wen Xu's eldest brother Wenkang and his wife passed away first, and the youngest daughter had to follow her uncles and aunts to follow several brothers to scoop up the same pot.
Winter goes to spring, and Wen Xu has become more bold and open-minded. Occasionally, carrying muskets, playing with two mountain dogs, climbing the red deer slope, and beating a few pheasants and hares, it was the happiest time for the children. One bloody dusk, Wen Xu climbed up to Wollongong, and actually met the fragrant roe deer he met many years ago. Carrying the roe deer to home, it was already the time to hold the lamp, Wen Xu carefully cut off the sachet under the tung oil lamp, and handed it to the little sister, who wrapped a few layers of new cloth and locked it at the bottom of the box. Then divide the game into several piles, leave enough copies for the children, and give the other little sisters to the second and third uncles and several old men, and it is already midnight when they are busy.
Suddenly, a horse gang passed by, in this Qingshui River sharpened, the leading young man lean and capable, eyes blazing, saw Wen Xu coming, then got up to talk, introduced himself is Sang Zhihong family Guan, surnamed He Ming Wen Chang, in the future will often go up and down this road, trafficking some salt cloth and other daily necessities, please Wen Xu take care of it. Before the young man finished speaking, Wen Xu laughed: You are Wen Chang and I am Wen Xu, we are a senior, let's go, let's drink tea! Wen Chang This person is humorous and funny, his face is not good, and he is not polite, so he followed Wen Xu to the hall and sat down at the table of the Eight Immortals. The little sister saw that there were guests, so she hurriedly made a pot of good tea and served it, Wen Xu and Wen Chang chatted casually, but the more they talked, the more they got along, Wen Xu said that he was a snake in the year of the Emperor. Wen Chang is in the year of Bingshen, a monkey, so calculated, Wen Chang is almost three years younger, Wen Xu is the second oldest in the family, and Wen Chang respects Wen Xu as the second brother. Wen Xu instructed his little sister to buy wine and food, and in a moment put it on the table of the eight immortals, Wen Chang and Wen Xu burned incense and paper, swore a blood oath, and formed brothers of the opposite sex.
Five
Time flies, the Ciyantang dam is green and yellow, and the season flows inadvertently. Wen Xu and Wen Chang have also met a few times since they said goodbye, and they all came and went in a hurry. Later, I heard that Wen Chang cut the salt bureau and pulled up the team, but Wen Xu was mixed, but the mountains and rivers were restored, Wen Chang's whereabouts were uncertain, and Wen Xu couldn't help.
In March of 1934, the drizzle of late spring, the hoarse call of the sun finch on the mountain, the rhythmic bird song melted into the spring rain, as if nature specially arranged the variation of the suffering life, which made people's hearts tremble, and the little sister's eyelids were beating tightly these days, and she was always restless.
On the thirteenth, Wen Xu got up early in the morning, saw that the rain had stopped, and the long-lost sun was exposed on the mountain beams in front of him, so he urged his little sister to hurry up and cook, and wanted to go up the tiger slope after eating. A few days ago, I hit a roe deer on it, and I also found muntjac feces and footprints, so I'll go and see it today. The meal was made quickly, but the little sister had no appetite, Wen Xu didn't mind, after eating, he picked up the musket and led the hound to prepare to go out, and as soon as he crossed the threshold, he heard the sound of gunshots, like popping beans. Listen carefully, at first it was the direction of the eighteenth, and then the Chen family shop sounded on the mountain beam of Guangting Slope. After inquiring again, I learned that it was He Long and Zhou Xiaozi who were on fire, He Long was his sworn brother He Wenchang, his brother was in trouble, how could he stand by and watch, explain a few words to the little sister, the little sister wanted to speak and stopped, Wen Xu turned around and left, the hound followed closely behind, Wen Xu squatted down, stroked the dog's head, and then patted them gently, the dog barked twice, and then obediently returned to the little sister, looking at the owner who was gradually moving away, the dog actually shed two lines of tears.
Climbing up to the eighteenth platform, the battle between the two armies was in full swing, Wen Xu didn't have time to think about it, he recognized He Long's troops, jumped into the bunker, it was a cannon, but the Zhou Department was far away, and he had no power. There were two soldiers lying down next to him, his chest was gurgling with blood, and the fast gun fell into his arms, Wen Xu picked up the fast gun, loaded it and aimed it off, and in one go, knocked down three enemies in a row. Wen Xu looked at the soldiers lying in the trench again, as if they were still seventeen or eighteen years old, and shot wildly, and the pleasure of hunting was surging all over his body. Wen Xu was immersed in the pleasure of galloping the field, and without paying attention, a bullet hit him in the left chest, his eyes widened, he glared ahead, and fell down with a bang.
As if someone had put a spell on the little sister, she didn't cry at the funeral of the second brother, and saw the five children kneeling in front of the spirit, and the little sister expressed her feelings with a song:
My second brother, you walk slowly
Turn around and take a look
It is difficult for a child to grow up without a father
The day is also worried, and the night is also worried
My second brother, hello go
My little sister really wants to keep you
It is difficult to find heavenly art in the world
I hope that the next life will be white-headed
After singing more than ten boards, the little sister was hoarse and heartbroken. Since then, no one has heard her singing.
Six
On the afternoon of May 6, 1935, as soon as the rain stopped, a group of people and horses came from the Longjia Mansion along the official road, and several horses were carrying some simple medical equipment on their backs. When the team came to the Yang family's mansion, the young man in the lead walked straight to the little sister and said: Hello sister-in-law, my name is Duan Liquan, Commander He Long ordered me to take a medical team to be stationed here with you, it will bring you a lot of trouble for a while. When the little sister heard this, she hurriedly beckoned everyone to stay. At the same time, he called the aunts and sisters of the clan to clean up, make the beds and cook, and when the team settled down, it was already a rooster crow.
May is a rainy season, the Dragon Boat Festival water, the knife water, the dragon meeting, the tugboat water seems to wash the Ciyantang dam, Wollongong and Malupo are lush, the Dongci Lake in the back bay is deep and green, and the Qingshui River in front of the door is surging. Chenjiawan, Dongciwan, Luping, and Yanbanxi are all full of He Long's team. He Long occasionally came to the river or lake to fish, and more often in the Long family's mansion, planning to contain more Kuomintang troops with the fewest troops. Surrounding the county seat, attracting Zhou Xieqing, Zhang Zhenhan, Xie Bin, etc., the surrounding flames of Ciyantang were full of flames, artillery fire continued, the Red Army officers and soldiers also suffered casualties, and a steady stream of missing arms and broken legs were sent to the Yang family's house, and people came and went in the hospital. Xiaomei looked at the busy scene, silently doing what she could, sweeping, laundry, and cooking.
In the fierce battle on the front line, there are more and more wounded, and it is impossible to meet the nutrition of the wounded and sick, the little sister is anxious in her eyes, looking at the two hunting dogs, how can she not decide, that is her only thought of the second brother! At this time, in the chicken coop under the eaves, the laying hens were clucking, so together with the sisters, they grabbed two hens, stewed them in a pot, and sent them to the wounded and sick one by one with steaming chicken soup.
The weather is getting hotter and hotter, the wounds of the wounded and sick are festering and leaking pus, the little sister looks at their painful appearance, and her heart seems to be dripping blood. The little sister suddenly remembered the two packets of musk that the second brother had given her, which were the best things, which had the effects of invigorating menstruation and blood, reducing swelling and relieving pain, and she had never been willing to use them. The little sister ran to the back room, rummaged through the boxes and cabinets to find the musk tightly wrapped in a cloth, opened it, and a fragrant fragrance came to her nose. The little sister ran to the stilted building and handed the cloth bag to Duan Liquan, Dean Duan smelled a fragrance, and knew what was going on, and said thank you excitedly.
Time moves forward slowly, the war is cruel, there are frequent wars around Ciyantang, the wounded are sent one by one, the little sister and the sisters in the clan assist the little nurse to take care of it, boil water and sweep the floor, cook and wash. Red Army soldiers who often died were carried to Zeng's platform on the other side of the river with door panels and buried. It shared a large part of the daily work of the hospital, greatly relieved the pressure on the staff, and by November, more than 600 Red Army officers and men had been cured or almost cured, including more than 60 seriously wounded.
At the beginning of December, it was already the winter moon, and the wind was whistling from the notches of several passes in Ciyantang, occasionally carrying a few snowflakes, and the weather was getting colder and colder. Duan Liquan, the director of the hospital, received an order from his superiors two days ago to evacuate with his department. He looked at the fellow who had been with him for more than 200 days and nights, looked at the thin little sister, and thought of the dead husband of the little sister, although Wen Xu was too aggressive, but his heroism of sticking a knife in the ribs for the sworn brother shocked him deeply. The little sister's feat of killing chickens and raising injuries and giving musk made him deeply impressed, what kind of feelings was that. Dean Duan's heart was surging, he picked up the gramophone on the table, and held it with both hands to the little sister who was standing on the edge of the stairs to see them off: Sister-in-law, you take this, and if you miss us, let out your voice and listen, the Red Army soldiers will not forget you, and the people will not forget you. The little sister took it tremblingly and hugged it tightly in her arms.
Braving the bitter cold wind, the team walked on the bank of the Qingshui River, walking on the bumpy road, the little sister and sisters waved their hands until the team disappeared into the vast field......
2024.04. Peng Heping in Dragon City
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