Xia Changrui returned from the customs and handed the money to Xia Zongfeng. The school's finishing work sped up. This time, he made up his mind not to delay the school's matters, or else he would not be able to explain to Shopkeeper Xian. The devils were considered to have shown mercy. They did not come to harass them for more than ten days. In a fit of anger, the school was built.
There were four main rooms in the north, three in the east were classrooms, and one in the west was the hall. There were four rooms in the south, one in the east as the teacher's living room and office, one in the west as the hall, and two in the middle as classrooms. There was a distance of twenty-five meters between the north and south classrooms. Two and a half meters high walls were built on both sides. It formed a courtyard house. The glass windows of the classroom were as bright as water. The roof was made of ash. The doors and windows were painted green. The walls of the room were covered in white dust, and the whole place looked brand new. Its scale and style were not only rare in villages, but also in the whole county.
On September 1st, the opening ceremony was held. This was Teacher Wang Lixian's idea. He graduated from Luanhe Normal University. After graduation, he had been teaching. He had been a teacher in many schools such as Yinudian and Shigezhuang. Later on, the two villages, Xia Village and Wang Village, jointly established a primary school and hired him to teach the children. That was when he was in the east wing of Zhang Fengdian's house.
However, he did not expect disaster to fall from the sky. Wang Lixian had a daughter named Lingzi. She was in her teens and was also studying with her father. The little girl had black hair and big eyes. She was especially likable. Wang Lixian loved her very much. However, the seating arrangement was not arranged properly. The student sitting behind her was called Xia Junbin, who was famous among the children in Xia Village for being a "loathsome bag". Fighting, scolding, stealing, doing everything. He was thin and weak, but he liked to bully girls. One day, he cut two figures out of a paper shell, a man and a woman. The man wrote his name on the paper, and the woman wrote Lingzi. During self-study, he would play around behind Lingzi, causing the students in front and behind him to be unable to read. Lingzi turned around and said,"What are you playing at?"”He said,"They are a couple. This is you and this is me."”He held up the shadow figure for Lingzi to see. Lingzi was furious. She instinctively raised her left hand and hit the two shadow figures to the ground. Then, with a slap, she slapped Xia Junbin's face with her right hand. " Stupid hooligan!" Lingzi cried and cursed. Xia Junbin was slapped, so he reached out to grab Lingzi and shouted,""Compensate me for my shadow figure!" The classroom was in chaos. There were also some who were shouting "fighting". At this time, Wang Lixian was reading homework in the west wing room opposite the classroom. Hearing the cries, she quickly came over. At this moment, Xia Junbin was still holding onto Lingzi's clothes. "Let go!" Wang Li shouted. Only then did Xia Junbin let go. Lingzi was still crying. If it were other students fighting, Wang Lixian would definitely understand the situation, distinguish right from wrong, and educate them. His own children should not fight. So he walked up to Lingzi and said sternly,""Are you here to study or to fight? Go home.”He pulled Lingzi out and kicked her butt. This Lingzi was really hot-tempered. When others humiliated her, her father scolded and beat her up. She was so angry that her eyes lit up. She fell to the ground, foaming at the mouth, and fainted. When he was carried home, he did not wake up for a long time. When he woke up later, he cried non-stop and did not eat or drink. He died three days later. Such an honest, beautiful, and intelligent girl had died in such a manner. The villagers of Emperor Xia's two villages all wept in grief. Wang Lixian and his wife went crazy. His wife was not at home for a day. She walked around all day looking for her daughter. After she recovered, she was still a fool. Wang Lixian stopped teaching. He always said," Other people's children are students. I can't hit them. I can only hit my own children. If I don't…" He always repeated these words. Later on, he lost his mind and stopped teaching. No one could find the place where his daughter was humiliated.
As the saying goes, if the heavens make it rain, people will bring disaster. Then, Xia Junbin would also die a horrible death. A few years after Lingzi's death, one day, he heard someone say that swallow meat was more delicious than any other meat. He wanted to try it, so he moved a guillotine to dig out the swallow nest. He leaned the guillotine against the wall and stepped on it. Just as he was about to take it out, the guillotine fell and he fell. Coincidentally, when the guillotine fell, the blade and the knife opened up, and the blade shone out. He happened to fall on the blade, and his thigh artery was severed. Blood gushed out, and he died.
This time, Shopkeeper Xian invested in building a new school. People thought that Wang Lixian was a career-minded person and had a sense of responsibility towards his students. He was the only one who could teach the children well, so she went to invite him. Only then did he come out to resume his old business.
After all, Wang Lixian had seen the world. He arranged the team in a particularly neat manner. In the front row was a band, a bronze drum and a foreign number. The students of the four grades behind them lined up in order, with the girls in front and the boys behind. When they were in Zhang Fengdian's wing room, there were only a dozen or so students. Today's opening ceremony, there were more than a hundred people in the two houses. It was very impressive. In front of the students, there were a few long tables in front of the window of the northern classroom. Xia Zongfeng, Xia Zongru, Chang Ren, Chang Liang, and Chang Li were all dressed neatly and sitting in a row. Shopkeeper Xian was far away outside the pass. His sons, the brothers Changxin and Changlan, were invited to attend the ceremony and sat together with Xia Zongfeng and Xia Zongru. On this occasion, Wang Lixian was the busiest person. After everything was ready, Wang Li waved his hand.”Immediately the drums and bugles sounded. The air in the classroom became lively. It was the first time the people of Xia Village heard this kind of drum music, and they all felt that it was novel and pleasant. "When did you get the drum? When did you start practicing? He's really quite capable." It turned out that Wang Lixian liked to amaze the world with a single feat. He had already set up a drum and a band, but he practiced in secret instead of openly. When he was practicing, he just blew the horn. When he was done, he listened to it and finally blew the horn. When it blew, it made people feel as if a divine weapon had descended from the sky and was unexpectedly surprised.
After the drumming ended, Xia Zongfeng spoke first. He said,"It's been almost a year, and our school is finally built. This is the first school in our village since our ancestors. Who do you think built the school? " Not us." He pointed at Xia Zongru and the others who were sitting in front. It was Shopkeeper Xian who built it! He was the one who gave us money to build the school." The people present seemed to be in high spirits as they searched for Shopkeeper Xian among the people sitting in front of them. Their gazes were focused on the Changxin and Changlan brothers. Xia Zongfeng said," Shopkeeper Xian is far away outside the pass and can't attend this gathering. His two sons, Changxin and Changlan, are here. He wants us to express our gratitude to Shopkeeper Xian through them." At this moment, the Changxin and Changlan brothers stood up, happy that their father had done something for the village. Shopkeeper Xian is a good person in our village." Xia Zongfeng continued," He didn't go to school when he was young. When he grew up, he sold sweet potatoes in a kebab shop. After he went to the northeast, he learned how to trade and later became a shopkeeper. He was very concerned about the children's studies in the village. He said that people who didn't study were stupid, and those who studied were smart. Society needed cultured people in all aspects. But in the past, many children in the village had delayed their studies because they did not have a school. Today, this problem was solved. We have a school now. We, the people of Xia Manor, should thank Shopkeeper Xian and remember him forever. He was the one who left his hometown and earned money outside. He did not even do his own things at home and built a school for the village first. His wish was that when the children in the village reached the age of schooling, they would all go to school to study, so that the village could cultivate some cultured people. We must fully support the school's work and ensure that the school is well run. Only then will we not let down Shopkeeper Xian's heart." Xia Zongfeng's short and honest speech shocked everyone. Everyone admired this shopkeeper from the bottom of their hearts. The classroom was very quiet.
The manager of Wang Zhuang also spoke. He mainly said that Shopkeeper Xian was broad-minded and had thought of Wang Zhuang in building the school. The whole village was very grateful. They must work closely with Xia Zhuang and fully support the school to do a good job in the new school.
Teacher Wang Lixian also expressed his stance, saying that he would do his best to overcome all difficulties and teach the books well, and teach the two children well.
From then on, classes officially started. Xia Village and Wang Village had more than 100 students. There were four grades. The first and fourth grades were in the north room and were taught by Wang Lixian.，The second and third grades were in the south room, taught by Yang Guo. There were most first-year students because there were new students in this grade. Due to the old "running around the enemy's intelligence", the teaching was very abnormal. No matter which grade it was, they would forget about their lessons. They had to start from scratch. Because the lessons were not systematic, there were some students in any grade who repeated the old lessons because they could not advance. Many students had repeated a grade and stayed in the same grade for several years. In the same grade, the age of the students varied, with a difference of four or five years. Awu was a new student. The eldest brother, Ah Ting, was delayed by the "enemy intelligence". He was old and couldn't go to school. Although school had started, the Japanese still occupied important towns such as Tangshan, Luanxian, Bencheng, Hugezhuang, and Sigezhuang. They could come down at any time to wipe them out. However, he had to attend classes. They could only run when the enemy came and attack when the enemy left. What could he do?
In the autumn of 1944, one afternoon, two teachers, Wang Lixian and Yang Guoren, were giving a lesson when a loud noise suddenly came from outside the village. Xia Zhuang and Wang Zhuang were in chaos, so was the school. Fortunately, Wang Lixian and Yang Guoren were prepared. They told the students to remain calm and listen to the teacher's instructions, so there was no crying and trampling in the school. Wang Lixian and Yang Guoren quickly brought the students to the bridgehead. If they met their parents, they would run after them. If they couldn't, they would bring them to the East Hill Forest.
Ah Hui was playing in the courtyard. When his mother said to run, he put down what he was playing and ran out of the house with the adults. When they reached the new river bridge, his father brought Awu along. The family crossed the old river, crossed the Hetao, and entered the large forest in Dongtuo. Under a big tree by the ditch, there was a cluster of small trees. Dad and Mom used an old sheet to cover them. They used a bed on the ground as a temporary home. There were a few similar homes nearby, and they were all people who had escaped together. The forest was a refuge for people. When they ran out, they were in a panic. Once they entered the forest, they calmed down. Who knew what was going on at home and what would happen in the future? The atmosphere in the forest was stable. People held their breaths and listened quietly to the movements in the distance. The leaves rustled in the wind. Ah Hui did not know fear. He looked up at the wild sparrow nest at the top of the tree and heard the turtledoves cooing in the distance. He felt that it was quite interesting. He was playing at home just now, and now he was in the forest. How was the family? Ah Hui ran to a place where the trees were sparse and looked at the house. Ah, the Japanese really came. He saw six or seven people carrying baskets and firewood on Zhuang Dong's temple mound. They put the baskets on the sentry post and caressed the temple sentry post with rakes. Miaogangzi was a place that Ah Hui went to play almost every day. There was no firewood on the top of the temple, and white smoke rose from their hugs. Even Ah Hui found it strange. Why did they go to the temple post where there was no firewood? Ah Hui ran to her mother and said,"Mom, look at the firewood on the temple mound."
" They're trying to trick us into going home. There's no firewood at the temple. The devils have really entered the village."
It was an obvious lie, and the consequences would only be counterproductive. None of the people who settled down in the forest had returned home. Ah Hui didn't know how she spent the night. The next morning, seeing that there was nothing unusual, his parents went home to check on the situation so that they could get some food from home. Their family had not eaten since last night. Her parents brought her brother home, leaving Ah Hui in the woods to look after the " home ". In fact, she was afraid that Ah Hui wouldn't be able to run fast if something happened. Her parents had been gone for half a day and still hadn't returned. Ah Hui was anxious and hungry from waiting. He looked in the direction of his home. The dense trees in front of him blocked his sight and he could not see anything. 'I'll see home when I reach the top of the tree,' Ah Hui thought. He took off his shoes and climbed up a tall poplar tree barefooted. Ah! He really saw home. The east wall of his house was shadowy. On the north slope of Zhuang Bei's old grave, a horse team was slowly climbing up the grave. The horse's head bounced up and down with his footsteps, and disappeared from sight when he reached the top of the grave and went downhill. Ah Hui started to descend the tree. When he was about the height of a person, he decided to jump down. He happened to jump into a cluster of trees. A small dry branch pierced his buttocks and cut his skin. Although it was not too painful, he still bled. Ah Hui was a little scared. He was worried that he wouldn't be able to run away if he kept bleeding. He was a little anxious. At this moment, his father and mother brought his brother back. They had all run back, their faces filled with terror. Panting, her mother ran to Ah Hui, pulled her up, and ran." Hurry up and run south. The devils are crossing the river and entering the forest." His mother told his father to lead his brother Awu to run first. His father said hesitantly,"What about you guys?" His mother said,"Run, don't worry about us." Not far away, there were gunshots again. His father left his mother and Ah Hui behind and ran ahead with Ah Wu. His mother brought Ah Hui and Second Aunt along and headed south. They were anxious, but how fast could two women run with a child and some tattered blankets?
There was only one road in the forest that led south. That was the dividing line between Xia Village and Shi Ge Village, called Heng Dao. He rarely walked around and was covered in wormwood. Ah Hui's family did not take this route either. They were walking along the edge of the trees. Because it was not a path, there were grass and trees, ditches and hills, it was very difficult to walk. It was not easy to reach the edge of the forest. It was as if he had walked out of a maze. In front of them was a vast flat land. In late autumn, the crops in the fields were all harvested. The ground was covered with stubble of kaoliang, corn, and some late-maturing crops. This piece of land was connected to the Great Hetao of the New River. The terrain was low-lying, and there were many places where water accumulated. When the devils entered the village, the people fled into the forest and felt safe. Now that they heard that the Japanese had entered the forest, the people walked out of the forest and felt as if they had escaped from danger. Mother and Second Aunt heaved a sigh of relief. They entered the flat land and continued to walk south. When they were about 200 to 300 meters away from the forest, a young woman rushed over from behind. She was about 24 or 25 years old, of medium build, and had short hair. She had obviously run quite a distance. Her slightly chubby face was red, and she looked especially frightened. He ran to Ah Hui and the others and said while panting,"The devils are here. They're chasing me." Ah Hui turned around and saw two large horses dashing out of the northeast forest. Her mother knew that she couldn't run out, so she shouted for her father and Awu to run. After coming out of the forest, his father didn't leave his mother and Ah Hui very far. Now that it was so dangerous, his father could only run first. Not long after, before they could even see clearly, two horses had already appeared in front of Ah Hui, her mother, Second Aunt, and the young woman, blocking their way to escape south. The Japanese soldier on the horse waved his broadsword and shouted, Kailuyimas! (Meaning walking back). So the three women brought a child and turned around to walk towards the forest. The Japanese horse followed closely behind. His mother led Ah Hui, and the mouth of the Japanese horse moved up and down on Ah Hui's head bit by bit. It almost touched his head, and there were hooves behind him. He was so scared. His mother held Ah Hui's hand. He didn't dare to look back or raise his head. There was mud under his feet again. He stepped on the mud with one foot, and when he lifted his foot, one of his shoes sank into the mud. He didn't dare to stop. If he did, the horse's hooves would step on him. Barefooted, he was pulled forward by his mother. The two Japanese soldiers on the horses stared at the three Chinese women. He thought to himself that he was in a good mood today. He had caught three Chinese women at once. Especially when he saw the young woman's hips shaking as she walked, he felt an infinite desire in his heart. Sometimes, he would touch her shoulder with the tip of his knife, trying to separate her from the rest. The young woman had a premonition of the horror ahead, so she always walked close to her mother and second aunt, not letting them separate her. His mother and second aunt knew that the Japanese's target was this young woman. Although they didn't know her, they couldn't push her out to be defiled by the Japanese. The three women walked forward slowly, close to each other, thinking about how to get out of danger. There was nothing they could do. The more they walked, the more frightened and nervous they became. Seeing that they were almost at the edge of the forest, the three women were so nervous that their hearts almost stopped. Suddenly, two shots rang out from afar, and bullets flew above their heads. The Japanese soldier shook the reins of the horses, and the two horses whooshed over Ah Hui's head and ran straight into the forest. Seeing that the Japanese soldiers had run away, the three women immediately turned around and ran south with Ah Hui.
It turned out that when the Japanese soldiers came out of the forest, his father left his mother and Ah Hui behind and ran away with Ah Wu. They ran all the way to Goufu Bridge. A few militiamen from Gou Fu were on sentry duty on the bridge. Two of them were holding 38 large galleons. His father ran to the bridge. Panting, he said to the militia,"Not good, my children, family, and two women have been taken away by the Japanese…"
The people on the bridge seemed to have seen everything that happened in the distance. After listening to his father's story, it was confirmed. He also knew who the Japanese were chasing away. One of them with a gun was about to chase after him. Another person said," Don't go. When we get there, they'll enter the forest. It'll be difficult. Why don't we make a few shots first and shoot them from a higher point? Don't hurt our people." Hence, two shots rang out. The Japanese soldiers who believed in Bushido were also afraid of death. When they heard the gunshot, the bullets were so close. It was more important to stay alive. They left the three women and Ah Hui behind and fled into the woods.
Mother and Ah Hui ran to Goufu Bridge in a while, and the people on the bridge rejoiced that they had escaped from the tiger's mouth. His father hugged Ah Hui tightly and thanked the Militia of the Ravine Prefecture, praising them for their good marksmanship. "The Japanese were terrified when the gun was right above our heads," said his mother.”The militiaman said,"I was afraid of hurting you and the child, so I hit Gao 'er. Otherwise, I would have left him alone."”
On Goufu Bridge, he heard that Xia Manor was fine. Therefore, the people who had fled from Xia Manor began to walk along the river bank toward their homes. In late autumn, Ah Hui was walking on the riverbank. She wore a shoe on her left foot and her right foot was bare. Her body was slightly cold. His mother said,"Run for a while. Once you run, you'll feel warm." Ah Hui was really running on the riverbank, swinging her arms. The water in the new river rippled with silver waves, flowing quietly southward. The stinky cattails on the shore swayed in the wind. The frogs croaked, and the croaking was so harmonious with the rhythm of the swaying cattail. Ah Hui thought that the croaking sound was coming from the swaying stinking cattail. Ah Hui was running on the river bank, and her body was really warm from running.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。