four
1
His days outside were not as wonderful as Wen Xuan had imagined. After leaving the island, he chose to head north. The checks along the way were very strict. He chose to enter the city at night. In his eyes, these cities were better than small fishing villages. There were some low buildings. In addition, people were still talking about the economy, factories, and so on. The further north he went, the more students he saw. He saw these students holding up signs on the street and shouting loudly. He often heard about the theories of Confucianism and Confucianism. He didn't understand, so he didn't delve into it. Every time a student grabbed him and handed him a flyer, he would stare at the other party's lips that kept moving. He had no idea what the other party was talking about. The fire in that person's eyes could not ignite his numb heart. He had been living in the open for a long time, and all he wanted was a white steamed bun. He had been wandering for a long time, beaten up by people and chased by vicious dogs. At this moment, he had already become the lowest creature, and he only wanted to survive. Therefore, he put away all his characteristics and became ordinary, emotionless, silent, and silent. He hoped that he would be transparent and not cause any reaction, so as to save his life. He followed the crowd of students, leading a few steamed buns silently. When these people were captured, he was also captured without any resistance.
The students 'comments were baffling to him. He didn't even know what ideology was, let alone protest.
Some were hung up and gritted their teeth as they endured the whipping. When he fell on the cold and slippery floor, he was still unyielding and shouted strange slogans. Wen Xuan squatted in the corner of the cell, trying his best to restrain the urge to rush up and help the injured person. He had seen too many of these beatings, forcing himself to become numb and turn a blind eye. As a result, he had lost his basic respect for humans. He became silent and hid in the shadows. He put away all human emotions and turned into a silent dead object.
One night, the student who was beaten bent his body and kept moaning, which led to another round of beating. Wen Xuan saw that those people had already gone far away, so he crawled in front of the students and said,""Won't it be fine if you shut your mouth?”
The student's face was blue and purple, his cheeks were swollen, and his eyes were bloodshot. He gritted his teeth and spat out a mouthful of blood on Wen Xuan's face, saying,""You traitor, dog, and scum.”
Wen Xuan wiped the blood off his face and retreated to the shadows in the corner. The next day, when he woke up and picked up the bowl of rancid porridge, he found that the student's body was stiff, his face was pale, and his eyes were bulging. He ignored her, turned around, and finished the bowl of porridge.
They were taken to the wilderness to help build the railway. Wen Xuan was in the middle of the line, carrying the iron blocks obediently. Those who were physically weak would be scolded and beaten up when they fell. Wen Xuan saw this and restrained his urge to rush forward. The more the guard acted like this, the more he could feel the fear in his heart. And there were so few guards. However, this group of victims did not know how to resist. If anyone raised their head slightly, they would be whipped. From this, it could be seen that these people were very afraid of making a mistake. Wen Xuan still used his usual method to weaken his human characteristics. He did not raise his head and moved silently like a dead object, never causing trouble. He was surprised by his strong self-control. He did not have any reaction when he saw those people being beaten into a bloody mess. This change made him feel fear. In his heart, the Silencer was also an executor. He was also silently allowing these people to do such cruel things that violated human nature. On the one hand, he endured it for his own survival. On the other hand, he condemned himself in his heart. Even if this group of fanatical students were stupid and restless, they should not be treated like this. He felt confused and uneasy. He felt that the outside world was far from what he could think of. It was even difficult for him to understand.
One evening, he used the twilight to sneak to the back of the team after counting people. While the guards were chatting, he dashed into the bushes. He hid in the thorns and endured the pain. He waited for the team to disappear at the end of the road, then turned around and ran into the jungle. He dived into the river and swam forward. After crossing the river, he arrived at a small village. He did not dare to enter the village for fear of attracting vicious dogs, so he went around the village and stole a few clothes hanging on the bamboo pole. He began to run wildly. He couldn't tell the direction, so he just kept running forward. At sunrise, he took off his old clothes, buried it in the dirt, changed into new clothes, and ate a raw sweet potato. He did not dare to move during the day, so he hid in a tree hole to rest. When night fell, he woke up and continued on his journey. He no longer ran north, but south. He kept running south. He jumped on the train and met other wanderers. They shared half a steamed bun and drank the rainwater from the trough. Everyone was talking nonsense all over the place, except for himself. There were runaways, scholars, and outlaws. They didn't ask about their birth or past. They only asked if there was food and water. They discussed how to escape the inspection and avoid being beaten up. The conversation was mixed with various dialect. They were discussing how to distinguish whether the other party was kind or not and how to get food.
Someone was constantly insulting the government. What Wen Xuan heard from that person was bullshit. Firstly, he did not know what the other party was talking about. Secondly, he was very hungry. Even if he tightened his belt, he was still starving.
The carriage road was filled with coal. They were dejected and had nothing to say. Wen Xuan turned around and rolled out while the train slowed down. He ran across the lawn and stopped by the river to drink a few mouthfuls of cold water. His stomach suddenly rumbled. He bent over, retched, and fell by the river. He fell asleep and woke up in hunger. He threw himself into the river and tried to catch some fish. In the end, he collapsed on the stone of the riverbed empty-handed, unable to open his eyes under the scorching sun. He turned around and saw a crab in the crevice of the stone. He grabbed it. The crab moved its pincers and clamped his dry and pale lips. He bit hard and felt the crab crack in his mouth. It was crispy. The juice splattered all over his face. He bent down and took a sip of the river water, waiting for the cold water to warm up in his mouth before slowly swallowing it. He felt his stomach, which had been motionless for a long time, open its mouth and swallow the living thing it had just swallowed. It squirmed and howled in dissatisfaction, waiting for another offering. Wen Xuan squatted down by the riverbed, searching. Soon, he swallowed five crabs and a few transparent shrimps. Although the prawns were small, they tasted sweet and delicious. He felt ashamed of himself. He had never looked at these small shrimps and crabs before. But now, he had to rely on these to survive. He continued to rummage and was startled by the Silk-spitting Snake that rushed out of the mud. The sharp front teeth almost bit his face. His face turned green and he quickly retreated. The green snake fell to the surface of the water and glided its graceful body forward like a bamboo leaf.
Wen Xuan stood up and looked at the skinny face in the water. He was shocked. He turned around, left the river, and continued south.
2
That night, he asked a farmer to stay for the night. The old farmer opened his drooping eyelids and sized up the young man. He turned to look at the old woman at home and pushed the door open.
There was a black and white photo on the wooden table in the hall. Two candles were lit in front. The flames danced and lit up the young man in the photo.
Wen Xuan kept standing, afraid that he would dirty something in the room. He stared blankly at the young man in the photo. The old woman patted his shoulder and handed him a set of clothes.""Change into it. This is my child's."
Wen Xuan changed his clothes and sat down. He turned his head and saw the farmer's wife taking his old clothes to wash, so he stood up.
"Let her be." The old farmer waved his hand and brought out a bowl of taro and eggs from the kitchen. He placed it on the table and said," Eat quickly. Don't let it get cold."”
Wen Xuan only reached out to touch the egg before picking up the taro. He broke it open and handed half to the old farmer.
The taro was steaming. Wen Xuan wished he could swallow it immediately. The old farmer took the half of the taro and placed it in the bowl. He turned to look at him and smiled. Then, he turned his head to look at the young man in the photo, and tears actually flowed out of his eyes. Wen Xuan was very surprised. She wiped her mouth and turned her face away. The room was very simple. Other than these wooden tables and chairs, there was no other furniture. There were a few calligraphy pieces hanging on the wall. These words were probably written by the young man in the photo, and they were all clichés filled with patriotic enthusiasm. This reminded him of his father and the pile of books hidden under the water tank. He didn't know how his parents were doing at home, but he couldn't help but cry like rain. He couldn't even swallow half a mouthful of hot taro.
"Hurry up and eat. Don't keep it. There's still some in the pot.”the old farmer said.
Wen Xuan nodded vigorously, but he couldn't eat.
At this moment, a young man who was also covered in dust and dirt rushed in from outside the door. He was no less disheveled than Wen Xuan.
"Dad, Mom, I'm back." the young man said.
The old farmer turned to look at the young man and was stunned. The farmer's wife ran in, her hands still dripping with water. She patted the young man's back hard and cried,"Child, where did you go? The school said you were dead! You made your dad and I cry every day. We all thought you were dead."
"Who said I was dead?" The young man turned his head and looked at the old farmer and then at the woman. He went forward and pushed the black and white photo over, saying," Look, I'm still alive.”
"You brat." The old farmer stretched out his hand and slapped the young man's head." Who asked you to run around? Why didn't you stay in school?"”
"That's right. The school has even set up a mourning hall for you. Everyone thought you were dead." The old woman wiped her tears and patted the young man a few times.
"Tell me, why didn't you study hard and come to Beijing? Is it your place to care about the country's affairs?”the old farmer said.
The young man rolled his eyes and sat down. He took an egg and glanced at Wen Xuan, who was in a daze. He lowered his head and peeled the egg.
"That's right. Where are the others?" The old woman rubbed the young man's head and wiped away her tears.
"How would I know? Everyone said that they were going to Beijing, and they didn't have to go to class. Then let's go. There's no food to eat, no water to drink, and we'll just cause trouble. I might as well come back. The others had probably returned as well. Who would be so stupid to stay there and starve?”The young man took a bite of the egg.
"Now that you're back, don't run around.”the old woman said.
"I still have to go back to school tomorrow." the young man said.
"Why are we going back? Rest at home for a few more days." the old woman said.
"I want to take a look at the mourning hall.”the young man said.
"Stinky brat, you keep saying such inauspicious words.”The old farmer patted the young man's head.
"I have to go back and study." the young man said.
"You can go, but you can't go to Beijing anymore.”the old farmer said.
"Beijing. I won't go there again in my life." the young man said.
Wen Xuan knew that the young man was hiding something. Whenever Beijing was mentioned, these students would always have different memories. However, he thought that he already knew enough about Wen Xuan, so he did not say anything.
That night, he and the young man squeezed on a shabby bed. None of them spoke, as if they were all keeping the same secret in their hearts. That feeling reminded him of his life in prison. Then, he dreamed of the dead young man. The stiff body was placed on a wet place. There was no light in the cold cell. He woke up with a start and turned to look at the person beside him. He reached out to feel the pulse on his hand. After confirming that the person was fine, he lay down in peace.
"We didn't die!" "You didn't die?" "Yeah, he's still alive." "How is that possible?" "Didn't you say that they were all dead?" "We snuck back.""That's right, I told you not to go, but you had to go."”"Aren't you back now?" "It's good that you're back. Everyone was so worried.”
The mourning hall, which was originally crying, became lively after the missing students appeared. They looked at the black-and-white photos for a while, then at the real person, crying and laughing. The parents slapped their children. The teacher and the students could not hide their excitement. They shook hands and hugged each other, as if they were friends who had not seen each other for a long time. Someone giggled at the side, grabbed a handful of melon seeds, and started eating them.
Wen Xuan stood outside the mourning hall and looked up at the dazzling sunlight. The parents and teachers who passed by smiled at him and squeezed his arm. They said,"It's good that you're back. You didn't die. That was great. Go back to your parents. They must be very worried."
Wen Xuan turned his head to look at the students standing beside his parents. He knew that they would treat him as a student too. He didn't argue and just nodded in acquiescence.
The young man walked to Wen Xuan's side and leaned against the door. He looked at the sunlight and rubbed his forehead.""We just wanted to join in the fun. We realized that it was boring, so we ran back dejectedly. Are you a student too?"
"I'm not a student. In fact, I didn't even finish middle school.”Wen Xuan said.
"That might not be a bad thing." the young man said.
"I used to mingle among the students, trying to make a living. Later on, he realized that it was very difficult to make a living there. They were very fanatical. They could throw something in and it would explode.”Wen Xuan said.
"We thought we could do anything. Then, he was slapped hard.”the young man said.
Wen Xuan smiled and said,"I've seen those students before. They're not like you."”
"When I was squatting there, I was so hungry that all I could think about was a hot roasted sweet potato. Then, I got up and left.”the young man said.
"Alright, that roasted sweet potato saved you.”Wen Xuan said.
"When you don't have anything, you can be attracted by someone else's flattery. However, it was still a painting. It was not as good as a real sweet potato.”the young man said.
Wen Xuan turned his head and stared at the pale and listless youth, saying,""Your cleverness saved you."
"Not smart, just hungry." The young man shrugged and said," I'm just a poor student who has nothing. I'm chatting with another homeless person who has nothing.”
The young man stood up straight, stretched out his hand to block the sunlight in front of him, and walked away.
3
Wen Xuan left that place and headed south, arriving at the southern city. This place was in the midst of economic reform. All kinds of new factories were hiring. Wen Xuan was recruited into the soda factory as soon as he arrived. Many of the workers in the factory were farmers. They all washed their feet and went to the fields. After entering the factory, they became ordinary workers. Women usually worked in garment factories or fruit canning factories. Most of the boys went to soda factories or plastic factories. These factories were very close to each other. Most of the men and women gathered together after work. Wen Xuan and a few boys were squeezed into the small dormitory in the factory. The guy sleeping on his lower bunk was a refined man wearing glasses. He signed up for night school and went to class with his books after work. He often brought along his account books and learned how to keep accounts. He wanted to be an accountant.
The guy opposite was called Hu Dong. He was very smug. As soon as he got off work, he showered and washed his hair. He combed his hair in front of the mirror until it was shiny. He saved a sum of money and borrowed some from the little accountant to buy a motorcycle. With this car, Zhang Li, the flower of the garment factory opposite, followed him. Every day, he would take Zhang Li out for a spin and drive the car loudly. The men and women who had just gotten off work stood at the side and watched, discussing animatedly.
The boy who lived in the lower bunk of Hu Dong worked two jobs. He worked in the factory during the day and went to the repair shop at night to help. Therefore, he rarely appeared in the dormitory.
Wen Xuan didn't have any special hobbies. He went to the workshop when he went to work and went to the dormitory after work. He lay in bed and stared at the moldy ceiling in a daze. He saved a hundred yuan every month and planned to go home after saving up a certain amount.
Hu Dong had long hair and ran in excitedly to tell them about the movie they had watched tonight. When he mentioned the kissing scene, he broke into a smile. Then, he continued to talk, and his saliva flew everywhere. Actually, at that time, Wen Xuan was the only one left in the dormitory. Wen Xuan turned around and ignored him. After a while, Hu Dong felt bored and rushed out. The motorcycle rumbled again and flew away.
Wen Xuan sat up and turned to look at the empty beds. He suddenly felt bored, so he jumped off the bed, put on his coat, and went out.
The Ashland Road went straight ahead. On one side were factories, and on the other side were green farmlands. However, the factories were encroaching on the farmland. Some fields had already been buried. The cement truck was pressing down on it. Dust flew everywhere.
Many factories had just closed. The workers came out in twos and threes. A mud cart carrying red bricks passed by, causing the originally uneven road to become even more bumpy. The workers covered their mouths and walked forward as if they were used to it.
Wen Xuan wrapped his clothes tightly and followed the workers. At the end of the road was the small town. The town market was filled with large and small stalls. The stove was moved to the side of the road. The fire on the pot lit up, illuminating the chef who was standing at the side throwing the pot. His face was red and his back was covered in sweat. The customer shouted at the top of his lungs and urged. Chef also opened his mouth wide and responded. He lifted the pot and scraped the vegetables onto the plate. More than ten tables were filled with men and women. The chopsticks moved up and down. The wine glass went back and forth. Everything was dazzling. Wen Xuan walked past and glanced at the dishes on the table. He had no appetite. He put his hands in his pockets and continued to walk forward. After passing a few food stalls, he came to a few low buildings. Then, he passed by that place. A few scantily dressed women sat inside the open door. He walked a few steps and stopped. He suddenly realized where he was. He wanted to leave quickly, but he couldn't move his feet. Then, he turned around and went in. Perhaps there was a moment when he regretted it. However, this feeling only lasted for a moment. As a single adult man, he didn't think it was worth arguing about. On the contrary, he was not willing to spend time flirting with the female workers in the factory. In this aspect, he truly felt that it was a waste of time. He rejected many female workers who threw themselves at him. He saw it as a responsibility to establish a relationship, not a pleasure. Therefore, he had no choice. He was pure in his feelings. He only needed to settle his physiological needs occasionally. When others mentioned this matter, he would also speak bluntly without hiding anything.
Life in the factory was monotonous. Many people came and went. The workers around him left, like sand, flowing into the bottom and disappearing without a trace. Wen Xuan maintained a certain distance from everyone. This was both his self-protection and his way of life. He always put himself in the position of an observer, observing the world. The scholarly temperament of his father was now inherited in his body and was slowly showing. He was not a bookworm, but his love for books was enough to surprise him. The books he read were very miscellaneous. He was reading aimlessly. Most of the time, he would put the book aside without thinking and start flipping through the next book.
Sometimes, he would be distracted and suddenly see the vast sea that stretched to the horizon. At that moment, he felt as if he was in the middle of an ocean. the sound of waves rises here and rises there. He was immersed in it and sank into a dream. Every time this happened, his longing for the sea became even more fervent. Every second, he wished to return to that sea and swim in the blue sea. However, what really prompted him to leave the city and return to his hometown was another matter.
That day, Wen Xuan returned to the dormitory and saw Hu Dong, who had not appeared for a long time. He seemed to have become a completely different person. He was skinny and his eyes were sunken. At that time, Hu Dong was lying on the bed with a pale face, rolling back and forth as if he was extremely hot and unbearable. He moaned in pain, his hands and feet flailing uncontrollably. The dormitory was in a mess. Everything had been rummaged through, even the little accountant's cabinet had been pried open. The clothes inside fell out. Wen Xuan stood by the door and did not enter. He realized that the rumors about Hu Dong selling his motorcycle and borrowing money everywhere were true. In addition, he vaguely thought of why Hu Dong was like this. He touched his pocket, glad that he had the money on him.
Hu Dong saw that he had returned and jumped off the bed, looking restless. He knelt in front of Wen Xuan and asked him for money.
"Please, just this once. I will definitely return it." Hu Dong said. His face was twisted and pale.
"No, I haven't. I sent all my money home." Wen Xuan took a step back and did not look at him.
"How can you leave me in the lurch? How much do you have? Give me as much as you have." Hu Dong stood up and grabbed Wen Xuan's collar.
Wen Xuan turned around and pushed Hu Dong away, saying,""Not a single cent."
"How is that possible?" Hu Dong shouted and pounced over with a knife in his hand.
Wen Xuan dodged to the side and ran into the corridor. He ran out of the dormitory and stayed outside for the entire night. The next day, when he returned to the factory, he heard that the little accountant was injured and was in the hospital. Hu Dong was caught. When his drug addiction kicked in, he stabbed the little accountant.
Not long after this, Wen Xuan packed his things and left the factory. Hu Dong reminded him of Liu Yongnian. He started to worry about Wen Gui. At the same time, he was also worried about the two children. He was afraid that they would be hurt by Liu Yongnian. He was not sure what part of Liu Yongnian's work was, nor was he sure if he was still doing it. However, what happened to Hu Dong terrified him. This fear was enough to make him give up his plan and return to the fishing village ahead of time.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]