Hunger for a hundred years

Chapter 48 (5)
But such demands were fruitless. From morning till night, all he could hear was He Bi's groans.Later, Hejiapo built a reservoir with a capacity of [-] cubic meters two or three miles below the Wanggu Tower. Stone trenches, ditches, and blood vessels generally connected Hejiapo's large and small fields. The history of relying on the sky for food ended in this ancient village; No longer lacking in food and clothing, but He Bi didn't pay back the bad debts.They really can't remember who they borrowed food from, and other people don't care about it anymore.What kind of stuff is that, pig roots, Laowa garlic, and Rulang bark, can they be called food?Dogs don't eat it, pigs don't eat it, so why do people want those things?
But in that special year, these things were just one shot at a time.

Not long after the reservoir was built, the county party committee set up a "Policy Implementation Leading Group" to review and correct unjust, false and wrong cases in the past 30 years.He Zhongbao was completely rehabilitated, and his elder brother He Zhongcai was also cleanly stripped of his "hat".

At that time, the Dongba Township government was overcrowded, and the district asked He Zhongbao to go to Laojun Township as the deputy head, but He Zhongbao was determined not to go.Laojun Township Government is located at the highest peak of Laojun Mountain, surrounded by pines and cypresses and rocks. The village farm is like an ordinary yard. Half of the township government’s houses are thatched sheds.Everyone thought that He Zhongbao didn't want to go because he thought Laojun's village was too expensive and the village farm and office conditions were too poor.Due to the instructions from above, special care should be taken for those who have been rehabilitated. The district officials did not dare to neglect, so they specially transferred a deputy mayor from Dongba Township and asked He Zhongbao to fill the vacancy.Both the cadres in the district and the villagers in Hejiapo thought that He Zhongbao was "at ease" now, but He Zhongbao still refused!
The people on the slope discussed quietly: Maybe He Zhongbao doesn't want the bad ones, only the right ones?Cai Gen joked: "Maybe he agreed to go to the central government."
The district sent people to Hejiapo to exchange opinions with He Zhongbao.He Zhongbao's answer was straightforward: "I'm old, and I don't want to move my home anymore."
This makes many people puzzled, especially the two brothers He Zhongcai and He Mangzi, who think that He Zhongbao has a mental illness. Although he is not young, he will retire after two years of work, but two years of work is two years. , you have endured humiliation for so many years, isn't it just looking forward to this day?They excitedly asked He Zhongbao why, and He Zhongbao replied: "I don't want to leave Hejiapo anymore."
He Zhongbao's reluctance to take up the post was something his superiors could not have wished for. There were so many rehabilitators, it was really difficult to arrange.

In this way, He Zhongbao was treated as a retiree. In addition to repaying his wages during the 20 years since he was released from the countryside, He Zhongbao had to receive a monthly pension in the future.

After everything was settled, He Zhongbao invited He Zhongcai and He Mangzi to his home, closed the doors and windows tightly, and cried like a convulsion before he could speak.When did He Zhongcai and He Mangzi see He Zhongbao cry like this?I was very nervous, and I didn't know how to persuade them.He Zhongbao cried for a long time before he took out the dog-beating stick that his father had passed on to him, and said to the two brothers: "This is passed down from my father. I have only used it once over the years. Now, I am rehabilitated. Zhongcai (He Zhongbao used to call He Zhongcai brother, after He Zhongcai became a landlord, He Zhongbao called him by his name, and now he is used to it) I have taken off my hat, and I can use it clearly again! Of course I don’t use it to beat people. My It means that if Zhongcai and I want to treat a guest once, we will invite people from Poshang. This time, it is equivalent to me using a dog-beating stick!"
He Zhongcai could understand such a profound truth, but He Mangzi didn't understand it at all. He was curious to see his father's dog-beating stick, but He Zhongbao had already picked it up in the back room and stuffed it under the pillow.

He Zhongcai felt a little unhappy. He was the eldest, and his father should have given him the family heirloom.But when something good is coming, he doesn't need to worry about it. Besides, isn't that just a stick soaked in dog blood?So he wholeheartedly agreed with the second brother's idea.

Since it was a treat, and He Zhongbao regarded this treat as so important, of course he wanted to kill a fat pig, but none of He Zhongbao's three brothers raised a fat pig, and there was not a single fat pig on the entire slope.

He Mangzi said: "The man named Chen Huaizhi in Jinyinkou knows how to raise pigs, I'll go and see."
He Zhongbao said yes, go and come back quickly.

That afternoon, He Mangzi took the money from his second brother to Jinyinkou.Chen Huaizhi lives in an adobe house in the east of the village. The village is generally full of wooden houses, and his grinning adobe house is particularly conspicuous.When He Mangzi entered the room, Chen Huaizhi was sitting on the straw stool tidying up the hemp rope on his glasses. When he heard footsteps, he looked up at the door, but his eyesight could only see a black shadow.He Mangzi said: "Chen Huaizhi." Chen Huaizhi immediately responded: "Here!" At the same time, he stood up quickly, with his hands clinging to the seams of his trousers.He Mangzi smiled twice and said, "Chen Huaizhi, I want to buy your pig." Only then did Chen Huaizhi realize that he wasn't here to drag him into a fight, so he sat down and cleaned up his glasses. Which piece of twine went wrong.He Mangzi looked at his ear shells with interest. There was only a slit left in those ear shells. How did he hear the sound?It is said that the blind have good ears, and it seems to be true.

After looking at Chen Huaizhi's ear shells, He Mangzi looked at his house again. His two daughters were married, and he was the only one in the house. It was very deserted, but it was extremely clean. The flower baskets all look spotless.He Mangzi has long heard that Chen Huaizhi has to clean the flower basket repeatedly every time he carries cow dung.This guy was beaten into the black mountains with a stick from the much-anticipated Beijing. Why did he keep his house and furniture so clean?He Mangzi racked his brains and couldn't figure it out.After finally packing up the glasses and hanging the hemp rope over the ears, Chen Huaizhi asked He Mangzi to sit down.He Mangzi didn't sit down, saying that I came to buy pigs.Chen Huaizhi said: "I have raised a few pigs, but I dare not sell them." He Mangzi said, "Now it's time to sell pigs, maybe you don't know?" Chen Huaizhi didn't believe it, no matter what he said.He Mangzi had no choice but to ask their captain to come.On the way to invite the captain, He Mangzi scolded: "It turns out that you are a fucking pig. You don't even know the policy has changed. You are still a professor!" He Mangzi invited the captain, and the captain made it clear that pigs can be bought and sold freely Afterwards, Chen Huaizhi limped and led He Mangzi to his piggery.

The pig house was just behind the house, and He Mangzi didn't look at the pig at first, but was stunned by the bright and clean look in the pig house.Because lime is often sprinkled inside, you can't even smell feces!He Mangzi took a deep breath and shook his head.There were three pigs in the pen, all of which were wiping the floor with their bellies. "I want all three pigs," He Mangzi said, "How much do you say per catty?" Chen Huaizhi said softly, "I don't have a scale here, so you can pay as much as you give." Is it okay to give 100 yuan?" He originally said this in a mocking tone, a pig should be at least 270 catties, and based on the gross weight of three cents per catty, three pigs should be more than [-] yuan.Unexpectedly, Chen Huaizhi said lightly: "Okay." As soon as he said this, He Mangzi quickly stuffed one hundred yuan into Chen Huaizhi's hand.

At this moment, he saw Chen Huaizhi's hand.Those hands were small, with thin joints, and each thumb was crooked, with shocking openings.He Mangzi suddenly felt pity for him.After all, he came back from Beijing. There is Tiananmen Square in Beijing. There is a golden sun on Tiananmen Square. That is the place where Chairman Mao lived before and after his death. He really didn’t deserve to suffer this.
Because of this feeling, He Mangzi talked to Chen Huaizhi much more cordially. He said, "You are a rightist, and my second brother is also a rightist. My second brother has been rehabilitated, but you haven't been rehabilitated yet?"
Chen Huaizhi's eyes twitched, but he didn't answer He Mangzi, and He Mangzi didn't ask further questions. What he thought was that the second brother is a small rightist, and Chen Huaizhi is a big rightist. It seems that this time he only rehabilitated the small rightist.

He Mangzi thought he could take the pig down the mountain immediately, but Chen Huaizhi brought a big bucket of water to wash the pig's face!He Mangzi said: "Don't wash it, anyway, it will be killed if you take it back!" Chen Huaizhi didn't say a word, and washed the pig very carefully.The pigs seemed to know that they were about to say goodbye to their masters. After wiping the veils off their faces, they beat their heads into the arms of their masters. Chen Huaizhi hugged the pigs' heads and patted their backs gently.More than half an hour later, he stepped out of the pigsty and said to He Mangzi: "These pigs obey orders, you don't need to shout from behind, you are in front, shout 'one, two, three, four' —run in stride', and they'll run after you. You've got to run fast, or they'll get impatient and knock you over."
As he said, He Mangzi led the three fat pigs across the ridge and down the rocky slope, through the forest and across the ditch, and almost ran wildly to Hejiapo.After leaving the house, it was still dark.

That night, the three pigs were killed, and a feast was held the next day.

The banquet is set up in the middle courtyard, and twelve tables for the Eight Immortals are lined up neatly.

This is the most spectacular banquet in the history of Hejiapo.

He Zhongbao came to the door in person and invited everyone on the slope to the banquet, except He Da's family. "He is just a beggar dog!" He Zhongbao said.He started to prepare to invite him, but after thinking about it, that's all.In order to enter the mainstream society of Hejiapo, He Kou struggled for so long, what was the result of his struggle?Washed by Kuan Huan, messing with Hu Mian, and stealing wheat from the team, these are his achievements.Before he can get out of these shadows, the world will change again! "It's all because of cowardice," He Zhongbao thought, "He Da is a low life, and his children can only be low lives."
Although the family is invited verbally, the parents of each household are actually invited to the banquet, which is the rule of Poshang.Of course, He Bi went to He Jianshen's house.On this day, He Bi, wearing a starched long gown with double-breasted collar, happily ran under He Kuiyuan's apricot tree, descended a few stone steps, and then passed through the long alley in front of He Tuanjie's gate, and appeared in the middle courtyard.She was the first to arrive.He Zhongbao first spotted her and asked, "Where's Jianshen? Why didn't Jianshen come?" He Bi replied, "He has a stomachache and can't come." He Zhongbao said nothing.

When the parents of every family except He on the slope arrived cautiously, He Mangzi and He Zhongbao's son He Guanghui carried more than ten strings of firecrackers and set off them in the courtyard dam.

The firecrackers are let off, and the banquet begins.

He Zhongbao put the wine bowl at one end, everyone thought he was about to say a toast, but unexpectedly his first sentence was: "Hey, where is Jianshen?"
At that time, He Bi was impatiently nibbling the salted vegetables and braised meat in the bowl, when He Zhongbao asked her about the man again, thinking that he would not be able to finish the meal by himself, because among the people present, only those who were absent from the man would be replaced by women.She quickly put the meat into her mouth.Before they chewed it all, He Zhongbao came up to her and raised his voice, "Sister-in-law He, call Jianshen! Other families only come with one, but yours is a very poor household, so you can come with two!"
When He Bi heard this, she couldn't help being overjoyed, flicked her skirts, and ran home frantically.

A few minutes later, He Bi ran back.Jianshen fell behind, and it took another few minutes to arrive.He hadn't attended a banquet for decades, he had long lost the calmness and dexterity he had when he attended the banquet at Wangjiaba, Qingxichang, and he looked at a loss.It was at this time that the people in the village discovered that He Jianshen, who was always full of spirits, had become so wretched.When did his waist become so bent?He was a little hunchback when he was young, but now he is not only hunchbacked, but also has a big bump on his back, like a pot lid, supporting his tattered clothes and forcing his head to the ground at the same time.The situation was not much better than that of Kuan Huan.

He Zhongbao hurried over and pulled Jianshen to his seat.

Opposite Jianshen, He Zhongcai was sitting.

The banquet is officially opened.Except for He Bi, everyone was very uncomfortable with this banquet that did not require gifts. The chopsticks seemed to be tense, and they couldn't lift them up.It wasn't until I drank half a bowl of wine that my whole body became active.When the oil cakes and buckwheat are all eaten, the central courtyard finally has a banquet atmosphere. You ask me to toast, and I ask you to toast. As for where the wine came from and why they were invited to drink, all are thrown away later.

When everyone was in full swing, He Zhongcai stood up and shattered an empty wine bottle to the ground.

Dozens of people just let out a short "ah" and all stared at He Zhongcai, who had protruding eyeballs.

He Zhongcai stared at He Jianshen, and asked in a thunderous voice: "Jianshen, you said that I am a landlord and bully. Today, you have to make it clear where I am evil and where I am a bully. Did I kill your wife or kill your daughter?" Is it day?"
At that time, He Jianshen was digging rice into his mouth with a bowl, and when He Zhongcai threw the wine bottle, he was digging a mouthful of rice, and when He Zhongcai questioned him, the rice was still in his mouth.He looked at He Zhongcai pitifully.

He Zhongbao watched coldly.

He Zhongcai yelled, "Say it? If you don't say it, don't you want to walk out of the middle courtyard today!"
Before he finished speaking, He Zhongcai walked around the table, walked up to He Jianshen, and snatched the bowl and chopsticks from Jianshen's hand.

Jianshen lowered his head and vomited a mouthful of rice under the table, trembling all over, the bag on his back shaking the most.

He Zhongcai slapped him across the face, knocking out one of Jianshen's teeth.He had very few teeth left.The one that was knocked out was his main tooth, and he relied on it to chew some of the crispy food He Bi had made.

Jianshen covered his mouth, blood flowed from between his black and bony fingers.

At this time, a woman slipped away quietly.She is He Jiangao's wife Gu Shi.For a long time after Jiangao was forced to death, Mrs. Gu went to his grave to cry day and night. When there were people around, she cried about her husband’s lifelong misery. Tian Mingliang began to scold them all the way to He Zhongbao and He Jianshen, cursing them "one will live and one will die, two will live and one will die, and the fragrance of rice will be cut off forever."
He Zhongcai bit his cheek and said, "That year, you slapped me and kicked me twice, so I couldn't get up for half a month. Now, you and I are old, and I only give you one kick." .But, my feet are not as hard as yours, so I'll use a bench instead!"
After all, He Zhongcai lifted He Zhongbao and Jianshen, dragged up the big bench they were sitting on, and slammed it at Jianshen's legs.

The bench swung into the air and was caught.

What a unity.

He Tuanjie with big arms and round waist stood in front of He Zhongcai, and He Zhongcai, who was as short as He Zhongbao, looked like a child.He Zhongcai's hands were numb from the shock, and looking at Chen Goblin who suddenly appeared, he mumbled, "Unity, what are you going to do?"
He Tuanjie said coldly: "I beat Wen Erniang (He Zhongbao's wife) and Mangzi's father, why don't you settle accounts with me?"
He Zhongcai looked at He Zhongbao.He Zhongbao's face was livid.

He Tuanjie also turned his attention to He Zhongbao.

Under the gaze of He Tuanjie, He Zhongbao's face slowly turned gentle, but he was absolutely unwilling to admit defeat on this occasion, he looked at He Tuanjie, and said firmly: "You will never come to beat me again! "
He united himself, grabbed the bench from He Zhongcai's hand suddenly, and threw it at He Zhongbao's head with all his strength.

The bench broke into two pieces.

But the bench was broken on the rocky ground, and He Zhongbao hid it.

He Zhongcai shouted loudly: "How dare you hit the commune cadres?!"
Where did He Unite hear this?He grabbed another stool and went after He Zhongbao.

Many people went up to hug He Tuanjie, but to no avail. He Tuanjie yelled, and those who hugged him fell to the ground one after another.He didn't move much until He Kuiyuan went to hug him.

All the people who went to the banquet slipped away quietly, including He Jianshen, and He Bi who wanted to eat him upside down.

This specially set "celebration banquet" ended hastily like this.

(End of this chapter)