Costume Mountains and Rivers

Night once again shrouded the silent hills. That night, the ancient temple in the mountains at the east foot of Lianhua Peak ushered in a strange dinner.

A big pot was set up in the temple kitchen, and the stove filled with firewood was shining brightly. The old cook who had worked in Shen’s house for many years personally cooked a vegetarian duck with the tofu that he had finally obtained, waving the soup while muttering. Spoon, while patrolling around, directing the two young novice monks in the temple to add water and firewood, their fat bodies are like a rotating shaft, turning around in the square inch of the kitchen.

At the request of the monks, except for children and pregnant women, the rest of the refugees should eat vegetarian meals. In fact, there is no need to force them. During the period of escape, there was a lack of supplies. A few bags of grain, plus beans and cabbage stored in the temple, boiled it into a big mess. A large spoonful of the pot is a rare delicacy. As for the children in the relief hall, each of them got a piece of hard bread sandwiched with canned meat, and a handful of bright red small river prawns were sprinkled in the soup made of green vegetables and tofu. .

Jiangnan gourmets have always been picky when it comes to food, but now everything is cut and simplified. The citizens wear clothes that have not been washed for several days, and hold a variety of tableware, eating with gusto.

The back hall of the Jialan Hall is another scene.

After days of migration and fright, everyone urgently needed a little relaxation. The abbot of the temple got a jar of Shaoxing rice wine from somewhere, and brought a wooden table with four legs flattened. Everyone gathered around the table with candles. Talk while eating.

Shen Shuzhu never showed up, and Shen Lisong, the eldest son of the Shen family, spent the whole night thinking about how to withdraw a sum of money from the bank during the economic control period, and he was also absent-minded.Mo Qinghe was asked by Mrs. Shen, and told a lot about life in Yan'an. The poor but happy northwest countryside in his mouth made the little girls in Shen's family speechless. When she heard that in the northwest, women could wear military uniforms like men to go to the battlefield, she drank a little wine and stared at the jumping candlelight, her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her eyes were moist and eager.

For the first time, Mo Qinghe discovered that the arrogant and rude Shen family in his heart also had a lovely side, such as good tutoring, whenever he spoke, everyone, including the old lady, listened quietly, and no one would suddenly Interrupting his speech, when he mentioned his past with Shen Peinan, the little girls pricked up their ears, covered their mouths and sniggered.

Mrs. Shen's old servant served a bowl of soup for Mo Qinghe, pursed her lips and said with a smile: "When the third master came back from abroad, when he talked about joining the army, no one in the family except the old lady agreed. People are used to serving people, and when they are in the barracks, they don’t even know how to fold the quilt.”

Mo Qinghe's eyes were extraordinarily soft by the candlelight, she got up to take the soup bowl, and said with a smile, "We live in Beiping, and he always thinks I'm sloppy."

"The army has the rules of the army, how can we make him the same as before." The old lady curled her lips, wrinkled the fine lines on the bridge of her nose, and hummed softly, "I'm worried, his temperament, which is as bright as a candle, may not be as good as it used to be. Within months, he will be sent home for beating the officer."

Shen Piaoping seemed to have thought of something very interesting, so she burst out laughing, and the mother agreed: "Before Miss Piaoping, when the school was on vacation in summer, the big bus brought back the three young masters, all of them tall and thin. , wearing the uniform of a foreign school, greeted in foreign language, and praised his spirit when he saw it, but who knew that the chickens in our house were flying like dogs, the third master was young, and he was the most troublesome, either fighting with the foreign hounds raised by the uncle, or He smashed the master's greenhouse, such a big yard is not enough for him to be crazy, and there are still a few pieces of glass in the greenhouse that don't match the color."

Everyone roared with laughter, Mo Qinghe held the bowl and ate slowly, feeling comfortable and comfortable.The reunion of this kind of big family made him temporarily forget the gunpowder smoke and war outside. Across a narrow corridor, the chatter and laughter of citizens came from the main hall. He suddenly felt a sad hope. He thought, the lives of these refugees Life is both weak and tenacious, just like spring grass, which can grow again after being cut, and can be born without fear of the cold with a little rain. Such a nation will not easily compromise with the invaders.

The dinner was over, the table was removed, the servants spread out the bedding, Shen Piaoping went to the backyard, and when she came back, she brought a tray and poured tea with the celadon tea set used to entertain guests in the temple, and winked at everyone, generously Give it to Mo Qinghe.

When this cup of tea was brought up, everyone stopped talking and looked at him with smiles. Mo Qinghe was puzzled, took a sip, felt that there was at least half a cup of sugar in the cup of tea, and immediately wrinkled Frowning, said: "It's too sweet."

After finishing speaking, she was about to put down the glass, but Shen Piaoping grabbed his wrist and said, "No, I must drink it all at once."

She smiled with deep meaning, and Mo Qinghe was very embarrassed. The old lady who was packing the bed at the side looked back and said with a smile: "It's just a matter of tasting it. Missy is playing tricks on you. This is the rule for wives who marry from the south. There are people getting married at home, young people come to see each other, if the guests are welcome, they have to pour a cup of sweet tea, and if the guests are not welcome, they have to drink sour tea. Now that society is civilized, this practice has long been used, and now it has been moved out.”

Mo Qinghe was holding the teacup. He had just taken a hot bath, had a full meal, and regained his decency and manners. He said with a friendly smile, "What's the big deal about a cup of sweet tea."

After speaking, he picked up the teacup and drank it in a few gulps. He erected the cup and poured the unmelted sticky sugar juice into his mouth. Being stuck, he was anxious to find water to rinse his mouth, Shen Piaoping pursed his lips and smiled, and said: "After drinking our tea, you are a member of our family. You can't care about the previous things."

"When there is peace, Boss Mo will come on stage again, and he must reserve tickets for us."

There was a smile on Mo Qinghe's face, but she was aroused by her. He said that he and Shen Peinan were separated from each other, and their relationship had long since broken, and there was no room for turning around. He was silent for a while, then turned to Mrs. Shen, grabbed those old hands, and said in a low voice: "My aunt has gone, I will call you today, and you should answer me. We people in the rivers and lakes make promises and go No matter what happens between me and Brother Shen, I will definitely regard you as my mother in my heart."

He knew very well that the war was brutal and the road ahead was steep, and he was no longer as pure-hearted as Shen Piaoping, so he refused to speak out.

Mrs. Shen heard the subtext in his words, held a handkerchief in her hand, touched his head lovingly, and said: "No matter how far the third brother runs, no matter how high his military rank is, he will return home one day. The old woman is not dead, he still has to take care of me, don't worry."

Mo Qinghe sighed softly and stopped talking.

Everyone was full of wine and food, and gradually fell asleep. Mo Qinghe tiptoed through the gap between the floors and walked out of the Garan Hall. The night was as cool as water, and by the fence of the ancient temple, two militia teams were handing over. After several days of training, They have already learned the rules and discipline, and have become a group of qualified soldiers. Yuan Ye went from the head to the end of the line, checking the guns one by one. When he saw Mo Qinghe, he ran towards him with small steps and raised his hand as a military salute.

"The situation has basically stabilized. There have been no Japanese troops going up the mountain all day today." In the cold winter, Yuan Ye rubbed his hands and exhaled white air from his mouth, "What should we do next?"

Mo Qinghe put both hands in the pockets of the windbreaker, and gently kicked a small stone on the sand with the tip of her shoe, frowned and pondered for a moment, then whispered: "I will go to the city tomorrow, you are waiting for my news here , if I haven’t returned after three days, let the people go down the mountain and find a reliable tea farmer to lead the way, and you lead the Shen family over the mountain to break through.”

Yuan Ye was stunned: "Is there any new instruction from the organization?"

Mo Qinghe shook her head: "Hu Han left a note before his sacrifice. The method is very risky. I want to try it."

Yuanye wanted to continue asking, but seeing Mo Qinghe's eyes, he knew that asking was futile, so he nodded, "Do you need help?"

"No need." Mo Qinghe said: "I can't trust anyone here except you, but you have to stay and take care of them."

"Prepare the outfit for selling tea when we come, and prepare a silencer pistol, five gold bars, within three days. If I haven't come back, no matter what rumors you hear, report to the organization and say that I have sacrificed. "

Mo Qinghe's words made Yuanye feel cold, and he immediately realized the danger of the situation, but he kept his expression calm, with a dignified and stern expression, reached out to shake Mo Qinghe's hand, and said in a low voice: "Take care, I waiting for your good news."

The night in the forest was exceptionally quiet, Mo Qinghe heard footsteps behind her, and hurriedly ended her conversation with Yuanye, Yuanye led the team away, Mo Qinghe looked back and saw Shen Shuzhu walking down the steps of the hall.

The second young master of the Shen family, who has always been suave and suave, looked haggard and his eyes were slightly red. Obviously, in tonight's banquet, he was the only one who couldn't show a smile. Soil stains, it seems that Miss Lu has just paid homage to Miss Lu from the tea garden in the back mountain. The sleeves of the clothes are very narrow, and they are tightly attached to the arms, revealing a thin wrist. He covered his mouth with a white silk handkerchief and coughed lightly for two Voice.

Shen Shuzhu looked like a consumptive patient at the moment. Mo Qinghe felt some pity in his heart, so he didn't care about the daytime conflict with him. He walked forward, took off his courtesy and bowed, saying: "Outside Liang, second master, go back."

A sarcasm appeared on Shen Shuzhu's pale face: "Why, Boss Mo is proud of himself now, is he willing to die?"

Mo Qinghe was taken aback, thinking that he had overheard the conversation with Yuan Ye just now, so he had to stand patiently and respectfully said: "Everyone wants to live, but unfortunately sometimes it is not up to oneself to decide whether to die or not to die."

Shen Shuzhu's thin eyelids moved slightly, the eyes were like thin knives, gouged him from top to bottom, snorted coldly, and did not speak.Mo Qinghe waited for a long time, saw that he had no other orders, and was about to go around him with a slight nod, but Shen Shuzhu suddenly took a step across to stop him, looked around, and said coldly: " I told my third brother ten years ago that the Communist Party is a party for poor people, and it can’t achieve anything at all. In today’s world, what do you think five gold bars can do?”

He put the handkerchief back into his sleeve, rolled the sleeves together, gave Mo Qinghe a condescending look, and said, "Come in and get the money from me."

After speaking, he turned around and left, Mo Qinghe followed behind, he saw the lines of Shen Shuzhu's side face, the iconic nose bridge and eye sockets of the Shen family, and sighed in his heart, this family is still alike in some respects.