godfather

On the way back to Xigou that day, I happened to pass by the market in the Zaolin Commune next door. He Shaotang was also in a great mood, so he took Xiaobei to the market on a whim.

Since the 50s, this nearby town has become the largest farmer's market in the countryside of Xigou with a radius of more than ten miles.The later collectivization of the people's commune system deprived private plots and restricted free trading. Farmers had no surplus agricultural products. This market existed in name only, and its glory disappeared.

Farmers in the nearby villages still follow the habit of more than 20 years. Every fifteenth day, they will go for a stroll on the ridge by the river to visit relatives and friends. Wind, it's a common thing, holding a thick porcelain bowl in his hand.

Of course, there are also farmers who weave baskets by hand, and whoever makes a few more pots and helmets, and secretly exchanges half a catty of hot peppers with others.Some people began to resell food stamps, riding a small tricycle, pulling a cart full of plastic pots and bowls, and the workers in the factory exchanged the surplus food stamps for things.

Shaotang used a crumpled food stamp in his pocket to exchange Meng Xiaobei for two yellow buns, a handful of dried candied dates, and a bag of crispy hot peppers.Meng Xiaobei couldn't fit in his pockets, he choked on both cheeks like a monkey.He Shaotang chewed crisp chili peppers, his lips were bright red.

In fact, that day, He Shaotang noticed that there was something wrong with the atmosphere on the ridge of the village. Many villagers gathered together, squatting, with a guy on their back, and kept their heads open for a while, occasionally swearing at their mothers, which was unusual.A gloomy corner appeared in the sky, thick clouds rolled from the top of the mountain to the direction of Xigou, and the waves of the Wei River surged.

Shaotang had a premonition that something was going to happen.Vigilantly, he picked up Meng Xiaobei and put it on his shoulders, and walked away with his back on his back.

Shaotang said, "Let's go back."

Meng Xiaobei pinched his ears: "Play for a while, it's boring to go home! Uncle Shaotang, let's go play in the air-raid shelter you took me to last time!"

He Shaotang turned into the village and went to see the secretary of the commune.He put Meng Xiaobei on the stone millstone at the door, and told him, "Don't let me run around. I'll talk to the person in charge and I'll be right back."

Before parting, he habitually touched the kid's face with his hand, really looking forward to seeing him.

A group of sheep ran out on the dirt road between the villages, bleating and screaming, and a group of fierce local people wore white turbans with sheep belly on their heads, wore vests with bare arms, and black cloth shoes waded through the dust.

He Shaotang asked the people on the road: "What's the matter, what are you going to do?"

Someone shouted: "Go to the gate of their factory and block that kid!"

"We can't let that bastard get away!"

Someone rushed back to report the news; "I just saw that kid surnamed Duan coming out of the gate, he came out, let's block that little bastard!!!"

"That kid threw away the mess, and still wants to leave?! He's had enough to eat, drink, and play, and he's made our village girl's belly bigger. He wants to go back to Beijing? He's a good idea! Don't smash his two legs! A leg!!!"

He Shaotang watched a group of villagers rushing past aggressively, and hurriedly said to the head of the commune, "Let's talk if you have something to say, so many of you are blocking the gate of the factory, why make a big fuss, it's a violation of discipline."

The secretary of the commune said angrily: "There is nothing to talk about with those bastards in the factory!"

Someone stood still and turned to stare at him: "... Are you also from their factory?"

"This person is also the group from Beijing, they are all in the same group!"

"These bastards eat the food we grow, drink the water from our Weihe River, and even harm the people in our village!"

……

He Shaotang understood what was going on as soon as he heard it, Duan Hongyu, that bastard, got into trouble again, he couldn't hold his waistband wherever he went, it was useless.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he was not stupid. Seeing that the situation was wrong, he closed his mouth coldly, turned around and left silently.

He took two steps, and as soon as he turned the corner, he quickly ran and rushed to the entrance of the village!

He squeezed through the sheep in one breath, rushed through the big locust tree, found the stone mill at the head of the village, and was stunned...

Shaotang anxiously looked left and right, seeing noisy and moving crowds and fierce villagers with sickles.The sheep were frightened and scattered, and the yellow dogs barked wildly.The men from the village head gathered, this is to gather together to prepare to fight.

What about Meng Xiaobei?

"Little Bei?"

Shaotang didn't dare to blow the thorns, so he lowered his throat and shouted: "Xiao Bei?!"

Xiao Bei? ! ! ! !

The head of the village is not far from the manufacturing plant, crossing the river bank and passing a few pieces of farmland, it is the gate of their automobile manufacturing plant, and there are people from the security department standing guard.

At that time, there was no phone with him, and the problem could be solved with a phone call. He held his breath and ran out for two miles!

He Shaotang wasn't afraid, it wasn't that he wanted to escape from the limelight and hide from those people, he was really anxious that day, and his heart was flustered.

A small part of his heart was worried about these excited villagers, going to settle accounts with that deadly Duan Hongyu, and the other half was worried about Meng Xiaobei - he lost their children!

He thought about Meng Xiaobei, that careless little bastard who was gliding around. Did he run back to the factory by himself when he saw how frightened the crowd was?

Did the kid leave him and go home by himself?

Shaotang ran to the gate of the factory, and the workers in the security department heard the wind and had already quarreled with a group of villagers at the gate.

Shaotang couldn't find Meng Xiaobei in the crowd, his face was flushed with anxiety, his shirt collar was torn apart from the heat, and his chest was dripping with sweat.He froze for two seconds, turned around and ran back...

He Shaotang ran back against the crowd of people holding machetes.

The fierce villagers gathered to fight, with hostility in their eyes and big blades in their hands, and a few people drove two large tractors, rumbling across the dirt road.

The factory heard the wind, and a large number of workers also rushed out with weapons and set up barriers at the factory gate.The two groups of people clashed, and if one made a move, the people in front couldn't hold it back, and the people behind rushed up and charged at the gate...

He Shaotang's face turned pale, his dark eyebrows were twisted into a knot, and he grabbed a villager with his big hand: "Did you see Meng Xiaobei?"

"See a little boy that tall?!"

What answered him was a shining sickle.

The scythe covered his head and face, and the curved blade slashed at his ears at an angle!

He Shaotang slammed back and dodged, almost losing his ears.The sickle does not recognize people, and Shaotang is not wearing a military uniform, and the outfit is different from what the villagers saw.He was wearing a white shirt that day, with the cuffs rolled up to the elbows, and army green trousers. He looked like the urban youth who went to the countryside!

After He Shaotang dodged for the second time, he didn't even blink, and the fundus of his eyes instantly burst into deep red.He hugged him with a punch, and slammed the opponent's eyebrows, eyes and nose so hard that blood was seen with one punch.

"North!!!!!!!!"

When he yelled "Bei Bei", he poked his chest hard, and suddenly felt uncomfortable.

It seemed that it was the first time he called Xiao Bei like that, and he was so anxious that he died.

The heads of the moving people are like the dark waves of the Weihe River on a rainy autumn day.In the crowd of scuffles, Shaotang's eyes burst into red, he roared, and thick veins appeared on his neck...

The leader of the factory called for emergency help. Officers and soldiers of the nearby troops received the report, and the trucks came with a large number of soldiers, armed with guns to stop the fighting.

In a certain year, this incident is like a layer of oil and spicy noodles on the noodles, which is commonplace. In the late 60s and early 70s, there were many large-scale fightings in various places.The children of high-ranking cadres of the rebel factions fought with each other with guns and guns among government workers, and finally dispatched troops to suppress it, and many people died.Later, the situation gradually calmed down and the turmoil gradually subsided, but the impetuous and violent seeds were still deeply rooted in the blood of this group of people who had experienced the chaotic years of beatings, smashing, criticizing and fighting, making people irritable and impulsive.The sky is high and the emperor is far away from the Northwest Dashangou, but there are no rules and regulations.

The trigger for this incident was that a high-ranking young man surnamed Duan went to the village for entertainment and incurred romantic debts.That girl was not without relatives, she had the same surname in the same village, and the entire village of two hundred or so families was a big family, full of grievances, she came to the Lord for an explanation.

Of course, this incident was not just because of an unpopular romantic affair. In the final analysis, the large-scale production of rural collective communes at that time unconditionally allocated food and materials to support the construction of the third line, and divided up the interests of farmers.A large number of urban youths flooded into the countryside, conflicting ideas, and conflicts broke out sooner or later, like a torrent silting up at the mouth of the narrowest part of the Xigou, needing a channel to vent.

What about Meng Xiaobei?

How could he leave Shaotang and go home by himself.

Meng Xiaobei didn't run far that day.His Uncle Shaotang went to the village to look for someone, and he couldn't stay alone, so he looked around with his small eyelids unwilling to be lonely, and was attracted by the old man who was shaking the stove with one hand and burning silverware.

Xiaobei is lively and active, and has a strong thirst for knowledge. Among the children of his age, he is already the most knowledgeable, so he is quite patient and squats down to watch the old man do his crafts.

He took out a few copper shells from his pocket, picked out the most complete and undamaged one, and handed it to the old man: "Grandpa, please help me make a small hole in it and hang a red string."

The old man: "Why did you drill that hole?"

Meng Xiaobei: "I want to hang it around my neck."

The old man: "I won't call you, I'm in trouble."

Meng Xiaobei lingered on the things in his pocket for a long time, and handed them over: "I'll trade candied dates with you for crafts, okay! You just give me one and give me one! Grandpa—"

The old man laughed, unable to hold back this persistent and shameless monkey boy.

Meng Xiaobei punched a hole in the copper bullet case and threaded it on a red thread to hang it around his neck. Finally, he came up with an idea and used a tree stick to draw a word on the ground that made his heart flutter. He said, "Please help me carve this word on the bullet." .”

At this time, he was still immersed in a joyful mood, thinking about how to show off to Shaotang later...

Shaotang ran back and forth a few times along the way, searching along the river ditch, afraid that Meng Xiaobei would be beaten, and also afraid that the boy would accidentally slip and slip into the river.

The white shirt was covered with dust and blood, and it was almost invisible.

He kicked over countless people and made a way, his pale face was flushed with emotion, and he even had bad thoughts in his heart... If he loses that little wolf cub today, it is not his cub This is the son of Meng Jianmin!How can I explain to Meng Jianmin later, and what compensation will I get? !

He Shaotang is stubborn.With his temperament, he didn't think of going back to the factory first, finding Meng Jianmin, and telling Jianmin that your son was lost. We have a lot of people and strength, so let's borrow a loudspeaker and let's go find it together.In the heart of a person like him, there is no such thing as the idea that there are many powerful people to share the pressure and responsibilities for him. If he can't find the child today, he will never have to see Meng Jianmin, and he will directly smash him to death.

He just ran back and forth, looking for...

He ran on the river beach, suddenly remembered something, stopped, turned around and ran into the valley at the tributary, stepping on water and mud all the way.

Shaotang ran into the mountain nest, which was the entrance of the air-raid shelter hidden behind the pile of firewood in the cowshed.

A few old scalpers lay quietly in the cowshed, ruminating their cud as if nothing had happened, and glanced at him with their huge eyes.

On the iron hook of the wooden post, a familiar brass-colored luster streaked across the pupil membrane at the corner of the eye, swaying lightly with the wind.

He Shaotang thought carefully, walked over carefully, and took off the thing.

A very ordinary red string with a perforated brass shell tied to the end of the string, exquisite workmanship.

Shaotang looked around in surprise, then lowered his head to examine the bullet carefully, and found that there were words on it.

His heart seemed to be poked into the soft place suddenly, and his eyeballs suddenly became wet, because he ran too fast just now, when he was worried and scared, he suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, and emotions gushed out of his eyes.

this stinky boy...

Why is it so...just so...ah.

This place is the air-raid shelter of the Zaolin Town People's Commune.During the Cold War, Chairman Mao waved his hand and issued an order to dig deep holes across the country and accumulate grain widely. All townships and counties, especially near strategic mountains and rivers, have dug air-raid shelters to resist possible external aggression.Every village around the arsenal has dug air-raid shelters. They have never experienced bombing and are usually deserted, with moldy debris piled up...

The air-raid shelter was cold, pitch-black, and you couldn't see your fingers.

He Shaotang bent his waist, felt the uneven stone wall, and slid along. In the darkness, he heard gasps one after another, and he couldn't tell whose gasps it was.

He flicked on the lighter.

A faint yellow swaying light illuminates people's hearts.

"Xiaobei..."

Meng Xiaobei's delicate bean shrank into a wet monkey, and also huddled in the corner, looking around shrewdly and cautiously, waiting for rescue.

"Shaotang! I'm here!"

Meng Xiaobei's face suddenly brightened, showing a naive and excited smile, and he also called out in a low voice like a secret agent.

"Puppy day... get over here!!!"

He Shaotang scolded people blurt out, but he didn't care that these words actually scolded Meng Xiaobei's own father.

Meng Xiaobei threw himself into his arms, crawled up in front of Shaotang like a monkey, and grabbed hold of his legs.In the darkness, the light from the lighter flashed, and before his eyes was Shaotang's sweat-soaked face, a pair of thick black anxious eyes, and his lips were soaked and white!

Shaotang hugged Meng Xiaobei, and was so angry at that time, why does this brat make people want to smoke, and why is he so painful...

The two tried to get out of the hole the same way they came back, but there was a sudden noise at the entrance of the hole, and someone jumped in.

"That baby seems to belong to someone from the factory, catch him!"

"Just now when I tried to catch him, he bit us, bit off a piece of meat from the hungry waist, and ran away!"

Meng Xiaobei's eyes widened, but he wasn't afraid at this moment. For some reason, with Shaotang around, his heart was beating violently, but he didn't feel afraid.He was caught under the arm by He Shaotang, protecting him.Shaotang is unarmed!

Some people's eyes were red and they didn't distinguish between black and white. They rushed forward and wanted to hit them, but before they had a chance to get close, Shaotang kicked one of them away.

The machete and sickle pressed on top of his head, He Shaotang dodged, and his shoulder hit the cave wall rammed with rock and earth.

Meng Xiaobei exclaimed: "Ah!!!"

He couldn't see clearly at all, he just felt a flash of white light in front of his eyes, clearly the sickle blade was cutting towards his forehead.Meng Xiaobei's head was begged to be opened by the Lord of the Land. At that moment, he felt that his head was about to be split open, and his brain was about to burst open and turn into a watermelon...

The sickle didn't hit his head, and he was dangling in the air and was followed behind him.

puff--

Meng Xiaobei heard a muffled "hmm" from the person he was holding in his arms.

That voice seemed to be sweaty and steamy.

Thick liquid splashed on his face, with a fishy smell.

He raised his head, and in the dim light saw Shaotang pulling out a blade for the shoulder he was carrying.

With a backhand kick, He Shaotang made the opponent drop his hand, grabbed the handle of the sickle instead, and then chopped fiercely, hitting the shoulder where the opponent lost his force value, and his subordinates showed no mercy...

Meng Xiaobei opened his mouth slightly, but was so surprised that he didn't make a sound.

It was the first time in his life that he saw Shaotang fighting for real.Shaotang held the back of his neck with one hand, carried him like a wolf cub, and carried a knife in the other hand. His eyes were black and white, bloodshot, revealing extreme anger and ferocity, like a wolf. The male wolf who protects the cubs.

"Tangtang."

He gave a soft cry.He wanted to confirm the person next to him.