Chapter 25 Chapter Twenty-Four

The flood of the Jiaolong River was soaring. Sitting on the edge of the kang in my house, through the back window, I could see the yellow turbid water rolling on the embankment and rolling eastward.A group of soldiers in an independent column stood on the embankment, facing the river, talking loudly. Mother was setting up chazi pancakes in the yard, and Sha Zaohua helped her light the fire.The firewood became damp, the flames were burnt yellow, and the black smoke was dense.The sun is ambiguous. Sima Liang entered the room smelling bitterly of locust trees, and whispered to me: They are going to escort my father, uncle and aunt to the military area.The third uncle and the others are tying up the raft and preparing to cross the river.

Lianger, my mother said in the yard, take your uncle and aunt to the embankment, stop them, and tell them that I want to see them off. The river is turbid and fast-moving, with crop stalks, sweet potato vines, livestock carcasses, and large trees rolling in the middle of the water floating on the water.The Jiaolong Bridge whose three bridge stones were burnt by Sima Ku has long been submerged by the flood, and only the rolling torrent and the ear-splitting noise indicate its existence. branches.The water surface is wide, and flocks of blue-gray seagulls are chasing the waves and flying, and occasionally a few small fish are brought up from the water.The opposite bank was like a faint black rope, jumping in the dazzling water waves in the distance.The water surface is only a few inches away from the top of the embankment, and in some places, the yellow tongue of water licks the top of the embankment provocatively, forming some small water streams, which gurgle and flow to the gentle slope outside the embankment.

When we walked up to the embankment, the mute Sun Buyan was urinating into the river with his well-developed genitals, and the liquid like golden wine syrup hit the water surface, making a tinkling sound.Seeing us coming, he smiled friendlyly, took out a whistle made of bullet casings from his trouser pocket, and blew out some melodious bird sounds, including the low singing of thrushes, the shallow singing of orioles, and the singing of larks. whine.The sound of the bird was charming, and his face with several warts softened a lot.When he had finished blowing enough, he flicked the saliva in the whistle, held the whistle in front of me, and let out an ahh, which meant clearly that he wanted to give the whistle to me.I took a step back and looked at him timidly.Sun Buyan, I will never forget the way you wielded a Burmese knife to kill people, devil!He moved his hand forward again, huh huh in his mouth, with an agitated look on his face.I retreat and he presses in.Sima Liang whispered behind me: Uncle, you can't have him, the dumb whistle, the devil will come, this is the tool he used when he went to the cemetery to summon ghosts.Ahhh!Sun Buyan yelled angrily, and slapped the brass whistle into my hand, then he walked to the group of people who were building the raft, and ignored us.Sima Liang dug the whistle out of my hand, lifted it up, and looked carefully at the sun, as if he wanted to discover some secrets inside.He said: Uncle, I am a cat and I am not listed in the twelve genus. No ghost can cure me. I will keep this whistle for you.After speaking, he put the whistle into his trouser pocket.He only wears a pair of knee-length green cloth trousers. On the trousers, there are many trouser pockets that he sewed with thick stitches, some are bright, some are dark, and the trouser pockets are colorful.There are many weird things in his trouser pocket, including stones that can change colors under the moonlight, small saw blades that can cut tiles, various apricot pits, and a pair of sparrow's feet. skull of a frog.There are also a few teeth, some of which fell out by himself, some by Eighth Sister, and some by me.My mother stood in the yard and threw all my lost teeth to the back of the house, but he picked them all up.How hard it must have been to find a baby tooth in the grassy, ​​shit-strewn lot behind my house.But Sima Liang told me: If you look for something deliberately, it will jump out by itself.Now, he has added a magic whistle to his collection, which is hidden in his trousers without a trace.

A dozen or so soldiers of the 17th Regiment moved along the alley, like ants, carrying heavy pine logs to the river embankment.There were crackling sounds on the street, and the watchtower of Sima Pavilion was being robbed.Sun Buyan was the leader of this group of soldiers. He commanded them and connected the pine poles with thick iron bars.Uncle Zunlong, the most skilled carpenter in the village, acts as their technical guide.The mute was losing his temper with Uncle Zunlong, screaming wildly like an angry gorilla, spewing out groups of spittle and stars.Uncle Zunlong stood upright, with his hands drooping submissively, holding an iron hammer in his right hand and an ax in his left.His two scarred knees were tightly squeezed together, his two legs with prominent veins were as straight as wooden sticks, and his two big feet were covered with a pair of wooden shoes.

At this time, a guard riding a bicycle with a pistol on his back rushed along the alley.He supported the car and climbed up the embankment with his waist bent.One of his feet sank into a mouse hole halfway up the embankment, and when he pulled out his foot, muddy water gushed out of the hole.Sima Liang told me: Look, it's about to burst.The guard also yelled: Danger, there is a hole here.The soldiers of the 17th Regiment panicked for a while, stopped what they were doing, and looked timidly at the hole where the water was coming out.A rare panicked expression appeared on the mute's face.He looked at the river, the river was mighty, higher than the highest ridge in the village.He pulled down the Burmese knife in his waist and threw it on the river bank, and hurriedly took off his jacket and trousers, only wearing a pair of hard shorts that looked like they were cut from iron sheets.Then he bluffed loudly at the soldiers.The soldiers looked at him dumbly like a flock of wooden chickens.A soldier with thick eyebrows raised his voice and asked: What do you want us to do?Shall we go down the river?The mute rushed in front of him, grabbed his collar and pulled it down, and a few black plastic buttons broke free.In desperation, the mute yelled out a clear word: Take off!

Uncle Zunlong looked at the holes in the embankment and the whirlpool in the river and said: Bosses, this is a hole drilled by a gopher, and the hole inside is bigger than a water tank.Your head wants everyone to take off their clothes, and he wants to go down and plug the leak.Bosses, take it off, if you delay for a while, it will be hopeless. Uncle Zunlong took off the patched jacket and threw it in front of the mute.The soldiers hurriedly took off their clothes, and one soldier only took off his coat and was still wearing the pair of trousers.The mute yelled out the clear word again angrily: Get off!The dog jumps over the wall in a hurry, the cat climbs the tree in a hurry, the rabbit bites in a hurry, and the mute speaks in a hurry.take off!Take off!Take off!He roared incessantly, as if the commandos were consolidating their gains.The little soldier said pitifully: "Squad leader, I'm not wearing pants!"The mute picked up the Burmese knife, put it on Xiaobing's neck, and rubbed it twice with the back of the knife. The soldier's face was ashen, and he cried, "Grandpa dumb, I'll take it off, can I still take it off?"He bent over, hastily unwrapped his legs, and pulled his trousers down, revealing his white buttocks and his fledgling cockerel, which he clutched enviously.Just as the mute was about to force the guards to take off their clothes, the man ran down the embankment and got on the bicycle. He swayed from side to side a few times, and the bicycle shot out like an arrow. He shouted all the way: "Crack!

The mute piled up his clothes and tied them with leggings. Uncle Zunlong pushed down a shelf of lentils under the dike, trampling the vines and the fence into a ball.Several soldiers helped him drag the vines up the embankment.The mute picked up the ball of clothes and was about to jump into the river.Uncle Zunlong pointed to the vortex on the water surface, and then took out a flat green glass bottle from his belongings box, pulled out the stopper, and the aroma of the wine was fragrant.The mute took the wine bottle, raised his neck and drank it.He stretched out his thumb, shook it at Uncle Zunlong, and said loudly: Take off!The word "off" is synonymous with the word "good", and everyone on the embankment gave it a correct understanding. The mute picked up his clothes and bags, and jumped into the river.The river sloshed and overflowed along the embankment.The leaking hole outside the embankment has become as thick as a horse's neck, and the water is fierce, jumping out in the air, and then pouring straight into the alley, which turned into a small river, and the muddy water head has climbed to my door.Compared with the Jiaolong River hanging high behind the village, the houses in the village are like toys made of yellow mud.The mute disappeared as soon as he entered the water.The place where he dived was covered with foam and weeds, and cunning seagulls flew close to the river, their small black bean-like eyes vigilantly staring at the place where the mute entered the water, as if expecting something.I could clearly see their bright red mouths and black feet curled up under their white bellies.We all stared nervously at the surface of the water. A black oily watermelon rolled on the surface of the water and disappeared immediately, but soon reappeared on the surface of the river ahead.A skinny black frog struggled out of the turbid waves in the middle of the river with standard breaststroke, and swam diagonally towards the shore.In the calm water near the embankment, its legs made some beautiful ripples.The soldiers of the Seventeenth Regiment stretched their faces tensely, poking their heads forward.With their bare backs and long necks, they looked like a row of prisoners waiting to be beheaded.Their trouser tops were cut like those of the dumb, cut from tin.The little soldier who was stripped into a bare-bottomed monkey was also looking into the river with his hands covering the fruits.Uncle Zunlong stared at the water outlet outside the embankment.Taking advantage of this opportunity, Sima Liang picked up the mute's Burmese knife that cut people like melons, and secretly tested the sharpness of the blade with his thumb.

good!Blocked!Uncle Zunlong shouted loudly. The water potential of the ferocious tiger-wolf outlet slowed down, and the water flow was greatly reduced.The sound of splashing water turned into a gurgling sound.The mute jumped up from the river, like a big black fish out of the water, and the seagulls hovering over his head screamed and flew high into the sky.He wiped the water off his face with his big hands, and spat out the sand and sand.Uncle Zunlong greeted the soldiers and threw the large group of vines into the river.The mute grabbed the vine and pressed it with both hands, causing it to sink quickly.He shrugged up and stepped on his legs.He dived again.This time the dive was very short, and he popped up to take a breath.Uncle Zunlong handed him a long branch, trying to drag him up.He waved his hand and dived down again.

An urgent gong sounded in the village.Before the gong had finished, the charge horn was blown again.Teams of soldiers with guns rushed up the embankment along the alleys.Lu Liren and his guards rushed up from our alley, and as soon as they got on the embankment, he shouted: Where is the danger? The mute popped his head out of the water, then sank again, looking exhausted.Uncle Zunlong immediately passed the branch and dragged him to the bank.Everyone stretched out their hands and pulled him to the shore.As soon as his legs gave out, he sat on the embankment. Uncle Zunlong said to Lu Liren: Sir, thanks to Boss Sun, if it weren't for him, the villagers would have been fed bastards.

Lu Liren said: "Old people have fed bastards, so we have to feed turtles too." He walked up to the mute and praised him with his thumbs up.The mute was covered in goose bumps, with a layer of mud hanging on his mouth, and smiled at Lu Liren foolishly. Lu Liren ordered his troops to dig soil to reinforce and raise the embankment.The work of building rafts continued, and the prisoners must be crossed across the river at noon, and the prisoner escort team from the military region would go to the opposite bank to meet them.Soldiers without clothes went back to rest.The more these soldiers were praised, the more excited they were, and they wanted to complete the task naked. Lu Liren ordered the orderly to run back to the regiment headquarters to get a pair of trousers to help the bare-bottomed soldier.Lu Liren smiled and said to Xiao Bing, "What are you doing shyly, a fluffy duck with no hair tied up?"While Lu Liren was giving orders like a cannonball, he also asked me in the middle of the day: how is mom?Isn't Lu Shengli naughty?Sima Liang tugged at my hand, I didn't understand what he meant, so he said to Lu Liren himself: Grandma is coming to see my father and the others off, please wait for her.

Uncle Zunlong was so enthusiastic that he nailed the raft with a radius of more than ten meters in just half an hour.Without oars, he suggested to Lu Liren that he could use a shovel instead, and it would be better to use a raised wooden shovel.So Lu Liren issued another order. You go back and tell grandma, Lu Liren said to Sima Liang seriously, I can satisfy her request.He raised his wrist to look at his watch and said: You can go.But we didn't leave, because we saw that my mother had already left the house with a bamboo basket covered with a white burden and a pair of red clay teapots.Behind her, followed by Zazaohua, holding a bundle of green onions in both hands.Behind the scallions are Sima Ku's twin daughters, Sima Feng and Sima Huang, and behind Fenghuang are the dumb and third sister's twins, the big dumb and the second dumb.Behind the double-mute was Lu Shengli, who was just able to walk, and behind Lu Shengli, was Shangguan Laidi, whose face was covered in makeup.The procession moved slowly, the twin girls eyeing the lentil vines and the morning glory vines that grew among the lentils, searching for dragonfly butterflies and transparent cicada sloughs.The twins' eyes were fixed on the tree trunks on both sides of the alley, the trunks of locust trees, willow trees and the light yellow trunks of mulberry trees, where their delicious food, snails, might be absorbed.Lu Shengli only walks in the water, and when her feet make the water chirp, innocent laughter spreads in the alley.Shangguan Laidi's upright posture when walking made me know that she had a solemn expression on her face, even though we could only see her colorful face when we stood on the embankment, but we couldn't see her eyebrows clearly for a while. Lu Liren took off the binoculars from the guard's neck, put them on his eyes, and looked across the bank.A small cadre standing beside him asked anxiously: Are you here? Lu Liren continued to look around and said: No, there is not even a person, only a crow pecking at horse dung. Will there be an accident?The small cadre asked worriedly. No, Lu said, all the prisoners in the military region were sharpshooters, and no one dared to stop them. The small cadre said: That’s true. When I went to the military region for training, the prisoner detainee team gave us a performance. What I admired most was their hard work of drilling bricks with their fingers.You said, with such a hard brick, you can drill a hole with a finger, and a steel drill can't drill it so fast.If they want to kill, they don't need anything, just poke a hole with their fingers.Head of the delegation, I heard that a group of cadres are going to change jobs on the spot to organize county and district governments Come, Lu Liren said, tell the communication team, give them a signal. An airy little soldier raised a strange short gun with a thick barrel and fired a shot at the sky above the river. A yellow fireball flew into the air that was not very high, paused for a while, and then drew a trail that dragged The arc of white smoke rustled and landed in the middle of the river.When the fireball fell, a few seagulls fluttered their wings and wanted to fight it, but after a little trial, they screamed and avoided. On the opposite bank, a group of small black people stood, swimming with the silver light reflected in the water, which made me feel that they were standing on the water instead of the bank. Change signal.Lu Li said. The little soldier took out a red flag from his arms and tied it to the willow branch that Uncle Zunlong had thrown away.He waved the red flag toward the river.Shouts came from the opposite river embankment. alright!Lu Liren hung the binoculars around his neck, and gave an order to the small cadre who had just talked to him: Staff Officer Qian, run back and inform Chief Staff Du to bring the prisoners here quickly.Staff Officer Qian agreed and ran down the embankment. Lu Liren jumped onto the raft, stomped his feet vigorously, and checked the firmness of the raft. He asked Uncle Zunlong: "Will it fall apart when rowing into the river?" Uncle Zunlong said: Don't worry, sir, in the autumn of the 10th year of the Republic of China, people in the village ferryed Senator Zhao on a raft, and I nailed that raft too. Lu Liren said: "The ones who are ferrying today are important criminals, and no mistakes can be made." Don't worry, if I get lost in the raft, you'll chop off nine of my ten fingers. Lu Liren said: That's unnecessary, if something happens, it's useless to chop off ten of my fingers. Mother led her team up the embankment.Lu Liren went forward and said politely: "Grandma, please stand aside and wait, they will be there in a while."He bent down to get close to Lu Shengli, but she was frightened and cried.Lu Liren awkwardly supported the glasses hanging from his ears with a hemp rope, and said: This child doesn't even know his own father.The mother sighed and said, "Fifth brother-in-law, when you are tossing around like this, when will it count?"Lu Liren said with confidence: Don't worry, old man, you can live a peaceful life in three years or two years.Mother said: I am a woman, I shouldn't talk too much, can you let them go?After all, they are also your brother-in-law, brother-in-law and sister-in-law.Lu Liren smiled and said, "Old mother-in-law, I don't have the power. Who told you to recruit such uneasy sons-in-law?"After speaking, he smiled.His laugh relieved the serious atmosphere on the embankment.Mother said: You tell your chief, let them go.Lu Liren said: Those who plant melons will get melons, and those who plant beans will get beans. If you plant thistles, don't be afraid of pricking your hands.Old mother-in-law, don't worry about such carelessness. The guard escorted Simaku, Babbitt and Shangguan Niandi along the alley.Sima Ku's hands were tied behind his back with ropes, Babbitt's hands were tied to his chest with soft leggings, and Shangguan Niandi was not tied.When passing by my house, Sima Ku went straight to the gate. A guard stepped forward to stop him, and Sima Ku spat on him. He yelled: Get out of the way, I want to go in and say goodbye to my family.Lu Liren rolled his palms around his mouth and shouted towards the alley: Commander Sima, don't come in, they are all here.Sima Ku didn't seem to hear what Lu Liren said, so he pushed his arms forward and barged in, followed by Babbitt and Shangguan Niandi.They have been dawdling in my yard for a long time.Lu Liren kept looking at his watch.On the river embankment opposite, the prisoner escort team kept waving a small red flag to send signals to this side; the signal soldiers on this side waved a big red flag to send back signals to the opposite side.There are many variations in his flag-waving movements, showing a well-trained look. Sima Ku and his party finally walked out of my house and quickly climbed up the embankment.Lu Liren ordered: Get off the raft!A dozen soldiers pushed the heavy raft into the river.The river sloshed violently.The raft sank into the water, slowly floated up, and the slow current at the shore knocked the raft across.A few soldiers tightly pulled the leggings tied to the side of the raft to prevent the raft from being washed away by the water. Lu Liren said: "Commander Sima, Mr. Babbitt, our army is benevolent and considerate of human relations, so we make an exception and allow your family members to farewell for you. I hope you can hurry up." Sima Ku, Babbitt, and Shangguan Niandi walked towards us.Sima Ku smiled all over his face.Babbitt was worried.Shangguan Niandi looked heavy, like a fearless martyr.Lu Liren said in a low voice: Sixth Sister, you can stay.Shangguan Niandi shook her head, expressing her resolute attitude of leaving her husband. Mother uncovered the furoshiki that covered the bamboo basket, and Sha Zaohua handed over a peeled green onion.Mother broke the scallions into two pieces and rolled them in a white flour pancake, then took out a bowl of miso from the basket, handed it to Sima Liang, and said, "Here, Lianger."Sima Liang took the sauce bowl and stared blankly at his mother.Mother said: Don't stare at me, look at your father!Sima Liang's eyes flew to Sima Ku's face.Sima Ku looked down at his son, who was as strong as a black catfish, his rectangular black face, which seemed never to be sad, was actually covered with long clouds of sorrow.His shoulder moved subconsciously, maybe he wanted to raise his arm to touch his son?Sima Liang grinned, and said in a low voice: Father Sima Ku's yellow eyes twirled rapidly, forcing tears into his nose and throat.He raised his leg, kicked Sima Liang's ass, and said: Boy, remember, none of the ancestors of the Sima family died on the kang, and you are the same.Sima Liang asked: Father, will they shoot you?Sima Ku looked sideways at the muddy river and said: Your father suffers because of his kindness.Remember, kid, to be a villain you have to be hard-hearted and kill without batting an eyelid.To be a good person, you must keep your head down when you walk, and don't step on ants.The last thing is to be a bat, to say that a bird is not a bird, and that a beast is not a beast.Do you remember?Sima Liang bit his lip and nodded solemnly. Mother handed Shangguan Laidi the single pancake rolled with scallions, and Shangguan Laidi took the pancake and stared blankly at his mother.Mother said: You feed him!Shangguan Laidi seemed a little shy, she would never forget the carnival in that dark night three days ago, this blissful shyness was proof.Mother looked at her, and then at Sima Ku.Mother's eyes were like a golden shuttle pulling strings, linking the gazes of Shangguan Laidi and Sima Ku together.He and she exchanged thousands of words with their eyes.Shangguan Laidi took off her black robe, and wore a purple-red jacket, a pair of purple-red trousers with lace, and a pair of purple-red embroidered shoes. She had a slim waist and a clean face. Sima Ku cured her Crazy, but it made her fall into lovesickness. She is still a beauty, a charming little widow who is familiar with style.Sima Ku stared at her and said: "Auntie, please take care."Shangguan Laidi said something inexplicable: You are a diamond, he is a rotten piece of wood.She walked up to him, stretched the pancake into the bowl raised by Sima Liang Gao Gaotuo, and dipped it in the yellow sauce. In order to prevent the sauce from dripping down, she nimbly wrapped a few flowers around her wrist.She brought the flatbread dipped in yellow sauce to Sima Ku's mouth.Sima Ku raised his head up like a horse's head, then lowered his head, opened his mouth wide, and bit down hard.He chewed with difficulty, the scallions creaked in his mouth, and the food propped up his cheeks high and round.Two large tears fell from his eyes.He stretched his neck to swallow the pancake, sniffed and said, "Spicy green onions!" Mother handed me a piece of bread with scallions rolled in it, and gave one to Eighth Sister, and said, "Golden boy, feed your sixth brother-in-law; jade girl, feed your sixth sister."I imitated Shangguan Laidi's example, dipped the yellow sauce from Sima Liang's sauce bowl, and held it to Babbitt's mouth.Babbitt's mouth was grinning ugly, biting a bit of bread with the tips of his teeth, and tears welled up in his blue eyes.He bent down, put his lips stained with yellow sauce on my forehead, and kissed me loudly a few times.Then he walked up to his mother again. I guessed that he wanted to hug her, but the bound hands could not be separated. He could only bend his waist like a sheep eating leaves, and touched his mother's forehead with his lips.He said: Mom, I can't forget you. Eighth Sister groped her way to Sima Liang, stretched out a cake to dip in the sauce.Sima Liang helped her.The eighth sister holds the cake in both hands, her face is upturned, her forehead is like a crab shell, her eyes are like deep pools and ancient wells, her nose is straight and her mouth is wide, her lips are as delicate as rose petals.The eighth sister who has been bullied by me is really a poor lamb.She whispered: Sixth Sister, Sixth Sister, you can eat Sixth Sister burst into tears, hugged Eighth Sister, choked up and said: My poor little sister! Sima Ku finished eating a piece of pie. Lu Liren kept looking sideways at the other side of the river embankment. At this moment, he turned his face and said, "Okay, please get on the raft!" Sima Ku said: No, I'm not full yet.In ancient times, when a prisoner was beheaded by the government, the prisoner had to be fed. Your Seventeenth Regiment is known as the teacher of benevolence and righteousness. I must eat enough for a meal of single bread rolls and green onions, right?What's more, this cake was made by our old mother-in-law. Lu Li looked at his watch and said, "Okay, you can eat with your stomach open, and let's get Mr. Babbitt across first." The dumb man and the six soldiers jumped onto the raft cautiously, holding the wooden raft. The raft swayed and tilted, the water line deepened a lot, and the water overflowed the raft.Two soldiers in leggings leaned back, holding on to the unruly raft.Lu Liren asked Uncle Zunlong worriedly: old man, can two more people go up?Uncle Zunlong said: No, I think let the oars come down two.Lu Liren ordered: Han Ertu, Pan Yongwang, you two come down.Han and Pan jumped off the raft leaning on a wooden pole.The raft swayed, and the soldiers on the raft were unable to stand firmly and almost fell into the river.The mute, who was naked and only wore a pair of underpants, shouted angrily: Take off!take off!take off!From this day on, he never yelled again. Is it done?Lu Liren asked Uncle Zunlong.Uncle Zunlong said: All right.He asked for a handful of wooden sticks from a soldier, and said, "Your army is benevolent and righteous, and I admire it. In the ten years of the Republic of China, I ferryed a senator. If Chief Lu doesn't dislike it, the old man is willing to do the work of a donkey." Lu Liren said excitedly: "Grandpa, this is exactly what I want to ask you and I am too embarrassed to say it."I am relieved to have you at the helm of this raft.Who has wine? The orderly ran up and handed Lu Liren a bumpy iron pot.He unscrewed the screw plug, brought the tip of his nose to the spout of the pot, sniffed it, and said, "Authentic sorghum cooking."Grandpa, on behalf of the head of the military region, I would like to toast you!He held the jug in both hands and handed it to Uncle Zunlong.Uncle Zunlong was also very excited. He rubbed the mud on his hands, took the watering pot, gurgled a dozen mouthfuls, and then returned the pot to Lu Liren.He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, blushing up to his neck, his neck up to his chest.Chief Lu, after drinking this jug of wine, my old man will be close to you.Lu Liren said with a smile: "Is it just a heart to heart?"Our liver is attached to our liver, our lungs are attached to our lungs, and our intestines are attached to our intestines.Uncle Zunlong's tears fell down.He jumped and stood firmly at the stern of the raft.The raft shook slightly.Lu Liren nodded in satisfaction. The Luli people walked up to Babbitt, looked at his tied hands, smiled apologetically, and said: I have wronged you, Mr. Babbitt, Commander Yu and Director Song of the military region have asked you by name, and you will be treated courteously.Babbitt raised his hands and said: Is there such a courtesy?Lu Liren said frankly: This is also a kind of courtesy, I hope you don't mind it.Please, Mr. Ba. Babbitt glanced at us, bid us farewell with his eyes, and then, with great strides, stepped onto the raft.The raft swayed violently and he swayed in the raft.Uncle Zunlong pushed his butt with his wooden head. Shangguan Niandi clumsily imitated Babbitt, kissed my forehead, and then kissed Eighth Sister's forehead.She raised her onion-like thin hands and stroked Eighth Sister Geng's soft flaxen hair, sighing: My dear sister, God bless you with a good life!She then nodded to her mother and the group of children behind her.Turn around and walk to the raft.Lu Liren persuaded her again: Sixth Sister, there is no need for you to go with him.Shangguan Niandi also said in a peaceful tone: "Fifth sister-in-law, as the saying goes: The stalk is never separated from the weight, and the old man is never separated from his wife. Aren't you and Fifth Sister also inseparable?"I am sincerely for you, Lu Liren said, I will never force you, I will help you, please get on the raft! Two guards held Shangguan Niandi's arms and helped her onto the raft. Babbitt stretched out his tied arms and acted as armrests to fix her body. The draft of the raft was very deep, and some parts of the uneven raft surface were completely submerged, and some places exposed an inch of height.Uncle Zunlong said to Lu Liren: Mr. Lu, it is best to let the distinguished guests sit down, and it is best for the brothers who are paddling to sit down.Lu Li said: Sit down, sit down, Mr. Babbitt, for your safety, please sit down. Babbitt was sitting on the raft, in fact sitting in the water.Shangguan Niandi was sitting opposite him, actually he was also sitting in the water. The mute and the five soldiers sat on both sides, and only Uncle Zunlong stood firmly at the stern of the raft. The other side is still waving small red flags.The Luqi people said to the signal soldiers: Send a signal and let them pay attention to respond. The signalman took out the thick-barreled subgun and fired three flares into the air above the river.The little red flag on the opposite side stopped swinging, and some black little figures were running fast on the silver waterline. Lu Liren looked at his watch and said: Let the raft go! The two soldiers on the top of the embankment who were tugging at the straps of their leggings relaxed.Uncle Zunlong held the river embankment against his head with wooden poles, and the soldiers on both sides used wooden poles to paddle the water awkwardly. The raft slowly left the bank and drifted downstream at an angle.Like flying a kite, the two soldiers on the shore quickly loosened the dozens of leggings that were connected together. People on the shore stared nervously at the raft, Lu Liren took off his glasses and wiped them hastily with the corner of his clothes.Lu Liren, who took off his glasses, was confused and looked stupid.Around his eyes were two white circles, like a bird eating a spade in a swamp.He hung the hemp strings that replaced the arms of his glasses over his ears.The roots of his ears have been worn away by the hemp rope.The raft was thrown horizontally in the river, and the inexperienced soldiers smashed the water surface one by one. The turbid waves washed up on the raft, and the clothes of the people on the raft were wet.Babbitt, whose hands were tied, yelled in horror, and Sixth Sister held his hands tightly.Uncle Zunlong swayed behind the raft, shouting: Bosses, bosses, don't mess up, don't mess up, move in unison, what matters is that you act in unison!Lu Liren took out his gun and fired two shots at the sky, all the soldiers on the raft raised their heads.Lu Liren yelled: Listen to Uncle Zunlong's chant, don't mess up!Uncle Zunlong said: Bosses, don’t mess around, listen to my number, one, two, one, two, one, two, row slowly, one, two The raft entered midstream and rushed downstream at a rapid pace.Babbitt and Sixth Sister lay on the raft, and the waves rolled over their backs.Two soldiers on the shore holding leggings yelled: Commander, the leggings are over.The raft had slid down a hundred meters.The leggings were stretched like steel wire, and the two soldiers held the straps around their arms, digging into their flesh.Their bodies were leaning back, almost lying down, their heels slid forward, and they were about to slide down the river.The raft tilted in the river, and the soldiers on the raft screamed strangely.run fast!Lu Liren loudly ordered the two soldiers holding leggings to run forward, bastard!The two of them staggered forward, and the soldiers on the embankment gave way one after another.The gaiter straps holding the raft came loose, and the raft drifted swiftly downstream in the fast mid-current.Uncle Zunlong chanted, the soldiers on the raft bowed their waists and paddled the water in unison, and the raft moved closer to the opposite bank little by little as it drifted down. Just now, the raft was in danger in the river, and when all eyes were on the river, Sima Liang put down the sauce bowl and said in a low voice: Dad, turn around!Sima Ku turned around, chewed on the big cake, and watched the situation in the river.Sima Liang ran behind Sima Ku, took out a small bone-handled knife that was a gift from Babbitt, and started cutting the rope.The parts he cut were all on the inside, and they were not completely cut.When he was cutting the rope, his mother prayed loudly: Lord, please be merciful, and bless my daughter and son-in-law to cross the river safely, merciful Lord, I heard Sima Liang say: Father, you will break if you pull lightly.Then, he turned around, and with a flick of his hand, the knife disappeared into his trousers.He raised the sauce bowl again.Shangguan Laidi continued to feed Simaku cakes.A few hundred meters down the river, the raft gradually approached the opposite bank. Lu Liren came over, glanced at Sima Ku with a mocking look, and said: Brother Sima really has a good appetite! Sima Ku murmured, "My old mother-in-law is throwing cakes with her hands, and his aunt feeds them with her own hands. How can she not eat them?"This kind of meal, this way of eating, there will never be a second time in a lifetime!Auntie, dip me in some more sauce. Shangguan Laidi pushed the green onion in the center of the pancake outward, dipped it in the yellow sauce from Sima Liang's bowl, and brought it to Sima Ku's mouth. Lu Liren shook his head contemptuously, and turned to our group, as if looking for something.The mother picked up Lu Shengli and stuffed it into his arms.Lu Shengli cried and struggled outside, while Lu Liren retreated in embarrassment. Lu Liren said to Sima Ku: Brother Sima, I actually envy you, but I can't learn from you. Sima Ku swallowed a mouthful of cake and said: Lu Tuanzuo, you are scolding me.No matter what method is used, if you win, you are the king; if I lose, I am the bandit.Now, you are the knife and I am the meat, it is up to you to cut or chop, why are you making fun of me! Lu Liren said: It's not a joke.You won't understand what I mean, forget it, let's be serious, when you arrive in the military area, I think you still have a chance to commit crimes and make meritorious deeds, if you keep resisting, the ending will probably be bad. Sima Ku said: In my whole life, I eat and eat, play and play, and death is worth it.However, the one son and two daughters behind him all depend on the elder brother to take care of them. Lu Liren said: Don't worry, if there is no war, we are still serious relatives! Sima Ku said: Lu Tuanzuo, you are a great intellectual. You say this relative sounds weird and sacred, but think about it carefully, the so-called relatives are all based on the relationship between a man and a woman sleeping. Sima Ku laughed out loud.But I saw that his arms didn't move when he laughed. The soldier with the leggings came running back.On the other side, the rowing soldiers and the prisoners dragged the raft up the river.After walking a long distance, they started paddling this way again.They came back very quickly, and the paddling movements of the soldiers became more and more coordinated, and the two soldiers on the bank holding leggings cooperated very well.The raft crossed the middle current like an arrow, and quickly approached the shore. Lu Li said: Brother Sima, hurry up and eat. Sima Ku burped and said: I'm full.Old mother-in-law, thank you!His aunt, aunt, jade girl, thank you!Son, I held the sauce bowl for a long time, thank you!Feng, Huang, listen carefully to your grandma and aunt. If you have any difficulties, go to your fifth aunt. She is lucky now, and your father is reciting words.Brother-in-law, grow up well, your second sister loved you the most when she was alive, she often told me that the golden boy will have a great future, don't let her live up to her expectations! What he said made my nose sour. The raft touched the shore, and in the middle of the raft sat a young leader of the prisoner escort team who was full of vigor.He jumped down from the raft briskly, raised his hand to salute Luli, and Luli returned the salute politely, and then the two shook hands warmly. It seemed that they were good friends.The man said: "Old Lu, this battle was fought beautifully. Commander Yu is very happy, and the political commissar of Song Dynasty also knows about it."He opened the leather satchel on his waist and handed Lu Liren a letter.魯立人接了信，把一支銀色小手槍順手扔進他的挎包，說：戰利品，帶回去送給小蘭玩吧。我代表她謝謝你。said the man.魯立人對著那人伸出手，說：拿來！那人一愣，說：要什麼？魯立人說：押走了我的俘虜，總要給個回執吧？那人從挎包裡摸出紙筆，匆匆寫了一張紙條，遞給魯立人道：你老兄，真夠精的！魯立人笑道：孫猴子再精也鬥不過如來佛！那人道：那我就是孫猴子啦？魯立人說：我是。兩人擊了一下掌，然後哈哈大笑。那人低聲說：老魯，聽說你繳獲了一部電影放映機？軍區可是知道了。魯立人道：你們耳朵真長。請轉告軍區首長，待洪水退後，我們派專人送去。 司馬庫低聲嘟噥著：媽的，老虎打食餵狗熊！ 押俘隊小頭目不悅地問：你說什麼？ 司馬庫說：沒說什麼。 那人道：如果我沒猜錯，您就是大名鼎鼎的司馬庫！ 司馬庫道：正是。 那人道：司馬司令，這一路上我們一定小心侍候，希望您能與我們配合，我們不希望抬著您的屍首回去。 司馬庫笑道：不敢，你們押俘隊都是些百步穿楊的好手，我不願給你們當活靶子。 那人道：果然是條爽快漢子！好吧，魯團長，就這樣，司馬司令，請上木筏。 司馬庫小心翼翼地走上木筏，又小心冀翼地在木筏中央坐定。 押俘隊小頭目與魯立人握了一下手，轉身跳上木筏。他坐在筏子後頭，面對著司馬庫，手捂著腰間的槍。司馬庫道：您甭那麼小心，我雙臂被綁，跳下河也得淹死。您靠我坐近些，筏子晃時也好拉我一把。 那人不理司馬庫，低聲命令筏上的戰士：划吧，快點。 我們一家，聚攏在一起，心裡藏著一個秘密，焦急地等待著結局。 木筏離岸，順利地向前漂流。兩個扯著綁腿帶子的戰士，飛快地沿河堤奔跑，一邊跑，一邊鬆著纏在胳膊上的帶子。 木筏漂到中流，水勢如箭，邊緣上激起簇簇浪花。尊龍大爺啞著嗓子喊號，士兵們弓著腰划水，海鷗跟著他們低飛。在最激流處，木筏突然大幅度地晃動起來，尊龍大爺一個後仰巴叉跌入河水。押俘隊的小頭目戰戰兢兢地站起來，剛要掏槍，突然間繃開繩子、解放了雙臂的司馬庫像猛虎一樣躥起來，撲到那人身上，兩人一起跌入了水勢湍急，波浪滔滔的中流。啞巴與划筏的戰士們一陣忙亂，然後便接二連三地掉到河水中。岸上的牽繩士兵也鬆了手，木筏像一條黑色的大魚，隨著起伏的波濤，勢不可擋地往下游衝去。 這一連串的變化幾乎是同時發生的，等到魯立人和岸上的士兵們反應過來時，木筏上已經空無一人。 擊斃他！魯立人斬釘截鐵地下了命令。 渾濁的中流裡，偶爾露出一個頭，但士兵們拿不準那是不是司馬庫的頭，躊躇著不敢開槍。河裡共落下九個人，每個露出的頭顱，只有九分之一是司馬庫之頭，何況河心流水如脫韁烈馬，即便見頭露出即開槍，命中率也很低。 司馬庫跑定了。他是蛟龍河邊長大的人。熟諳水性，能潛入水中五分鐘不露頭。何況他吃了一肚子大餅大蔥蘸大醬，肚裡有食身上熱。 魯立人臉色鐵青，黑眼裡射出陰森森的光，逐個掃視看我們。司馬糧端著醬碗，裝出十分膽怯的樣子依偎在母親腿邊。 母親一聲不吭，抱起魯勝利，管自走下河堤。我們緊緊跟隨著母親。 幾天後我們聽說，落入河水中的，只有啞巴和尊龍大爺掙扎著上了岸，其他的人下落不明，真正是活不見人，死不見屍，但幾乎所有的人都明白，司馬庫跑了，他絕對不會被淹死，其他的人則必死無疑，包括那個咋咋呼呼的押俘隊小頭目。 其實我們更加擔心的還是六姐上官念弟和她的美國夫婿巴比特的命運。在那些河中洪水澎湃的日子裡，每天夜裡，母親就在院子裡一邊轉圈一邊歎息。母親長長的歎息聲甚至蓋住了河水的咆哮。母親儘管生了八個女兒，但來弟瘋了；招弟和領弟死了；想弟賣身進了火坑，差不多也等於死了；盼弟跟著魯立人在槍林彈雨裡鑽來鑽去，說死也就是一眨眼的事；求弟賣給了白俄，跟死了也沒有多少區別；只有一個玉女天天跟在母親身邊，但可惜她是個瞎子；也許正因為她是瞎子，才能在母親身邊待得住。如果念弟再有個三長兩短，那上官家的這八仙女，就真正七零八落了。母親在歎息的間隙裡，大聲地祈禱著： 老天爺爺，主上帝，聖母瑪麗亞，南海觀世音菩薩，保佑我的念弟吧，保佑我的孩子們吧，把天上地下所有的災難和病痛都降臨到我的頭上吧，只要我的孩子們平安無事 但過了一個月後，一個關於六姐和巴比特的消息從洪水消退的蛟龍河對岸傳來：在大澤山深處的一個隱秘的山洞裡，發生了一次劇烈的爆炸。當爆炸的硝煙散盡，人們鑽進洞去，發現洞裡有三具擁抱在一起的屍體。死者乃一男兩女，男的是一個滿頭金髮的外國青年。儘管沒有人敢肯定地說死者中就有我們的六姐，但母親聽到了這個消息後，苦笑一聲道：這都是我造得孽啊然後她就放聲大哭起來。