Appreciation of Wu Guanghui's Prose "Blood Reed Flower"

1939 Just after the Spring Festival, the sadness of where you will go spread in Majiadang, northern Jiangsu. Under the cover of the gray morning fog, the withered reeds are worrying, the white snow flowers are painful, the pale water surface is sad, and countless gray wild birds pass through the fog and make waves of piercing cries. This must be a funeral ceremony.

At this time, there is a boat rocking in the depths of the reed. On the beach, a beautiful woman as beautiful as flowers and pure as jade sobbed as soon as possible, and her eyes cried like peaches, and she returned to the boat by the water step by step. At this critical moment, the burly general in uniform suddenly fell to his knees on the thatched ground by the beach. Beauty knelt on the planking as soon as possible and began to cry again.

At the moment, the endless white reed flowers in Majiadang, Fiona Fang, are swaying with a premonition of death.

The general dried his tears and said intermittently, "My horse made amends to you in this song ... In those days, I forced you to marry me and became my third aunt ... This is my farewell to your life and death. From now on, I'm afraid I'll never see you again, and I won't even have a chance to make up for it ... This time, please kneel down and apologize to you.

In the morning, the air in the swing area is very humid, so you can grab one and get a lot of water.

"In the French Concession in Shanghai, you should learn culture with your teacher and make a living in the future ... After my death, you should remain anonymous. Don't say it's my wife Ma. Find a good family to remarry ... Give you gold and silver, even if it is my dowry ... "

Ma used to use thousands of hectares of land bought by himself to engage in grange management, and later set up economic entities such as textile mills and bathrooms, and obtained a lot of funds. After the outbreak of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, he "destroyed his family to help the poor and fought against Japan at his own expense", sold all his land, bought a large number of guns and ammunition, and established nearly 2,000 anti-Japanese guerrillas. Previously, he had dismissed several other concubines through the water transport line of the salt gang. Today, he sent his third aunt away again, thus breaking his worries about the war of resistance.

At this time, the horse pulled himself together, adjusted his military uniform and said the last sentence to his third aunt: "I will definitely die in battle." Today, you can knock me four heads according to the custom of knocking four heads on the dead in the rural areas of northern Jiangsu, which is a funeral for me in advance ... "After hearing what he said, Sanyi cried again. She took out a reed yellow spell from her pocket last night and showed it to the horse with both hands, saying that it was to protect him. Finally, she really gave the horse four xiangtou. She knocked her head off, was weak all over, and suddenly collapsed in the sadness of bidding farewell to life and death.

The horse stood on the beach, holding Liu Huangfu tightly in his hand, watching his aunt sobbing, and watching the boat break down offshore, slowly drifting away in the dense and pale water mist in the morning swing area, and soon disappearing between the dense fog and the reeds.

The horse's flat face was livid, and he stared at the direction where the boat disappeared for a long time before he gave a long sigh. Suddenly, he heard a Huai song sung by his third aunt in the distance: "Husband, you died miserably ... you also had a blue cloth skirt, and the wreckage was covered with vague blood shadows." The most regrettable thing is that an arrow goes through the heart ... "He knows that this is a lyric of Zhang dreaming of her husband's death in the costume drama Dream of Young Women. The tune of sadness and bosom was sung by the third aunt, half crying and half number. The singing of Huai Opera, which is popular in northern Jiangsu, is originally a sad tone. In this case, it is even more heartbreaking. Even the wild emu sang along with Sangu, hovering on the white reed.

At the end of the song, she shouted loudly: "You must wear the reed yellow sign on the battlefield!"

Luhuangfu is a popular amulet in Majiadang area of northern Jiangsu. The reed pole of Majiadang is woven into an object the size of a hexagonal bowl. Please ask the local Taoist priest to draw a yellow amulet on it to exorcise ghosts, which can protect himself and save his life. Everyone in the cavalry has such a reed yellow spell.

two

A Mao Mao rain soaked the whole night.

On the Mid-Autumn Festival on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, Ghost Festival, or July 30, is held in northern Jiangsu, which is a day to arouse the souls of relatives who died abnormally. That night, there was a continuous rain and fog in the moonless sky, and the whole lake was gloomy and foggy.

A song of suona remembers four ships. On the first ship, there is a flame mouth, which is feeding the relatives who are eager to eat in the underworld. An ancient intersection fires fire, and all the paths help. On the second boat, a dozen monks and nuns were chanting scriptures, saying that they were crossing over the undead for wild ghosts; The third ship is burning paper money, tin foil ingots and putting rice balls and steamed bread. They are alone in Zhaiji; On the last boat, two people are lighting a river lantern, lighting a paper river lantern and putting it into the water, and also banishing their thoughts to the end of the water.

In this cadence of suona, a heartbroken and heartbreaking cry spread from the ship. I saw the horse sitting on the third boat, crying and burning paper money: "My dear son ... you died miserably ... I killed all of you ... I am sorry for you ... I am sorry for my ancestors ..." With the swaying of the wind and rain, the reed flower also woke up his son with the rhythm of his crying.

On this day, at the end of summer, the stem of reed has sprouted, the dark green reed stem is in its youth, the reed leaves on the stem are full of green, and the reed buds on the head are blooming with fragrance. However, all these reeds' youth will die with the cold weather, but Malik, the only son, suddenly died.

Ma Yide, the only son of Ma, died on July 15th in 193 1 year. It has been eight years since July 15th in 1939. Since the death of his son, every year on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, Ma evokes the soul of his son and repents for himself.

Ma, formerly known as Ma, was born in Majiadun, Funing County (now Gaozuo Town, jianhu county) in the winter of 1875, and was a tenant farmer. He studied in a private school for several years in his early years, and when he was a teenager, he followed his father to pick and sell illicit salt, and he developed a martial arts. At the age of 30, he took the county martial arts exam and ranked eighth in the county. Later, with martial arts, he gradually developed into the boss of the salt gang and became the leader of the smuggling salt gang with dozens of ships, hundreds of helpers and dozens of guns. 1907 openly confronted the government anti-smuggling team, resulting in the death of two officers and men. Liu Kunyi, Governor of Liangjiang, summoned him to Huai 'an government for public arrest. 1908, Ma introduced Xu Baoshan, commander of Yangzhou guerrillas. Since then, he has entered the military field and stepped onto important positions in the army. When the Revolution of 1911 broke out, Ma volunteered, led his team to defeat the main force of Zhang Xun, and finally returned home in triumph. After the restoration of Yuan Shikai, Ma led his troops to wipe out bandits in Shuyang, Funing and Donghai, winning three out of three wars. Yuan Shikai ordered someone to recommend him. During the period of Northern Warlords, the troops that defeated the Kuomintang Huang Xing were promoted to lieutenant general by Beiyang * * * and were actually awarded the guerrilla commander of Yangzhou. However, while Ma was there, Sun Zai, commander-in-chief of the five provinces allied forces, ordered "Dismantling Ma from all his posts, disarming him and returning to his hometown to farm" on 1925. Ma saw that the tide was gone, so he had to lead Yu Bu back to Ma's family in northern Jiangsu to become an outlaw. This is the life experience of salt owl, warlord and bandit horse.

It was this horse who led 3,000 soldiers and bandits to make a surprise attack on shagou town in Majiadangnan and looted the property of the whole town. The robbery not only killed more than 20 townspeople, but also took away dozens of young girls and took Zhao Xue, the richest man in shagou town, as hostage. Later, Zhao Xue was killed on his way back to shagou town, which led to the government's comprehensive suppression of him. 193 1 On the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, Ma learned that the imperial navy had come to encircle and encircle, and hurriedly withdrew to the north. That is, on this day, his only son, Ma Yide, "drowned in Xiaoxue Beach" on his way to escape in panic. Ma said with tears that before retreating, even in a hurry, he didn't forget to hang a reed yellow sign around his son's neck!

However, when his son died, Lu Huangfu failed to save his son's life. From then on, the horse was disheartened. He decided that he had done many bad things, and it was genius that made him childless. Especially when compiling the county annals at that time, "Zhao Xue, a villager who was murdered by a salt official horse" was included in the county annals. This year, when the Ma clan was compiling the genealogy, the name of the horse was deleted, and even the ancestral temple after the death of the horse was not allowed to enter. These things made Ma Ren miserable and made him gradually realize his past sins. Every time I think about this, he is saddened and can't afford to kneel. Therefore, after the outbreak of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, he said to his third brother, Ma Yuhuai, with tears streaming down his face, "I used to be sinful. Today, I asked the country to use me to fight Japanese devils. It's really good for me to die! "

"A good death field" is a local idiom, which means a good way to die. Indeed, for 65-year-old Malay, fighting the devil and dying on the battlefield is the only life he can find to keep him alive. Therefore, when his aunt gave him Lu Huangfu, he had already made up his mind. He wants to wash away his sins with the death of the Anti-Japanese War, and he certainly won't use Lu Huangfu.

The gloomy night rain is still raining, the swaying reeds are still evoking souls, the wooden boats with flaming mouths are still moving forward, and countless river lights are still shining dim on the water from time to time. At this time, a paper boat several feet long began to incinerate, emitting dazzling light, pushing the whole sacrificial activity to * * *.

The suona is still blowing and the night is still choking.

three

In late autumn, Majiadang revealed a series of tragic news.

The bleak west wind blows the endless reed flowers to the east, and the sea composed of reed flowers rolls up wave after wave, giving off a burst of desolate and mighty sound. Several reeds grow in the middle of the lake, forming a lonely close-up. The slender straw is the waist, the swaying reed leaves are the arms, and the white reed flower is a white hair. They stand alone in the middle of autumn water, they must know that their lives are about to die, and all of them show unspeakable generosity and sadness. Ma Renren looked at these reeds and subconsciously touched his gray hair, thinking that this reed is his life and future generations.

Majiadang, located in the southwest of Funing, is a vast swamp in northern Jiangsu. Sheyang Swing, Harvest Swing, Shazhuang Swing and Qinggou Swing meet here, and the beach is contiguous, which is known as "8864 Swing, Majia Swing First Swing". Here the ditches and rivers are criss-crossing and the reeds are connected with the sky. Therefore, this is the best hiding place for the anti-Japanese guerrillas in Malaysia.

On a barren beach in the depths of Ludang, the soldiers of the anti-Japanese guerrilla column are marching in a uniform way, and a flag printed with the words "the first column of the anti-Japanese guerrilla in Sulu War Zone" is flying in the moonlight. Most soldiers wear robes, jackets, melon caps, green leggings and big waistlines. Some of them carry long guns on their shoulders, some carry broadswords, and some even carry pheasant hunting equipment and rabbit hunting spears. Their faces are cold, and they all know that they must die with General Ma.

The horse stood majestically on a earthen platform, followed by a row of heavily armed guards. Next to the earthen platform were two burly men with hand-held broadswords. General Ma, who is tall and strong, specially wore a military uniform today, with several spots on his dark face and wet dew hanging on his gray beard. Although he is 65 years old this year, his martial arts are so high that several children can't compare with him. He wore a gold chain pocket watch on his chest, a 20-ring wooden box speed machine hanging around his waist, and a small Browning pistol hidden in his trouser pocket. At this time, he stretched out his arm, that is, his hands fell to his knees as we all know, raised his wine bowl and gulped it down, and then loudly said to all the soldiers, "Every man is responsible for the rise and fall of the world!" This is a man's decisive moment! When I am old, I will especially take my immortal body to the battlefield and bury it. Why live there! "

After the outbreak of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, Ma made a special trip to Chongqing to meet Chiang Kai-shek, asking to participate in War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and go into battle to kill the enemy. Later, he was appointed commander of the first anti-Japanese guerrilla column in Sulu Theater. /kloc-in the spring of 0/939, when he returned to northern Jiangsu via Xinghua and asked his third brother Ma Yuhuai to assist in military affairs, Ma Yuhuai advised him: "We two brothers played a gun battle and almost destroyed our home. It is better to rest. " However, Ma made up his mind to resist Japan, and flatly replied: "The mountains and rivers are broken, my heart is broken, the sun and the moon are not round, and my anger is burning!" When he sent someone to the 24th Military Newspaper of Kuomintang, Han Deqin refused to report for duty under various excuses. Ma was furious, and resolutely played the banner of the first column of the anti-Japanese guerrillas in Sulu War Zone, and set up four directly affiliated brigades, 1 reconnaissance team, 1 knife club. Ma's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression was launched under the bad situation that there was no state salary and no friendly support. He and his guerrilla officers and men know in their hearts that fighting alone will only lead to a dead end.

At this time, a tall poplar is listening to the moonlight alone, letting the reeds around him fiddle with the autumn wind.

On this day, the first column of anti-Japanese guerrillas in Sulu War Zone held an expedition meeting. After drinking the mentoring wine, Ma hung up on Lu Huangfu, suddenly dropped the wine bowl in his hand and shouted at him, ordering people to take the criminal to the stage. I saw Ma Yihua, the nephew of Ma, and Jin, the chief of staff, tied up and put them on the earthen platform. Ma Renren said loudly to the soldiers: "Ma Yihua has been plundering the people's wealth, and the people are extremely angry. Although he is my nephew, in order to clean up military discipline and maintain the reputation of the anti-Japanese guerrilla column, I have now decided to shoot Ma Yihua and execute it immediately! " Just as all the soldiers were in shock, Ma announced that Jin was a traitor spy, listed all kinds of crimes that Jin had contacted the Japanese aggressors and induced them to defect, and ordered him to be executed immediately. Finally, he warned all officers and men: "Whoever is a traitor will be killed!"

Ma Ren shot and killed two people in a row, one was his nephew and the other was the chief of staff. All the officers and men were shocked and understood Ma's real determination to resist Japan. In this way, the soldiers used horses to shout slogans: "Don't be traitors, resolutely resist Japan!" The horn echoed in the wilderness of Majiadang for a long time.

An army of horses set out at night. I saw dozens of small wooden boats full of guerrilla fighters quietly leaving the reedy ditch. They all know that they are fighting for the life of a devil with the lives of ten soldiers. They are all modern dead people with a reed yellow symbol hanging around their necks. They all went without hesitation and never came back.

In late autumn, the water level in the lake is not like that in midsummer, only cool autumn water ripples in ditches and ponds, and green weeds have grown on the vast beach. The moonlight fell tragically on this swamp, forming a white desolation. Reed, which has turned golden, swayed in the wind and roared in the moonlight.

The wind is rustling and the autumn waters are cold, and the strong men are gone forever.

four

China people tend to take an either-or dichotomy on death, which is either more important than Mount Tai or less important than a feather. Therefore, Ma chose a "good death field" for his own death, expecting him to be "heavier than Mount Tai". And this "good death field" happened in the red pot cavity.

Honghu Cave is located in a highland southeast of Majiadang. It's an earthen kiln that once burned bricks. Because it has not been burned for a long time, it has partially collapsed, showing a red furnace cavity, so the locals call it the red pot cavity. It is the highest point in Fiona Fang, more than ten miles long. From the red pot hole to the east, there are five ammunition depots of the Ma guerrillas. In the northeast, there is a small Maogang three or four feet wide. There is a piece of land about 1000 mu in the included angle between the warehouse station and the kitten port, which is called sanhejian. This triple tip is close to the tip of Honghu cave, and the locals call it shovel tip. This is the place where Ma Ren and the Japanese fought the last battle.

1940 65438+ 10. On October 3rd, Japanese devils gathered 100. Under the guidance of traitors, they attacked Ma's five munitions warehouses and raided Ma's headquarters in Anle Port in an attempt to avoid the main force of the anti-Japanese guerrilla column and destroy Ma's headquarters with "hungry tigers" tactics. After receiving the news of the horse, he quickly ordered to seize the commanding heights of the red pot cavity. However, when he led the troops to sanhejian, he saw that the Japanese army had occupied the shovel tip, which was close to the red pot cavity, and Ma's troops were completely exposed in the dustpan-shaped clearing. At this time, the enemy launched a fierce attack. The horse raised his box gun and shouted, "Come with me!" " He squared his chest and strode to the front. At this time, the horse was hit by a Japanese machine gun bullet in the calf. As soon as he ordered the troops to retreat, he hid himself when several bullets hit him in the abdomen and shoulder. He fought back the pain and ran ten yards through a small ditch. Because of his injuries, he collapsed to the ground, bleeding profusely.

In winter, pale sunshine shines on the battlefield, and flying bullets reflect flashing arcs. The smoke from the shell bombing was filtered into purple air, and the smoke from the burning of a dry reed was also refracted into black clouds by backlight. Ma collapsed feebly to the ground, but his mind remembered what he said to his third brother Ma Yuhuai a year ago: "I asked the country to use me to fight Japanese devils, really to find a good death field!" Now, his goal of a good death field can finally be achieved. Thought of here, he reached out from his pocket with trembling hands and took out the LuHuangFu that his third aunt gave him when he left. At this time, Lu Huangfu has been dyed red with blood, so he has enough strength to laugh: "Ha ha ha ... ha ha ha ..."

The horse was lying in the reeds, covered in blood, but his face kept smiling and squinting. He felt that he could not be recognized by the little devils, so he threw away his military coat with all his strength, wearing only casual clothes and a pair of ordinary cloth shoes on his feet. He took off the scarf around his neck, wrapped his pocket watch and pistol and threw it out. After being so busy for a while, he felt that he had no strength at all, so he lay quietly on the reed beach and smiled and looked at the wound bleeding outside. At this time, there was a * * * on his mind.

He felt that his death was worth it. In this year, he fought against the Japanese devils more than ten times along the coast of Funing, and he took the lead in every battle. This year, his own guerrillas killed more than 80 Japanese devils and wounded 100 Japanese devils.

The sun finally set, and the sunset glow shone on the reeds, dyeing the reeds in winter with blood. When the Japanese army retreated, people searched everywhere and finally found the horse's body. They saw the sunset shining on his big mouth, narrowed eyes and smiling face full of blood. In his right hand, he clung to Liu Huangfu, who had blushed.

I guess Ma Renren must be satisfied with his "good death". He even hoped that after his death, he might go down in history. Indeed, Ma's body was finally transported back to his hometown for burial, and people from all walks of life in Funing and other places held a grand rally to mourn. Shanghai's "Shen Bao" also reported the news of his martyrdom. The whole country issued a commendation order, posthumously awarded him the rank of lieutenant general after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, and engraved his name on the Baihuating Monument in Nanchang. * * The Central Military Commission later listed Ma's deeds in "Kuomintang generals who died in War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression".

However, I have been thinking, is the death of a horse heavier than Mount Tai or lighter than a feather? I think there are only a few people who are heavier than Mount Tai or lighter than a feather, and the death of most people should be between Mount Tai and a feather. I wonder, is this dichotomy of death in China too absolute? It was this dichotomy that led to the destruction and exhumation of the horse tomb during the Cultural Revolution, and now only bricks and tiles are left. I'm afraid the horse didn't expect this ending.

Of course, no matter whether the horse's death was light or heavy, his third aunt swallowed all the gold he gave her and committed suicide after learning that he had died for his country. Before she died, she sang the song she sang when she said goodbye to the horse: "Husband, you died miserably ... you also had a blue cloth skirt, and the wreckage was covered with fuzzy blood. The most regrettable thing is that an arrow goes through the heart ... "