The Ups and Downs of the Commoners Page #9

This non-fiction novel tells the life of ordinary commoners in the middle of the 20th century in China, from the series of movements such as "Land Reform", "Great Leap Forward", "Cultural Revolution" and "Educated Youth Going to the Countryside" to the early days of Reform and Opening-up. The book has four volumes, and was published by Hong Kong Chinese International Publishing House in 2015. The protagonist of this book, Fang Zhengben, was born into a bankrupt family of landowners. Their family has lived in Taiqing Town for generations. When he was six years old, he left Taiqing Town with his parents and came to Longyun Mountain, where the mountains overlap. From then on, he began an unusual life: their family hard work, but they couldn't eat enough; he yearned for reading, but he has dropped out of school three times before graduating from junior high school; he is diligent and studious, with excellent grades, but the door of colleges is

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The family w gent back to the street in the dark, they cooked dinner and had dinner.  Wang Qihui said to her mother: "Mom, tomorrow you anyhow will not be allowed to go to the mountain with us.  You see, it's dangerous today."  Maternal grandmother said, "If I'm not going to the mountains, what am I doing here?"  Wang Qihui Said: "You rest at home!   I'll find someone to send you go back in two days." Maternal grandmother said: "I came here because I was worried about you. I still can't rest assured if you send me back!" Wang Qihui said with great sadness: "It all is your daughter's fault. You are an elderly person. You originally should enjoyment your daughter's filial piety. Now I can't filial piety you, On the contrary, I am dragging you to suffer for us and be frightened. You have been living a very difficult life in this life, so you will not worry about us in the future and take care of your body. As for us, as long as we are not sick, our hands and feet are not lazy, we will not starve to death." After listening to her daughter, the maternal grandmother burst into tears and said: "Daughter, you're saying it lightly. But people have say, that the hearts of mother and daughter are connected. Now you encounter this kind of thing, can mom not worry about you? Thinking back to the past when you were at your natal family, mom always pampered you and protected you, when did you experience this kind of suffering? Before, although your father passed away early, I did have a harder time, but relying on of the family property that he left behind, and the days are still passable. Later, your elder brother died, fortunately, your sister-in-law was very filial to me, and the nephews of the Wang family were willing to help, which made me less difficult. It's just that there have been a lot of things at home in the past two years. The government has just launched a campaign to reduce the rent and refund the land deposit. In the past, some of my savings were emptied, so the mother can't help you. Seeing you like this, I can only worry for you, but no use. Well, in two days, I will let your nephews to come over and help, move the furniture, so not walk back and forth every day, and also plant the crops as soon as possible, so as not to delay the season." When it comes to sad places, Wang Qihui also shed tears.
Within a few days, five or six surnamed Wang's   cousin brothers came from Fang Zhengben's maternal grandmother family, and several rural relatives came from his older aunt family. Their bodies are all strong, and carry tools for moving furniture. Early in the morning, they used thick bamboo strips ring to wrap large pieces of furniture. The bamboo strips were wrapped with straw ropes. Then they clamped two thick and long bamboo poles outside the furniture, and then carried them outside the house. Next, they went back to the house to help pack up some leftover little things. At this time, Zhang Jingru, the nephew of his older aunt, saw two plaques hanging on the wall, which read: "Make  New Contributions and Benefit Future Generations", and "Did Outstanding Contributions For Defend the Territory and Resist Foreign Enemies", so he asked Fang Xinwen: "Youngest Uncle, will this plaques by moved away?" Fang Xinwen felt that, the new home there was no place to hang these Plaques, said: "I can't manage this now, and I will talk about it later if I have a chance!"   Zhang Jingru said: "I saw two Plaques at my uncle's house.   They read 'The Pavilion is Towering, and Colorful Clouds are Flying Around it' and 'You are as Great as a Mountain and Very Admirable';   I used to play at the Eighth Uncle’s house, and I also to see the two pieces of Plaques, that read ‘The brilliance of gold and jade add to each other's splendor, dazzling’, and ‘The Numerous Houses are Majestic and Ornate’.    Count it up, really a lot Plaques in your homes!"    Fang Xinwen said: "These were given to ancestors by former officials or neighbors.    But now they are useless!"    Although he said verbally that they were useless, he was still reluctant to abandon these Plaques, because after all they represent a brilliant period of time for the family.    He also hoped that after busying this time, afterward he would come back to clean them up.    However, afterward he never had the opportunity to manage these two Plaques.
After they packed up the small things, again clean the house them, afterwards  was the last moment when Fang Xinwen's family bid farewell to the old house. At this time, a sentiment of nostalgia generate in the hearts of everyone in their family. Against the backdrop of the strong sunlight in early summer, the room looked spacious and bright, but at this time it looked particularly empty. Fang Xinwen stood silently at the entrance of the old house for a long time. At this time, he is the intersection of many complex feelings: For a while, he blamed himself for failing to keep the family property left by his ancestors; for a while, he regretted that he had not been able to adapt to the changes of the times, so in today's this ending end; But in the end, he was grateful for the ending today: Fortunately, a family property left by my ancestors was ruined by me.  If not like this, I will become the landowner, and our family would end up worse than today! But he did not expect that their subsequent situation, No better than the landowner at the time.
Until he heard Wang Tianhui say in his ear: "Uncle, the outside is ready, it's time to go!" Fang Xinwen turned around and said, "Let's go!" That's it, he left this house in pain, and he was born here, grew up here, once lost and regained it.
Wang Qihui was crying at this moment. After this period of time, she initially tasted the hardships of going to the countryside and farming, knowing that the family still has a long way to go.
Fang Zhengqing and his young brother felt step very heavy when they left.


Chapter 3

A group of people carried the furniture to their new home in Huoshao Ping. They followed Fang Xinwen's instructions to Place put the furniture. When place Wang Qihui’s bed, she said regretfully: “If I knew that the original occupants would take the beams with them when they left, I shouldn’t have broken this bed for nothing.”
It turned out that this bed was her dowry when she was married. It was made of high-quality Cypress materials. The whole bed was tall and big, with exquisite workmanship. It took eight robust men to bring it to her husband's house. When Wang Qihui accompanied Fang Xinwen to see the house last time, she saw several girders above her head, which were used by the original occupant to hang corn on the cobs. Seeing that they are not in a high position, knowing that the bed is definitely cannot be placed. When she returned to the street, she reluctantly cut her love, in addition to leaving behind the Two-layers of openwork railings at the ends and behind and the openwork flower board on the front against the bedpost, and the top ceiling and upper ornaments were all removed to be used as firewood, and the carved flowers-birds-insects-fish alone filled two large bamboo baskets. Unexpectedly, when the original occupants moved out, girder moved away again, and this bed could be placed.  It appears, this bed badly damaged, it was mistake.

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