The boy would say, "I will, and I will ask my father to bring you a gift." Then you can come to my place and play around, and we can go to the beach together to collect some shells”
The middle-aged leap earth will say, "Master...... What's the rule? At that time, I was a child, and I was not sensible. ”
After that, he also asked his son to kowtow to Lu Xun, so that Lu Xun thought about escaping for a while.
In "Hometown", Lu Xun only used two lines to widen the gap between the image of Runtu when he was a child and when he grew up.
When Lu Xun wrote this short article, he was thinking of his hometown and the old people, but also his hatred and helplessness for the shackles of the times......
In the heart of the leap earth, the gap between them is eternal and eternal and cannot be crossed, the "master" is the "master", how can they mess around?
These are things that the world knows.
But what the world doesn't know is that Runtu died of illness at the age of 57, and the descendants left behind were more and more angry one by one, breaking free from the cage that Runtu had not broken free from all his life......
Old things from childhood
Runtu is actually not called Runtu, his real name is Zhang Runshui, Runtu is his father to give him a "cheap name", so that he can feed, and it is easy to call, and people who know him love to call him that.
In 1893, at the age of 11, Zhang Yanshui followed his father to the city of Shaoxing, which was the first time he left his hometown and met Lu Xun for the first time.
"Abba, it's so lively in this city!" Zhang Yanshui's eyes were full of curiosity, and he followed his father's footsteps closely, still holding the newly purchased knife in both hands.
"Runshui, this is not better than our country, talk less and do more." Father Zhang put down the bamboo plaque in his hand and instructed.
As soon as the words fell, a crisp voice came from behind him, "You're Brother Runtu, right?" ”
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Zhang Yanshui turned around and saw a thin young man standing in front of him with a faint smile on his face.
"Yes, young master, my name is Zhang Yanshui." Zhang Yanshui hurriedly replied, although he didn't know this young man, but his father said that when he saw the babies in the city, all the women were called "Miss" and the men were all called "Young Master", which was right!
"Don't call me young master, call me a tree man!" The young man stretched out his hand, Zhang Yanshui was stunned, and then a smile bloomed on his face, and he also stretched out his hand.
This was their first acquaintance, and they didn't know how deeply this friendship would leave on them later in life.
The young Lu Xun was full of curiosity about Zhang Runshui, although Zhang Yanshui was from the countryside, he was very straightforward, and his stomach was full of rural anecdotes.
Lu Xun was deeply fascinated by his belly-full stories, especially the story of the leap water depicting birds and catching birds and birds in the countryside at night, which always fascinated Lu Xun.
"Do you have thieves in your melon fields?" Lu Xun asked curiously.
"Yes, but we are not afraid of thieves, but we are afraid of Ru. That thing came at night and ran fast! Zhang Yanshui said, gesturing the size of Ru with his hand, "I still remember grabbing one once, it circled around my feet, but it was clever!" ”
There are many more such stories, which make Lu Xun yearn for the world he has never set foot in.
The two often sat in the backyard of Lu Xun's house, nibbling on the baked cakes stolen from the kitchen, while listening to Zhang Yanshui tell stories about the countryside.
Second, the twist of fate
In 1893, Lu Xun's grandfather Zhou Fuqing was involved in a case of fraud in the imperial examination, and the family suddenly fell into decline, and Lu Xun's life also changed dramatically.
Although Lu Xun's family is also a scholarly family, his father is seriously ill and his mother often sighs.
The atmosphere in his home has become dull, and the wealth and dignity of the past are gone, and all this is also a subtle turning point for Zhang Yanshui's family.
"Daddy, I heard that Young Master Lu Xun's family is not very good, shall we still go to help?" Zhang Yanshui asked his father cautiously.
"Help still has to help, our Zhang family is talking about love." Father Zhang sighed while sorting out the bamboo utensils, "But in the future, you have to be more careful when dealing with Young Master Lu Xun, remember, our identities are different." ”
Zhang Yanshui was puzzled, but he could only nod in agreement.
As time passed, Zhang Yanshui gradually understood the weight of these words.
Whenever he walked into the door of Lu Xun's house, he always felt an indescribable pressure, which came from the difference in identity and the change in the circumstances of the two families.
As the years passed, Zhang Yanshui's family situation was not as good as before, his father became ill from hard work, and he had to take on more responsibilities.
Looking at his aging father and declining family background, Zhang Yunshui gradually felt a sense of powerlessness in his heart.
He understands that the gap between himself and Lu Xun is widening, although Lu Xun's family background is not as good as before, but the social status between the two is still insurmountable.
"Daddy, our family has less land, I don't know if we can take care of the work at home in the future." Zhang Yanshui looked at the gradually barren fields, and his tone was deeply worried.
"Runshui, our generation, can last one day and count it as a day. You must know how to endure in the future, and life will be sad, but as long as the family is safe and secure, no hardship will be considered bitterness. Zhang's father patted his son's shoulder, with helplessness in his eyes.
In the teenage years of Lu Xun and Zhang Yanshui, this friendship was like a bright sunshine that illuminated their lives.
However, with the changes in the family and the disparity in social status, this childhood friendship gradually became heavy.
The two have since parted ways, but this friendship has not ended.
Years later, when Lu Xun and Zhang Yanshui met again, the memories of their youth had been replaced by the hardships and hardships of reality.
3. The cracks of fate
In the winter of 1920, the sky in Shaoxing was overcast, and the cold wind passed through the narrow streets and alleys, rolling up dead leaves on the ground.
Lu Xun returned to his hometown after a long absence, with a simple purpose: to sell his ancestral house and raise funds for the purchase of a new home in Beijing.
He walked into the familiar, but slightly dilapidated old house, so quiet that he could only hear the echo of his own footsteps.
"What a thing is wrong...... he sighed softly, and then ordered the servant to go and invite the earth to come. At this time, Lu Xun still has a clear memory of his childhood friends, which is a rare source of warmth and happiness in his childhood.
Soon, the leap earth came.
Lu Xun recognized at a glance the young man who had chased him under the moon, although the person in front of him was no longer young. Runtu's face was haggard, his hands were rough and cracked, and his eyes were devoid of their former sparkle.
"Brother Runtu, you're here." Lu Xun raised his head with a long-lost smile on his face. However, Runtu's reaction made his heart tighten.
"Master......" Runtu whispered, his voice trembling a little.
He clutched the brim of his hat tightly, his body slightly bent, as if he were facing a long-lost master, not an old playmate.
"What do you call me?" Lu Xun's smile disappeared in an instant.
"Sir, don't you remember? I'm Runtu......" Runtu's tone was a little humble, and at this time his son also followed, Runtu hurriedly pulled over the little doll with a bare butt and asked him to kowtow to Lu Xun.
Lu Xun hurriedly walked over and helped the son of Runtu, but the expression on his face became complicated.
He realized that there was an insurmountable gap between himself and the intercalary earth.
After meeting, the two sat at the old table, Lu Xun tried to regain the intimacy of the past, but Runtu's words always seemed restrained, and even with an indescribable sense of distance.
Lu Xun was silent for a moment, and he suddenly realized that the person in front of him was no longer the energetic young man.
The years and the trials and tribulations of life have left a deep mark on him, making him numb and sluggish.
"I don't plan to stay long when I come back this time, I just want to pack up my things at home......" Lu Xun broke the silence and tried to lead the conversation to practical issues.
"Sir, your words are superfluous. Whatever you want, just ask. Runtu nodded, his tone full of obedience.
After that, he wiped the corners of his eyes vigorously, as if he was wiping away the tears in his eyes, and as if he wanted to bury the grievances in his heart deeper.
Their conversation faded into silence.
Lu Xun knew that he could no longer talk to Runtu as easily as before, and fate had drawn an insurmountable gap between them.
Under the weight of life, Runtu becomes cautious, and he himself embarks on a completely different path. This gap is not only reflected in the material, but also in the spiritual and ideological barrier.
After this meeting, the fate of Lu Xun and Runtu parted ways again.
The gears of fate continue to turn, taking each of them in a different direction, never to go back to the past.
Fourth, the end and the new life
In 1934, a snowstorm outside Shaoxing enveloped the entire village in a white expanse.
Zhang Yanshui sat on the dilapidated wooden bed, his body so weak that he could barely move, and his five children gathered around the bed, with different expressions.
"Daddy, you can eat something." Zhang Qisheng was holding a bowl of gruel, squatting on the side of the bed, his voice low.
"It's useless...... It's useless. Zhang Yanshui shook his head weakly, his lips were chapped, and his voice was as soft as a gust of wind.
He looked out the window, and the field he had cultivated countless times had long since been covered with snow and ice, leaving only a desolate white. He knew he would never be able to return to that land.
Zhang Yanshui raised his hand with difficulty and patted Zhang Qisheng's shoulder gently, "Take good care of your younger brothers and sisters." ”
Zhang Qisheng nodded with tears in his eyes, but his heart was full of endless bitterness.
A few days later, Zhang Yunshui passed away quietly, leaving behind five young children and a four-walled home.
The boy who once chased under the moon, the father who supported the whole family with both hands, was finally completely crushed by the weight of life, and left this world with unfinished regret and unwillingness.
Many years later, the news of the founding of New China spread all over the country, and Zhang Qisheng and his younger siblings finally gained a new life.
The hope brought by the new society is like a warm current, gradually penetrating this land that was once shrouded in poverty and oppression.
Zhang Gui is the youngest son of Zhang Yanshui, and was fostered in a relative's house when he was young because of his poor family. After liberation, he was determined to change his fate, participated in the village literacy class, studied hard, and wanted to change his fate with knowledge.
Zhang Gui worked in the fields during the day and read at night, and a few years later, Zhang Gui was recommended to work at the Lu Xun Memorial Hall in Shaoxing.
The gears of fate are turning quietly, and they will eventually return to their dreams, and the descendants of Runtu have returned to Brother Xun'er in another way, which can be regarded as making Runtu and the young master return to their carefree and carefree childhood, isn't it?
During his work at the memorial hall, Zhang Gui studied hungrily, read a lot of books, and became a literary and historical worker who thought he was quite knowledgeable.
In 1982, Zhang Gui was appointed deputy director of the Shaoxing Lu Xun Memorial Hall. Through his own struggle, Zhang Gui not only changed his personal destiny, but also won dignity for his family.
After Zhang Gui retired, he still maintained contact with the Lu Xun family, and whenever he talked about his past and the hardships of his grandfather Zhang Yanshui, he was always full of emotion.
"If Daddy sees us today, he will be pleased." Zhang Gui said to his children and grandchildren, looking into the distance through the window, the land that his grandfather once cultivated with his life has now taken on a new look.
In the end, Zhang Gui led his family out of the shadow of poverty and ushered in the dawn of a new life.
5. The reincarnation of fate
Zhang Yanshui's life is actually a microcosm of the fate of countless ordinary people in that era.
From a lively rural teenager, he was gradually crushed by the burden of life, and finally died in a difficult situation.
However, although fate was not tolerant of him, his descendants found an opportunity to change their fate in the rise of New China.
Through his own efforts, Zhang Gui broke the family's predicament and embarked on a completely different path from his grandfather, bringing new hope to the family.
This family history is not only a true portrayal of that difficult era, but also a testimony to the tenacity and struggle of human nature.
Although Zhang Yanshui failed to get rid of the shackles of fate, his descendants finally completed the reversal of fate and ushered in a bright future for the family.
This change is the result of the progress of the times and the joint action of individual struggle, and it also gives new meaning to the "little people" in history.
Resources:
Cao Baojin of CNKI, "Feeling the Background of the Writing Era and Experiencing Different Life Processes-Interpretation of the Characters of "Juvenile Leap Earth".
Chinese Teaching and Research of CNKI's "Descendants of "Leap Earth" Emotionally Reminiscing Zhou Haiying" . 2011 (16