Chapter 295: A Story from 60 Years Ago, the Motorcycle Stands Out

Chapter 295: A Story from 60 Years Ago, the Motorcycle Stands Out

  Bobaixian County.

  Huan Dong Road.

  A large house with a courtyard, built with blue bricks and tiled roof.

  An elderly man with a face full of wrinkles and white hair lay in a chair, looking at his son, daughter-in-law, daughter, son-in-law, granddaughter, and nephews, and sighed in his heart. Not having a grandson was ultimately a regret.

  "Father, you suddenly called us all back, is there something important?" The one who asked was the old man’s son, Liang Yunfei, who was the director of the Bobai Forest Farm and a well-known figure in the county.

  The old man spoke calmly, "I feel that my time is near, so I called you all back to settle my affairs."

  "Father, what are you talking about? You will live a long life." This was said by the old man’s daughter, Liang Yunfang, who currently worked at a business administration office in a town.

  The old man shook his head, "I know my condition. I probably won’t make it through this year. The fortune teller said I would have a tough year at 79, and it seems to be true."

  "Grandfather, that’s superstition. If you’re not feeling well, we should go to the hospital for a check-up." This was said by a young woman in her early twenties, Liang Yunqing, the old man’s only granddaughter, who was a teacher at the First Primary School in Bobai Town.

  "Alright, let’s not talk about that."

  The old man waved his hand and said, "Every year during the Qingming Festival, other families are busy paying respects to their ancestors, but our family has never done so. I have never even told you where our ancestors are. I originally planned to take this secret to my grave, but I’ve thought a lot about it recently and decided to tell you this secret."

  These words shocked everyone present.

  Liang Yunfei, extremely curious, asked, "Father, when I was a child and asked you about this, you gave me a beating. What secret is hidden here?"

  The others were also filled with curiosity.

  The old man lay in his chair, looking at the roof beams, recalling a very bloody scene from 60 years ago, and said in a somber tone, "I haven’t mentioned our ancestors to you all these years because it’s embarrassing!"

  Liang Yunfei and his sister Liang Yunfang exchanged glances. They had many guesses, but never thought of this reason.

  "Father, what exactly happened?"

  The old man closed his eyes, recalling the past, and said, "Our hometown is in Dungu Village, Supo, 60 years ago, on the 23rd day of the first lunar month, in the middle of the night, the bandit leader Sanzhua and over 3,000 bandits surrounded our village. I was only 19 years old at the time."

  Hearing this, Liang Yunqing was horrified. Over 3,000 bandits surrounding the village was too terrifying.

  The others also showed signs of shock. The idea of so many bandits surrounding the village was terrifying just to imagine.

  "Just as dawn broke, several dozen bandits called out loudly around the village: ‘If you do not open the gates to welcome us, we will double the silver and level the village, leaving no living thing behind!’"

  At this point, the old man opened his eyes and explained the background, "At the time, our village had nearly 300 people, and the village was fortified with a strong fence made of bamboo, wood, and thorns. The villagers were known for their fierce spirit and were not afraid of these bandits. A month before the bandits surrounded the village, the bandit leader Sanzhua sent a red notice demanding a large sum of silver from our village.

  We naturally refused such an unreasonable demand.

  Sanzhua felt humiliated and became furious, gathering dozens of bandits from various factions, vowing to flatten our village.

  At the time, our villagers were very brave and swore an oath of blood, determined to resist the bandits and protect the village."

  The old man’s face showed pride as he continued, "We reinforced the walls, made weapons like knives, spears, and guns, and posted sentries day and night to prevent a sudden attack by the bandits.

  Nearby villages like Zhanwu and Xiangsitan, among eight others, also temporarily relocated to our village to avoid the bandits."

  Hearing this, everyone’s hearts began to race. 300 people against 3,000 bandits—how could they fight?

  Liang Yunqing couldn’t help but ask, "Grandfather, did they fight?"

  "They did fight!"

  The old man took a deep breath, calmed himself, and continued, "We treated the bandits’ threats as mere hot air. Soon, the bandit leader sent out two ‘pioneer death squads,’ each with about 30 men, to attack from the east and west simultaneously."

  Everyone’s hearts tightened, even though they knew their father (grandfather, or uncle) was safe, they were still on edge.

  "These ‘death squad’ members wore only loincloths, had red sashes tied around their waists, and held large knives, shouting battle cries as they charged forward."

  Despite the 60 years that had passed, the scene was still vivid in the old man’s mind. He said with pride, "When the bandits attacked, our villagers were not at all panicked. They aimed their guns, and not a single shot was wasted. In one encounter, both ‘death squads’ were completely hit, either killed or injured.

  The bandits suffered a heavy loss and then used their homemade guns and cannons to bombard us. After the bombardment, they launched new attacks, but all were repelled by our villagers.

Thus, the bandits attacked for three whole days and nights, resulting in heavy casualties on their side, with not a single bandit able to cross the village walls. During those three days and nights, I personally killed one bandit with my own hands."

Liang Yunfei listened with a surge of excitement and could not help but clap and cheer. A battle of 300 against 3,000, despite the advantage of defending the village, was indeed an extraordinary feat. He also cheered for his father's courage, personally slaying a bandit, which was a truly dominant act.

The others also listened with faces full of excitement. This was a battle the old man had personally experienced, more realistic and captivating than any story.

"After three days and nights of unsuccessful attacks, the bandit leader Sanzhua had no more tricks up his sleeve and had to send for reinforcements from the northern bandit leader, Liang Shouqing, to come and take command."

The old man continued, "With the addition of more bandits, they launched new attacks. By then, we had already fought for three days and nights, exhausted and running low on ammunition. But our village was full of heroes; as long as we were still standing, we continued to fight the bandits, repelling their attacks time and time again.

In the midst of the crisis, our village sent people to seek help from the fort master of Dungu Castle and asked him to request military assistance from the county office.

But the fort master turned a blind eye to our plight and fled.

The county office had 300 soldiers, but they only reached the Daling Market, 30 li away from our village, and upon seeing the overwhelming force of the bandits, they quickly retreated to the county office to save their own lives."

Liang Yunqing's heart sank at this point, sensing that something terrible was about to happen.

"This battle lasted until the sixth night, by which time the bandits were already heavily casualties and had paused their attacks. At midnight, a young villager, while on guard duty, poked his head out to observe the situation and was unfortunately killed by the bandits."

Recalling that scene, the old man sighed deeply and said, "When the news of the young man's death spread, the cries of his relatives rose, and the morale of the villagers, who had been holding on for so many days without any reinforcements, began to waver.

The bandits, being clever, took advantage of the situation to threaten and entice the villagers. By the second night..."

At this point, the old man closed his eyes in pain and continued after a long pause, "During these six days and nights of fighting, I personally killed three bandits. But I never expected that my cowardly father would secretly betray us, opening a small gate to let the bandits in."

"Ah?"

Everyone present gasped in shock. This twist was something they had never anticipated.

Just moments ago, they were filled with excitement over the villagers' bravery in fighting the bandits, but now their grandfather (great-grandfather) had chosen to betray them. Could anything be more humiliating?

In modern terms, it was as embarrassing as using one's feet to dig a three-bedroom apartment.

The old man's voice trembled, "At that moment, the villagers fought back valiantly, especially two young men guarding the alley, who killed over ten bandits, their blades dulled and their strength spent, before they died under the bandits' knives.

In the end, our village, outnumbered, was overrun by the bandits.

After breaking into the village, the bandits went on a rampage, killing 280 people, capturing 8, and only 7 survived by hiding in dung pits or lying among the dead. I was one of those who survived by lying among the dead."

Hearing this, everyone fell silent.

After a long pause, Liang Yunqing cautiously asked, "Grandfather, great-grandfather betrayed the village and even abandoned you, his own son. What if something had happened to you back then, then..."

The old man sneered, "He only cared about himself. If he had discussed this with me beforehand, I would have stopped him. Even if the village was eventually overrun, the villagers' fate would not have changed, but at least we would have all done our best, rather than this tragedy happening because of someone's betrayal.

After such an event, even though most of the villagers were dead, how could I have the face to return to the village?"

Liang Yunfei understood his father very well and sighed, "If I had done what Grandfather did, I wouldn't have the face to return to the village either."

Liang Yunfang felt a mix of emotions. Chinese people have always had a hero complex, admiring those brave and valiant figures. Having a cowardly great-grandfather was indeed a shameful thing, which explained why his father never mentioned his origins.

Liang Yunqing was genuinely curious. Although she knew it was painful for her grandfather, she could not help but ask, "Grandfather, have you seen great-grandfather since that night?"

The old man said coolly, "Since that night, I have considered him dead."

Liang Yunfei asked, "Dad, do you want to take us back to our hometown to pay respects to our ancestors? What Grandfather did should not be blamed on the other ancestors."

Chinese people value the concept of returning to their roots. To say that the old man did not want to see his hometown before his time was up would be a lie. But every time he thought about the events that transpired in the village and the nearly 300 lives lost, he felt ashamed to return.

Liang Yunqing seemed to understand her grandfather's feelings and said, "Grandfather, you don't need to feel overly guilty. What great-grandfather did has nothing to do with you. You didn't survive by betraying the village. You haven't been back to your hometown for decades. I think you should go back and take a look."

Furthermore, it has been 60 years since the incident. Even if those who survived by chance are still alive, they would probably have passed away by now. No one would recognize you if you went back, unless we reestablish the ancestral worship, in which case others might learn our identity."

The old man waved his hand and said, "We haven’t paid respects to our ancestors for 60 years. The incense has been cut off in your generation, so it’s meaningless to resume the tradition now. This is the retribution for our family, the heavens have eyes. The sins of my father are being visited upon us, the descendants."

He had a basis for saying this. He had five children, but only one son and one daughter survived.

His son also had four children, but only one daughter survived. Wasn’t this retribution?

Liang Yunfei and his wife exchanged glances upon hearing this. They had lost three children in succession, so they had a certain belief in the concept of retribution. Previously, they had thought it was due to poor feng shui at home, but now they realized the problem might be rooted in his grandfather’s actions.

Of course, such mystical matters were only suspicions and could never be proven.

Liang Yunqing, as a teacher, and having been educated in an era that rejected superstition, did not believe in such things. However, she would not contradict her elder. She said, "Grandfather, since everyone is here today, why don’t we all go back to our hometown?"

The old man pondered for a moment and finally sighed, "Alright, let’s go back and take a look."

...

Dungu Township is located on the banks of the Nanliu River in the southwestern part of Bobai County, about 27 kilometers from the county seat.

Dungu Township is the highest area in the county, known for its famous mountains such as Jiguan Ridge, Liutang Neck, Tiemaotou, and Yunfei Ridge. The Nanliu River banks are lined with beautiful peaks and clear waters, and famous scenic spots like the Yan Stone Immortal Bridge and the Yan Stone Temple are located here, earning it the nickname "Little Yangshuo of Bobai."

Liang Yunfei and Liang Yunfang, the brother and sister, had both visited Dungu Township before. One had been to Yunfei Ridge, and the other to Yan Stone Temple, but they never dreamed that this place was their longed-for hometown.

This time, accompanying their elderly father back, their feelings were entirely different knowing this was their hometown.

As for Liang Yunqing and the others, they were purely curious. This was their first visit to Dungu Township, and they looked around with interest as the bus entered the area.

Although the Liang family’s patriarch had not returned to his hometown in 60 years, and the place had changed significantly over those years, he had lived there for nearly 20 years, and the memories were deeply etched in his mind. After getting off at Dungu Market, he led his family toward the Suopo Village he remembered.

After about 20 minutes of walking, the Liang family’s patriarch brought his family back to the Suopo Village he remembered.

The Suopo Village of today was completely different from the one he remembered. The site where the village once stood had been rebuilt into a village primary school, and all the familiar buildings had vanished. If not for the roads, mountains, and fields as reference points, the Liang family’s patriarch would not have recognized it as the Suopo Village of old.

Liang Yunfei, seeing his father stop and look, could not help but ask, "Dad, is this it...?"

The Liang family’s patriarch nodded and pointed to the primary school in front of them, saying, "This is where our village used to be."

Seeing the village turned into a primary school, the family was not surprised. According to the patriarch’s account, the battle that surrounded the village had resulted in the deaths of hundreds, if not thousands, of villagers and bandits. Building private residences there would be daunting for many.

However, turning it into a school eliminated such concerns, as there is no haunted ground that a school cannot subdue.

For example, the Shuangwang Junior High School, where Deng Yunhua and Deng Yunheng were currently studying, was actually the stronghold of the bandit leader Long Sanba in the early Republic era. Many people had died there, but after it was converted into a junior high school, everything went smoothly, and it later became one of the top-ranked junior high schools in the county, quite impressive.

Although the village of his memories had vanished, there were still many familiar mountains and rivers nearby. The Liang family’s patriarch led his family through the area, and when others asked questions, he would casually find an excuse to answer.

After wandering around for over an hour, the Liang family’s patriarch sighed and said, "We’ve seen everything. Let’s go back."

Liang Yunfei asked, "Dad, aren’t you going to visit the ancestral graves?"

The Liang family’s patriarch shook his head and said, "No, I won’t. In any case, it won’t be long before I join the ancestors. I’ll explain everything to them then."

Liang Yunqing interjected, "Grandfather, don’t say such pessimistic things. You’re in good health. Even if you don’t live to be 100, you can still live for another ten or twenty years."

"Xiaoqing, at my age, I’ve already lived a long life. The friends from my village have been gone for 60 years. It’s time for me to join them."

At this point, the elderly Liang paused and looked at his only granddaughter, saying, "Xiaoqing, you’re already 23 this year, well past the age when you should be married. Previously, because you were the only child in the family, your parents were reluctant to let you marry early, so they didn’t arrange a match for you.

However, Grandfather has been having dreams lately, all about people and events from 60 years ago. I fear I won’t make it past this year. I think you should find a partner and get married soon. Otherwise, once Grandfather is gone, it won’t be a good time for you to marry for the next couple of years, and you’ll really be getting older if you keep delaying.

Moreover, before I go, I really hope to see you settled down."

The Liang family usually didn’t believe in such talk about impending death, as no one could predict their own passing. However, the elderly Liang’s insistence and the nature of his dreams made them take it seriously.

Liang Yunqing’s mother then said, "Dad, when we get back, I’ll ask a matchmaker to help Xiaoqing find a partner. After all, she really isn’t young anymore, and if she doesn’t marry soon, she’ll become an old maid."

Liang Yuqing: "(-_-)"

...

At the Shufeng Restaurant.

The family and restaurant staff were all gathered around Deng Shirong’s brand new Jialing 70 motorcycle.

In this era, motorcycles were extremely rare in Bobai County. Many towns didn’t even have a single motorcycle, especially a new model like the Jialing 70. Even in the county seat, it was a rare sight.

After all, at over 7,000 yuan each, only a few of the newly wealthy could afford it, let alone families with average economic conditions.

Thus, the number of motorcycles was even fewer than cars.

Everyone was touching and admiring the motorcycle, praising its beauty.

Unfortunately, apart from Deng Shirong, no one present knew how to ride it, or they would have taken it for a spin.

By now, it was almost time for the kindergarten to let out, so Deng Shirong inserted the key, started the motorcycle, and said with a chuckle, "I’ll go pick up Xiao Dong. Ajian, you should come with me; I’m afraid Xiao Dong might not hold on tight enough."

Deng Yunzhen had never ridden a motorcycle before. Hearing this, she happily agreed and climbed on behind her father.

Deng Shirong grabbed the clutch with his left hand, gently kicked the gear into place with his left foot, then slowly released the clutch while adding gas with his right hand. The motorcycle smoothly started moving, and with the clutch half-engaged, he slightly eased off the throttle and kicked the gear again, smoothly shifting into second gear.

He repeated the process, smoothly shifting into third gear, and headed toward the kindergarten.

The Shufeng Restaurant wasn’t far from Xiao Dong’s kindergarten; it was just a turn and a hundred meters or so.

Deng Yunzhen got off the motorcycle, still excited, and said, "Dad, riding the motorcycle is so comfortable, and it’s much faster than a bicycle. It’s really convenient!"

Deng Shirong smiled and said, "You get what you pay for. The money for this motorcycle could buy nearly 20 bicycles."

By now, many parents were waiting at the kindergarten gate. Since Deng Yunzhen frequently picked up Xiao Dong, she was familiar with many of the other parents. Seeing her get off the motorcycle, they all curiously asked about it.

Soon, the parents learned that this was the new motorcycle bought by Deng Changli’s grandfather, costing over 7,000 yuan.

Upon hearing this, the scene almost exploded with astonishment. Everyone was amazed.

Of course, some keen-eyed parents recognized Deng Shirong and knew he was the owner of the Shufeng Restaurant. Once this information spread, the parents all understood.

After all, who in the county didn’t know the Shufeng Restaurant?

...

"Grandpa!"

Xiao Dong was picked up by her aunt and, seeing her grandfather waiting nearby, couldn’t help but smile happily.

Deng Shirong said with a grin, "Xiao Dong, come on up. Grandpa will take you for a ride."

Though Xiao Dong didn’t recognize the motorcycle, the idea of a ride excited her, and she urged, "Aunt, hurry and pick me up. I want to ride!"

Deng Yunzhen smiled and lifted her onto the motorcycle, then climbed on behind her and said, "Xiao Dong, hold on tight to Grandpa!"

Xiao Dong hugged her grandfather tightly and said excitedly, "Let’s go! Let’s go!"

Deng Shirong laughed heartily, then, just as before, he smoothly operated the motorcycle. Under the watchful eyes of the many children, parents, and teachers at the kindergarten, he drove off with a cool turn at the intersection, disappearing from view.

Seeing this, the children all started clamoring to their parents or grandparents:

"Dad, I want to ride too!"

"Mom, I want to ride such a cool bike!"

"Grandpa, I want to ride that pretty bike too!"

"..."

The parents looked at each other, all wearing a wry smile.

A motorcycle costing over 7,000 yuan was not only unaffordable for most, but even if they could afford it, who would spend so much on a motorcycle?

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end