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墨書 Inktalez
On May 1, 1979, the first day of the busy farming holiday, I made plans with my two cousins, De Feng and Supporting the Military, to go to Gaosha.
Although it was a holiday, we were only about ten years old and didn’t have to rush to the fields like the adults to help with the early rice planting. However, our families still assigned us the task of gathering pigweed. If we wanted to play in Gaosha, we had to sneak away. Our plan was perfect: after having breakfast early in the morning, we would carry baskets and pretend to go gather pigweed. We would hide the baskets in a secret spot and then set off for Gaosha. It was a twenty-mile journey, and with time spent playing in the streets, five hours would be just about right. We could hurry back home afterward and still manage to gather a bit of pigweed. As long as our younger siblings kept an eye out and our parents were busy with farm work, we figured we could return home on time with a basket of pigweed without anyone noticing.
Among the three of us, I had recently gone to Gaosha with my grandfather to sell ginger, so I had a decent memory of the place. However, I still felt uncertain about leading my two friends there alone. Fortunately, we soon found a companion for our journey; Changshun from the oil mill was already in middle school at that time and had also made plans to go to Gaosha with a classmate from a nearby courtyard.
Without any further hesitation or preparation, we set off with Changshun, the big kid. His younger brother, Changhe, who is in the same class as us, wanted to join but was sent back with a fierce glare from his brother. My own brother didn’t express a desire to come along, but I could see a hint of longing in his eyes. However, he still needed to stay home to cover for us, especially since he had to take on most of the task of gathering pigweed. I could only pretend not to notice.
Our group of four jogged along and soon arrived at a courtyard called Tangqianwan, where Changshun's classmates were still having breakfast. After waiting for a short while, he organized a load of firewood and led us along the village path.
When we reached a place called Earth Dam, he set down his burden to rest his shoulders. I realized we were back on the usual road to Gaosha, which made me feel more at ease. I approached his load of firewood to see how heavy it really was. Despite using all my strength, the load didn’t budge an inch; even the strongest among us, Supporting the Military, couldn’t move it either. Seeing our struggle, he smiled slightly and said, "This load of firewood weighs over a hundred pounds; you won’t be able to lift it."
Perhaps it was admiration, or perhaps fear, but as we continued on our journey, we no longer engaged in any antics; we simply followed silently.
After crossing Tai Ping Bridge, two children left us behind as they went off to sell firewood. We, on the other hand, greedily observed the various sights and items that were absent from our rural homes. There were many toys of all sizes that we had never seen before. We wanted to reach out and touch them, even play with them in our hands, but without any money to buy them, we found ourselves deterred by the shopkeeper's watchful gaze. We lacked even the courage to approach for a closer look.
Just as our curiosity was about to wane, dark clouds suddenly gathered in the sky, and thunder rumbled ominously. We barely managed to reach the shelter of a building at the edge of the street when a torrential downpour began to drench the earth. The raindrops pounded rhythmically against the makeshift awning, one after another without pause, completely cutting off our way home.
The child's nature is always so optimistic. The rain falls harder and harder, but our worries pass quickly. We soon find something fun to do: chasing raindrops with bare feet along the eaves, splashing in the water, or letting the rain wash away the mud on our feet. The rain hasn't stopped, and we figure it's almost time to meet Changshun. We reluctantly put away our playful hearts and, braving the stinging rain, run towards the agreed meeting point - a small restaurant near Tai Ping Bridge on the way back home. We pant as we reach the door of the restaurant, our thin clothes and pants completely soaked. Water drips from the hems of our pants, and in less than a minute, six puddles form that can reflect our silhouettes. Perhaps because there are too many people seeking shelter from the rain, or perhaps because we are too young, the staff doesn't shoo us away. They only politely ask us to make way when customers come in.
It's a small restaurant, but they only serve two things - noodles and wontons. At that time, the three of us rural kids didn't even know what wontons were. We watched the customers come and go, eating their steaming hot noodles or wontons, patting their full bellies as they left, and we felt very envious.
Before long, Changshun and his classmates also arrived at the small restaurant. As they waited, they couldn't help but keep glancing at other people's bowls.
What to do? The rain kept pouring down without any sign of stopping. Staying at Gaosha was definitely not an option. Everyone agreed to brave the rain and make their way, seeking shelter under eaves whenever the rain got particularly heavy or when they came across someone's house.
As we approached the earth dam, opinions began to diverge. The three of us were eager to head home and insisted on going right, but Changshun insisted on going left to visit his classmate's house first. He claimed it was only an extra four or five miles, and with nightfall approaching and us drenched from the rain, we could warm ourselves by the fire at his friend's place. Perhaps by then the rain would have stopped, and we could head home afterward without delay.
Outnumbered, we reluctantly agreed, feeling the chill of early summer and the fatigue from our hurried journey. Together, we turned left. Just as dusk began to settle, we finally arrived at Changshun's classmate's house. Upon seeing our drenched appearance, his parents quickly lit a grass fire for us. However, they didn't have any spare dry clothes for us to change into; only Changshun and his classmate managed to swap out their wet clothes. The three of us huddled around the fire in our soaked garments.
As we warmed ourselves by the fire, listening to the sounds of his parents cooking in the kitchen, the sky gradually darkened completely, and a sense of drowsiness began to wash over us. Suddenly, a beam of flashlight illuminated my face—it was my father, accompanied by my mother who was supporting the military.
Xie rejected the kind invitation from the host family, and the three of us children followed the adults on our way home. This well-planned Gaosha trip finally came to an end after being soaked in the rain. Once we returned home, we faced a stern reprimand from our mother.
Gradually, the impact of this outing began to surface in fragments before us, three naive and fearless youths. We had all underestimated our parents' concern for us. Before lunchtime, our parents, having left their farm work due to the heavy rain, discovered that the three children were missing. Initially, they thought we were just playing around and had been delayed by the rain, believing we would return by mealtime.
By lunchtime, the three children were still nowhere to be seen, and the parents began to grow anxious. They first questioned my siblings at home, then turned to other kids in the yard for information. Among them, my brother's response was the most amusing; he said, "I know where they went, but I won't tell you."
After lunch, realizing that we might have wandered off quite far, my parents, unable to get any useful information from my siblings, immediately split up to search for us. During this time, my parents were the most frantic. Mom and Dad searched in different directions: Grandma's House, Aunt's place, Second Aunt's home, as well as Li Family Ferry Crossing and the garden. They even enlisted my uncle to join the search party.
In the midst of a pouring rain, my parents hurried along the muddy path with only the simplest rain gear, trying to protect the dry clothes they had prepared for me. This scene has remained etched in my memory like a film reel for many years to come.
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