Writer 1978: I Need to Give the Literary World a Lesson

Chapter 180 Gunfire on the Grassland
Aba boasts diverse landscapes including mountains, grasslands, and canyons, which has led to a variety of lifestyles for its people. In addition to herding, they also cultivate barley and wheat, resulting in a coexistence of nomadic and agricultural cultures.

On the grassland, Liu Yimin rode on horseback, following behind yaks, and used his camera to record this precious moment.

Xu Chi was very interested, but his body couldn't keep up, and he looked listless. Pointing to the herd of yaks, he said, "I heard that these yaks used to be wild yaks, and it took the Tibetans a long time to domesticate them into livestock."

The captain said with a smile, "In the past, the chieftain had tens of thousands of yaks and more grain than he could eat. But we were still hungry and not even worth as much as the chieftain's yaks."

“My father said that if their grain were piled up as high as a snow mountain, and dumped into the river, it could block the entire river, but they are still incredibly greedy. They wish all the grain in the world were theirs, and all the grasslands in the world were their pastures. All the Tibetans in the world are their slaves.”

"When we encountered the chieftain, we had to stand by the roadside, take off our hats, bow our heads, and pretend to be very shocked, as if we had seen a flying donkey."

Zhuoma gently squeezed the horse's belly and immediately caught up.

"Captain, besides serving as soldiers for the chieftain, what other responsibilities did you have?" Liu Yimin asked.

The captain pulled on the reins, stopping the horse. His face was lost in memories of the past, and he began to recount the story from various angles, all the way to the chieftain of Zhuokeji.

"Of course our chieftain thought about resisting. Even the most enlightened chieftain would not voluntarily give up his power. It was only after seeing the mighty Jinzhumami that he gave up the last resistance."

Liu Yimin said with a smile, "Reason can only be explained by 'truth'. Even the most vicious person can become kind and friendly when faced with a hard iron object."

On the grassland, the captain looked at the clear blue sky, observed it for a while with his riding crop, and said, "We can't go any further. If it rains, we won't be able to get back."

"Won't it rain in this weather?" Xu Chi looked around and, seeing few clouds, assumed it wouldn't rain.

Driver Lao Wang advised, "Listen to the team leader; he's familiar with the grasslands."

After stopping, the group dismounted and sat around on the grassland. The captain took out his barley wine and invited everyone to drink: "Friends, have some barley wine to warm yourselves up."

Drinking and eating beef jerky they brought, the scene on the grassland was quite lively. The team leader, in high spirits, even danced and sang with some herders in the crowd.

“Hey, writer from the capital, tell us more about the capital!” Zhuoma said loudly.

Liu Yimin smiled and looked at Xu Chi: "Let this old comrade speak; he knows more than I do."

Xu Chi lay on the grassland, looking at the sky, and was filled with poetic inspiration: "Such a beautiful place, Yimin, I really don't want to go back!"

"Alright, let the local comrades give you a few yaks, and you can settle down here!"

"Don't try to fool me, I might actually do it!"

"Hahaha"

Zhuoma said again, "Tell me more!"

Xu Chi immediately sat up straight and slowly began to explain to everyone. Even though he had explained some things several times, they still listened with great interest.

Driver Lao Wang had heard Xu Chi tell the story many times, but every time he heard it, it was like the first time. His eyes were full of expectation and envy as he looked at Xu Chi.

In addition, driver Lao Wang also had to act as a translator, as some herders couldn't understand Mandarin, but the team leader could understand a little. Zhuoma had learned Mandarin from somewhere, and although her accent was a bit strange, communication wasn't a problem.

After talking for who knows how long, the barley wine that Xu Chi used to moisten his throat had made him feel dizzy.

A sudden clap of thunder startled everyone awake. When they looked up at the sky, they found it was already covered with dark clouds. The team leader jumped up and told the other herders to quickly mount their horses and drive the yaks away.

They live in a semi-settled pastoral lifestyle, which combines settled and nomadic life. Their earthen houses are their settlements, and now they need to hurry back.

Zhuoma leaped onto her horse, ready to help the captain herd the yaks, but immediately pulled back the reins. The horse beneath her practically jumped and turned its head in place: "Hey, writer from the capital, don't let the thunder on the grassland scare you. Watch out for your horse, Aji."

"Don't worry, I'm not some weak scholar!" Liu Yimin said with a smile as he steadied his horse.

Zhuoma nodded meaningfully, and praised again in her Tibetan-accented Mandarin with a strange accent: "Impressive, a writer who lets others hunt wolves."

Xu Chi said with a smile, "This Tibetan girl is quite interesting. The captain and the others always like to use all sorts of metaphors when they talk, such as grains as high as snow-capped mountains."

“That’s their unique way of speaking; it makes their words more infectious.” Liu Yimin patted Aji’s bottom and followed the herdsman toward the mud house.

The thunder on the grassland grew louder and louder, and the gale-force winds swirled up dark clouds, staring intently at the group of people and livestock on the vast grassland with an unparalleled force.

In the oppressive atmosphere, Liu Yimin felt a sense of panic and looked at Xu Chi beside him: "Comrade Xu, hurry up and keep up, don't fall behind."

Old Xu kept urging the horse on, but said aloud, "It's getting the feel of Gorky's 'The Stormy Petrel'."

Driver Lao Wang handed out green military raincoats to everyone: "If it rains, you'd better put these on quickly. There are no doctors in the pastoral area, and getting sick is a big problem. Especially you, old comrade, you have to be careful."

As the group hurried home, they ran into Zhuoma, who was constantly herding her cattle: "The thunder scared the yaks and sheep, and they've scattered. The team leader and the others are chasing after them. You should hurry back."

After telling Zhuoma to be careful, Sozerang told Lao Wang to take Liu Yimin and Xu Chi back first.

Before Xu Chi could say anything more, Liu Yimin said, "Comrade Xu, let's not cause any more trouble here. We can't help much, and we're just a burden."

Xu Chi agreed, so the three of them quickly rode towards the mud house. Before they even got home, a downpour started, but they only got a little wet, as their clothes were still dry under their raincoats.

Looking at the torrential rain outside and the worried families of the herders inside, Liu Yimin stood at the door and asked, "Old Wang, will this situation cause any problems?"

"The team leader and the others are all experienced herders, so there shouldn't be any problems," Old Wang said, but the worry on his face was still evident.

Under the dark clouds and torrential rain, the sky became almost completely dark.

Old Wang paced back and forth for a while, then muttered, "With such heavy rain, the wolves won't come out, will they?" He then muttered to himself, "It would be troublesome if they encountered wolves. They only brought three hunting rifles, and there are so many of them, scattered all over the place."

Old Wang took out the supplies he had brought, ate a little to fill his stomach, and then took out several flashlights, looking like he was ready to go into the grassland to find someone at any time.

After a long time, the torrential rain still did not stop, and everyone's unease grew stronger.

Liu Yimin raised his camera and took a picture, then anxiously put it down. He glanced at his watch, and after what seemed like an eternity, the sound of a bell rang out in the downpour, growing louder as it approached.
"They're back!" Liu Yimin jumped to his feet. Old Wang also smiled, a rare occurrence for him: "They're back, they're back!"

After saying that, he and Liu Yimin put on their raincoats and went outside to greet the returning herds and herders. Xu Chi had drunk a bit too much barley wine and was suffering from altitude sickness, so he had already gone to bed inside.

The captain saw Liu Yimin and Lao Wang, and took a hearty swig of barley wine in the rain: "The old man taught us that there is endless joy in fighting against nature!"

Their clothes were already soaked through. A big fire was burning in the hearth inside the house. After settling the cattle and sheep, the group of people warmed themselves by the fire and began to dry their clothes.

Zhuoma said, "Uncle Sozerang hasn't come back!"

The team leader was taken aback for a moment, then quickly checked the headcount. After checking, he discovered that two people were still missing. The other two herders were fine unless something serious happened, but Sozerang wasn't from around here, and if he got lost, he definitely wouldn't be able to find his way back.

The captain slapped his forehead in regret, wondering why he hadn't thought to check the headcount when he came back.

He quickly prepared to go into the grassland to find them, and said seriously, "Two people per group, one gun per group, we have to find them as soon as possible."

After assigning the people, Zhuoma looked at Liu Yimin and said, "Hey, writer from the capital, do you dare to come with me to find Uncle Suozhelang?"

The captain didn't say anything, but handed Liu Yimin a gun and asked if he knew how to use it.

"I know a little, but I might not be very accurate!" Liu Yimin said. He had fired a few shots during military training, and his accuracy was indeed questionable.

"If you know how, that's fine. Let's all work together; we don't have enough manpower!"

Old Wang seemed about to say something, but after glancing at the gradually stopping rain outside and not seeing any problem, he remained silent and handed Liu Yimin a flashlight: "Take this!"

And so, Liu Yimin mounted his horse, carrying his spear, and set off with Zhuoma.

“You’re not from this grassland either, aren’t you afraid of getting lost?” Liu Yimin asked.

"What's wrong, Comrade Writer? Are you scared?"

Liu Yimin didn't say anything; he wasn't bad with directions. But damn it, this was an endless grassland with no landmarks, and he was genuinely a little apprehensive.

“In Aba, wherever I’ve been, I won’t get lost after just one visit. My father said I was born to belong here. I’m like the master of the grassland. Once I’ve been here, I leave my scent behind, and I can find my way back no matter where I go by following my scent.”

"Comrade writer, let me show you what it means to be the master of the grasslands!"

Zhuoma patted the horse's rump and blew a whistle, and Aji immediately followed. The group entered the grassland along the original route, then spread out in pairs in a fan shape to begin their search.

The rain did fall, the dark clouds dispersed, and the sky gradually brightened. But it was already late, and this brightness wouldn't last long before the grassland was plunged back into darkness.

He held a flashlight in his hand, and Zhuoma held a torch in her hand, constantly calling out Sozerang's name.

The occasional "howl" sound made Aji, who was between his legs, tense up.

Zhuoma only glanced at "Aji", and the restless horse immediately calmed down.

After searching for a long time without success, they headed towards the rendezvous point. The rendezvous point was where they finally sat down to rest on the grass. Zhuoma, true to her status as the master of the grassland, immediately discerned the direction after just one glance.

With sweat beading on her forehead and an anxious look on her face, Zhuoma no longer had the energy to shout "Awesome!" at Liu Yimin.

After everyone reunited, they realized they hadn't found anyone, so they sent someone back to try and find out if they had returned to the mud house. The remaining people continued to split up and search.

"Be careful!" the captain instructed, and the horses immediately dispersed again.

After a while, Liu Yimin pulled on the reins and hurriedly said, "Zhuoma, don't shout. Is there a sound ahead?"

Zhuoma put her hand to her ear and listened carefully: "There is a sound, like someone is calling for help. No, there seems to be a sound over there too."

Upon closer listening, Liu Yimin realized it was indeed true: "You're over here, and I'm over there!"

He slapped "Aji" hard on the butt and rushed toward the direction of the sound, taking the gun off as he ran, putting the flashlight in his mouth, and nervously pulling the bolt.

Back in the brigade days, there were militiamen in the village, and Liu Fuqing was also the militia captain. He had handled guns before and had participated in military training when he was in school, so he was quite familiar with guns.

When Liu Yimin rode closer, he could see clearly that several wolves were attacking Suozhelang. Suozhelang, who was on horseback, had blood streaming down his thigh. When he saw Liu Yimin, Suozhelang shouted, "Writer Liu, run! These wolf cubs have gone mad!"

The wolves also spotted Liu Yimin. Several wolves warily watched him, ready to pounce at any moment. Liu Yimin fired his gun immediately, but fearing he might hit Suo Zelang, he could only aim at the wolves on the edge.

The gunshots did not scare the wolves away; instead, they pounced on them frantically. Liu Yimin cursed inwardly, dropped the flashlight from his mouth, and fired several shots at "Green Lantern" in a frenzy.

This is a captured U.S. Army Garand. After being transported back to China, it was used to equip the militia. There are only eight rounds in a single compartment. Almost instantly, Liu Yimin fired four rounds. Fortunately, he hit a wolf. With a "howl", the pack of wolves quickly scattered.

Seeing the "green lantern" disappear into the distance, Liu Yimin jumped to the ground, picked up the flashlight, and ran towards Suozelang. Suozelang's horse had also had several pieces of flesh bitten off, and Liu Yimin used his clothes to wrap around Suozelang's thigh as a makeshift bandage.

"Writer Liu, what brings you back?"

“I’m coming back to find you, Comrade Sozerang. Don’t say anything, cover your thigh.”

Sozerang's face was pale, and his voice was broken: "I was chasing a yak, but the further I chased, the farther away it got. The rain was too heavy, and we encountered wolves—many wolves, not just one pack. The yak is gone too."

"Humans are more important than yaks."

“...These are all the property of the herdsmen and the collective. How could they let you...come alone if they weren't mine?” Sozerang lay down on the horse’s back.

Liu Yimin knew something was wrong: "Comrade Suozelang, wait for me here. Zhuoma is still on the other side; she doesn't have a gun!"

"Go quickly, go quickly!" Sozerang said anxiously.

Liu Yimin mounted his horse and rode off towards Zhuoma's location.

(End of this chapter)