Ordinary World: Starting with a divorce from Tian Runye

Chengguan Primary School.

The June sun was unreasonably scorching, turning the yellow earth on the playground white and burning hot to the touch.

As soon as the bell rang, a group of children poured out of the classroom and rushed onto the playground like a dam bursting.

Runye came out of the classroom, carrying an enamel mug, the water in it was almost gone. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and was about to walk towards the office when she suddenly saw someone waving at her from afar at the school gate.

Runye raised her hand to her forehead and squinted to take a closer look.

Du Lili?

Runye walked over quickly.

When they reached the door, they saw someone else sitting next to Du Lili. Li Xiangqian was leaning against the shade of a tree by the door, holding an ice pop in his hand, squinting like a wilted eggplant. Du Lili also had an ice pop in her hand, already half-eaten, her fingers covered in melted sugar syrup.

"You...how did you get here?"

Du Lili ran over happily and grabbed Runye's arm.

"Xiangqian and I are here to gather inspiration!"

"A field trip?"

"The cultural center has been assigned by Gao's office to create an exhibition about Gao's revolutionary stories. Xiangqian is in charge of collecting materials, and I'll assist him. There's a boiler operator at your school who used to be Gao's subordinate, and we'd like to interview him."

Runye nodded, her eyes glancing, intentionally or unintentionally, at Li Xiangqian sitting under the tree.

Li Xiangqian sat there without saying a word. The popsicle was almost melted, and the syrup dripped down the stick onto his hand.

"It's Master Zhao. I know Master Zhao well. I'll take you there."

Li Xiangqian then patted his bottom, stood up, casually threw away the popsicle that had melted down to just a wooden stick, and followed the two into the school.

Chengguan Primary School was small, with two rows of brick classrooms surrounding a dirt playground, in the middle of which stood a flagpole. Behind the classrooms was the canteen, and beyond the canteen, past a low wall, was the water boiler room.

The water boiler room was a low brick building, with a pile of honeycomb briquettes half a person's height at the entrance and a row of thermos flasks on the floor. A draft of air flowed in through the front and back windows, making it much cooler than outside.

An old man was dozing off in a small wooden chair.

The old man was very thin, his back hunched over like a bow. He wore an old, faded vest with holes, the collar ripped open, revealing several brown age spots on his chest. His hands rested on his knees, the veins on the backs of his hands coiled like old tree roots.

Runye gently patted the old man's shoulder.

"Master Zhao."

The old man jolted awake, opened his eyes, and stared blankly for two seconds.

"Runye."

He quickly stood up, supporting himself on his knees, and pointed to the thermos on the ground.

"The boiled water is on the floor; it's already been filled. Take this. There are a few more bottles for the other teachers in the office; could you take them to them for me?"

When Master Zhao spoke, he leaned forward slightly, his tone carrying a sense of caution.

He worked as a boiler operator at Chengguan Elementary School for six years. The pay wasn't high, but it included lunch, and in winter he could stay in the boiler room, which was warm and saved him the cost of coal for the winter. His wife passed away three years ago, and his two sons, one working in a coal mine in another province and the other farming in Shigejie Commune, were both struggling to make ends meet. Mr. Zhao managed to get by on his boiler-operating job.

Runye usually takes good care of him; she'll save him some leftover food from the cafeteria, and she even gave him cotton gloves twice in the winter. Master Zhao remembers this kindness.

"Master Zhao, we're not here to get water today."

Runye pointed behind her.

"These two are comrades from the county cultural center. They would like to ask you about some things that happened back then."

Master Zhao lowered his eyes and looked somewhat reserved.

"What do you want to know?"

Du Lili took a step forward and said with a smile.

"Sir, Mr. Gao will be visiting Yuanxi in a couple of days. We would like to learn about his revolutionary stories in Yuanxi back then."

Master Zhao looked at her, then at Li Xiangqian.

"Old Gao? Which Old Gao?"

"Gao Bujie, Old Gao. Wasn't he your former superior?"

Upon hearing the name "Gao Bujie," Master Zhao's cloudy eyes instantly lit up.

"Gao Fengzi... he's coming to Yuanxi?"

Du Lili, Runye, and Li Xiangqian looked at each other in bewilderment.

Gao Fengzi?

Du Lili opened her mouth.

"Yes... Chief Gao, Elder Gao."

Master Zhao waved his hand.

"I know, I know, the crazy commander. I was only seventeen when I was with him, that's what all the comrades in our unit called him."

Du Lili and Runye were momentarily at a loss for words.

Li Xiangqian spoke up from the side.

"Old man, how did you get the title of 'mad chief' from Gao Lao?"

Upon hearing this, Master Zhao immediately perked up and sat up straight.

"Hey, Gao the Madman."

Master Zhao smacked his lips and raised his voice.

"Back then, Gao the Madman was the company commander of our Huangyuan guerrilla force. He had a total of sixteen men under his command, seventeen if you count him. Gao the Madman was notorious for his violent temper; he could pee so badly that it would leave a huge crater in the ground."

"In the winter of 1938, the Japanese came down from the north to sweep through the area. Those beasts burned down villages and killed people indiscriminately. Several villages in the northwest were all devastated. The people fled into the mountains, and those who couldn't run away hid in cave dwellings. The Japanese set fire to the entrances of the cave dwellings, suffocating the people inside. In Gaojiayuanzi, there was a family of seven, young and old, who all suffocated to death in their cave dwelling."

Master Zhao's voice deepened.

"That winter was terribly cold. My hands were frozen like wooden sticks, and I couldn't even hold a gun. I had to wrap my hands and the gun together with strips of cloth, otherwise my hands would slip off when I fired."

He patted his knee again.

"When the Japanese finished their sweep and were about to leave, they brought a convoy of three or four trucks. The heavy snow had buried half of the road, and the trucks were stuck in the snow and couldn't move fast; it was like crawling. When Gao Fengzi heard the news, he took sixteen of us and went there."

Du Lili couldn't help but interrupt.

"Sixteen people intercepting the convoy?"

"Yes, sixteen people. That's why he's called Crazy Gao. Including Crazy Gao, there are seventeen people in total. There aren't enough guns, so some of them are carrying broadswords. There aren't enough bullets either, so each person only got eight bullets. Crazy Gao said that the Japanese cars are stuck in the snow and can't move, so it's a good opportunity to take them down."

As Master Zhao spoke, he slapped his thigh.

"It was Gao the Madman who led the charge. He was the kind of guy who never stayed behind in battle. He'd let out a roar and charge out, and we'd follow behind. The Japanese weren't on guard, and the convoy was stuck in the snow. The cars in front heard the gunfire but didn't know what was happening. Gao the Madman led his men to first shoot out the tires of the last car, blocking its retreat, and then they started firing from the back."

The old man's eyes lit up as he spoke.

"I was quick-witted and took down a Japanese soldier driver first. I pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and quickly handed it to Gao Fengzi. Gao Fengzi took it and saw that it was a full pack, untouched. He immediately praised me: 'Xiao Zhao, you're a real talent. I didn't bring you on this job for nothing.'"

"The Japanese bayonets were formidable. Several of our brothers suffered losses in close combat, and several were killed."

Suddenly, Master Zhao bent down and rolled up the left pant leg.

A shocking scar stretched from his calf all the way to above his knee, like a twisted worm crawling on his skin, with clear traces of the flesh having rolled back and healed.

Runye gasped. Du Lili covered her mouth.

"This is what happened when the Japanese bayonet stabbed me that day. After that one blow, I couldn't move my leg anymore and fell straight into the snow."

Master Zhao pulled down his trouser leg and continued speaking.

"It was Big Beard Liang who saved me. He smashed that Japanese soldier's head open with the butt of his rifle, and then dragged me under the car."

"Big Beard Liang?"

Du Lili asked a question.

"Hey, Big Beard Liang."

Master Zhao grinned.

"That kid was a pauper, even poorer than me. Before he joined the army, he herded sheep at home, eating only one meal a day, and was as thin as a stick. After joining the army, his favorite thing to do was to search the pockets of Japanese soldiers after a battle, searching for canned food. Once he found a can of beef, and he was happier than if he had captured a mortar. He kept it under his pillow every day, pointing at it and saying 'I'll have a baby.'"

"What happened to Big Beard Liang afterward?"

Du Lili continued to ask.

Master Zhao straightened his trouser legs and said.

"Later, our troops fought a skirmish with the Japanese at the South Gate of Huangyuan. Liang the Bearded Man was killed in action."

Du Lili, Runye, and Li Xiangqian were speechless after hearing this.

Master Zhao, puzzled, continued, "We listened to Gao the Madman the most. That winter, our team was responsible for transporting grain to the base area. The Japanese soldiers blocked the road to the base area. The grain trucks couldn't pass, so Gao the Madman ordered us to get off the trucks and take off our pants."

"Oh, those are the big cotton pants with thick legs and a bulky waist."

As he spoke, Master Zhao gestured in the air.

"We listened to Gao the most. Following Gao the madman's instructions, we tied the two ends of our trousers together and then poured all the grain into our trousers."

Hey, don't underestimate these thick-legged, bulky pants. One pair can hold a hundred pounds of grain. Once filled with grain, the pants stand there like half a man's back.

"We ducked our heads and crawled right into our crotches, then straightened up and hoisted the trousers full of grain onto our shoulders. Gao Fengzi said: 'Brothers, we Yuanxi people have two treasures: fat-legged trousers and big cotton-padded coats. Haha, these trousers aren't filled with grain, they're filled with bullets fired at the enemy, they're anti-aircraft guns.'"

"We listened to Gao the most. Since there was no land route, we took the water route. Gao the madman led the way, carrying grain into Qiaojia River. The water was waist-deep. It was cold. The river was full of ice ridges, which cut like knives on our thighs. Our manhoods were frozen and shrank back into our stomachs. Once we got ashore, Gao the madman ordered a fire to be lit so we could warm ourselves by it."

"Crazy Gao said: 'Brothers, roast it well, just roast that thing until it comes out, be careful not to burn yourselves, or the chicks won't hatch.'"

"Haha, we listen to Gao the most. We're all huddled around the fire, carefully roasting ourselves."

……

Master Zhao laughed and gestured as he told one story after another, and there was no end to it.

The water in the thermos was bubbling away. A cool breeze blew in, making it wonderfully refreshing.

The three of them didn't say much when they left the boiler room.

After walking for quite a while, Runye finally spoke in a low voice.

"I only knew that Master Zhao was an old revolutionary. I never expected..."

She didn't finish speaking.

Li Xiangqian let out a breath.

"Victory is never easy. Every inch of ground beneath our feet has been bought with the lives of those who fought for it."

Runye glanced at him.

The three of them walked to the school gate, and Du Lili pushed her bicycle, which was leaning against the wall, ready to leave.

Suddenly he turned around and called out.

"Runye".

Runye was about to turn back when she heard the shout and stopped in her tracks.

"Huiliang called me. Your transfer to Huangyuan will be finalized as soon as possible."

After Du Lili finished speaking with a smile, she immediately gestured for Li Xiangqian to sit down.

Runye was stunned after hearing this, and froze on the spot.

She glanced at Li Xiangqian and saw that he was staring at her.

Runye opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.

She had almost forgotten about being transferred to Huangyuan; Du Lili had mentioned it to her casually before. At that time, she and Li Xiangqian weren't together yet… she couldn't quite explain it. Anyway, at that time, she felt that leaving Yuanxi was a good thing, being far away from Li Xiangqian, and everyone would be more relaxed.

Li Xiangqian stood still, looking at her.

Their eyes met briefly in the sunlight.

Li Xiangqian's expression remained unchanged. He nodded thoughtfully: "That's right. According to the original plot, Runye is supposed to be transferred to Huangyuan around this time. After being transferred to Huangyuan, she will work in the Youth League Committee and then gradually separate from Li Xiangqian."

He didn't say anything, turned around and got on the back of Du Lili's bicycle.

"Runye, we're leaving now."

Du Lili started pedaling her bicycle and rang the bell twice.

Runye stood at the school gate, the sun blazing down. She raised her hand to shield her eyes from the light, watching Li Xiangqian sit in the back seat of Du Lili's car, their shadows stretching longer and longer, farther and farther away on the dirt road.

Li Xiangqian sat in the back, swaying back and forth, without turning around.