Chapter 3: Strange and Unusual Tales on the Train
Who will prove the love and life that have no gravestones
Come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come
Join me in guarding the border
As I grow, so do you
The night was deep, and the dim lights in the carriage made one feel drowsy in the darkness. Outside the window, there was a deathly silence, with only a few lights occasionally visible on the vast plain, appearing so lonely and helpless in the night. Zhang Hua had long fallen into a deep sleep, clutching Li Siming's arm as he drifted into dreams, with crumbs of steamed bun still lingering at the corner of his mouth. Remembering the moment before departure, when his parents had entrusted Zhang Hua to take care of him, Li Siming couldn't help but smile self-deprecatingly. Zhang Hua had long fallen into a deep sleep, clutching Li Siming's arm as he drifted into dreams, with crumbs of steamed bun still lingering at the corner of his mouth. Remembering the moment before departure, when his parents had entrusted Zhang Hua to take care of him, Li Siming couldn't help but smile self-deprecatingly.
At this moment, the carriage shook, and this group of young people, aged between seventeen and twenty, were all lively and fond of excitement. Even those who were drowsy became more spirited. Li Siming took a keen interest in observing the entire carriage; the expressions of the crowd varied. Those with performance experience were beaming with joy, finally able to showcase their skills. Even Zhang Hua wore an eager expression, while those without any performance experience scratched their heads, seeking help to come up with an act, at the very least organizing a small chorus to blend in as a makeshift performer.
Yes, it's you! Li Siming's expression clearly made Xu Dashuai feel quite dissatisfied, and even the beautiful woman across from him chuckled lightly.
Plant it, as if your hometown is by your side
The sun shines on the green leaves, making them glisten with a silvery light
Eee ya ya he he
We are all close brothers
I, Li Siming, truly never thought about performing any program. I am currently admiring the fruits of my labor—a pile of badges with various styles, materials, and colors. In another twenty years, no, in ten years, ha, I will have made it!
At the beginning, I bid farewell to Yangshuzhuang, my hometown
Who will prove the love and life that have no gravestones
Unbeknownst whether intentionally or unintentionally, the two factions of Shijiazhuang No. 15 Middle School and Tsinghua University Affiliated High School began to engage in a subtle competition, with each taking turns to showcase their talents. However, it was evident that the students from Tsinghua Affiliated High School possessed superior skills. According to Zhang Hua, most of them came from high-ranking families, which afforded them more opportunities for training in this regard. In particular, the young lady across from him sang a song titled "My Motherland," her voice resonant and clear, exhibiting a standard reminiscent of Guo Lanying. As Li Siming boarded the bus, he immediately noticed her, not for any particular reason, but because while the other male students were engaged in boisterous discussions and the female students were mostly whispering, she sat quietly in her seat, engrossed in a book. It was a collection of essays by Lu Xun, making her seem like a person from another world compared to those in the carriage. What Li Siming did not anticipate was that he would soon find himself entangled in many stories that he would have to share with this delicate girl sitting across from him.
The heavy burden of revolution rests upon our shoulders
Mother gently spoke to me as she presented the sapling
Hello, la la la la
... ...
Little White Poplar, Little White Poplar
Pigeons soar under the overcast sky
The eagle spreads its wings and soars
The camaraderie among the officers and soldiers is illuminated by the sunshine in the military camp
A small white poplar tree
A song with accents from the south and the north
Join me in guarding the border
We are all brothers.
Guarding the northern frontier
East, West, South, North, Center
The gentle breeze rustles the green leaves
Very good, truly excellent, Li Siming gave him a perfect score in his heart. Quite impressive, what is Li Shuangjiang compared to this? The subsequent performances really showcased everyone's talents, and the level was quite good, with high participation. All the programs, without exception, were in line with the political situation, such as "The Song of the Guerrilla", "I Love Wuzhishan, I Love Wanquan River", and "The Sun That Never Sets on the Grassland". At the very least, there were recitations of Chairman Mao's poems. All were of high quality! Li Siming sighed inwardly, who says that the generation of the Cultural Revolution only knew how to smash, loot, and rob?
Alright, let's have another one
Come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come
People from all corners of the world come together
Gazing longingly, waiting there every day
The long road is about to reach its end at mhetushucom.com
East, West, South, North, Soldiers
East, West, South, North, Center
However, those few songs are truly well-written, it's just that the singing is unpleasant. Li Siming simply closed his eyes and pretended to doze off. The world became quiet.
The quiet village is enveloped in white snow
Until today, the educated youth can still recall the scenes of their journey to the frontier, with the fragments of their youth etched in their hearts like old photographs. Regarding the events that took place on the train heading to Heilongjiang, Zhang Hua still remembers them clearly after twenty years, as if it were last night. He described it this way: That day, Li Siming and I, along with fifty other classmates, squeezed onto the train with our bags. Everyone was very excited, and the carriage was divided into two camps. One, of course, was the camp of 52 people from the Fifteenth Middle School, while the other was the camp from Tsinghua Affiliated High School, which had the same number of people, and many of them knew each other. The noise in the train was like a bustling market, lively and chaotic, with Li Siming being the only exception. Why do I say that? You see, everyone else was chatting and laughing, building friendships, but he, on the other hand, took out a yellow military bag filled with Chairman Mao badges, the most common aluminum ones, a whole bag of them, ready to trade with anyone he could find. Oh my, why didn’t I bring a bag of Chairman Mao badges back then? Many styles are now rare across the country, they must be worth a lot! So, you see, Li Siming's actions were definitely calculated and insidious; don’t let him sell you something and then count the money for him. Look, I just sold to him now. What? I made quite a bit of money with him? That’s only right, after all, we are good brothers, no credit but still hard work! Aren’t you also a millionaire now, probably worth tens of millions?
She quietly arrived at the birch forest
Come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come
That young lady has already turned gray.
The beloved fell in battle on a distant battlefield
Do not worry about me, beloved.
What? Li Siming felt a bit confused
People from all corners of the world come together
The snow continues to fall, and the village remains tranquil
Also wear green military uniforms
Well, this song has a bit of pessimism, yes, a bit of pessimism. Chairman Mao taught us to be optimistic about revolutionary work, to maintain the spirit of revolutionary optimism, which is our treasure for achieving one victory after another. Xu Dashuai is undoubtedly a positive figure. Now, let us punish Li Siming to sing another song for us, of course, it must be uplifting; it cannot be otherwise. What does everyone think? Li Siming quietly wiped his sweat, stood up again, what to sing? Uplifting, yes, "East, West, South, North Soldiers".
"In addition, I have a pack of Da Qianmen, would you like to exchange?"
The camaraderie among the officers and soldiers
Hearts are closely connected
The birch tree is engraved with those two names
The snow continues to fall, and the village remains tranquil
Li Siming wisely closed his mouth. As the saying goes, it is difficult to nurture both women and petty individuals.
Excessive humility is equivalent to pride. The voice from the opposite side rose again
He murmured as he was dying
Isn't it inappropriate not to change? I have long admired Chairman Mao. Can you really bear to stop me, a young revolutionary, from expressing my loyalty to Chairman Mao?
She often hears him calling by the pillow
Li Siming, it is your turn. Please perform for your comrades, and let us welcome you with applause! Xu Dashuai has placed his bets on him
Are you feeling quite proud of yourself? A clear voice rang out from across the way; it was the girl that Li Siming admired, no, a female comrade.
Generally, generally. The pirate Li Siming did not feel the slightest sense of guilt.
One day, the flames of war reached my hometown
The sky remains overcast, yet doves continue to soar.
A song titled "Little White Poplar" stunned everyone in the entire carriage. This song is distinctly different from the popular songs of the time. It is not only uplifting but also expresses the frontier soldiers' love for their motherland and their dedication to the border defense cause. Moreover, it features a fresh style and a beautiful melody
Come, my dear, to this birch forest
"So beautiful, let's have another one!" The entire carriage was filled with cheers, as if they were eager for chaos to ensue
Xu Dashuai, who is also the leader wholeheartedly supported by our revolutionary young soldiers, was the first to step forward to perform. In his humble words, he said: "To cast a brick to attract jade!" He sang the theme song "The Red Star Shines on My Way to Battle" from the movie "Shining Red Star"
Grows beside the outpost
Alright, then I will sing a rendition of "Little White Poplar" for my dear comrades in the regiment. Everyone has not heard of this song, and their interest was immediately piqued.
Little White Poplar, Little White Poplar
The sound of bad news arrived that afternoon
Even in the face of sudden storms and rain
The roots are deep, and the stems are strong
The sky remains overcast, yet doves continue to soar.
"Good, truly beautiful." The audience erupted into applause, and a great weight was lifted from Li Siming's heart
This comrade, shall we exchange? No exchange? If we exchange the two of us for you, it would be several dollars!
As the train passed Tangshan, the night had deepened, and the train raced across the North China Plain like a black steed galloping towards its destined place. Inside the carriage, the excitement had begun to wane, and some passengers were starting to feel drowsy. At this moment, Xu Dashuai stood up: "I say, fellow students, future comrades of the production corps! In order to express our boundless loyalty to Chairman Mao, to demonstrate our commitment to the proletarian revolutionary cause, and to show our dedication to the revolutionary endeavor rooted in the frontier, I have discussed with Chen Cheng from Tsinghua Affiliated School and we have decided to hold a revolutionary cultural evening. Everyone must perform!" Chen Cheng is the most renowned student movement leader from Tsinghua Affiliated School, three years older than Li Siming, and appears very astute and capable.
They vowed to love each other for the rest of their lives
I have arrived, waiting for me in that birch forest
Emotions are intertwined with feelings
Wait for my return in that grove of white birch trees
It is, it is, nothing to be proud of! If we cannot provoke it, we can certainly avoid it
She said he is merely lost in the distance
In fact, those who were familiar with Li Siming, the educated youth, often spoke of him years later starting from that train journey. This was because Li Siming's act of exchanging badges left a profound impression on everyone; it was remarkably wise. In their reflections, they felt regret over having missed out on a lucrative opportunity. In contrast to everyone else, Li Siming still felt a sense of pride about his badge exchange. At that time, he did not know which badges would appreciate in value; perhaps the common ones would not, while the rare ones might hold more potential. With this mindset, he held a bag of badges and, from the entrance of the carriage, began to exchange them one by one: "Hey, classmate, shall we trade?"
Let us enlist in the military
The teachings of the Party are etched in my heart
Majestic green mountains rise on both sides
Together we guard the border defense
He will definitely come
Alright, then let’s sing another song, "Birch Forest." Li Siming had no choice but to sing another one; this is the aftereffect of love.
Come to this birch forest
"Buddy, you really are something; how did I not notice this before? You are truly talented!" Zhang Hua exclaimed while sitting next to Li Siming
Young people disappear into the birch forest
Seeing that his own camp was clearly inferior to the opponent's, General Xu became a bit anxious. He searched the entire carriage. Yes, that Li Siming was quite impressive, wasn't he? The song we had never heard before at the train station was very beautiful
Singing a few songs is nothing remarkable; after all, you did not compose the music yourself
Let us enlist in the military
Carry it with you, keeping the words of your loved ones close to your heart
Young people disappear into the birch forest
The young man picked up his gun and headed to the frontier
The teachings of the Party are etched in my heart
A small bamboo raft floats on the river
... ...
Join me in guarding the border