Chapter 172

Chunshan County was unprecedentedly solemn. A large archway was tied with pine branches on the road into the city, and a pair of words were hung on both sides: Cherish the memory of the martyrs, Chunshan is lucky to bury loyal bones. Don't forget the heroes, Hengyue sacrifices the national soul silently. Horizontal batch: Mountains and rivers grieve together.

Under the archway stood two rows of primary school students, wearing small white flowers on their chests, holding small wreaths made of pine branches and white paper flowers in their hands. As soon as they saw our motorcade, they immediately straightened their small chests and stood solemnly on both sides of the road.

I was panicked. My father was just an ordinary citizen, how could he receive such treatment? Even if my father was once a revolutionary soldier, how many thousands of people like him are there in China? Moreover, after liberation, my father had no great achievements worthy of others' learning. He was unknown all his life and died at the end of his life. The highest level was also a section-level cadre, and it was still an enterprise establishment.

I look at Huang Qishan, his eyes looking straight ahead, my father's spirit tablet is held upright on his chest, his expression is solemn as if he is about to enter the Great Hall of the People.

"Is this to pick up my father's spirit?" I asked, feeling like a little mouse running around in my heart.

"Uncle is a representative, representing the martyrs in the Martyrs Cemetery." Huang Qishan told me excitedly: "It was arranged by Secretary Guan himself."

My aunt grabbed my hand and said nervously: "It's too grand, I'm afraid it's not good."

I smiled sadly and said: "I can't help myself, let it go."

The motorcade drove directly to the county stadium. A high mourning hall was erected in the courtyard, and a piece of people stood in front of the mourning hall, roughly estimated, no less than ten thousand people. As soon as the car stopped, a group of men in white clothes and white pants came over, lifted my father's coffin from the car, and placed it in the middle of the mourning hall step by step. Suddenly, bells and drums rang, and mourning music was everywhere.

In addition to my father's coffin, there were five martyrs' spirit tablets in the mourning hall.

I was foolishly pulled to the front of the mourning hall, looking at the surroundings blankly, unable to say a word.

The crowd was silent, and the suona sound resounded throughout the sky.

Before I could recover, the crowd made way, and then I saw my cousin-in-law He Zhi coming, followed by a large group of people, all in black clothes and black pants, with white flowers on their chests, lowering their eyebrows and converging their heads, walking forward.

County Magistrate Liu Qimeng presided over the public sacrifice ceremony. First, he introduced all the leaders present, and then briefly introduced the revolutionary history of Chunshan County and the great significance of this public sacrifice. When introducing the leaders, I heard the name of Minister Huang Shan of the Municipal Organization Department, and quickly looked up. Sure enough, I found Minister Huang and Deputy Director Chen Yazhi standing together, their hands folded on their lower abdomen, their eyes looking straight ahead.

After the introduction, Deputy Secretary He Zhi read the public sacrifice text on behalf of the Hengyue Municipal Committee, Municipal Government, Municipal People's Congress, and Municipal CPPCC.

Secretary He's voice was heavy and his tone was sad:

Chaos opens, heaven and earth are clear. Hengyue is lucky, Chunshan has feelings. Eternal heroes, future generations remember. Mountains cry without tears, water swallows with sound. Now offering a prosperous age, sacrificing ancestors...

The last sentence: Offer incense!

After the public sacrifice text was read, he stood facing the mourning hall and bowed three times respectfully. Everyone behind him also bowed three times. After bowing, he walked to my side, held my hand and said: "Xiao Feng, mourn!"

I held my cousin-in-law's hand with both hands and called out with a crying voice: "Uncle!"

He patted my shoulder and comforted me: "I have seen your father's grave, it's okay. Don't worry."

I nodded hard, watching him walk away. His back was hunched, his steps were heavy and slow. It was clear that he hadn't rested well and had a heavy psychological pressure.

After Secretary He left, the crowd lined up to enter the mourning hall to mourn.

The first is the representatives of the Hengyue Municipal Committee, Municipal Government, Municipal People's Congress, and Municipal CPPCC, followed by representatives of various bureaus and offices in the city, and representatives of various counties. Then there are the heads of various bureaus and offices in Chunshan County, the heads of county-owned enterprises, and then representatives of various townships.

I stood expressionlessly, with my aunt and Huang Qishan beside me. The team moved slowly. Suddenly someone came out of the team, threw himself in the middle of the mourning hall, and kowtowed a few times. Looking closely, it turned out to be Deng Hanyu. Performing this great ceremony, not a relative or a friend. I was busy returning the ceremony and knelt down with him.

Deng Hanyu helped me up and said briefly: "Brother Chen Feng, mourn!"

I smiled, and a thin mist covered my eyes.

He held my hand tightly and explained solemnly: "Originally I wanted to go to the city to mourn, but Secretary Guan gave a death order, and all preparations for the public sacrifice must be completed within three days, so I didn't go, you have to forgive me, brother."

I smiled generously and said: "Town Mayor Deng is busy, I understand. Qishan and Guo Wei are helping me, it's okay."

"If you have anything, speak up. Brother." He patted my shoulder and walked away.

The crowd moved slowly, no one spoke, and no one cried. Originally, the funeral had nothing to do with these people. Who would cry for someone who had nothing to do with them? I looked at them numbly, and they looked at me blankly. A few people whispered to each other, and I vaguely heard about my identity. No wonder these people didn't know me. I was a small township official, and I hadn't appeared in the county's elegant hall. Not to mention me, even if it was Secretary Guan, how many villagers knew him?

After the mass farewell ceremony was over, the last was the farewell of relatives.

There were six spirit tablets in the mourning hall, including my father. The five martyrs died more than forty years ago. Not to mention the Northeast soldiers who came from far away, even the local soldiers, who can remember such an ancestor? When the five martyrs sacrificed, most of them were young people in their teens. After the battlefield, no one in the family would come to worship.

Only my father, I am left in the world. I was about to worship on behalf of the descendants of the martyrs, when suddenly, a noise came from outside the mourning hall, and then I saw Xue Bing in white clothes and white pants, supporting a woman, crying step by step.

My aunt rushed to my side and whispered to me: "It's Teacher Xue."

I was expressionless. My father stopped in Hengyue City for five days, and Xue Bing did not appear. Of course, I didn't call her. Of course, I told Pan Xiaoqin.

Did Pan Xiaoqin not tell her? My eyes searched for Pan Xiaoqin in the crowd, and she stood outside the mourning hall, looking at Xue Bing with a sneer.

When she got closer, I saw that Xue Bing was supporting her mother. Xue Bing's mother sobbed past me, went straight to my father's coffin, stood for a while, and began to cry for the funeral by patting the coffin.

It cannot be denied that Xue Bing's mother has a golden voice. Once she opened her mouth, the crying sound was like a deep spring flowing out of the deep mountains, hitting my heart.

My heart, which had calmed down, was suddenly teased by her, just like the lake water that had just stopped blowing, suddenly encountered a strong wind. I couldn't help but cry.

My aunt went to support Xue Bing's mother and comforted her: "Don't be sad."

Xue Bing's mother looked at my aunt, stopped crying, and was full of questions: "Who are you?"

My aunt smiled guiltily and said: "I am Chen Feng's aunt."

Xue Bing's mother said "oh", grabbed my aunt's hand and said: "Tell me, why didn't you give me any news when the in-law left?" After saying that, she sobbed and cried again.

I looked at Xue Bing, wanting to say something but stopping.

At this time, Pan Xiaoqin walked into the mourning hall and said with infinite regret: "Blame me, I didn't remember to mourn."

"Sister Pan, are you doing it on purpose?" Xue Bing's mother said coldly: "If you want to mourn, it's not your turn. Who are you to the Chen family?"

Pan Xiaoqin raised her eyes and said slowly: "I am not anyone to the Chen family! So I didn't go to mourn."

Xue Bing's mother turned her head and stared at me, shouting: "Little Chen, what are you doing!"

Seeing that a farce was about to happen, I gave Huang Qishan a wink. He ran in hurriedly and whispered: "Auntie, wait a minute if you have anything to do, it's a public sacrifice now."

Xue Bing's mother stared at Huang Qishan and said ill-temperedly: "I don't care about public sacrifice or not, I only know that today is the day my in-law is buried."

I was so anxious that my face turned white, and my eyes swept across the outside of the mourning hall secretly. I didn't see Huang Weiwei, and my heart settled down a little.

Huang Qishan was anxious and reached out to pull Xue Bing's mother. Before he could pull it, Xue Bing stared and shouted: "Secretary Huang, what do you want to do?"

Huang Qishan smiled awkwardly: "Teacher Xue, today is a public sacrifice, a major event arranged by the Municipal Committee. You can handle your family affairs later."

"I'm fine. I just think, why didn't you tell me about such a big thing." Xue Bing finally cried out.

My aunt came over to support Xue Bing again, whispered a few words in her ear. I saw her suddenly kneel down, worship in front of my father's spirit, pull her mother, and leave without even looking at me.

All the ceremonies were over, and the last was to start the coffin.

The funeral procession crowded a street. I walked at the front of the team, holding my father's legacy photo in my arms. Behind me followed Huang Qishan, holding my father's spirit tablet. Behind him followed five people, each holding the spirit tablet of the five martyrs. In the sound of the suona, the motorcade set off windingly towards the Martyrs Cemetery.

Seeing the Martyrs Cemetery from afar, Zhu Shizhen, the director of the management office, and Huang Weiwei stood at the gate of the Martyrs Cemetery. As soon as I reached the gate, Huang Weiwei suddenly knelt down on both knees to welcome the arrival of my father's coffin.

I was startled and almost threw away Dad's legacy photo. Huang Weiwei's kneeling was beyond everyone's expectations. Zhu Shizhen opened his mouth and couldn't make a sound, looking straight at me.

The team stopped, and my mind was blank.

Guo Wei, who was originally walking with us, walked quickly to her side, wanting to help her. Huang Weiwei shook her hand, climbed up from the ground, walked to Huang Qishan, snatched my father's spirit tablet, held it on her chest with both hands, and stopped looking at others.

The continuous changes made everyone suspicious. I never expected Huang Weiwei to sing such a play. Her holding the spirit tablet was a silent declaration of her relationship with me.

Guo Wei was stunned for a long time, shook his hand, and turned away.

Huang Qishan still wanted to take the spirit tablet from her hand, and said in his mouth: "Weiwei, do you know who holds the spirit tablet? Don't joke, give it to me."

Huang Weiwei stubbornly refused to let go and said firmly: "I know."

My aunt pinched me and whispered: "Go."

I moved my steps numbly and followed my aunt mechanically.

Zhu Shizhen led the way in front, shouting loudly for the staff to prepare for the burial.

The Martyrs Cemetery is hidden in a piece of green pines and cypresses, with five graves and five tombstones. A path, a bay of clear springs. A newly built wall, adjacent to several high-rise buildings outside the wall. A row of one-story small houses at the entrance, hanging the sign of the Martyrs Cemetery Management Office.

My father's grave is next to the five martyrs' graves, and the grave is wide and deep.

"It was very big here, more than fifty mu of land." Zhu Shizhen sighed: "Now it is less than five mu. If there are old revolutionaries who want to come to sleep here in the future, I am afraid they will not find a place to sleep."

I scanned the cemetery and said: "No matter how small, it is a cemetery. My father's own last wish, if it can be satisfied, my heart will be at ease."

"To tell you the truth, brother, your father may be the last old revolutionary I handled. Before long, I should retire."

"You are not at the age yet?"

"Hahahaha." Zhu Shizhen smiled bitterly: "If you are not at the age, you have to retire. If you don't retire, you can't. Some things need people to come out and take responsibility. If I don't go to hell, who goes to hell."

"Old Brother Zhu, what do you mean?"

"I can have a fart meaning. Do you know what this was originally?" Zhu Shizhen pointed to an open space and asked me.

I shook my head to show I didn't know.

"Martyrs Monument. The words written by Secretary He of the old district committee himself."

"Where is the monument?"

"Dismantled! It blocked the feng shui." He pointed to a piece of newly built high-rise buildings and said: "If it weren't for County Magistrate Liu's insistence, I'm afraid these five graves would have disappeared long ago."

"Who dismantled it?"

"Think about it and you will understand." Zhu Shizhen patted my shoulder: "Don't talk about it, let your father be buried first."