Chapter Thirty-Two

  Dào Jìng woke up early, as was her habit every day, and read theoretical books for two hours - at this time she was reading "Left-Wing" Infantile Disorder in the Communist Movement. Suddenly, a voice outside the door shouted: "Is there someone with the surname Lù living here?"

  She jumped into the courtyard.

  "Jiang Hua!" She shouted in her heart, and the two of them clasped hands together.

  Jiang Hua wore a worn-out woolen coat, and his dark face already had wrinkles from wind, frost, and fatigue. His sideburns were also particularly clear. He rubbed his hands, stood on the floor for a while, looked at Dao Jing again, then glanced at the cold walls, before smiling and saying: "How is it? These days must have been very hard?"

  Dao Jing watched him with a naive and helpless bitter smile on his face as he went through these habitual actions.

  "Everything else is fine, but the leader's people don't come to find me - this is really frustrating!"

  Jiang Hua smiled and glanced at her, saying: "How's that? Cried again?" His teasing words made Dao Jing feel surprised - how did he become more lively than before? In the past, the impression he gave her was so serious and steady.

  Dào Jìng told Jiāng Huá about all the things that had happened to her since she arrived at Beida. Finally, she frowned slightly and said: "I've only been here for over a month, but... this is more difficult than any obstacle I've encountered in my life. Except when I was young and except when I was being punished, I don't remember how many slaps I received from the Trotskyists. To say that this is still relatively easy to endure; what makes me most painful and hardest to bear are two things: one is Wáng Xiǎoyàn - you know she used to be my best friend, but now she's become my greatest enemy. Some of the difficulties and setbacks I've encountered since coming to Beida to work were caused by her. And the other thing is that I haven't been able to achieve anything since coming to Beida, and the work at Beida has made no progress. I'm not living up to the Party's hopes for me...". She said this, then lifted her head, wiping away a tear from the corner of her eye, "And superiors don't come to visit, it's really infuriating."

  Because the house was cold, Jiang Hua kept rubbing his two big hands. He stood listening to Dao Jing finish speaking, then walked around the room saying: "Comrades, don't worry, aren't our guests here now?"

  "Ah, it's you who has come to contact me? That's great!" Dao Jing said with a happy smile.

  "Things have changed a lot recently, and the situation is very complicated," Jiang Hua said calmly. "So I didn't have time to look for you. Do you know that at the end of October, the Japanese again demanded that the Beiping authorities eliminate anti-Japanese suspects? The good news is...". He lowered his voice and gazed deeply at Dao Jing, "The Red Army's Long March has successfully arrived in northern Shaanxi and joined forces with Liu Zhidan's army. China's situation will undergo a huge change. This is an astonishing achievement in history - not just Chinese history, but perhaps also world history. The impact on our entire struggle is enormous. The enemy boasts that we have failed and dispersed, but this is actually the symbol of a new high tide, a new victory for us. But the bad news..."

  The situation is also serious. The Japanese bloody hands have directly stretched to North China one after another. In October, the "Xianghe Incident" occurred when the Japanese garrison troops were holding an "Autumn Maneuvers" exercise along the North Ning and Tianjin-Pukou railways. At that time, a group of "farmers" suddenly attacked Xianghe County, and Japan claimed that this was a demand for "autonomy". As a result, the "autonomy" movement in North China has emerged one after another - the five provinces of North China have become "autonomous"; the Eastern Hebei Anti-Communist Autonomous Region; recently, it is feared that the Hebei-Chahar Autonomous Region will also be stirred up.

  The Japanese army is coming to North China and Pingjin under the beautiful name of "autonomy" of Han traitors. The situation is very tense!" His words stopped, his thick black eyebrows were tightly knotted together. Although his eyes were fixed on Dao Jing, they were drawn elsewhere by serious thoughts. Dao Jing listened intently, and they were both caught up in a common emotion. --- The task of saving the country from danger is above all tasks. What to do? ... How should the Communist Party lead the Chinese people to break through this thick black cloud and rush to the battlefield of national liberation?

  Dào Jìng's eyes gazed at Jiāng Huá, but in her heart, she was thinking gloomily: How many students were still entranced by the "Bachelor" and "Doctor" dreams; how many people only had their own happiness and interests in mind... At this moment, Lǐ Huīyīng's lightly fluttering, carefree smile flashed before her eyes, followed by Wáng Xiǎoyàn's bewildered, at-a-loss gaze... She sat on the bed, slightly melancholy, and let out a soft sigh.

  “***,” she said with a sigh, "I'd like to ask you, what's the point of all these intellectuals, college and high school students doing this work, expending so much energy? As long as our armed struggle is victorious and the workers, peasants, and laborers rise up in revolution, won't these scholars and literati naturally follow suit and rebel too? Why bother now..." She saw a hint of disapproval in Jiang Hua's eyes, so she shut her mouth and gazed at him blankly, letting out a sigh.

  "What's wrong? I didn't expect you to become muddled all of a sudden!" Jiang Hua really opened fire on her, "China's ..., armed struggle is naturally the fundamental problem, so we are all concerned about the Red Army's struggle and victory. The working class is naturally the main body of the struggle, it is the basic team of China's .... But can you say that the work of intellectuals is not important? Is it useless? This is a bit strange! The 'May 4th' movement stirred up a great wave of anti-imperialism and anti-feudalism, pushing China's ... forward by leaps and bounds. Who do you think started this? Weren't they just scholars like us?"

  Saying this, Jiang Hua smiled slightly. He picked up the cup of cool water on the table, gulped it down, then turned his head to look at Dao Jing again, speaking in a lower tone. "Comrade, your work is not only meaningful but also very important. It's just as important as going among workers and peasants. In the future, there will be opportunities to go among them, but for now, let's put our energy into this area, how about that?"

  Dào Jìng pū chī xiào le. Tā juédé Jiāng Huá shuō huà bǐ guò qù fēng yù le. jiù xiào zhe shuō: "Bù gàn zěn me bàn? Dāng rán yào jiān shǒu zhèn dì. Bú guò Běi dà de gōng zuò jìn zhǎn tài màn, xué shēng men mái tóu shū àn, guāng zuò zhe xué zhě míng liú de měi mèng."

  Jiang Hua sat down, looked at Dao Jing and slowly said: "No wonder you're depressed, you only saw a small corner, so you said that. Having been here for many days, you haven't seen the true face of Beida, nor have you seen the real masses of Beida. Your eyes are only on people like Wang Xiaoyan and Li Huaying, it's not enough! Go to the vast masses quickly!"

  "Huh?......" Dao Jing stared at Jiang Hua in surprise, "What are you talking about? I talk to students every day to understand their situation. You still say I'm out of touch with the masses?"

  Jiang Hua smiled and didn't respond, but suddenly asked Jing: "Do you know? I'm doing *** work now."

  "Ah, you're doing *** work?" Dao Jing repeated in surprise.

  But Jiang Hua didn't pay attention to these, he continued: "'9.18' Incident, after the southward march *** four years of dormant student movement, now, you see, day by day it's becoming active again. How many Peking University students have seen the 'Tianjin Ten Schools Autonomous Federation Manifesto'?"

  "Probably many people have seen it. Of course, some students don't even go to the bulletin board. ***, tell me, how did you start doing student work again? Are you personally coming to lead us?"

  "It's not necessarily so. However, the work at Beida still needs to be 'handed over' to you to take charge of on your own. There's no other way, as there is a severe shortage of cadres. Dao Jing, doesn't Beida have many mass organizations? Such as the Reading Society, Esperanto Society, New Script Research Society, and also the People's Armed Self-Defense Corps is active. Jump out of your small circle and take a look at these organizations, participate in their activities. I think that by then you will have confidence and strength to turn this situation around; and there will be ways to persuade Hou Rui and others to listen to you... Think of a solution quickly! Beida needs to have a student autonomous association under our control to participate in *** , only then can we lead the national salvation work."

  Dào Jìng listened attentively to Jiang Hua's words, while also savoring them. At this moment, she deeply felt that she was too immature and lacked experience. At the same time, her determination to temper herself to do a good job as a student leader became clear. Her mood slightly improved, and she continued to ask Jiang Hua: "Then, what attitude should we take towards Wang Xiaoyan?"

  Jiang Hua thought for a moment, nodded and said: "Based on the situation from all sides and your past relationship with her, I think it's better to try to win her over than give up. Of course, because of her relationship with Dai Yu, we'll need to take some risks and make an effort. Hou Rui is right, as long as we expose the ugly faces of those reactionaries, I think Xiaoyan can be won over."

  Upon hearing this, Dao Jing burst out laughing and couldn't help but say: "Xiao Lu, I really envy you. You have a set of methods for doing student work and peasant work alike. No wonder the organization transferred you to do *** work. I increasingly feel that you are even more capable than Old Lu..." She trailed off here, too embarrassed to continue speaking.

  "I could never compare to him! His unyielding and fearless spirit is forever worthy of our study." Jiang Hua continued, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he looked at Dao Jing. "You don't know, do you? Recently, I heard a comrade tell me about Old Lu's struggle in the Beiping prison, it moved me so much. I often think about his astonishing perseverance in that situation, and the education and encouragement it gives me is immense." Jiang Hua seemed to sink into his memories, pausing for a moment before continuing, "His legs were broken by the tiger bench during an interrogation because he was leading the hunger strike in prison and was discovered by the enemy..." He then recounted Lu Jiacun's experience in the Beiping prison, where he endured extreme pain and dragged his broken legs to search for his comrades on the wall of his cell.

  Dào Jing listened quietly, staring at Jiang Hua in a daze. Then she buried her head in her hands on the table and remained still for a while. When she lifted her head again, her expression was solemn and stern. She said: "Thinking of people like this, I love this world even more! I'm ashamed, there are still many bad thoughts in me, many personal things that often disturb me... A few days ago, in extreme difficulty, I wavered and thought of going to Shaanbei with Xu Ning; today, I had many more bad ideas..."

  Jiang Hua didn't answer her, but suddenly looked around the room as if searching for something. Dao Jing asked him awkwardly, "What are you looking for? Water? Sorry, I'm really poor, can't even light a fire, every day just buy some rice to eat, and drink water at the landlady's place next door. I'll go get some water, wait a moment."

  Jiang Hua stretched out his two big hands to stop her: "Don't go looking anymore. Is there any coal left? Let's start a fire, I'll go buy some mantou and vegetables, how about we have dinner together? Just talking, it's almost twelve o'clock."

  "Well, welcome!" Jing asked with joy, "Why are you so free today? How long can you stay here?"

  Jiang Hua thought for a moment: "I don't have anything before 4 o'clock. But do you have something?"

  "It's nothing. I'm not too busy. In these days at Peking University, I haven't learned anything else, but I've tempered my patience."

  "That's good. That's it - I'll go buy vegetables, you hurry up and start a fire." Jiang Hua said as he walked out with big strides.

  When he came back with a big bag of 'meat', vegetables and steamed buns, Dao Jing had already lit the stove and moved it into the house. As soon as she saw these big bags, she couldn't help but ask in surprise: "Why buy so much? Are you keeping them for me to use during Chinese New Year?"

  "It's not just for New Year's, but also for you to eat more in the next few days. Dao Jing, don't hide it from me, look how thin you've become from hunger."

  "Ah, seeing you carrying your bag like that reminds me of a scene from the past."

  Dào Jìng smiled, revealing his pearly white teeth.

  "What's going on?"

  "Do you remember the day you came to Ding County to find me? I asked a servant to buy you a lot of food, and you also asked me why I bought so much. Now, are you here to settle the account?"

  Jiang Hua couldn't help but laugh when she said that. Dao Jing also laughed. The cold and empty little house became warm and lively. Dao Jing boiled a pot of water and toasted the buns; Jiang Hua skillfully cut the "meat" into thin strips, cutting the green vegetables, and the small knife on the chopping board made a rhythmic sound. Dao Jing looked at those agile big hands and secretly admired: "This person can do anything!" But she didn't say it out loud.

  Not only can he chop vegetables, Jiang Hua also knows how to stir-fry them. He skillfully stir-fries the dishes, and after Dao Jing arranges the bowls and chopsticks, they sit around the stove and eat their steaming hot meal together. After dinner, he helps Dao Jing wash the clean bowls and chopsticks, tidying up the house. His movements are quick and skilled, making these tasks seem like a kind of rest and entertainment for him. Therefore, Dao Jing doesn't stop him either. When everything is tidy, Dao Jing looks at him standing in the room with his two dirty hands, looking around to see if there's anything else that needs attention, and she says with a smile: "Ah, I only understood today - I finally understand why you have all sorts of components mixed together inside you - it's because you're both like a worker and an intellectual!"

  Jiang Hua gazed at Dao Jing's eyes, which were as clear and calm as a lake. He looked at her pale and beautiful face, and her frank and passionate demeanor and language. Suddenly, he fell silent. What could he say? He loved her - for a long time, he had been in love with this young and passionate "female" comrade. As she grew step by step, as she transformed from an ordinary intellectual into a strong and reliable Bolshevik comrade, his love deepened and became more pure. However, for a long time, he had to hide these feelings, even suppress them and exclude them. Although occasionally, they would burst out and reveal themselves. How could he not do so?

  She and her comrade, classmate, and respected Lu Jiachuan had a romantic connection, they were a very good couple. At first, he hoped that Lu Jiachuan could come out alive, so his passionate feelings for her would gradually fade away with the happiness of this loving couple. However, soon after, he received news of Lu Jiachuan's sacrifice and saw the letter she wrote to him. At this time, couldn't he express his emotions? No, he didn't want to do that. He knew her inner pain and sympathized with her unfortunate fate. Like an older brother or a true friend, he cared for her and took care of her; however, sometimes he would intentionally distance himself from her in order to suppress his own feelings. As time passed day by day, today, he realized that she was not only a strong comrade but also a gentle woman who needed emotional comfort. And what about him? Hadn't he been waiting in pain for a long time too?

  He placed his hands on the fire, warming them up as he recalled everything that had happened. A fervent passion of youth flowed through his entire body, and he felt a sense of unease he had never experienced before. Finally, when he raised his head to take a deep look at her face, intending to say something, he glanced at his watch and calmed down: "It's three thirty, I should go. Tomorrow night I'd like to come find you to discuss some things, do you have time?"

  Dào Jìng also woke up from her contemplation. She replied to him calmly and warmly, as if she already knew what he was going to say: "Come tomorrow night, I'll be waiting for you. You go first, I'm also going out to find someone later."

  As they stood at the entrance of the old street, they involuntarily gazed at each other for a few more seconds. Dao Jing smiled slightly and suddenly said to Jiang Hua: "Thank you for your guidance. I must do a good job at Beida. Also, can I write a letter to Xiaoyan?"

  "This is your freedom now. Alright, go in, goodbye."

  She was about to turn around and enter the door when Jiang Hua stopped her again. Looking at the quiet and deserted alley, he took out all the banknotes from his pocket and handed them over to her: "I forgot earlier, you're wearing too little. The clothes are probably in the pawnshop? Go back and get them later to wear something warmer."

  His low voice was both gentle and severe. Dao Jing looked at him, didn't say a word, and took the money over.