Long March - (Volume 1. Volume 2)

Author: Cao Qi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: On the late night of November 14, 1934, in Xikou Town, Fenghua County, Zhejiang Province, the long street of Sanli was filled with the sound of gongs and drums and the bursts of firecrackers, creating an unusually lively and festive atmosphere. Under the eaves of every household, colorful "Longevity" lanterns were hung. On the street, over a dozen dragons, energetically coiling and soaring in the air, drew cheers of "Great! Great!" from the onlookers. Outside Xikou Town, it was silent. The small mountain that served as a barrier lay across the east of the town, its southern slope dipping into the clear, emerald Shanyi River, resembling a tiger drinking water under the moonlight. A city gate was built on its ridge. The entire structure, a three-story, two-room building with upturned eaves and crenellations, exuded a majestic aura. At this moment, the waning moon had pierced through the clouds, casting a dim, reddish glow over the city gate, illuminating the two characters "Wuling" inscribed horizontally on the top. Below the horizontal inscription was the entrance archway, through which pedestrians and vehicles had to pass. "Wuling" was a homophone with "Wuling" in the famous "Peach Blossom Spring" by the Jin Dynasty poet Tao Yuanming. The ancestors chose "Wuling" as the local name, implying the area was regarded as a "Peach Blossom Spring" or paradise. At this moment, the archway on both sides was unusually stern. The polished bayonets flashed a chilling, white light under the moonlight, making it difficult to look directly at them. The nearby farmhouses, fields, and rivers were all silently hidden in the vast, dark blue night sky. Occasionally, a few barking sounds came from the distance, but they quickly fell silent again, evoking a sinister feeling. Suddenly, amidst the clamor of gongs and drums, the dragon team surged eastward from the west, led by a magnificent golden dragon. It soared up and down, swirling left and right, spitting out a brilliant pearl from its mouth, illuminating the surroundings with colorful light. Behind it was a large team of coiling dragons—white, yellow, black, blue, and green, totaling over a dozen. When the dragon team reached beneath a square platform named "Wenchang Pavilion," it stopped moving and began to roll and swirl in the open space in front of the pavilion, performing exceptionally well. In the rhythm of the gongs and drums, the lead dancer, forgetting to wipe the sweat from his forehead, opened his chest and vigorously waved the benevolent dragon head, constantly shouting, "Give it your all! Put in more effort!" The gongs and drums beat even more densely, like raindrops hitting lotus leaves, making people's hearts pound. The dozen or so coiling dragons continuously changed their formations. Just as the sound of the gongs and drums was about to fade but had not completely disappeared, the dragons suddenly transformed, and a brilliant "Longevity" character appeared in the open space beneath the Wenchang Pavilion. "Great!" The onlookers erupted into thunderous cheers, startling the sparrows perched on the ancient camphor tree in front of the Wenchang Pavilion, which chirped and fluttered their wings into the dark blue night sky. "Great, they performed wonderfully," a rough Ningbo dialect was heard from the steps of the Wenchang Pavilion, "Xiaoxian, give ten to each dragon." "Yes." "Wait a moment." A woman's voice, clear and melodious like a yellow bird in a secluded valley, echoed from the steps, "They're working quite hard." "Then give twenty to each dragon." After distributing the rewards, the dragon team began to swirl and soar again. Some townspeople continued to watch the dragons' ever-changing performances with great interest, while more