Tieguanyin and Blood Cuckoo

Tieguanyin and Blood Cuckoo Anxi No. 1 Middle School in 1989 was filled with the fragrance of Tieguanyin and the restlessness of youth. Yang Xiaodong, a freshman in junior high school, fell in love with Zheng Xueqiong, known as the "Flower of No. 1 Middle School". For her, Yang Xiaodong and school bully Lai Xing launched a desperate struggle deep in the tea mountains. With a heavy punch, Yang Xiaodong fell into the blood-stained azalea bush, and his life was forever fixed at the age of 13. But Zheng Xueqiong became Lai Xing's bride many years later. Some people say that this is a helpless surrender to reality, while others say that there is an unknown secret hidden behind it... It wasn't until 2014 that at Zheng Xueqiong's wedding, the grown-up son of Yang Xiaodong appeared, revealing a youthful tragedy buried by time. --- In September in Anxi, the heat has not completely subsided, and the tea trees all over the mountain are shining green. Yang Xiaodong was carrying a washed-white military green schoolbag and stood at the door of Anxi No. 1 Middle School, looking up at the wooden sign with black characters on a white background. His father, Yang Jianguo, patted the back of his head and said in a rough voice: "Study hard and don't embarrass me." After saying that, he handed him five yuan and turned around and left without even looking back. Yang Xiaodong folded the money and carefully stuffed it into the deepest pocket of his trouser pocket. His father works in a tea factory in the county and earns eighty-seven and a half yuan a month. This five yuan is enough for him to eat lunch for a week. The classroom of Class 1 (3) was noisy, with a group of half-grown children chattering to find seats. Yang Xiaodong chose a seat by the window and sat down, hung up his schoolbag, and then waited quietly for class. He has been like this since he was a child. He doesn't like to talk or join in the fun, just like an inconspicuous tea tree in the corner of the tea garden. The class teacher's surname is Lin. She is a middle-aged woman in her forties. She wears old-fashioned black-rimmed glasses and speaks with a strong voice. She took the roster and called the names one by one. When she called "Rai Xing", a lazily "arrived" came from the back row, the voice was long and drawn out, with an air of nonchalance. Yang Xiaodong looked back. Lai Xing was half a head taller than him, with dark skin and a crew cut. His school uniform was unbuttoned, revealing a vest with the Hong Kong star's face printed on it. He crossed his legs and leaned on the back of the chair, with a "don't mess with me" vibe all over his body. At that time, the students in Anxi No. 1 Middle School were roughly divided into two categories. One type is like Yang Xiaodong, whose family is in a town or village, whose parents are workers or tea farmers, who work hard and study is the only way out. The other type is people like Lai Xing, whose family does business in the county, has a little money, and knows a few people. They walk around in school and the teacher doesn't care much. Yang Xiaodong glanced at Lai Xing and turned back, with no special impression in his heart. He didn't know at that time how deeply this name would leave a mark on his life. The days passed in such an ordinary way for more than a month. Yang Xiaodong has average grades, doesn't like to talk, and has little presence in the class. The only thing that made him interesting was that during recess every day, he could see Zheng Xueqiong from the second grade (1) class next door. Zheng Xueqiong is a celebrity in the school. Her father is a cadre in the town, and her mother works in a supply and marketing cooperative. The family is in good condition. She is fair and fair, with a high ponytail that sways behind her head when she walks, like a white butterfly flying in the tea garden in spring. The boys in the school privately called her "the flower of No. 1 Middle School". When Yang Xiaodong heard this title for the first time, his heart skipped a beat inexplicably. He didn't dare to look at Zheng Xueqiong. Every time he glanced at Zheng Xueqiong from afar in the team, and then quickly looked away. The feeling was very strange, like drinking boiling water, my chest felt hot, and I felt a little panicky. One evening in mid-October, Yang Xiaodong was on duty and stayed to clean the classroom. He was carrying the garbage basket to take out the garbage. When he passed by the woods next to the playground, he heard something moving inside. He had no intention of meddling in other people's business, but a girl's voice stopped him in his tracks. "Let me go." The sound was not loud, but clear, with a little tremor. Yang Xiaodong put down the garbage basket and walked over gently. Through the shadow of the tree, he saw Lai Xing standing in front of Zheng Xueqiong, holding one hand on the tree trunk behind her and saying something with a playful smile. Zheng Xueqiong tilted her head, her face turned pale, and there was anger and fear in her eyes. Before Yang Xiaodong's mind could react, his body had already moved. He strode over and pushed Lai Xing on the shoulder, causing Lai Xing to stagger. "What are you doing?" Yang Xiaodong's voice was a little trembling, but he stood in front of Zheng Xueqiong and stared at Lai Xing. Lai Xing stood firm, stunned for a moment, and then smiled. Yang Xiaodong will never forget that kind of smile, as if he saw something interesting and stupid. Lai Xing was taller and stronger than him. He looked at him like he was looking at an ant who didn't know the heights of the sky. "Hey, a hero saves a beauty?" Lai Xing patted the dust on his shoulder, "Who are you? A kid from the first grade of junior high school?" Yang Xiaodong said nothing and clenched his fists tightly. Zheng Xueqiong pulled him behind and whispered: "You should leave quickly." Yang Xiaodong didn't move. Lai Xing took a step forward, and the two of them were almost face to face. Yang Xiaodong smelled the smell of cigarette smoke and sweat on Lai Xing's body, as well as an aura that belonged to another world that he couldn't place. "Remember you." Lai Xing stretched out his index finger and tapped Yang Xiaodong's chest, then walked away slowly. After walking a few steps, he turned back and whistled at Zheng Xueqiong. The woods became quiet except for the rustle of the leaves in the wind. Only then did Yang Xiaodong realize that his back was covered in cold sweat and his hands were shaking. "Thank you." Zheng Xueqiong's voice came from behind. Yang Xiaodong turned around and looked at her so close for the first time. The setting sun filtered through the gaps in the leaves and fell on her face. Her eyes were bright, and there was something in them that made him at a loss. "It's okay." He lowered his head, not daring to look at her again. "What's your name?" "Yang Xiaodong." "From the first grade (3) class?" "Yeah." Zheng Xueqiong smiled, and Yang Xiaodong saw that smile many times in his dreams. "You are very courageous. Lai Xing is a well-known gangster in our school. You, a freshman, dare to attack him." Yang Xiaodong didn't know what to say, so he just stood there, not knowing where to put his hands and feet. "Don't do this again, be careful of him causing trouble for you." After Zheng Xueqiong said that, she looked at him again, then turned and left. Her ponytail swayed in the sunset. Yang Xiaodong stood there and stared for a long time until the white figure disappeared around the corner of the teaching building. That night, Yang Xiaodong lay on the dormitory bed and tossed and turned, unable to sleep. The moonlight shone in through the window and fell on his quilt. He reached out to touch it and touched a handful of cool light. He held the light in his hand, thinking about Zheng Xueqiong's smile, thinking about her tone when she said, "You are very brave," and there seemed to be something in his heart, itchy and sweet. He didn't know what it felt like, and he wasn't sure if this was what adults meant by "like". He only knew that from today on, there were two more things in his world - a name, and a trouble. That name is Zheng Xueqiong, and that trouble is Lai Xing. What happened next was like a thunderstorm in a summer afternoon, which came so quickly and violently that no one had time to escape. Lai Xing really didn't let him go. First, they blocked him on the way home from school, but were broken up by several passing teachers. Then she bumped into him intentionally during recess and kicked his lunch box over, causing the food to spill on the floor. Yang Xiaodong couldn't bear it. He didn't want to cause trouble, let alone let his family know. But that afternoon in early November, he couldn't stand it anymore. There was no class that afternoon, so the school organized students to go to the tea garden in the back mountain to help pick tea. It's called helping, but it's actually voluntary labor. Each person is given a bamboo basket, and once the basket is full, the job is done. Yang Xiaodong has quick hands and feet and picked most of the basket in less than an hour. When he straightened up to wipe his sweat, he saw Zheng Xueqiong squatting on the ground and picking tea leaves carefully in another tea garden halfway up the mountain. Then he saw Lai Xing leading two followers, wandering towards Zheng Xueqiong. Yang Xiaodong felt nervous, put down the bamboo basket and ran over there. When he arrived, Lai Xing was already squatting next to Zheng Xueqiong, saying something with a playful smile, while two followers laughed beside him. Zheng Xueqiong stood up and wanted to leave, but Lai Xing grabbed her wrist. "Let her go." Yang Xiaodong gasped and stood on the edge of the tea garden. Lai Xing turned around and saw that it was him, and the smile on his face became even bigger. "It's you again? Do you like her? You follow her around like a pug every day." The two followers laughed out loud. "I said, let her go." Yang Xiaodong took a step forward. Lai Xing let go of Zheng Xueqiong's hand, stood up, and patted the mud on his hands. He was more than half a head taller than Yang Xiaodong and looked at him condescendingly, with contempt and impatience in his eyes. "Do you deserve a beating?" "Try it." As soon as the words came out, Yang Xiaodong himself was shocked. He didn't know where the courage came from. Maybe it was because Zheng Xueqiong was watching, maybe it was because he had been holding his breath for too long, maybe it was the recklessness in the young man's bones. Lai Xing moved. He grabbed Yang Xiaodong by the collar and dragged him down the hillside deep in the tea garden. Two followers started making noises from behind. Zheng Xueqiong screamed and shouted "Stop", but no one listened to her. Yang Xiaodong was dragged by Lai Xing and followed him staggeringly. He tried to struggle, but Lai Xing was much stronger than him. They passed through rows of tea trees, the soil under their feet getting looser and looser, and the rhododendron bushes on both sides getting denser and denser. The mountains in Anxi are full of wild rhododendrons. The weather in November is not the season for rhododendrons to bloom, but that autumn was unusually warm. There were scattered clusters of red flowers blooming on the hillside, like pools of blood. Lai Xing threw Yang Xiaodong to the ground, and mud splashed on his face. Yang Xiaodong got up, but before he could stand still, Lai Xing's fist hit him in the face. He felt a soreness in his nose, and then something warm flowed down and dripped on the soil. It was dark red, exactly the same color as the azaleas next to it. "Are you convinced?" Lai Xing grabbed his collar and lifted him up. Yang Xiaodong said nothing and punched Lai Xing in the stomach. Lai Xing grunted, and the strength in his hand relaxed. Yang Xiaodong took the opportunity to break away and punched him again with his backhand. The punch hit the corner of Lai Xing's mouth. Lai Xing's lip was broken and blood oozed out. Lai Xing wiped the corners of his mouth, and when he saw the blood on his hands, his expression changed. The lazy, dismissive look was gone, replaced by genuine anger. A freshman in the first grade of junior high school, an unknown poor boy, actually made him see blood. "You're looking for fucking death!" Lai Xing rushed forward like crazy, and his fists rained down on Yang Xiaodong. Yang Xiaodong was knocked to the ground and huddled in the tea bush, protecting his head with his hands. He heard Zheng Xueqiong's cry, the two followers' suddenly quiet breathing, Lai Xing's heavy breathing, and the dull sound of his fist hitting his penis. Then, a particularly hard fist hit his temple. Yang Xiaodong only felt a "buzzing" sound in his head, as if someone had exploded a firecracker next to his ear. His body suddenly went limp, his hands slipped from his head, and his vision became blurry. He saw the blue sky above his head, the dark green leaves of the tea tree, the clusters of blood-red azaleas, and Zheng Xueqiong's pale face. Her mouth was open as if she was shouting something, but he couldn't hear anything. The world slowly darkened in front of him, as if someone was closing the curtains bit by bit. In his last consciousness, there was only one thought - he hadn't told her yet. He didn't have time to tell her that he liked her. Yang Xiaodong was lying in the rhododendron bushes, blood flowing from his nose and ears and seeping into the red soil of Anxi. The setting sun shone on him, dyeing him the same color as the azaleas. Lai Xing stood nearby, breathing heavily, blood dripping from his fists on the ground. His anger was not gone, but there was a little more panic in his eyes. He kicked Yang Xiaodong, but Yang Xiaodong remained motionless. "Stop pretending, get up." Lai Xing's voice was a little shaky. Yang Xiaodong still didn't move. Two followers came over to take a look. One of them squatted down and pushed Yang Xiaodong, then raised his head, his face turned pale: "Brother Xing, he... He seems to be dying." Lai Xing's brain exploded with a buzzing sound. He subconsciously took a step back, looked at his fists, and then at the people on the ground. His lips trembled a few times and he couldn't say anything. Zheng Xueqiong stumbled over, threw herself next to Yang Xiaodong, and covered the wound on his head with her hands. Blood seeped out from between her fingers, making her tremble all over. "Yang Xiaodong... Yang Xiaodong, wake up..." Her voice was broken into pieces, and tears fell on Yang Xiaodong's pale face drop by drop. But those eyes never opened again. The mountain breeze blows through the tea garden, and the leaves of Tieguanyin rustle. A large fire cloud burned in the western sky, turning the entire tea mountain red. It was difficult to tell which clouds were clouds, which were cuckoos, and which were blood. That year, Anxi's autumn was particularly long and cold. When Yang Jianguo rushed to the hospital, his son had already been covered with a white cloth. This man, who had worked in the tea factory for most of his life, stood at the door of the morgue, shaking like chaff. He opened his mouth and let out a vague, beast-like howl from his throat, then punched the wall, causing the wall to fall down. He didn't cry. Men in Anxi are not happy to cry. But he stood there, hunched over, like an old tea tree struck by lightning, aged ten years overnight. The tea factory lost a sum of money, and Lai Xing's family also lost a sum of money. The amount is not small, enough for an ordinary family to live for several years. Someone advised Yang Jianguo to pursue the matter to the end, but he just shook his head and deposited the money in the bank without touching a penny. "There are no people left, so what's the use of asking for money?" He said to the people who came to persuade him, his voice as flat as a bowl of cool tea. Lai Xing was taken away, but because he was under the age of fourteen, he was ultimately sent to a juvenile detention center. On the day he left, rumors spread throughout the school. Some said his family had spent money, and some said his father knew someone. No one can tell what the truth is. Zheng Xueqiong took three days off. When she came back, her eyes were swollen like walnuts. She no longer wears her high ponytail, her hair has been cut short, and she has lost weight. When walking on campus, she always lowered her head, not daring to look at the tea mountains or the azaleas. She never mentioned that name again. Life still has to go on. The Tieguanyin in Anxi No. 1 Middle School sprouts new buds every spring, and there are still people picking tea on the tea mountain in autumn. The azaleas bloom and fade every year, as red as blood and as red as clouds. Students come and go, some graduate, some enroll, and the boy who fell under the tea tree gradually becomes a name that is occasionally mentioned, a vague legend, and a dusty past. Seven years later, Zheng Xueqiong got married. The groom is Lai Xing. The news was like a bomb that exploded in Anxi County. There were discussions in the streets. Some people said that Zheng Xueqiong was forced to do it. Lai Xing's family was rich and powerful, so she couldn't resist. Some people say that she is the money of the Tulai family. The incident back then was just a fight between children and has long been overturned. Some people also say that things are not that simple. Zheng Xueqiong married Lai Xing willingly. No one knows the truth. The wedding was held in the largest restaurant in the county, and the ceremony was quite grand. Lai Xing was wearing a suit and looked like a human being, with a proud smile on his face. After he came out of the juvenile detention center, he went into business with his father and became prosperous. He was considered a number one figure in Anxi. Zheng Xueqiong was wearing a white wedding dress and stood next to him expressionlessly. She had lost a lot of weight, and her collarbones protruded like two sharp knives. When someone toasted her, she smiled mechanically and took a sip from the glass. Her eyes were empty, looking ahead, as if she wasn't looking at anything. Some old classmates came to have a wedding banquet, and there were a lot of private discussions. "What do you think she thinks?" "Who knows, maybe he just accepted his fate." "Poor Yang Xiaodong, he didn't deserve to die." "Shh, keep your voice down." At the banquet, there was cheering and laughter. Lai Xing drank a lot of wine, his face was red, he put his arms around Zheng Xueqiong's waist, and laughed loudly. Zheng Xueqiong let him hold her like a porcelain doll, neither struggling nor responding. After three drinks, a woman in a white dress appeared at the door of the banquet hall. She came uninvited and went straight to the bride and groom's table. Everyone fell silent and looked at her. She took out a red envelope from her bag and placed it on the table. There were two delicate words written on the red envelope - "Yang Xiaodong". The whole place was silent. Lai Xing's face suddenly turned pale, and the wine glass in his hand fell to the ground with a bang, breaking into several pieces. He stared at the red envelope, his lips were trembling, and he couldn't say a word. Zheng Xueqiong's face was paler than her wedding dress. She looked at the red envelope, then at the woman, her lips moved, and she made a dry voice: "You... Who are you?" The woman said nothing, just smiled. That smile was strange, as if he had seen through everything, but also seemed not to care about anything. She turned around and left, her white skirt flashing at the door and disappearing into the night. There was an explosion in the banquet hall, guests were whispering to each other, and comments were coming and going. Lai Xing slumped down on the chair, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. Zheng Xueqiong stood there with her head lowered, looking at the broken wine glass on the ground and the red envelope with "Yang Xiaodong" written on it, and finally shed tears. That was the first time she cried at the wedding. There was no money in the red envelope, just a photo, an address, and a line of text. The photo shows a mother and son. The woman looks into the camera and holds a baby in her arms. The baby's eyebrows and eyes looked very much like a certain person. The address is a mental hospital in Fuzhou. The line reads - "He also has a son." The date of signing is 2014, a full twenty-five years have passed since that bloody autumn. The azaleas on the tea mountain bloomed again, as red as blood, as red as clouds, and as red as the dream of a boy who will never wake up. Intention: love