Black and smooth, some rusty colors

"Guangdang! Guangdang!..." In a trance, the voice sounded again, and I couldn't help but want to step with my feet! Soon, I realized that this was a voice from more than forty years ago.

I have lived there for more than 20 years, not long after I was born. It is a good piece of land in Shanghai: it was once a residential area in the French Concession, located at the intersection of Huashan Road, Changle Road and Zhenning Road. There are still many French and Dutch-style gardens there that have become nationally protected buildings. bungalow. The most famous ones are undoubtedly the "Zhenliu Apartment" during the Li Hongzhang period and the "Lilac Garden" with its sad and beautiful stories. When I was young, while walking and playing on some nearby paths and narrow alleys, I would often see a few clean and smooth bluestone slabs and a simple stone well with a thick and curved willow tree next to it. The willow branches hung low. I must have been dreaming. Have you seen how the river surface was stirring back then? Along the road, there are gardens and classical mansions adjacent to each other, and tall plane trees block out the sky and sun.

Originally, it should be a very clean and elegant place, but Zhenning Road and Huashan Road are crowded with several large and small factories. Machines roar day and night, and garbage piles up everywhere. It really makes the scenery terrible. ! Especially the largest alcohol factory, with its big black chimney almost reaching into the sky! He kept spitting out thick smoke with residue, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of rotten potato! Then there is the water pump factory. It has a small factory building and a small area. It produces an endless supply of steel parts of various sizes, so it was put on the roadside on a long stretch of Changle Road. From the front door of my house, it is like a world of iron and steel scraps! Originally, the roads in this area were full of potholes, broken glass, and rocks. Now, iron, rust, and dust were added to the mix. When it rains, the rusty dust mixes with garbage and turns into earth-red water, rushing in all directions...

二

After all, it is the water town of Jiangnan, even if it is so messy and dirty The world is full of flowers and grass, full of vitality: in the warm spring season, clusters of wild grasses stubbornly dig out of the dust and garbage and stretch out every gap in the iron debris. Among the many wildflowers and weeds, the most impressive ones are ferngrass and plantain. The flowers and plants were not willing to show weakness to the nearby old trees, but also proudly squinted at the shade of branches and flowers hidden in the high-walled courtyard. As spring comes and autumn goes, there are many bees and butterflies in this world. There are earthworms squirming under the grass from time to time. The "popular" ones are naturally ants and "watermelon bugs". From time to time, "chi!" will appear like "four-legged snakes", "hundred-legged insects" and so on! When the autumn cool comes, crickets will sing quietly in the hidden corners...

There are also countless wild cats who regard this place as a paradise. Cats once had owners, and the owners got bored and abandoned them. They squatted in garbage cans, crawled through the walls, the foot of houses, and the darkness of alleys. However, they were often driven away by people, and they were in a state of shock and had no fixed place to live. This is not a small Tiezha world, it is simply their paradise! The iron plate provides shelter from wind and rain, the grass is warm and comfortable, and even if someone comes, there is plenty of room for maneuver. You can always find something to eat in the garbage grass. Of course, you can also grab fish, meat, etc. from trash cans on the street or simply stolen from other people's homes, play with them for a while, and chew them to your heart's content... In the quiet night, you can always hear the delicious smacking sounds nearby! In the warm spring season, the musty smell of garbage, the aroma of grass mixed with the smell of rust, accompanied by the humid air, are like mixed wine, making cats and cats full of love! Deep in Tiezha, at night, baby-like cries and crazy chasing and howling can be heard from time to time...

三

My childhood may have been golden, but There is also a lot of rust color that cannot be wiped off. The adults almost all frowned and sighed at this heap of iron and steel, but we children were like cats and insects, treating this dirty and messy place as a paradise, burrowing into it all day long, never wanting to return. Step on the big iron plate that is not flat, step on it left and right, the iron plate will slowly sway, and the deep sound of "light dang! light dang!" is mixed with our cheerful laughter and shouts!

When this "seesaw" got tired, he started climbing iron mountains and drilling iron holes. Laughing and picking some exotic flowers and plants that I have never seen before, screaming and catching earthworms, four-legged snakes, scarabs, and many weird bugs. Occasionally, you can accidentally pick up some treasures: discarded toys, broken comic books... and an emerald-colored head with a strange shape, which is said to be used for steelmaking.

Boys big and small, there are more exciting games: in those days, what attracted them most were the revolutionary war movies "Tunnel Warfare" and "Plains Guerrilla"... They dressed up Become the hero or villain and tell the story of the film. This place is a great place to play war games! Long and short iron pieces and iron rods can be used as long and short spears; a random branch can be used as a war horse. Before the game started, everyone was arguing over who should be the "good guy" and who should be the "bad guy." Later, they started betting on each other with "knives" and "stones"...

Separate the enemy and our sides, select the captains of both sides, pick their respective positions, say "fire!", and the "battle" begins: Iron debris It is a fortress, between the piles of objects are trenches and caves, and the iron plates are bunkers. First, both sides shouted "baba", imitating the sound of shooting. Various "guns" protruded from the debris and holes in the iron plates, pointing at each other. Everyone imagined that the mouths of the "guns" spit out fire like in the movie... Another "Go!" war suddenly entered. It's white-hot: everyone roars, leaps out of the "position", guns and sticks are danced, stones and clods of soil fly like rain, and iron plates are struck by the feet, making a clanging sound! No one is willing to admit defeat until someone is really injured or hurt by the fall, and howls like a slaughtered pig! Everyone was afraid that their parents would come to punish them, so they shouted and dispersed. The flames of war died down and the noise became quieter. "Cough, cough, cough!" Mr. Li, the owner of the shop, coughed dryly, and from time to time, he would curse him like "little red guy".

四

Just opposite the window of my house, at the crossroads of Huashan Road and Changle Road, next to Tiezadui, there is a small grocery store made of wooden boards. The store is close to the courtyard wall. Behind the wall is a shaded garden, with a small French-style building looming in the depths of the garden. The owner of the shop is surnamed Li. I don’t know his name, so everyone just calls him “Boss Li.” Before liberation, he was the concierge of the owner of the courtyard behind the shop, a wealthy businessman. On the eve of liberation, the owner and his family packed up their belongings and went to Taiwan. Before leaving, they gave the dedicated concierge a lot of honor. The concierge opened a small shop, still next to the owner's house. And this house is said to have become the residence of certain Public Security Bureau cadres.

In midsummer, the scorching sun melted the asphalt on the road, giving off a pungent burnt smell. The iron debris and the surrounding gravel pavement are like a hot cinder stove! Fortunately, the thick shade of the tall and dense sycamore trees on the roadside prevented the place from burning! In front of the small grocery store are peaches and other summer fruits, and on the counter are large ice boxes containing popsicles, ice cream and other cold drinks. When business was slow, "Boss Li", who was already very old, would sleep on a bamboo couch under the big tree in front of the store, shaking a cattail leaf fan in his hand. Deep in the tree, "It's so hot -! It's so hot -!" The cicadas kept making a loud noise. The adults around were either going to work or taking a nap, and there were very few pedestrians on the road. "Boss Li's" hand like a dry branch that was shaking the fan gradually drooped down. He opened and closed his eyes and moved his bony body from time to time, causing the recliner to creak.

A few naughty boys, wearing only a pair of shorts, ran towards the iron jungle. Some crawled around to pick up their "treasures"; some climbed up the iron plate and climbed the branches. Capture "Cicada". Some also climbed up the walls of other people's courtyards, under the cover of the shade of trees, climbed over the walls to enter the hospital, and picked flowers and fruits... The owner found out and even scolded and beat them! The little thieves scurried away... "Cough, cough, cough!" The awakened "Boss Li" sat up, watched the children fleeing into the alley, and shook his slender head.

五

The world of Tieza was once lively, but it was also peaceful and quiet.

The violent storm of the "Proletarian Cultural Revolution" brought All this is disturbed! The iron world is also drowned in the sea of ??parades, slogans, Little Red Books, big-character posters, red armbands, street parades and struggles...

On Changle Road in the Tieza area, there is the "Shanghai Bureau of Metrology", a well-known scientific and technological unit in the city.

At that time, it became a raging battlefield: many scientific and technical people who had been immersed in instruments and data all day suddenly became passionate and murderous! The whole situation was divided into two irreconcilable factions. From warring with each other to fighting, people from one faction tightly surrounded the other faction in the building, attacking the door and throwing stones and iron objects into the windows. Not a single intact window glass! Not to be outdone, people in the building smashed cups, water bottles, etc. downstairs. The two groups used loudspeakers to curse each other. There was no peace day and night around, and people were in panic! People were injured from time to time, and there was blood and broken glass everywhere...

At nearly noon that day, I suddenly heard a heart-stopping cry outside the window, mixed with screams! When I opened the window and looked out, I saw a large group of men and women with fierce looks, holding sticks, surrounding a man who was already slumped and pale. One of them thrust the iron rod hard into the back of the besieged man, and the man fell heavily on the steel... Later I heard that the man was the leader of the group who was besieged in the building, and he escaped through the window. When he came out, he was discovered immediately. Because he had not eaten or drank for several days, he finally lost his strength and fell into the hands of the enemy.

Six

"Fighting" and "rebellion"... incited countless adults and children to be brave and aggressive. The world of Tieza has lost its peace: weeds and flowers have been trampled and died; trees of all sizes have been torn off branches and twisted dry, and are left with many injuries. Insects hide here and there, birds dare not stay, and cats are even more miserable. Although they have quick reactions and run as fast as flying, when they are chased by a group of wild urchins who are shouting and screaming, they are like frightened birds; even though they have the unique skill of climbing trees that is the envy of tigers, in this group of little "little tigers and wolves" who are better than tigers and wolves Faced with the "rebels", the tactics failed! Tired, limp, kicked, thrown, stoned, beaten with sticks... they screamed miserably... After they died, people still had unfinished thoughts: disemboweling them, removing their hearts and eyes... The mutilated bodies were exposed to the scorching sun, It attracts flies and mosquitoes, like smoke and fog, and the stench is bursting!

After all, fighting cats is hard to get enough of, and only by "fighting with others" can you show your true nature as a hero! Other creatures that suffer are children from "land, rich, rebel, bad, and right" backgrounds. They were firmly nailed to the pillar of shame of being "little bastards" and allowed to be insulted, kicked and beaten by others. At noon that day, a dozen big boys with round waists and thick arms, yelling and cursing, chased and beat a little girl of about ten years old! She was surrounded in a blind corner, and those people kicked and beat her more crazily, pulled her, and hit her with garbage and dirt! Her eyes were full of confusion, but there were no tears. Her light red shirt had been torn and dirty, and she could only use her hands to hug her almost naked upper body. Her long and messy hair half-covered her yellow face. She never cried or begged for mercy... This tragic scene will haunt me for the rest of my life!

If there is a conflict between children from "revolutionary families", it will be a life-or-death battle. The "working class" people live in the area where their homes are near the factory, while the "revolutionary soldiers" live in the garden house area. The children in the two areas look down on each other and often have conflicts, which finally rise to the level of "class struggle": several times , the world of Tieza is suddenly filled with cold air! A large group of dark and rough boys, big and small, gathered in the Tiezha Fortress, "ding-dang-dang-dang" sorting out the knives and sticks they carried, with a desperate attitude! With a cry of "Coming!", they jumped out and headed towards the intersection. Over there, there were dozens of majestic men wearing military uniforms and military caps, with belts tied around their waists and holding knives and sticks! With the sound of "Go!", there were immediately blows with sticks and knives, punches and kicks, rolling sand and rocks, and mist and mist... The unrelated people around him fled early for fear of getting into trouble. I was also frightened and quickly closed the window! I just heard the roars and screams getting worse and worse... After a while, someone with some background probably came, and after a loud voice, the people on both sides gradually dispersed... When I went out, everything I saw was broken sticks and iron. , gravel and broken knives, garbage in a mess, and stained with blood!

Seven

Perhaps it is the effect of the "latest directive" of "fighting with words, not with force". There have been fewer large-scale bloody fights. But once the animal desires are aroused, it is a disaster to have no way to vent them: apart from occasionally drawing knives, wielding sticks, and glaring at each other, there is lingering boredom among children! The trend of smoking quickly spreads among teenagers.

Many primary and secondary school students began to work in groups of three or two, deep in alleys, in the corners of courtyard walls, or just under trees on the street, holding cigarettes between their fingers, puffing on clouds, shaking their legs, whistling on their lips, and squinting... …

Tie Za World is of course a good place for smoking. At night, you can see little flames, flickering on and off, like will-o'-the-wisps in the wilderness! Smoking requires money, so these smokers start robbing and stealing, which makes the chickens and dogs restless! That night, the night was getting dark. Around the "Boss Li" grocery store, there were half-grown men hanging with cigarettes in their mouths. First they were in twos and threes, and then they gradually gathered into large piles and began to disappear into the depths of the iron mist... I'll lie down first. I peeked out of the window, and then I couldn't help but be curious, so I slipped downstairs and went out to touch some fireworks in the iron pile. The fireworks gradually formed a circle... As they got closer, the heads gathered together scattered with a "swish"! Several pairs of eyes were directed at me, flashing fiercely! I felt a chill, and I turned around and ran away as fast as I could!

"Bang!" As soon as I turned around to open the door, I felt something hit the door hard. The next day, I saw a deep cavity in the door and a big stone on the ground... Every time I think about this, I inevitably break out in a cold sweat!

Eight

There are almost no classes in school, and every day is like a holiday. I'm bored and don't know what to do. Although I can't learn to smoke, I'm addicted to playing with fire.

Autumn is here, the wind is getting colder, the leaves are falling and the grass is withering. The cadres in the lane ordered those "subjects of supervision" who were from the "four types of elements" to take a big bamboo broom, cut the dead grass and sweep up the fallen leaves, pile them in the iron utility room, and light them on fire. This coke spoiled us kids: we were shouting, laughing, and occasionally throwing branches and pieces of paper into the pile of grass and leaves that were lit on fire. The smoke filled the air, and we were choked to tears and coughing. We were only more excited! After the smoke array passed, long tongues of fire spit out, changing into red, yellow, blue... many wonderful colors. As the night gets darker, it seems like a wonderful fairy tale world in front of you. I'm drunk!

Maybe you still have more to say? I started playing with fire on my own. First, he boiled water by the stove, folded waste paper into strips, lit a fire, watched the flames flicker, and dreamed of colorful dreams... Finally, he was discovered by an adult and was scolded for a while! Later, I saved my pocket money and bought a pack of matches. When night came, I sneaked into the depths of the iron complex, making sure that no one was around to see me. Then I started to light the fire one by one, just like "The Little Match Girl" That's what the protagonist does. But the girl in the fairy tale struggles and dreams while being cold and hungry, but I am "full and strong"! However, the bright fantasy of fire, the silence and mystery of night, the deep twists and turns of the world of iron and steel... became the only place where my childlike innocence could fly!

That night, I didn’t know how many matches were struck and how many dreams I had. Suddenly, I heard the familiar, hoarse, phlegm-filled cough coming from behind me! I jumped up and tried to hide, but the old, skinny face of "Boss Li" seemed to be close to me!

"What are you doing, eating cigarettes?" His eye sockets are very deep, dry and muddy, protruding so much that they almost fall out, looking straight through the lenses that look like the bottom of a glass cup. Staring at me.

"No! I didn't..." No matter what I said, my hand holding the match broke out in cold sweat!

"That's not allowed. I, um, tell you what the hell!" After saying that, he turned around and found a place to relieve himself.

I quickly ran away home. It seemed like I had committed a serious crime! I was up and down all night: I hated this old man for ruining my dream, and I was afraid that he would really tell my parents...

He didn't tell my parents, only when he saw me the next day , pointed at me with his dry and black fingers! He was kind-hearted. He didn't want me to smoke and learn bad things like many other children. I have been able to stay out of bad ways and always be an upright person. Among all the people I should be grateful to, he is the one!

However, God was unfair, and he actually got a very tragic ending:

The violent storm that "swept all the demons and monsters" also swept "Boss Li", and he was put on the "speculative trap" "hat!" That night, he stopped his business early and closed the door. The child who had something to do, saw "Boss Li" drinking alone in the gap of light. After three or four cups, he started talking and laughing, and applauded himself from time to time... The next day, the sun was shining brightly, and it was three or four hours earlier than the usual time to open the store.

Everyone felt something was wrong, so they quickly called his son and broke the door lock. Everyone was shocked: "Boss Li" was wrapped in a quilt on the ground, his face was ferocious, his hands were digging into the mud... There was only one left beside him. Empty "Dichlorvos" bottle!

Nine

A few years after the end of the "Cultural Revolution", I moved to a new home in the southwest suburbs of the city. In a blink of an eye, decades have passed. I have also visited my former residence several times. Tieza World and the surrounding factories, large and small, disappeared one by one not long after I moved. The roads became smoother and cleaner, and the surrounding trees became more lush. Then, luxury buildings rose from the ground... The memory of childhood is only left in dreams, that rust-colored dream!

Often, I seem to be back in the iron paradise, mixed in among many children, big and small, dancing and shouting! Then he climbed onto the large iron plate that was not flat. He squatted and jumped, and the iron plate swayed up and down. "Just go! Just go!" The voice was monotonous and heavy...