The One Behind It All Chapter 126

During the "Cultural Revolution", my family's financial situation fell into a more difficult situation than during the natural disaster. In order to defeat the capitalist roaders economically, the "Central Cultural Revolution" set a limit on their per capita standard living expenses to no higher than 15 yuan. Moreover, rebel groups at all levels increased their bids step by step, and the average amount they actually received was about 10 yuan. I have a classmate who works in the subdistrict office and introduced my brothers and sisters to dig sand in the river and build railways and lift earth... When I got married, my brothers and sisters gathered together and gave me 100 yuan as a gift. They earned this by sifting sand in the cold river water and being buried in landslides while building the railway. Life at that time was hard and bearable, and the heartache was much worse than the physical pain. Due to the censorship background of their father, the younger siblings were denied admission again and again. The loss to them in this era was that they did not have the opportunity to receive higher education. Except for me, who started the Cultural Revolution after three years of college, some of my other siblings didn’t finish high school, junior high school, high school, or junior high school. The skills they later learned to adapt to life were all self-taught. Looking back now, the material hardships and spiritual hardships are a mature opportunity for us later in life.

My mother was suffering from severe tuberculosis at that time. She was in such financial difficulties and had poor nutritional conditions. She also had to bear heavy political pressure, delivering meals to the cowshed, copying for inspections... and also helping my father check the wax tablets. Print a few copies and solve the problem earlier. At that time, mimeograph machines in society were used by the rebels and could not be borrowed. My mother cut it with a piece of bamboo, scraped it on wax paper, and printed out the test... My mother was almost deaf because she didn't get good treatment.

At that time, I was less affected by other colleges and universities. During the late "Cultural Revolution", when graduates were assigned, tens of millions of cadres had been overthrown throughout China, so I didn't seem to be isolated. The father did not make a conclusion, so it cannot be used as a basis for distribution. Later, I joined the army, and it was for the same reason that I passed the test, so I was more lucky than my brothers and sisters. However, because of my father's problems, I was never able to apply for party membership until after the "Gang of Four" was crushed.

The "Cultural Revolution" was a disaster for the country, but it was a baptism of life for us, which made me mature politically and was no longer a simple nerd. Although I also participated in the vigorous Red Guard movement, I was never a Red Guard. This is also a wonder. Because my father was affected by the censorship, no faction allowed me to join the Red Guards. I don't want to be the commander, so I will recruit three or five people who have been abandoned by society to form a combat team and wear an armband. At that time, wearing this armband was a symbol of political status. I also envy my classmates whose families are clean. Therefore, we can only follow the periphery of these organizations and run around blindly.

Reform and Opening