[Ode to Joy] My surname is Tan, my ancestor's original surname is Ming

Xiaoxin Street is also on the north bank of the Pearl River. It is only a 20-minute drive from the Garden Hotel. It is said to be a street, but it is actually a community. Cui Jinglou is on a small road in the Xiaoxin Street community. , entertain guests downstairs, live upstairs, people come and go every day, noisy and noisy.

In order not to disturb the business as much as possible, and not to be disturbed, Tan Zongming arranged the meeting at two o'clock in the afternoon, when the business was at its lightest.Before going to Yongzhou and Zhangbei, both of them were light cars. This time Tan Zongming was seriously injured and had to bring a group of people, but when he got outside the teahouse, he still left them all in the car, and entered the teahouse with Wang Manchun in a low-key manner.

Because the stairs were narrow and Tan Zongming was on crutches, they sat down in a box on the first floor of the teahouse.The teahouse is simple and friendly to the people. It is said to be a private room, but it is just a small corner separated by a screen. There is a plate of durian cakes, a plate of Vietnamese spring rolls, two bowls of red bean milk and tortoise paste. The Cantonese afternoon tea has a unique aroma. Babbling Cantonese opera background sound.

Cui Jinglou, who was born only 5 minutes earlier than Cui Rujing, looks ten years older than her sister.Like Cui Rujing, he has a hooked nose that resembles Mingtai, and because of the same gender, that face is more like an old Mingtai, but his eyes are no longer clear, and his shoulders are no longer straight. With the reserved and arrogant demeanor of Mingjing, Cui Jinglou has long lost the noble atmosphere of a half-clear family after living in the city of Guangzhou for more than 60 years.

"I never knew my surname was Cui. I thought I had no name or surname. My parents—in fact, my adoptive parents—threw me at the gate of the temple. I was a young monk for five years. Uncle Cheng found me after liberation. Tell me the identity of my biological parents. It turned out that my father died in a dangerous situation. Many underground parties evacuated urgently. Before Uncle Cheng could pick me up, I was separated from my adoptive parents. After the liberation, Uncle Cheng traveled all over Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong We found me with great difficulty. We first went to Yongzhou. He was entrusted by my father to set up a tomb for a girl named Yu Manli by the Xiaoshui River, and then went south to Guangzhou to find my grandfather. Unexpectedly, the Cheng family We left the mainland a long time ago, we have no one to rely on, so we want to go back to Yongzhou, at least Mashi Township can still accept it.

"But at that time, Uncle Cheng's health was no longer good. His old injury has not healed. He has been running around for a whole year to find me. Not long after he left Guangzhou, he could no longer walk. He coughed up blood every day. We had to Back to Guangzhou again. I was working as an apprentice in a small restaurant, and Uncle Cheng received a little relief, just barely making ends meet..."

Tan Zongming asked, "Uncle Mingcheng is a disabled soldier, so there is no special care for him?"

Cui Jinglou shook his head, "His receiving place is Yongzhou, and he has to go back to Yongzhou to receive the allowance."

Wang Manchun was silent, and Tan Zongming asked again, "You haven't been back to Shanghai since then?"

"No, Uncle Cheng never left Guangzhou until his death."

Wang Manchun asked, "He...has he mentioned the Ming family to you?"

Cui Jinglou sighed leisurely, "Tell me, why don't you mention it? The Ming family is the one he told me the most. The Ming family has a big sister, a big brother, and the most naughty and disobedient young master. My father was exactly the same when he was a child... He said that in Shanghai back then, the Ming family was rich and powerful, rich and powerful, but for the victory of the Anti-Japanese War and for the new China, this family sacrificed a whole generation..."

Wang Manchun felt sad, not only a generation was sacrificed, even the descendants of the Ming family had to change their names and surnames, scattered in all directions, did not know each other, and could not be reunited.The rich and powerful Ming family has disappeared forever from Shanghai Bund and Chinese history.

"Uncle Cheng explained that there are three children in the family, me, Rujing, and Uncle Minglou's son Tan Zheng. Rujing is not in the mainland, so I can't find her. Tan Zheng, I must find him. But when Uncle Cheng died I am only 14 years old, and it is not easy to have enough to eat. How can I find someone? I do part-time jobs by myself, and finally save money. I also want to marry a wife and have children. When the children grow up, I will also be old.”

Cui Rujing is unintentional, Cui Jinglou is powerless, Tan Zheng has intentions and strength, but he has no clue at all.In this way, the three descendants of the Ming family were separated from each other in the vast crowd.

"In 51, someone came from Hong Kong to find me, saying that my sister Ru Jing sent us. Ru Jing took us to Hong Kong for a reunion. My sister and I were separated before our first birthday. When we met again, we were already [-] years old. Ru Jing asked me if I would like to settle in Hong Kong. I lived in Guangzhou all my life and didn’t want to leave, so she gave me a sum of money and helped me set up this teahouse. Don’t look at the small facade, the land on the north bank of the Pearl River is very expensive!”

The old man's slightly stubborn tone made both Wang Manchun and Tan Zongming laugh.The teahouse is really not big. Although the furnishings have been renovated, the layout of the shop and the signboards on the walls are still the same as ten years ago.Seeing the two of them looking at the store, Cui Jinglou said again, "You have all seen Ru Jing, she is not easy to get along with, but she is still good to me, she has always wanted to help me expand the teahouse, I don't want it, I am not educated, and I have no skills , this small shop is just right, no matter how big it is, I can’t do it, it’s a waste of her money. Anyway, I have enough to eat and wear, and I have more than enough. Rujing’s money also belongs to the He family. I didn’t grow up together, and she was the one who came to me first when I was old, how could I have the nerve to always ask her to help me? Everyone has their own way, as long as there is no illness or disaster, it’s good to be smooth, and I don’t have such high requirements.”

The old man rambled on, and then took out a family photo on his phone and showed it to Tan and Wang, "This is my son-in-law, both of whom are 46 this year. This is my daughter-in-law, who just passed forty. This is my grandson." , I'm about to take the college entrance examination, this is my grandson, he just passed his 12th birthday. This is my wife, I'm not here today, there is a singing competition in the community, I handed in those handkerchiefs to her..."

Compared with Cui Rujing's desolate deep house compound, this full family portrait contains such a mellow and festive atmosphere.

This is the poorest descendant of the Ming family, and also the most lively descendant of the Ming family.

Wang Manchun couldn't help looking at Tan Zongming, and the moment he turned his face away, he realized that he was also looking at her.The two people's eyes met, and they quickly separated as if they were electrocuted.It's not that they can't look at each other, it's just that each of them can read the same envy and emotion from each other's eyes.

Cui Jinglou watched the fleeting spark between the two with his old eyes, touched his chin and smiled, "I know Zong Ming is the child of Tan Zheng's younger brother, but I don't know what generation Miss Fan is, what should I call her?"

Wang Manchun was about to speak, but Tan Zongming replied first, "Xiaomei's surname is Wang, and she is a family friend of the Ming family. In terms of seniority, she is my younger sister."

Oh, my surname is Wang, my sister.

Unexpectedly, Cui Jinglou knew about the Wang family, "There is a girl named Wang Manchun in the Wang family, and Uncle Minglou is... what is it? What kind of plum or bamboo..."

Wang Manchun's heart was shocked. She never expected that she could still hear her own name from this old man who had been away from the Ming family for 70 years. "Childhood sweetheart." She reminded him with a slightly trembling voice.

"Yes, childhood sweetheart, that's what Uncle Cheng said."

"About Wang Manchun, he, what else did he say?"

Cui Jinglou smiled, "No, he only said that Miss Wang's family is beautiful and has a deep relationship with Uncle Minglou, that's all."

Wang Manchun almost burst into tears.

No matter what the reason is, whether it is his own wishful thinking or his insight into Ming Lou's heart, in any case, Ming Cheng erased all the dark and ugly parts of Lou Chun's sinful relationship, and left it to the Ming family. In the past of the children, there is only the initial and purest silhouette of love.

"So... did Mr. Mingcheng mention their experience in Nanjing Prison?..." Wang Manchun mustered up the courage to ask the question she wanted to know the most during this trip.

"Yes. But..." Cui Jinglou sighed for a long time, "He was arrested together with Uncle Minglou. Xu En once persuaded them to surrender, and even showed them a newspaper. It said that Tan Bainian, a professor at Central University, was originally a member of the Communist Party. , the news of surrendering to the national government..."

Wang Manchun blurted out, "That's for the CCP to see!"

"Yeah, Uncle Cheng said, Xu En once forced Uncle Minglou, you can't go back to the Communist Party of China anyway, why don't you come with us, as long as you sincerely surrender, you will be as you were with us, even They can go one step further... Uncle Minglou refused, and they used torture, all kinds of severe torture, to torture Uncle Minglou until he was neither human nor ghost, and only his breath was left..."

Wang Manchun's hands were clenched into fists under the table.

"Uncle Cheng said that they were afraid that Uncle Minglou would commit suicide. Even the prison meals were served in wooden bowls and eaten with their hands. The cell was wrapped in cotton cloth on all sides. Uncle Minglou told them, don't worry, he won't commit suicide. Yes, he wants to watch the government fall and the people's regime win... Uncle Cheng said that even the warden said that he has never gnawed such a hard bone..."

Wang Manchun turned her face away, the truth she wanted was too cruel, and it took a lot of willpower to listen calmly.

A hand reached out and patted her clenched fist comfortingly. She turned her face back, and Tan Zongming was looking at her with concern.

"I'm fine." She smiled, took her hand back and put it back on the table, "What happened next?"

"They locked Uncle Minglou, Uncle Cheng, and several other arrested underground party members at Jiangdongmen until April [-]. The People's Liberation Army had reached the north bank of the Yangtze River and was about to cross the river. The fugitive Nanjing government shot all the key criminals among them, and when they were about to shoot the others, the prisoners rioted, and Uncle Cheng escaped by chance. He said that Uncle Minglou walked to the execution ground listening to the sound of the cannons in the Battle of Crossing the River. Die well, die without regret."

Wang Manchun lowered her head, her eyes were blurred by the rising mist.

"Uncle Minglou was forced to write a confession. Although he took it away, Uncle Cheng came out silently later. I'll show it to you."

Both Wang Manchun and Tan Zongming were shocked. They didn't expect that they could still see Minglou's suicide note, although it was only a copy of Mingcheng's hand.

The transparent and thin plastic file bag, the old rough-edged paper that was pressed flat, and the brown and yellow rough texture, flowed Mingcheng's weak but still bony handwriting.

"My surname is Ming, my name is Lou, and my courtesy name is Geyuan. My ancestral home is Suzhou, but I was born in Shanghai. My greatest wish is to live under the sun. I want everyone here to know that I, Minglou, am an anti-Japanese fighter and a soldier. , I am a member of the Communist Party of China. I have not failed this city. I was born and raised here, and I will be buried here in the future. The only thing I have failed is the Ming family, my elder sister and my younger brother. However, we went to The battlefield is not for death, but for survival, for the survival of the homeland and the nation, and to die for survival, I, Minglou, smiles at Jiuquan."

The author has something to say:

Minglou's confession is actually a suicide note. How should I write it? I drafted a lot of words, but I discarded them in the end. What you see are Chief Ming's lines in the Pretender, and Chief Gu's words in the Battle of Changsha. lines.

Salute to Mountain Shadow and Noon Sunshine, as well as all the cast and crew who have dedicated a good show to us.