No matter how high the pea jumps, it can't break the iron pot.

- Uyghur proverb

The county seat of Zhangye had just been liberated, and the enemy spread rumors everywhere saying: "The People's Liberation Army will kill people when they see them!" The People's Liberation Army (PLA) specializes in killing Hui people, and when they see people wearing white hats and hijabs shooting, they shoot ......"

These rumors spread like the wind throughout the city. For a time, the people in the county town were restless, and the situation was very unstable.

The wives and children of the Han family hid at home all day, not daring to go out or speak loudly. They sent Althea to sit at the gate of the compound to do needlework, and if they found that the People's Liberation Army was coming, they would rush in and report it.

One day, Althea saw a group of People's Liberation Army troops coming towards her through the crack in the door, and immediately turned around and ran back to the main house to report the situation to Mrs. Han.

Mrs. Han suddenly became a mess. They quickly tore off the hijab and scarf on their heads and stuffed them under the quilt, revealing their hair, which they had never seen before.

A lady who didn't bother to tidy up her messy hair pointed to the steaming kettle on the stove with a trembling finger and stammered, "Athea, hide the kettle." If the People's Liberation Army scalds them with boiling water, what will they do? ”

Althea immediately ran over and picked up the kettle and hid it in the corner of the wall. She also imitated the wives who removed the green hijab from her head and tucked it under the mattress.

The sound of banging on the courtyard door came in.

Mrs. Han and the children huddled together and hid in the innermost small bedroom, not daring to breathe.

The sound of banging on the courtyard door continued to come in.

The housekeeper really had no choice but to go out and open the courtyard door tremblingly.

The PLA cadre who led the team said kindly: "Fellow countrymen, don't be afraid. We only arrested Kuomintang counter-revolutionaries and Ma Army officers. ”

The butler nodded and said, "Sir, there are only the old grandmother and daughter-in-law, Gava, and there are no counter-revolutionaries and officers. ”

The PLA cadre said: "We know. This is the residence of Han Gong, an officer of the Ma Army. We can register the people in the family. Tell them all to come out. ”

The people hiding in the house listened to the conversation between the housekeeper and the PLA cadres in a real way, and found that the PLA cadres spoke kindly, not like the legendary fierce gods, so they hesitantly walked out. A large family of people of all ages stood in the courtyard.

When the PLA cadres registered the situation of Althea, Ayisha and Minal, Mrs. Han lied that the three of them were her daughters.

After the PLA cadres registered, they announced to everyone: "Han Gong has surrendered to the PLA and is explaining his problems." Rest assured, the PLA treats prisoners preferentially. If you have any circumstances, report them to the Military Control Commission in a timely manner. ”

The PLA cadres settled down a few more words and left.

Everyone was relieved. When they found themselves hungry, they immediately returned to the main house and began to drink tea and eat.

After entering Zhangye County, the People's Liberation Army took over the old regime, established the new political power of the people, and went all out to launch a political propaganda offensive, organizing a number of propaganda squads to go deep into the streets and alleys, in the fields, and in the courtyards of deep houses, posting slogans, publicizing policies, and organizing pickets to patrol day and night to maintain public order.

The order of life of the people in urban and rural areas has gradually stabilized.

The newly established Military Control Commission issued a proclamation ordering the Kuomintang military and political personnel to register with the Military Control Commission and hand over their guns and all property.

On October 2, all the relatives of Althea and the Han family were called by the Military Management Commission to attend the celebration of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the liberation of Zhangye.

More than 40,000 people gathered. Revolutionary songs were played loudly over the loudspeakers. Bright red flags flutter in the wind. The common people, especially the poor, were overjoyed, smiling so much that their mouths showed white teeth.

Leaders of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the first secretary of the Zhangye Prefectural Party Committee, as well as workers' representatives and representatives of ethnic minorities, spoke at the celebration meeting.

The congress unanimously adopted a telegram of tribute to the Central People's Power, all commanders and fighters of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, and the Standing Committee of the World Congress for Peace.

The people of all nationalities presented the PLA with a big red pennant embroidered with the words "Light of the People" and "Liberation of the Northwest and Meritorious Achievements through the Ages."

After the congress, the CMC organized a grand mass procession. The urban and rural fire brigades and Yangge teams took to the streets. The people on the streets rubbed shoulders and cheered.

A few days later, the wives of the Han family received Han Gong's indictment from the Military Management Committee.

The steward took the indictment and read it to everyone:

"Han Gong, a counterrevolutionary criminal, was a loyal lackey and minion of the counterrevolutionary bandits, and before the liberation, he successively held the posts of battalion, regiment, and army commander of the Ma Fang bandits, and consistently carried out counterrevolutionary activities.

(1) Before the liberation, he forcibly arrested soldiers in Linxia and other places three times, causing more than 28,000 Hui Han youths to become cannon fodder for reactionaries, causing the vast number of Hui and Han people to be separated from their wives and families.

(2) In order to suppress the righteous resistance of the Hui Han people, he successively brutalized 26 Hui Han people, including Wang Ahong and Ma Jinkui of Linxia City, and Zhu Yuandan, a young man from Xiahe.

(3) When he was serving as the head of the regiment in Pingliang, Wuwei and other places, he took advantage of the situation to occupy the people's houses and land, arrest the people's husbands and build mansions, extort money, plunder the army, and rape women, causing countless Hui Han people to go bankrupt and displaced. ”

After listening to the full text of the indictment, the wives of the Han family trembled with fright, and said in a loud voice: "Ma Da Yan (in trouble)!" Lord Han is numb! ”

Han Gong was lucky during his detention and used his attendants to bribe the PLA sentries in an attempt to escape. In November 1950, Han Gong was transferred to the Linxia branch for several months of education, but he still had no intention of repenting, and his reactionary thoughts intensified, actively instigating and organizing the detainees Mark Limu, Zhang Nuhai, Ma Ximu and others to launch a riot, planning to kill the guards first during the Spring Festival holiday in 1951, and then snatch guns and escape from the prison, so as to continue to be the enemy of the people. On March 26, 1951, Han Gong was executed in Linxia for instigating a counter-revolutionary riot.

Han Gong is gone and never comes back.

The old and young of the Han family planned to return to Xining, but without the approval of the Military Management Commission, it was impossible to return to Xunhua, so they had to settle down in Zhangye willingly. They grew up in rich and noble families, and they didn't know how to cook, work, or do business, so they had to sit and eat their family's old capital. The silver in their hands became scarce.

Mrs. Han sat together and discussed: "The government says that it is a new society now, and it is not allowed to exploit others, and everyone must participate in labor and be self-reliant. It is better to marry off Althea, Ayisha and Minaer, a family with a large and conspicuous population, and if they don't get the lie, they will be punished by the People's Liberation Army; The second is to reduce the number of people in the family, which can reduce unnecessary expenses and reduce the burden on the family. ”

When Althea and the other three people heard Mrs. Han's conversation, they felt uncomfortable for a long time. They knew that they had now become a burden to the Han family. Tears of sadness wet the pillow towel.

Ibrahim and Manuri's eldest son, Niu Yushan, and his younger half-brother Niu Tianshan happened to be doing business in Zhangye City. They had to go to the temple of worship every main day, and they met often with Han Gong's butler, and gradually became acquainted with each other.

Once, the housekeeper learned from a casual conversation with Niu Yushan that he was not married yet, so he introduced him to the situation of Asya and the other three people, and expressed his willingness to be a matchmaker for him.

Niu Yushan expressed his gratitude to the housekeeper for his enthusiasm, and made an appointment to visit the Han Mansion the next day and see him with his own eyes.

The next day, the Niu brothers came to Hanfu with tea and rock candy. Looking at the lofty and magnificent appearance of the Han Mansion, Niu Yushan couldn't help but recall the wealthy situation of his family back then. He was ashamed that he and his brothers had not kept the property that his father had purchased.

Kept in the dark, Athea, Ayisha and Minar all thought that the visitors were ordinary guests, and served bowls of tea, snacks and fruit in turn as the butler instructed.

Niu Yushan saw that the three girls were all dignified and beautiful, and they all showed that they knew the rules very well, especially Althea was extremely gentle and sensible.

Niu Tianshan used his young age as an excuse that he did not choose anyone.

Niu Yushan quietly told the housekeeper his thoughts.

After sending off the guests, the housekeeper called Althea and the other three people over and told them the eldest lady's thoughts: "You are all 15 or 6 years old, and you are also of the age of marriage. The eldest lady wants to marry you off as her own daughters. If you will, I'll show you people. If you don't want to, I'll write a letter to your parents and ask them to come and lead you back to your hometown in Ledu. ”

The three girls blushed with shame, lowered their heads and twisted for a long time, and then they all said that they wanted to go back to Ledu.

The housekeeper reminded: "Althea, the guest who came before came from Linxia to do business. Big brother has taken a fancy to you. I'll be a matchmaker for you if you want. ”

Only then did Althea remember that when she served tea to the guest, the guest looked at her for a while. It turns out that he is looking at people. The man looked tall, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, and spoke crisply, like a good person.

Althea thought for a long time before she said, "Nau has to listen to his parents." Let's write a letter back and ask for their opinions. ”

The next day, the housekeeper wrote a letter for Althea and sent it.

Not long after, Althea's father, Gong Guoyuan, wrote a reply, saying that he was going to visit his daughter in Zhangye in person.

Sure enough, within a few days, Gong Guoyuan took his daughter Gong Xiahe from Ledu County, Qinghai Province to Zhangye.

The father, daughter, and sisters who have not seen each other for two years are gathered in another country, and they are naturally very affectionate.

The fast-talking Gong Xiahe told her sister: "Grandma gave birth to a younger brother again, the big name is Gong Liangui, and the little name is Guiwa." ”

Niu Yushan hosted a banquet for Gong Guoyuan, Althea and Gong Xiahe in a well-known time-honored restaurant.

He was respectful and thoughtful at the banquet, not only serving vegetables and persuading tea, but also bringing out gifts for everyone in the Gong family. He gave Gong Guoyuan and Wang Tianying two pieces of silk and woolen cloth to make clothes, and bought each child a pair of leather shoes that only the rich could afford. The boy's shoes are black leather shoes. The girl's shoes are red leather shoes.

Gong Guoyuan is usually kind and honest, but now he is very happy to meet such a young man who can speak and do things, but he still cares a little about the differences in ethnicity, beliefs and living habits between the two sides.

He quietly asked Althea, "Would you like to?" ”

Althea replied shyly, "Abba can look pleasing to the eye." ”

Gong Guoyuan asked again: "They are returning to the Sarta people, can you get used to their life?" ”

Althea replied softly, "I followed their sect when I first entered Lord Han's house, and I have been used to it in the past two years. Lord Han is a Serar man. He is a Sarta. They are all one sect, there is no difference. ”

After eating the sumptuous dishes, Gong Guoyuan returned to Hanfu. He sat down with the housekeeper to discuss, and finally agreed to the marriage of Althea and Niu Yushan.

The butler said happily, "This is a wonderful event!" I see, one of you is in Linxia, Gansu, and the other is in Ledu, Qinghai, in view of the current social situation, it is not convenient to go anywhere, so simply hold a wedding in Zhangye, lest you run again and waste money in vain. ”

Gong Guoyuan felt that the housekeeper's words were very reasonable, so he nodded and agreed.

Three days later, Niu Yushan set up a few tables of banquets in the hotel, invited some friends and neighbors, held a wedding, and then married Althea from the Han Mansion to his rented place, and lived a wedding life together.

Gong Guoyuan saw that his eldest daughter Lamei had found a son-in-law with a good family background and personality, and lived in Zhangye for a few more days, and returned to Ledu with the lively Gong Xiahe with satisfaction.