Dictator: Wang Benxiang (Female, born in 1924, villager of Liang Meng Village, Zhuliang Town, Qingzhou City, Shandong Province)
Interviewer: Wang Hai’an (male, born in 1988, student of Digital Media Department, Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts)
Interview date: December 21, 2010
Interview location: Liang Meng village, Wang Benxiang’s Home
Interview notes.
When I first went to this village where Wang Benxiang was looking for the old man, it was busy inside repairing the sewer pipe. I saw several old people on the road, but they refused to answer, some avoided me, some told me to ask the young people, saying they were old and couldn’t remember what happened. I was particularly impressed by an old lady who refused me, 85 years old, full of white hair, wearing a light-colored flower shirt and rough pants. I repeatedly asked, “Grandma, tell me something about the Time when we ate in the canteen in 1960!” The answer was a cold statement, “No one cares if I tell you.” This time I interviewed three old ladies sitting at the village intersection chatting, one of whom was Wang Benxiang.
The environment they described to me was hellish, with no leaves on the trees, all the leaves were eaten up, people who were dying of hunger were lying in front of their homes, falling to the east, a dry and thin group of people were sitting under the corner in the sun, and many homes were empty and dead. At night, the women used a few sticks to take the starving people out and throw them into the ditch, not having the strength to bury them. They had to work in the fields during the day, so they had to dump the dead bodies at night. Sun Xiuxiang with her talking about tears, clearly remembering the calluses on her hands and the cloudy gaze in her eyes.
This time I went to Liang Meng village and interviewed Mrs. Wang Benxiang, I found it hard to believe because I didn’t know where her house was located. I saw a particularly peaceful old lady sitting on the stone in front of her house, in a rough green dress, the light was good, the sun hit her yellow face, even the shadows of wrinkles could be seen very clearly. I rushed to take a picture of her, she intentionally dodged me, I walked up just to explain their purpose, look at her, haha, laughed, it turned out to be the old lady I interviewed in the summer, she also recognized me, giggling. After I finished explaining my purpose, we went inside and sat down for a formal interview.
Wang Benxiang, one of the first old people I interviewed in another village, is from Liang Meng Village, Zhu Liang Town, Qingzhou City, Shandong Province, and she is 88 years old. When I first went to interview her, she was still a little embarrassed. Wang Benxiang said she went out with her three children to ask for Food at that time, could not ask for it and was driven away. She sold her dowry from her Marriage and used the money from the sale to buy a bundle of spinach. Every time you boil water, throw in a few leaves, drink this water to fill the hunger, the water with leaves to drink the body will not get swelling disease, no leaves to drink the body will get swelling disease, because the leaves contain vitamins.
After the second interview with Wang Benxiang, before I left, I said I wanted to take another picture of her, and she happily agreed, so I set up the frame and took another picture of Wang Benxiang, and she threw the scarf aside. After I finished, I went out and they got up to see me off. Next I had to go to Sun Xiuxiang’s house to interview Sun Xiuxiang. Wang Benxiang wrapped in small feet, walking in the courtyard with small steps, strong light on her body, looking at her in a green rough clothes, thin body, bright smile, I could not help but be touched.
Dictation Text
All that I could eat was gone, so I had to drink water
In 1960, there were meal tickets of one catty, half a catty, and a few taels. You had to eat sparingly, because if you finished one meal, you wouldn’t have any next time. So when you eat, always let your stomach owe a little.
I don’t remember anything else, but I remember being hungry. When we ate in the canteen, the people in the canteen went to the river to get Li Li grass. In the canteen, they put some bran and some elm bark on it and steamed it. Those who went to work in the fields would each share one biscuit made of Li Li grass and bran with each meal, and when they finished eating, there was nothing left to eat.
If they couldn’t eat enough, they had to go to the fields and dig up wild vegetables by themselves. At that time, we just went out and tossed around to find something to eat. The bark of the tree was also stripped, and the leaves were also picked to eat that kind of stuff. I ate all the leaves of the trees except the leaves of the date palm tree: the leaves of the tsubaki tree, the leaves of the apricot tree, the leaves of the acacia tree, the leaves of the poplar tree, and in those days all the leaves of these trees were eaten. Date palm leaves were poisonous and could not be eaten.
In 1960, there were no wild vegetables in the fields, and they were pulled out and eaten as soon as they sprouted. In 1960, when I was hungry, there was not even enough bran to eat.
I poured out the grate and chaff in the pillow at home, put some elm bark on it, pressed it, and stuck it up to eat. I had a large vat of pickles at home at that time, soaked with water, not salty, boiled and eaten. At the end of this kind of thing also eaten up, can eat things eaten up, can only boil water to drink ah, drink put on the elm bark boiled water. Nothing to eat, just drink water, drink more will get swelling disease.
The child did not starve to death in 1960 is very good ah
At that time, the hunger swelling (swelling) ah, so hungry that the child’s father ran away. I pulled the three of them myself, one eight or nine years old, and two five or six years old. The one sitting next to me is my eldest son, who at least survived and is now alive.
I pulled the three of them. No (biscuits and cakes) for those who do not go to work, you go to work before you are given one, children can not work to get to eat. I couldn’t eat what I was given, so I brought it home for my children to eat.
No food, they are hungry swollen (puffy), I am also hungry swollen (puffy). I am an adult, but also have to take care of the Family, there is really no food, sold a wedding jacket, bought a bundle of spinach, pour some hot water, sprinkle a few spinach leaves boiled water to drink ah, drink the water boiled by this vegetable leaves to reduce the swelling. After the swelling subsided, the body also had no strength, so it lay there and did not move.
When the situation got better, my husband came home and said, “Oh, you haven’t starved your child to death, that’s good! It was good that the child didn’t die of hunger in 1960.
Working by day, hauling bodies by night
Too many people died of starvation in 1960, it was a big deal. I can not remember, what is the last name of all, after starvation, the wife and children at night dragged the dead man out to bury, because during the day to work in the fields, starvation can not remember how many people …… as long as they can move were called to work in the fields ah, can not move do not go. Go to the field is also lying in the ground, because too hungry, can not do work. The dead were everywhere, thrown into the graveyard, buried in the fields! Put there, no one cares, they are too hungry to walk, which will care about others!
Recent Comments