image: traditional Tujia brocade


Play All)Informal story texts: Tufei Bandits in Longshan County(Part 2)

2.6: Tufei Bandits in Longshan (Part 2)

Lu Bangzhen, Tasha Rural Township, Longshan County
recorded on 30 January 2003

This text concludes the story, begun in the previous text, of 'No.3 Platoon Leader', a notorious tufei bandit.

01 ai1 la2 nie1, suo1 pai3zang3 gai1 guo2 bang1huan3 ong3-duo3, ge4 guo2 za4-duo3liao3 le jiu1 yan3leng3 xian2 bang1huan3 wo2tu1 la3-liao3.
And so came the day when No.3 Platoon Leader was destined to go to jail. They caught him and locked him up in the Yuanling County jail.
02 yan3leng3 xian2 bang1huan3 la3-nie3 qie4li3-nie3 si3jie3 le, ai1 wo2tu1-nie3, xian1 ai1 bang1huan3 wo2tu1-nie3 ai1di1 lao4 huan2reng3-die1 le,
At that time, locked up in Yuanling County jail, among the criminals already locked up in the jail,
03 guo2duo3 ga2me1 la2 hu3 xie2, suo1 pai3zang3 duo3 guo2 eng1ge1 hhe1ce1 ta4-ci3 ai1 tong1tong1 tie2ba1 a2hu1-duo3,
there was an official, who wanted No.3 Platoon Leader to hold the large toilet bucket there,
04 suo1 pai3zang3 mao2huo1-lie3 guo2 guo2 beng4 die3 xiao1-lie3 la2-lie3, la2-lie3, ai1lie1 bang1huan3 wo2tu1-nie3 hhe1ce1 lang3 le, ong3-bo3-ta1ti1, nie2-bo3-ta1ti1.
but No.3 Platoon Leader flared up, and pushed it over with a crash. Afterwards, the prison stank of urine, it was unbearable both day and night.
05 ai1 bang1huan3 wo2tu1-nie3 ga2me1 la2 hu3 la, "se2 nga2 bo3 ha3," jie2 zi2zi1 mo3, jie2 jiu1 sang1 pai3zang3 suo1 pai3zang3 ga3 zi2zi1-bo3-la1, "se2 nga2 bo3 ha3!
The official in the jail pointed at him and said to them: "Beat him up for me." He pointed at No.3 Platoon Leader: "Beat him up!"
06 suo1 pai3zang3 la, luo2bu1 la2 dong2 gu4, si1si1 da4 la2 dong2 ga2, si1si1ma3zi3 la2 dong2 ga2-lie3,
No.3 Platoon Leader, he glared back, gnashed his teeth, gnashed his teeth,
07 kuo1ba1 hang2 la2 dong2 ri1-lie3, "se2 nga2 ha3 mo3 ba4 ba4! se2 gang1 ha3, a1ye3 se2 ni1-la1-hu3!" ai1 tu1-nie3 huan2reng3-die1, ai1 bang1huan3 la3-bo3-nie3 yi2si1 ge4-si3-ji2-liao3, bu2 gang1 ha3.
shook his head and said: "You try and beat me up, beat me if you dare, the devil take the lot of you!" The prisoners there, everyone locked up in the prison, they were scared to death, and didn't dare touch him.
08 suo1 long1 wo3 si1 ong3-lie3 le, guo2 you2 zu2-diu2, zu2-lie3 cu1.
He was in jail for three and a half years, then he was released and went home.
09 guo2 hai3si2 me3ke3ce1 tu1-lie1 tian3huo3zong1, tian3huo3zong1 me3ga2-bo3-xi2: "ni2 nga2 hang2 ri1, nga2 be2 ni2 tian3huo3zong1 si2si1-i!" tian3huo3zong1 be2 hang2nie3: "ni2 be2 nga2 si2si1-i, nga2 be2 ni2 si2si1-i".
He was still furious with Tian Huozhong: "You dare treat me like this, I'll deal with you, Tian Huozhong!" Tian Huozhong likewise said: "You want to get rid of me, I want to get rid of you!"
10 guo2 jiu1 ge4ze1-nie3 ang1bei1 la2 hu3 xie2, xie2ma1-ka3, guo2 jiu1 ang1bei1 da4 sang1lian3: "ang1bei1 ya, cong2 ga4 zi2 pu1, ai1ta1 nga2 you2 ri1-i,
Tian [Gaoliang] went to one of their uncles, a rich man, and talked things over with him: "Uncle, buy me a few guns, otherwise I'll have to work for a living again.
11 nga2 cong2 pu1-ta1 le, ni2 cu1 ye3 he2lang3 xie2, ni2 be2 ka4-bu2zu2, ni2 be2 ta4 ti3 mo3 ga2, luo4die1 ni2 a4yi3-ji2-lie3-hu3, ni2 you2 luo4, ni2 you2 luo4 ri1-ti2,
If I don't buy any guns, all these possessions of yours, you won't be able to guard them, and you won't be able to buy food, people will rob you, and you won't be able to retaliate.
12 nga2 cong2 ga4 zi2 pu1-lie3 le, meng, nga2-nie3 ming2 nga2 bao4-liao3 meng, ni2 ya gao1-hao1-liao3."
When I've bought a few guns, I can preserve my own life, and you will be fine as well."
13 cong2 ga4 zi2 pu1-lie3 le, qi4 geng1ke4, ge3 gao1 eng1ge1 gao1, ge3 gao1 eng1ge1 gao1-lie3 you2 gao1 mo3 qi4, you2 gao1 mo3 po1la1-liao3.
So he bought a few guns, and went here and there, causing trouble, more trouble than ever.
14 ai1lie1 ying1seng3, long3sang1 ei, eng1di1 sang1 pai3zang3 kou2 da4ha3 lian2huo1 zu2, ci2ci1, yi2 hui3 he1he1 huan2 ying3 a, su1-da2, ai1di1 kou2-cai3 duo3 ming3yi2 xiao2.
Then in Yongshun and Longshan, wherever No.3 Platoon Leader fought he was in fine fettle, and he won every time, he never lost, and became notorious throughout the whole area.
15 ai1lie1 long3sang1 le, guo2 ming3yi2 xiao2 le, ai1 si3jie3 si2gai1 you2 luan2-la1-hu3, dui2wu1 nie1 dui2wu1 da4ha3, ai1lie1 long3sang1 ga2me1 le jiu1 guo2 jiao2 xian1zang1 dang1-duo3,
So he was now well known in Longshan, and at that time society was in chaos, with one set of troops fighting another, then an official in Longshan asked him to be a village head.
16 guo2 jiu1 xian1zang1 dang1 meng dang1 o, xian1zang1 dang1-lie3 le, lao1hua1 dang1-bu3ti2, la2 si1 duo3 gao1-bu3ti2 le, hong3jing1 you2 ang2 ge3 zai2-sang1, ang2ni1 xian1xi1 ye4-ji2-liao3,
So he served as village head, served as village head, and before he had done so for long, before even a month had passed, the Red Army came to our village, arrived in Xiangxi.
17 ang2 ge3 sang1ga1ga1 li1 ye4-lie3 le, ai1lie1 guo2 jiu1, sang1 pai3zang3 guo2 eng1di1 me2 bian2-xi2 hao4ri3, ai1di1 luo4 ngeng2, xian1zang1 heng4, zu1yi3 ya xie2, guo2 ci1ci1 ha1tai2 hong.
They came to our valley, and then No.3 Platoon Leader, he learnt of this change, he was a hard man, a formidable village head, very aware of what went on around him, but illiterate.
18 ai1lie1 guo2 jiu1, di2xiong1 jiu1 sang2-ji2-liao3: "se2duo3 yi2si1 guo2duo3 guo2duo3 cu1-bo3 hhi2." o luo4 lao1hua1 tao2.
So his men all scattered. He said: "Each of you go back to his own home", leaving him with only a few men.
19 guo2 you2 ge4 ang1bei1 da4 sang1lian3: "eng1di1 qing3mo1 gao1-i le? eng1 si3jie3 jiu1, ang1bei1 ya, ni2 ang2ni1 bo3 zi3hhe3 la2bie1 gao1-duo3." guo2 guo2 jiu1 zi3hhe3 wo4-lie3 liu3lang3dong2,
Once again he discussed things with their uncle: "What should I do? Uncle, now you must give us some rice." He carried the rice to Niulan Cave,
20 liu3lang3dong2 tu1 tong1tong1 ga4 bu2 ceng3-lie3 le, guo2 luo4 si3 ji1 guo2 gao1-lie3 le, dong2 wo2tu1 jiu1 a3pi2 ce2, ai1lie1 ta2se1 wei3-xi2 wei3 ya, ai1 tu1 ye4-bo3, sou1 sang1 a sou1-zuo3 tai2.
and stored it in some buckets inside, got together a dozen or so men, and built a barricade inside the cave. Then he surrounded it with thorns, and hid inside. They searched the mountains, but they couldn't find him.
21 qing3nie2 ai1lie1 tang2, ni1, gai1huan3jing1 ye4-lie3 le, ming3bing1 guo2 tang2-duo3liao3. suo1 pai3zang3 liu3lang3dong2 ye4-bo3-la1 me, guo2 guo2 eng1ge1... guo2 guo2 a3pi2 le ci2-lie3.
Later, they carried on looking. When the People's Liberation Army arrived, the local militia found him. No.3 Platoon Leader was hiding in Niulan Cave, he was inside, and he had built a barricade there.
22 la2 nie1 hi4lie3 sou1, sang1 ga3 sou1-zuo3 tai2, ai1lie1 ni1-duo3liao3, ni1-duo3liao3 le ga2me1ka3 le jiu1, gai1huan3jing1 ga2me1ka3, guo2 jiu1 ma1 pai3zang3, dong1be3-nie3 ma1 pai3zang3 yi2 guo2 pai3 pai2-lie3, guo2 ha3-xie2.
All day they searched the mountains for his hiding place without success, and then they found him, they found him. The government, the People's Liberation Army, they sent Platoon Leader Ma, Platoon Leader Ma from the north-east, with a platoon, to go and deal with him.
23 liu3lang3dong2 tie1bi1-lie1 jiu1, cong2 huo3lie3 a1di1 liu3lang3dong2-nie3 dong2 du3 ga3 ha3, dong3a3 dong3a3, la2 nie1 hi4lie3 ha3, gai4 ha3-lie3 le, si3 tian1 bang1 guo2 ye1 ha3-lie3.
So from the hill opposite, they sealed off the entrance to Niulan Cave, using their guns, (sound of shooting), shooting every day for ages, for around a fortnight.
24 gai1huan3jing1 meng la2bie1 ha3-si3, guo2 meng ai1 wo2tu1 la2 hu3 duo3 ha3-si3-da2, ma1 pai3zang3 a ao1 ha3-si3-liao3. ai1lie1 ngeng2 qing3mo1 gao1-i le? hao4! gai1huan3jing1 ga2me1ka3 le you2 la2 hu3 pai2-di2,
The People's Liberation Army sustained some casualties, but failed to kill a single person inside, and Platoon Leader Ma was shot dead there. What on earth could they do now? Good! The People's Liberation Army will send someone else,
25 you2 pai3zang3 la2 hu3 pai2-lie3 le, ha3, hai3si2 ha3 mo3 kai1-ti2, eng1di1 qing3mo1 ri1 ya? eng1di1, eng1di1 huai2-liao3 wa! nga2 ga2me1ka3 bo3 qing3mo1 ze2 le, ze2-di2-ta1ti1.
another platoon leader to fight, but still without success; now what do we do? What a disaster! What can I tell the government, there's nothing to report.
26 sang1 pai3zang3, guo2 si1 li2jing1, guo2 ai1lie1 se2-hu3, ai1 dong2 ye3luo3-bo3 la3yao2, ta1nie3ku3 li2-a1ba1 lao4 ni3ga3 lao4 jie2 huo2 zu1zu4-bo3 mo3 hang3hang3hang3 die3 li4 bi2la1, nie1 long3 da4,
No.3 Platoon Leader, he was a tiger demon, just before he died, he prowled around the cave by night and by day, a tiger and a tigress, rearing on their front paws, and clawing the earth together,
27 hang3hang3hang3 die3, lie3pong2 you2 bi3li3ba3la3 bi3li3ba3la3 bi3li3ba3la3, zao4gu1die1 ye1 mo2hu1, la3yao2 ye1 mo2hu1, ta1nie3ku3, la2 nie1 hi4lie3 mo2hu1, la3yao2 tong1ye1 tong1ye1 mo2hu1.
(sound of tiger), waving their tails. They growled in the morning and the evening, and in broad daylight, all day long they growled, all night long they growled.
28 ai1di1 pang3, eng1di1 yi2 duo1bang1, eng1di1 zai2-sang1-nie3 luo4die1 la, ai1lie1, "suo1 pai3zang3 se2-hu3, guo2 li2jing1, ai1lie1 guo2 se2-hu3, guo2 nie4, guo2, guo2 lao1hua1 ong3-ta1tiu1,
The people round about, most of the people in this village, said: "No.3 Platoon Leader is about to die, he is a tiger demon, he is about to die, his days are numbered, he won't be around much longer,
29 ai1lie1 guo2 si2xian1-liao3." eng1di1 xing1 jie1reng1-nie3 ai1 pai3zang3 la2 hu3 le, guo2 guo2 jiu1 eng1ge1, ga2me1ka3 eng1ge1-lie1 jiu1 cong2 tie2ba1 la2 zi2 huo3-di2, zi2 duo3 luo4 ji3si3pe1 he2ba3 xie2,
he's finished." This newly-appointed platoon leader, he came along, planning to bring a huge gun from the army, a gun with a barrel as large as a man's thigh.
30 zao2-bo3 zao2-bo3 mo3 eng1di1, eng1di1, eng1di1 liu3lang3dong2, eng1di1 dong3ga2 dui2-bo3 mo3 beng4 die3 yi2 pao1 ha3-lie3, me2la1ong3, me2ta1ce3 die3 ka3mong3 sa1-la1 mo3 huo2 sa1-la1, pian3lang3lang3 die3 la,
Facing, facing the Niulan Cave, facing the mouth of the cave, the gun boomed out, like a thunderbolt splitting a tree (noise of thunder).
31 eng1ge1 liu3lang3dong2-nie3 a3ca3 duo3 guo2duo3 mi4 da4-liao3 wa, hu3la3 hu3la3, li2 you2 eng1ge1 hang3hang3hang3 hang3hang3hang3 mo2hu1, li4 ta2pa4 duo3 ki1si1.
The cliff-face around the cave was all on fire (sound of burning), and the tigers growled and growled, the very ground seemed to be shaking.
32 jie2ri1-ma1-die1 yi2si1 ge4 le, "eng1di1 sang1 pai3zang3 zu2-diu2 huo1 qing3mo1-nie3 hang?" ai1 pai3zang3, guo2 you2 bong3long3 bang3lang3, me2la1ong3 ong3 mo3 huo2 ong3, me2ta1ce3 die3 ong3 mo3 ong3-la1,
The villagers were all afraid: "This No.3 Platoon Leader, is he coming out or what?" That platoon leader, he again opened fire, with a noise like thunder, like a thunderclap.
33 suo1 pao1 re1 pao1 ha3-zu2 le, ai1di1 a3ba3 kua4-diu2, ai1 wo2tu1 tuo4 he2ba3, qing1bao1 he2ba3, zi1ge1 pi2 zu2-bo3-xi2 yi2si1 kua4-ji2-liao3.
After three or four blasts, the stones began to collapse, and slabs of stone as big as cupboards rained down, causing the barricade to collapse completely.
34 ai1di1 wo2tu1-lie1 si2si1 ya po1-dao2, cong2 a ha3-dao2, ai1di1, eng1di1 gai1huan3jing1 le jiu1 ming3bing1 la2 hu3 pa3qie2 le ba4-xie2, hhe2 mo3 yi2 tang1 ba4-lie3,
Not a sound came from inside, and the guns were now silent, so the People's Liberation Army sent a militiaman to creep in and have a look, to look around.
35 a yo! wo2tu1 di3di1da3tao1 mo3, huo2 me2 ba4-bo3 nie2-xi2 nie2, geng1ke4-bo3-xi2 geng1ke4-bo3, pe3-bo3 nie2-xi2 nie2, se2-xi2 se2, cong2 a2hu1 mo3 gao1-bo3, si2si1 duo3 po1-dao2, luo4 tao2.
Well! Inside everything was in disarray, [corpses] lying on their backs as though sleeping, others tumbled all over the place, some prone as though sleeping, others obviously dead, some still clutching guns. Not one of them stirred, not one was left alive.
36 la2 dong2 la2die1, guo2 gai1huan3jing1 da4 cuo4-lie3 ba4-xie2, ni1 mo3 ba4, eng1di1 suo1 pai3zang3 ni1-zuo3 tai2,
After a little while, he brought the People's Liberation Army in to have a look, and they looked all over, but they couldn't find No.3 Platoon Leader.
37 ai1di1 suo1 pai3zang3, luo4 ngeng2 liao1bu3qi1, guo2 ngeng2 hhe4jing1, hhe4 duo3 guo2 guai1-nie1. guo2duo3 dong2 wo2tu1-bo3 zao3, wo2tu1-bo3 zao3-lie3, guo2 zi3hhe3 cao4-bo3-xi2 luo2tie1 kuai4-lie3, ga2-lie3 wo2tu1-bo3 qie4lu3,
That No.3 Platoon Leader, he really was amazing, truly a monkey demon, cleverer than any monkey. He had gone even further into the cave, further in. He had a bag of fried rice with him which he ate, and then slipped further in.
38 wo2tu1-bo3 qie4li3-lie3 jiu1, ming3bing1 a, gai1huan3jing1 a jiu1 da4 dong2 wei3-bo3, dong2 a3ba3 huo3lie3 ci2-bo3, song3-bo3, ta2se1 huo3lie3 kang1lang1 kang1lang1 song3-bo3,
He went further in, the militia, the People's Liberation Army, they blocked up the cave, blocking the mouth of the cave with stones, and sealing it ever more tightly with thorns.
39 "ni2 zu2-di2-ta1ti1, ni2 wo2tu1 qie4li3-zuo3 tai2, ni2 ta2se1 ni2 jie2 he1-i ang! a3ba3, ni2 guo2 xiao1 mo3 la2-ti2, a3ba3 suo1 hhi3 re1 hhi3 da4 di1di1 le ci2-bo3-xi2, si3tie2 he2ba3 huo3lie3 ci2-bo3-xi2 you!"
"You won't be able to get out, there's nowhere for you to go inside, the thorns will pierce your hands! You can't push the stones clear, it took three or four people to lift them, we built it, we used stones as big as tables to build it!"
40 ai1 xiao1 qing3mo1 gao1-di2-xi2 ha1tai2 ya! la2 nie1 nie1 nie1 (null)-lie3, eng1di1 suo1 pai3zang3 zu2-diu2 wa, guo2 li2a4-liao3, guo2 jiu1 huo2 huo2, eng1di1 jie2ri1-ma1-nie3 cu1 mang1mang1 ni1-bo3 ga2-la1.
But who knows how he did it, nobody knew. After a day or two, No.3 Platoon Leader emerged, because he was hungry, off he went to a peasant's house to find something to eat.
41 eng1ge1la1bi3 meng liu3lang3dong2 ao1 ye3luo3-bo3 meng tang2zang1 po1la1-liao3, bian2yi1 dui2 ya po1la1-liao3, lian3qian1 kuai4-bo3 mo3, gai1huan3jing1 guo2 eng1ge1 pu1-ji2-liao3, me2 ga3-nie3 xi4bu2li1 da4ze3 he2lang3-liao3.
On that side, round about Niulan Cave, there were many scouts, many plain-clothes troops, all carrying guns, the whole place was crawling with the People's Liberation Army, as many as the stars in the sky.
42 ai1 la2 nie4 le, tang2zi1 guo2 tang2-duo3liao3 yi, eng1di1 suo1 pai3zang3, ma1lao1 wa, tong1ngai3 qie1sa1 ai1 di2huan1 gao1-la1, ai1di1 bian2yi1 dui2-die1 jiu1 ao1 zuan2zuan1 ha3-bo3 ni1 mo3 ba4,
One day, a scout spotted him, this No.3 Platoon Leader, at Malao, hanging around on Tongngai Mountain. So the plain-clothes troops surrounded him to try and catch him.
43 ba4-lie3 le ai1 la2 pe1, suo1 pai3zang3 ra3 duo3 rong2-da2-nie2, guo2 ze2ga3 le seng3-bo3-ta1tiu1, guo2 ce3 hu3-i ya le, guo2 yan3huo1 sei3 die3 la2 zi2 gua2-lie3,
They watched all night, and No.3 Platoon Leader, before cockcrow, he was unbearably thirsty, so he went to drink some water, and struck a match.
44 ai1di1 bian2yi1 dui2-die1 jiu1 guo2 cong2 huo3lie3 bao1wa die3, guo2 jiu1 ao1 geng1ke4-liao3.
The plain-clothes troops then felled him there with their guns.
45 di2ai2 tian1 le ba4-xie2, ai1lie1 ming3bing1 le ba4-xie2, ai1 ya suo1 pai3zang3 eng1-cai3 geng1ke4-liao3, ha3-si3-liao3. qing3nie2 le, guo2 ai1 kuo1ba1 suo4-lie3 le ma1bi1zai1 ai1 xiao1xiao3 wo2tu1 le, ai1 qi3gang3 ga3 gua2-bo3-la1.
The next day, they went to have a look, the militia went to see, No.3 Platoon Leader lay fallen there, shot dead. Afterwards, his head was cut off, and was hung on the flagpole in the primary school in Mabizhai.

 

 

 

 

 


Copyright (C) 2004 Philip & Cecilia Brassett