Chapter 10 Chapter Seven Three Thousand Miles of Exile

One day in late May 1942. The bleak lone star in the dawn sky is accompanied by the pale moon, and the slight morning breeze is already mixed with the sticky and fishy smell of the rainy season.A police car roared past, and the big and broken sky made people feel that this was another brutal morning. The six sisters were carrying suitcases and other luggage, and ran around staggeringly.Fear makes their legs weak, but it makes their spirits high.They stayed in post-occupied Hong Kong for nearly half a year before they received their departure permits as students. They had to take a boat from the Star Ferry Terminal in Kowloon to Macau, then enter the mainland and head for Guilin.

Escape from Hong Kong! In the past six months in Hong Kong, what has been left to them is almost unbearable. There has never been such a cold winter.The wind blows on the face like a knife, and the hand stretches into the water like a knife; at dawn, the streets and alleys are full of hungry people who freeze to death; Hong Kong people are struggling with hunger. From winter to spring to summer, the ration is beans, boiled Boiled soybeans and black beans have become a staple food, and I feel like vomiting when I eat them all the time; occasionally there are old and hard leaves outside the cabbage, which are also boiled vegetables; if I want to have oil, I only have soap-flavored coconut oil; The supply of daily necessities was cut off, and soap was used instead of toothpaste; robbery happened everywhere, and Japanese devils robbed them openly, entered St. Paul's Girls' College, and took away their gold watches, fountain pens, etc. Few shops dare to open their doors for business!

Strangely, the more this is the case, the more primitive human nature croaks.People pay extra attention to eating!Countless people have set up pancake stalls on the street, and what they fry are iron-hard yellow cakes and radish cakes, but countless people, no matter men, women, old or young, no matter how high or low they are, all gobble it up.People seem to be in a hurry to get married!Newspapers are packed with wedding announcements every day.Nothing can be relied on anymore, only food and sex are reliable things. Chen Xiangmei and Wu Yaowei's first love soon became passionate love.They date at the old place every day, maybe Xiangmei is too young to understand anything, maybe Bill cherishes this first love too much, maybe the stone benches in the pond at the old place are engraved with too many memories of the eighteen days of the siege, they It is still a platonic love, holding hands tightly, looking affectionately into the eyes, and they are all satisfied.

Young men are eager to flee Hong Kong, because they may be caught by devils at any time.Bill and his companion Yu Bobei were lucky enough to get the departure permit at the end of March, but Bill insisted on waiting for their sisters to leave together. He held Xiangmei's hand and said, "I've waited for so long, and I don't care if I leave again." Wait a few days. If you can’t leave, I’ll have to stay.” Xiangmei was choked up and speechless, and she couldn’t help thinking of a poem by Tang Dynasty poet Lu Lun: “A young man is a guest early; Where is the wind and dust."

Finally, the sisters also got the departure permit.Each person is only allowed to bring one piece of luggage. Xiangmei was extra careful and sewed the jewelry left by her mother into the seam of the cheongsam. When her mother was ill, she once told her: "Your journey is long. Don't sell it unless you have to." .” Star Ferry has arrived. The crowds of refugees, old and young, with big and small packages, are noisy and messy; the original colorful and dazzling giant billboards on the pier have become exaggerated dirty rags, and the pickled garbage foam between the ships covers the sea. green.

At the agreed place, Bill was nowhere to be seen! Chen Xiangmei waited anxiously, oppressed by the sense of uncertainty, she got into the crowd to search for things, and returned to the appointed place dripping with cold sweat, but there was still no sign of Bill.She sat down on the luggage, tears welling up. Jingyi comforted her: "Wait a little longer, it's coming." Jingyi did not venture to St. Paul's Girls' School to reunite with her sisters until a week after the fall of Hong Kong.Xiangmei told the elder sister everything, and Jingyi had a good impression of Bill.

will come.Xiangmei firmly believes that Bill has never broken his promise. A girl ran towards them in a panic—it was Bill's sister Eileen! Chen Xiangmei wanted to go up to her, but she couldn't control her legs, she couldn't move in a daze, but Jingyi ran forward, Ailian was out of breath and couldn't speak, she just took out a piece of paper folded in the shape of a flying bird. Chen Xiangmei trembled her hands, and took a lot of effort to open the note. It turned out that Bill and his partner left Hong Kong for Macau in a hurry last night, because it was rumored that from today on, the Japanese would prohibit young men from leaving the country!The last line of the note read: "Be brave for both of us."

Tears dripped down on the note, but they were tears of happiness, love was praying, love was protecting them.She carefully folded the note and put it in her breast pocket, vowing to keep it until after the war. The noisy crowd began to squirm, checking tickets and boarding the boat one after another.Vicious Japanese inspectors lined up on both sides, brutally searching the refugees and smashing their luggage with gun butts. Sister Xiangmei and Ailian moved forward fearfully, Jingyi took the lead, and Xiangmei led the way.One by one passed by, and when Xiangmei just moved forward, a Japanese soldier suddenly grabbed her shoulder, Xiangmei was startled, a lewd and vicious man's face came into her sight, she could only close her eyes tightly Eyes, it's over, everything is over, all the jewelry is sewn in the seams of her clothes, she can't walk, how can the sisters complete the process of suffering?

In just a few minutes, she was clearly stepping on the yin and yang boundary between life and death, and her delicate face was wet with cold sweat and hot tears. Amidst a burst of hysterical laughter, she opened her eyes, and the grinning Japanese soldier slammed her She pushed and the petrified sisters hugged her in a panic.The flesh and blood are finally reunited, and they seem to be walking on the bridge of Naihe. The whistle on the ship was wailing, like another life and death; the ship was seriously overloaded, dense like canned sardines, but lacked neatness; it was miserable, crying, moaning and arguing, the deck shook violently, The ship left the shore.

is it good or bad?Is a blessing or a curse?I only know that this is a fateful break. The six sisters and Ailian crowded together on the lower deck of the ship. From the round cabin hole, they could see that Kowloon was far away and Hong Kong was far away. For half a year, they have been anxiously looking forward to leaving Hong Kong, but at this moment of parting, Xiangmei has a heart-wrenching attachment. Hong Kong, a gorgeous and sad city, she hates the arrogant demeanor of the British in the colonies, she is heartbroken for those Chinese obedient people who call Britain the royal family, and she can't laugh or laugh at the half-understandable Chinese slogans on the streets of Hong Kong. Stamps are Stamps, grocery stores are Stotts, baked breads are Doni, and bus stops say: "If you want to stop, you can do it here."

However, Hong Kong is China’s land after all. Here, she completed the transition from a child to a young girl. St. Paul’s Girls’ School, True Light Girls’ High School and Lingnan University laid a solid foundation for her Chinese studies.The daughter's last love for her mother is still left on the cemetery in Happy Valley. In the future, who will sacrifice flowers and water to her mother?Maybe, Uncle Feng will do all this instead of them. In the six months after the Japanese Occupation, Uncle Feng helped them again and again, sending them extremely precious peanut oil. Before leaving Hong Kong, the old man also gave them 400 yuan military ticket Travel expenses, this is not a small sum, old man Feng is not related to them, it can be seen that there is still true love in the world, old man Feng still stays in Hong Kong, can they not miss Hong Kong? And her first love, the back courtyard of St. Paul's Girls' College in the flames, will be forever engraved in her life memory, that time and time again tightly holding hands, the pure love that only knows each other by heart, will never be afraid in this life. There will be no second time!For this reason, can she forget Hong Kong? Hong Kong, I will be back.Her heart is crying out that everything that has passed away will not be a distant dream. Originally, it only took two or three hours to travel from Kowloon to Macau by boat, but the ship spent three days and three nights at sea. The southwest monsoon is blowing violently, and the torrential rain is raging. It seems that God is also bullying all living beings.Japanese patrol boats are constantly flying in. The big leather boots of the Japanese soldiers trample on human dignity, and the short bow legs proudly straddle the heads of the people who are crouching on the deck. They search and beat people for no reason, and they seem to get pleasure from it. .If human nature is reduced to animal nature, it will be more cruel and stupid than beasts. The rumors that Bill heard might be true. Most of the refugees who flocked together were old, weak, women and children.Sweltering heat, humidity, rotten sweat, rancid smell, and thirst afflicted people. Many people fell ill and vomited, cried, and groaned one after another. Suddenly, there was a commotion. While weeping and howling, the people around urged the family members of the deceased to throw the body into the sea. God knows if it was an infectious disease. If the Japanese inspected it, the whole ship would not know what to do!The family members were forced to bury the dead at sea. When the women and children jumped on the side of the boat and scrambled for the ground, the original seats of the family had already been filled by the wriggling crowd.Chen Xiangmei watched this scene helplessly, and shuddered until her heart was so cold that human sympathy was wiped out?It's really a sea hell. The Xiangmei sisters love each other.A glass of fresh water, a pear, and a bowl of rice can all be polite and courteous, and even the six or seven-year-old Xiangtao has grown old and said: Give it to Sister Ailian, she is a guest.At this time, who is the host and who is the guest?Everyone laughed.Xiangmei is sweet to the heart, they are good sisters. When Macau finally appeared in sight, the people on the ship lost their minds and rioted again, shouting and jumping wildly, as if they wanted to capsize the whole ship.Poor people, the escape process is just the beginning. God bless them, they boarded the pier in Macau.Among the crowds of guests on the pier, Xiangmei caught sight of Bier, and Bier waved his arms to them with forgetfulness. The lover's eyes might be electrified. Everything has become a paradise on earth again.In the early summer of Macau Pier, the background is soft rolling hills, and the houses painted in red, yellow and green are like a fairy tale world.Bill held her hands tightly again, and she said with tears on her dusty face, "Bill, I was worried a hundred times that I would never see you again!" Bill drew out his right hand and wiped the tears from her cheeks , said apologetically: "Xiao Xiangmei, I swear, I will never leave you again, forever." In Macau, they stayed for a week.Because Chen Yingrong asked someone to bring a letter saying that he had money to remit to the Macau Catholic Church, but when the sisters went to the transmission hall, the pastor shook his head repeatedly about the remittance and knew nothing about it.The sisters were dumbfounded!The future is bleak, and the 400 yuan military ticket funded by old man Feng is far from enough. Besides, they have to walk into the interior, so they have to find a reliable guide, and the guide will cost a staggering amount of money to hire. arrive! Days passed, and the father's remittance still disappeared without a trace.They couldn't wait any longer. Under the dim kerosene lamp, Jingyi and Xiangmei quietly opened the seam of the cheongsam, and took out a 7-carat diamond ring. It, said to be left to the daughters.But now is the time of last resort. Bill's partner, Yu Bobei, got impatient, and half-jokingly and half-seriously teased Bill: "Hey, let me tell you, are you fleeing for refuge or on a honeymoon trip?" Bill replied without showing any weakness: "Hey, I Said, you have always admired Lu Xun the most, and you must be called Lu Xun in your words. You said that Lu Xun's "ruthless may not be a real hero, how can a pity be a husband" is a real man's language. Could it be that you are a little husband who only cares about himself?" Pobe shrugged: "Look Come on, you are a lover, but don’t forget, what did Liu Bei say? Wife is like clothes, soldiers are like siblings, you have the heart to ruin our brotherhood?” Bill laughed: “Haha, you respect me as the emperor, just You have to listen to me.” It’s all funny, but Macau can’t stay any longer. Jingyi and Xiangmei endured humiliation and bargained with the jeweler like their mother did when they sold their jewelry, but they only sold it for 700 yuan. Jewelry Shang Huan showed reluctance: Miss, the war is in turmoil, no matter how expensive a diamond ring is, you can't eat it.Eating is the most important thing; if you don't eat, you will die. Nine of them and ten other refugees who did not know each other gathered in a group and invited a guide to lead the way.The guide was a dark and thin Guangxi man, and he had an old-fashioned pistol pinned to his waist in a big way. This made people feel timid, but Xiangmei always suspected that the gun had no bullets in it, and it couldn't be clicked, because the gun was already rusty. .But something is better than nothing. To avoid the Japanese, avoid the bombing, cross the blockade, and bypass the bandit-infested areas, they had to make a detour to reach Guilin.Of course, maybe this guide is a grassroots bandit, but at this point, everything can only be resigned to fate. In these years, on the devastated and miserable land where wars have been raging, from north to south, from east to west, there has been an endless flow of people fleeing for refuge.People who don't want to be slaves flee the occupied areas, where can they return home?Those with power and money had traveled to the rear by plane and car so early. When the common people had to abandon their homes, they could only run away on their own feet.The mighty flow of people is gathered by the stumbling crowd. On the road of red dust, sometimes there will be a team of teachers and students supporting the school flag and carrying bags. They sometimes sing anti-Japanese songs in the dust, which is exciting. Time, but this is rare after all; more often it is a family team of three or even four generations under the same roof, the white-haired old man on crutches leads the young grandchildren, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law with small feet support each other to walk hard, and the men carry Broken baskets of household items, such a queue looks more miserable than a funeral!Among the crowds are creaking rooster carts, trembling sedan chairs, and dilapidated ox carts, on which are stacks of grain, firewood, pots, pans, and bowls, as well as one or two fresh male hens , This is really sad and eye-catching: they take their homes!However, this moment was overwhelmed by the desolation of the noise.As we walked, some people fell down, weeping along the way, and there were hasty new graves along the way, but the flow of people was still surging.Life is here, showing its incomparable fragility and incomparable tenacity.All living beings are ants and ants, and the ordinary people who are regarded as worthless are also humble and tough. Bill walked side by side with Xiangmei intentionally or unintentionally, and Ailian and the sisters all took a few steps away wisely, but Poipet liked to be mischievous, and would often intervene between them and sing a different tune. "The poor year worries about Li Yuan, and sighs for the heat in the intestines." Xiangmei groaned softly. "Whose lines are you reading?" asked Bill, who studied architecture after all. "Du Fu's. I only now understand why his poems are recognized as the 'history of poetry'." "Oh, but don't you like Li Bai more than Du Fu? Has it changed?" "It hasn't changed. I like Li Bai's personality and poetry, and it will never change. But right now, I am experiencing the feelings of Du Fu's last 13 years of fleeing and wandering. It was the most violent period of the Anshi Rebellion. The country was in jeopardy and the people suffered a lot. The poet also experienced hardships. He wandered in Sichuan for eight or nine years, and finally wandered in Hubei and Hunan for two or three years, and died on a broken boat from Changsha to Yueyang. jump out of the poem." The architecture graduate who was ten years older than her listened attentively. He liked this girl not only because of her beauty and cuteness, but also because of her stubborn personality and full of knowledge. "Forget it, little girl, your concern for the country and the people is a bit pretentious no matter how you look at it. Let me tell you, since ancient times, there have been few female talents, and almost no generous elegiac singers. At most, they circle around in the word 'love' It's just a circle." Poipet forced his way in between them and uttered nonsense, but he was a scholar. Chen Xiangmei immediately caught fire: "Fortunately, you are still a college student in the Department of Chinese Literature. Hmph, I have no knowledge. Haven't you read Cai Yan's "Poetry of Sadness and Indignation"? Haven't you read "Hu Jia 18 Pai"? Haven't you read "Summer Quatrains" by Li Qingzhao? ?Humph!" Pobe blinked: "Don't hum, thank you for your advice, don't talk to Cai Yan and Li Qingzhao, Cai Yan was first captured by Dong Zhuo's subordinates in the melee, and then went to the Southern Huns for 12 years and became the wife of the Huns; Li Qingzhao also suffered from the death of the country's husband during the war, hehe, it's ominous." Chen Xiangmei didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "I hate it." Hate it, hate it, there are Poipet's gags, and the hardships and monotony of exile are more or less adjusted. I also encountered robbery by bandits during the day.A few bandits with spears on their backs abused and tortured a gray-haired old man by the small river. Several women stared at the old man in fear, as if waiting for his order, but the old man just kept moaning: Oh my god, I have no money. , no money. Xiangmei and the others couldn't help but shudder, the bandits stared straight at them, and the guide made decisive gestures.Let them go quickly.Bill couldn't help shouting to the bandits: "You, you can't treat old people and women like this!" The guide has already pushed him aside severely. Maybe the gun on the guide's waist played a role, maybe the bandits thought it was just a group of poor students, and the bandits didn't make things difficult for them; but they were still worried about the old man and women after they got out of danger, and the guide smiled crookedly for the first time Said: "You are really nerds. These days, everyone cares about everyone and can't care about each other." If the horror of the day made them feel terrified, the horror of the night in the inn crushed their hearts to powder.I am always worried about running into a black shop, and at dawn, I have become human flesh buns in the shop's steamer.It's been like this overnight, but fortunately, most of the shopkeepers are just greedy masters.The guide only leads the way during the day and sleeps alone at night.They passed through small towns along the way, and the so-called inns were mostly converted wartime residences. The small inn only lights a tung oil lamp emitting black smoke. In the smoky atmosphere, if you step into the threshold, someone will immediately howl like a pig. Which "guest officer" is stepping on.There are also three-tiered beds, and the upper and lower floors are also densely packed with people.In any case, it is better than eating and sleeping in the open. After walking from one house to another, the scene was the same, but it was getting darker and darker. Bill mustered up the courage to ask the shopkeeper, "We... want an inside room with a bed." The shopkeeper looked at them slyly, as if he wanted to peep out the money in the bag through the dirty clothes and broken shoes. After a while, he nodded and led them into the room through the gap between people. The floor in the room was also full of people, most of them old people, and because it was a floor instead of mud, the price was probably much more expensive.There was a crude plank bed, with rustic quilts and quilts.The owner stuck out his dirty finger and quoted an amazing price!Bill shook his head, and when he was leading everyone to go out again, the shopkeeper grabbed his arm. Could it be that he was forced to stay overnight?Poipet rolled up his sleeves, and the girls screamed in fright, but the shopkeeper smiled with a salivating face: "It's easy to talk about it, asking for a lot of money, and paying back the money on the spot. This bed is made by us. You look like a group of students. It's so pitiful." Yes, let’s just give this number.” The price has been lowered a lot, but it is still expensive, Bill thought about it, and gritted his teeth: “That’s it.” The shopkeeper smiled and went outside to make a fuss. Poipet complained that Bill was not tough enough, and Bill sighed and said, "I can't let them sleep outside in the ground, it's wet and dirty, and they'll get sick. The first thing you need to do to escape is not to get sick. So, sisters Chen and Ailian will The wooden bed is full, so sleeping sideways is enough. I sleep on the bed with Poipet. Poipet, let's go to the kitchen to boil hot water and let them wash it well." Poppet shrugged: "It's the patron saint again; it's the cook again, it's really bad." He followed Bill to the back kitchen. Jingyi said, "Come on, let's make the bed first." There is no light in the room, only the light from the outside gives a vague impression through the cracks in the walls and the small windows.Xiao Xiangtao had climbed onto the bed full of joy, she leaned against the quilt: "Oh, I'm so sleepy." Immediately afterwards, she screamed and jumped up. In the bright and dark light and shadow, a huge black hairy thing with a long tail lay motionless on the quilt, but the quilt was rising and falling.The seven girls huddled together and screamed desolately again, and the old men lying on the floor also sat up in a daze. The shopkeeper ran in holding a tung oil lamp: "What's the matter? What's the matter? What happened?" The light saw something with a long tail, which was a dead mouse. The shopkeeper grabbed the mouse by the tail: "What's the fuss about it, it's a dead mouse." Bill and Poipet also ran in.Xiangmei pointed at the quilt: "Look, it's still moving." Bill spread out the quilt, darling, there is a litter of wriggling mice! The girls screamed again and covered their eyes with their hands. But the shopkeeper rejoiced as if he had won a treasure: "Let me come, let me come, this litter of rats is soaked in clear oil, it is a panacea for knife wounds and burns." He hung the tung oil lamp on the iron nail on the board wall, and held it Holding the dead rats, holding the rats in one hand, he went out happily, but hissed: "Women! You women, women who are evil!" Jingyi frowned and said, "If it's the plague, it will be terrible." Not the plague.When they woke up the next day, they were bitten all over by lice, fleas and bugs, and their faces were red and swollen, extremely itchy.When the dirty quilt was uncovered, there were thousands of lice crawling on the wooden boards. I pressed them away with my hands, and all of them were full, dripping with blood.They were so tired and sleepy that they fed the gnats and bugs all night. Dawn is on the road, rain or shine.The dark and thin guide said gloomily: "If you don't leave on rainy days, stay in the hotel, don't say I can't afford the delay, can you afford it? Every day seems to force you to hurry, don't you hurry? It's dark, you can't move forward In the village, there is no store in the back, the sky is dark, don't say that your bones can't bear it, if you meet a strong man, your life will be gone." A group of people could only follow him in the rain in silence, with their rain shoes on the muddy path , croaking, croaking, and can't get up the energy to talk about Li Bai, Du Fu and Li Qingzhao, but Poipet sometimes scolds: "Mom! A beggar is not like a beggar, and exile is not like exile. I am so tired of it!" There is never a fixed time to eat, and a hungry meal is a full meal.When I came across a small restaurant, I flocked in to gobble it up; sometimes I couldn't eat anything after walking for a whole day.Bill was careful, passing through small villages, only farmers had sweet potatoes, eggs, vegetables and fruits, and he would buy them no matter how expensive they were. During the war, there was a shortage of food in rural areas.When Lu Yuan was hungry, a tea egg and half a pomegranate brought the dying Xiao Xiangtao back to life, and the sisters moved on. What Xiangmei is most worried about is Xiao Xiangtao, for fear that something will happen and Xiangtao will fall ill.Unexpectedly, she herself became the first to fall ill. At first she had a headache and a fever. She thought she had caught a cold from the rain, so she kept silent and insisted on walking with everyone. The fever gradually became unbearable, and her feet felt like she was stepping on cotton. Bill didn't care much, and holding her hand, he felt like Burning like burning coals, Bier said: "Stop, Xiangmei is sick." Bier's family opened a Chinese medicine store in Hong Kong, and this time they took medicines such as panacea oil and safflower oil with them on the road. Stay away from mosquito bites and bug bites all the way thanks to his panacea smear.At this time, he took out panacea oil and safflower oil from his luggage, and applied them on her temples and genitals.Jingyi tried the heat on Xiangmei's forehead with her hands, and said worriedly: "I'm afraid it's a bad cold." The guide looked sideways and said coldly: "It's a trick. You need quinine." Bill searched through the luggage , but the vial of quinine was gone.Unfortunately.This is an epidemic among refugees. Why do mosquitoes bite Xiangmei?After the high fever passed, she felt cold and shivered all over in a short while, and Bill had to carry her to run.The guide said in a vague way: "While running, shouting: Dodge the pendulum! Dodge the pendulum!" Bi Eryan obeyed, shouting loudly: "Hidden boy! Dodgy boy!" He was full of annoyance, where did he lose the small bottle of quinine? At dawn, we still have to hurry.They cannot do without a guide. Chen Xiangmei didn't know how she was walking, and Bill kept supporting her; Jingyi and Xianglian wanted to change him, but he shook his head resolutely. The frail and unrestrained style of Jiangnan talents has completely disappeared. Twenty days of exile, sun and rain, running and working hard, he is dark and thin, with messy long hair, unshaven beard, and his eyes are burning because of anxiety. , he is afraid that he will become more like a reckless hero. Chen Xiangmei didn't know anything, her feet were erratic, and her soul was out of her body.The solitary tomb built hastily on the fresh red soil and loess beside the road, which city or country is the person buried?How many grievances and pains should the fresh or rotten corpses in the ditch in the wilderness have not told on the eve of their death?Will she soon become a homeless wild ghost in a foreign land? "I'm dying... dying..." she moaned. "You can't die. I'm here." He said through gritted teeth.War and love made him reborn?No longer a weak and lingering young master? After three days and three nights, they arrived in Guangzhou Bay. From Macau to Guangzhou Bay, they walked for half a month.In the past half a month, these seven women have experienced all the vicissitudes of the world. After experiencing the bitter and happy seasons of life, their hearts have aged prematurely.Fortunately, there is still a gentle corner in the old heart, which is nourished by the spring of love, no matter for the experiencer or the bystander. It was a bloody evening in the setting sun, and the hot air was filled with strange atmosphere of people and garbage. The streets and alleys were crowded with refugees, and there was not a single inn that did not display the sign of "full occupancy".The guide said with a gloomy face: "The devil is very close here, and we will start from here at dawn tomorrow." After speaking, he shook his hand and left. Bill yelled, "Wait a minute!" The guide stood gloomy: "What's the matter?" Bill said eagerly: "It's like this. Xiangmei is so sick, and she has diarrhea again today. Anyway, I have to rest here for a day or two. My father has a friend who runs a firecracker shop here. I think Find him and ask for some medicine." The guide smiled crookedly, and said to the ten refugees, "What about you? Do you want to?" Dead silence.After all, it took fifteen days to live and die. After a while, a man murmured, "The devil is coming, if it's for a woman, tell everyone..." Poipet suddenly imitated the shopkeeper's accent, and hissed out: "Women! You women! Wicked women!" Bill rushed up angrily, grabbed Poipet by the front of his shirt, and yelled, "You selfish bastard! If you want to go, get out!" Jingyi broke the two of them apart, and said in a weeping voice, "Let's discuss it again. How about renting a sedan chair to carry her away?" The guide said calmly: "Then you can discuss it later. Give me a letter of approval here at dawn tomorrow." After walking a few steps, he turned back and said, "I'm afraid this little girl won't live long." Bill rushed up like crazy again: "You are talking nonsense!" Jingyi and Ailian were so frightened that they pulled him back in a panic. He threw off his arms and went to look for the firecracker shop, looking menacing like a gangster who came to rob. He found the store.The firecracker shop has long been a hotel, and the refugees are packed like sardines.After the shopkeeper asked about the reason, he said that he had a firecracker warehouse outside the town, but there were no firecrackers at the moment, it was just simple and remote, and they could live as long as they wanted. Bill led the girls to the warehouse in the suburbs, but Poipet followed without saying a word, with his head down. A tin hut stands alone in the wilderness.The roof, walls and floors are all rusted iron sheets, and there are no windows.After a day of scorching sun in June, when you open the iron door, the hut is as scorching as a red-hot iron, but you can’t open the door, otherwise, the army of buzzing mosquitoes in the wilderness will fly in mightily.After staying in the middle of the night, the temperature dropped, and the tin house returned to be as cold as iron!What are they guilty of?To go down to eighteen levels of hell and be punished by fire and freezing? Chen Xiangmei was in a daze, she was numb to the cold and heat. "Mouse...mouse...Mom..." It was the consulate in Yangon, and when the mother put down the mosquito net for them, she said, "Hehe, let's face all of this bravely, maybe there are worse things." My mother floated in, still so beautiful and haggard, she said: Be brave, this family still depends on you to take care of it. "Rice cakes... Rice cakes...Second uncle..." It was the hall of the second uncle's house, the stone mill was humming, and the women's hands were kneading the snow-white rice noodles. The second uncle commanded: "Just It's time to start a war! Every household must make at least 30 catties of rice cakes!" The second uncle walked over clangingly, still so short and fat but full of energy.She said: If you don't listen to the old man's words, you will suffer hardship before your eyes. There are still a few days before her 17th birthday, but her life has come to an end, and the misty memories are like a sieve, leaving behind two women, one soft and one strong, if she can survive, has she become a strong and soft woman What about women? Also when she was awake, she struggled and had diarrhea again, no, it was diarrhea.There is no latrine in Siye. Jingyi, Xianglian, and Ailian supported her, supported her, and pulled her to a distant hillside. They trembled with terror in the night wind, as if they were wandering in a hell. Back in the tin hut, Xiangmei was still trembling, but at this moment she was very clear-headed: "Oh, it's almost dawn. Big sister, you go first. I...I can't do it...I always dream about my mother...I want to Mom is here to pick me up..." Jingyi hugged her: "You are not allowed to talk nonsense! Mom will only protect you to get better! You will definitely get better!" Bill said calmly, "Jingyi, I've thought about it carefully. You should go first. I'll accompany Xiangmei. Believe me, and I also believe that Poipet will take care of you. That guide is reliable." Jingyi interrupted him: "No, Bill, I absolutely can't let the two of you stay, the war is in chaos, maybe we will never see each other again in this life." She was sobbing. Several younger sisters and Ailian were already crying together, and Bo Pei sat up lazily: "Oh, women, don't cry, it's okay if you don't leave?" Another dawn came, Bill quietly left the tin house, and Jingyi followed quietly. Bill said, "I've got to get quinine and dysentery today, or she'll die." Jingyi said: "I brought the money with me, but there is not much left." In the egg-blue morning light, the guide and 10 refugees were waiting for them. The guide still asked gloomyly: "Dead? Then let's wait a day." Bill really wanted to punch him in the face, but Jingyi held him back: "Please don't say anything unlucky, my sister is still alive, let's go buy medicine for her." The guide said carelessly: "Then we can't afford to wait, her illness won't be cured in three days or two." Bierla walked away to Jingyi: "Let him go, this kind of person has already made money dark." The guide whistled suddenly, and caught up with the two of them: "Wait a minute. I won't make black money. This money will be refunded to you." The money was stuffed into Bill's hand. Bill was stunned: "Isn't it an agreement? We will stop halfway, and the money will not be returned." The guide said, "I see you are a man. God bless you. We must go." For Xiangmei, Bill clenched the money in his hand. The firecracker dealer is just like the firecrackers he manages, with a face like a jujube, an impatient temper, and he is very generous and helpful.He quickly got the herbal medicine for dysentery, and after many twists and turns, he found a black market dealer who sold the medicine. The market was short of quinine, and quinine became a life-saving medicine, and the price was astonishingly expensive. He returned the money from Jingyi and the guide Giving it all is not enough, Jingyi said softly: "We still have some jewelry, we have to go to the tin house to get it." Before the words were finished, Bill had already taken out his ring and handed it to the black market dealer. Jingyi stopped: "Oh, no, this is passed down from your ancestors. No way." The word "benevolence" protruded from the heavy square seal-shaped gold ring.Bill spread his hands together: "Yes, it is inherited from the ancestors. Don't forget, our family has opened a Chinese medicine store for generations, and the word "benevolent" is "benevolent". If I do this, one day I will join the ranks of benevolent ancestors without shame." However, after taking the quinine and drinking the tormented herbal soup, Xiangmei's illness became worse day by day.Bill and Jingyi were so anxious that they asked an enthusiastic firecracker dealer to invite a country witch to chant spells to exorcise evil spirits. It was a sweltering evening.Dark clouds rolled in the sky, swarms of dragonflies flew low in the wilderness, and thousands of toads clattered suddenly, and the steaming iron house was full of strangeness and mystery.The witch is wearing a black turban and a black cardigan. Her face and hands are like thousand-year-old tree bark, her life spots are lumpy, and her toothless flat mouth opens and closes like a firewood stove in the countryside.She chanted: "The ghosts in the east go to the ghosts in the west, go to the ghosts in the west, go to the ghosts in the south, go to the north, go to the north." In an instant, like a dancing girl, she was dancing on Xiangmei's body, and her muddy old eyes became bright. God, with a whistling sound of "shhhhhhhhhhhhh".The thunder was rumbling from far to near, and the night was heavy, covering everything, and the strips flashed like dancing golden snakes. The Shushulang and Shumei were all shocked, and they knelt on the rusty iron sheet stupidly, unable to move. Chen Xiangmei is still in a coma. It was the firecracker dealer who thought of lighting the candles. In the flickering candlelight, people convulsed with fear. After the sweaty witch and the firecracker dealer left, the witch warned: "Let her lie down for three days, don't call her name, and don't tell her that she will get better. Otherwise, the evil spirits will follow her everywhere." There are seven women and two men left in the tin house. The flash and thunder are on the iron house, no, they clearly saw the fireball inside the house!Crazy thunder is going to blow up the tin house!Poipet's intellectuality woke up, and he jumped up: "We're screwed! Iron conducts electricity! We'll all be struck by lightning!" Bill said: "The wilderness and rainy land are also prone to electric shocks. Here, we can somewhat avoid the wind and rain. Let it be fate." The rain poured down.Countless rain pillars violently lashed against the tin roof, but they were so empty that they would tear out a person's heart.Rainwater seeps in through the cracks and holes in the iron sheet. In the candlelight, the iron sheet walls and iron sheet roof look like abstract painters scribbling countless paintings, and they also look like mysterious totems of ancient wild tribes. Sitting in the thunderstorm without any disease, waiting for the dawn. 病重的香梅这一夜睡得很沉，没有拉痢也没有呻吟。 空间凝固了。狂风吹开了铁皮门，门外是一片滔滔的白雨。没有谁去掩上门，雨的气味和旷野的气味涌了进来，渗透了空间。 时间凝固了。永远停不了的雨停了，永远亮不了的天亮了。曙色透过门洞漫进铁皮屋时，是陈香梅第一个开口说话：“哦，天亮了。” 陈香梅居然奇迹般地好了！ 是药物的作用得有一个过程？是巫婆的念咒驱邪到底灵验？是大雷雨拯救了无辜的弱者？谁也理不清。总之，陈香梅完全好了。只是整整三天，大家仍不喊她的名字，只叫“嗨”；躺三天是不可能的，鬼子已逼近广州湾，毕尔雇了顶轿子，说：“嗨，请上轿。” 这顶破旧的老式轿子，让她想起了老祖母。陈家第三代女子扶病上轿逃难，前程莫测。 毕尔和波贝走在轿侧。毕尔说：“波贝，对不起。谢谢你没有离开我们。” 波贝酸酸地说：“什么对不起谢谢的，看了一出古典浪漫剧《罗密欧与朱丽叶》，还是合算的；只是你俩把它改成中国式大团圆的结局了。” “你就爱贫嘴。”不过毕尔的心里还是甜甜的。只是他不是17岁的少男，而是27岁的大男子。 从广州湾到桂林，不仅路途仍遥遥，而且多得穿行于险峻偏僻的山道，但是经历过生死行的他们，已变得分外的坚韧沉着，就连最小的香桃也有了股英武之气。 一个半月后，他们终于抵达了桂林城外。狂叫狂跳了好一阵后，他们软瘫在山坡草地上，不敢相信，噩梦已经过去，逃难已告一段落！ 尔后，七个女子迫不急待地找出梳洗物和细心珍藏起来的一点点化妆品，去到淙淙的小溪边，梳洗修饰，似乎进城是她们人生中的一次盛典。 波贝嘴中发出嘘声：“女人！这些女人！坏事的女人！”但他满脸是欢笑。 毕尔耸耸肩：“她们是好女人，将是成事的好女人。” 波贝耸耸肩：“那当然，情人眼里出西施嘛。” 这是1942年的初秋。桂林桂子飘香，他们贪婪地嗅着这清芬的馥香。 桂林，却并不是和平的绿洲。 成千成万的中国难民离乡背井，在苦难中跋涉，在流亡中煎熬，很少有人记录他们的历程，抒写他们的痛苦，更不要说作为新闻大肆渲染了。因为他们不过是软弱的凡人，他们无法挣脱时代的梦魇，只是无可奈何地行走在苍凉的人生之路上，受尽磨难，或生或死，岁月记不下他们的姓名。 香梅姊妹和毕尔等一行其时也混杂于芸芸众生之中，30年后，陈香梅成为美国70位最有影响的人物之一，此后，她在回溯“香梅之路”时，化了不少笔墨再现战火和流亡中的磨难与传奇。但是，1942年，他们实实在在只是普通人。其实，正是普通人在承受时代的沉重负荷，普通人更能代表时代的总量。他们是时代和人生的底色，虽然朴素无华又缀满补丁，但没有他们，何以显示所谓英雄的超人和非凡？ 1942年。也是在南方雨季的五月，史迪威将军以徒步穿越热带丛林140英里，行程20余天，而让美国报刊热闹了好一阵子。 1942年2月中旬，中国远征军10万兵力，从云南开入缅甸，由史迪威全面指挥对日作战。中国远征军司令长官卫立煌、副司令长官杜聿明，第1路军，辖第5军、第6军、第66军等，皆为战功卓著的部队，经过两个多月的浴血奋战，在局部战场中国远征军打得顽强果敢，且救助出被围困的英军，但是作为总指挥的史迪威，对敌我双方的情况并不熟悉，又一意孤行盲目制订的作战计划，结果得此失彼，整个缅甸战场显得混乱不堪，英军军心涣散，中国远征军面临日军的疯狂攻击。4月24日，日军占领了腊戍，切断了滇缅公路，接着又占领了望濑，也就是切断了到印度的退路。这时，史迪威正在密支那附近，他原计划将司令部设到密支那，但日军已冲向密支那，史迪威顿生溃不成军的危险感！陈纳德曾用电文向他建议撤离路线，阿诺德则派飞机欲接他撤走，因为就是撤退，三军怕也不能无帅吧？但是，这位59岁的中将却使起了牛性子，他决心留下，声称“我呆在前线”，他让一些下属和妇女飞走，与美国、英国、中国、印度、马来、缅甸等国籍的114人开始了穿越缅北丛林去印度的徒步行军！ 史迪威忘了自己是作战总指挥？还是总指挥已无力回天时别无选择的选择？Who knows.反正中国远征军敌情不明、目的地不明，无法互相协同配合，只有各各且战且退，被日军拦截追杀，伤亡惨重。 5月底，孙立人将军总算将38师撤到了印度；第5军的第200师，是戴安澜为师长，曾在昆仑关战役大败日军的我国第一支机械化精锐部队，在缅甸连连苦战，最后陷于腹背受敌、进退无路的险境，为避开日军追杀，翻越人迹罕至的野人山，方与一部分第6军边打边撤回到华南，戴安澜师长壮：烈牺牲；而第5军还有两个师被围困在缅甸西北部，直到7月才回到中国或去到印度。据统计，牺牲在撤退路上的官兵比阵亡的多出一倍！莽莽缅甸丛林中，掩埋了多少中国烈士的忠骨？中国军魂在异域游荡，这丧师辱国罪该谁来承担？ 1942年5月初，当史迪威固执地穿越丛林时，中国西南边境的怒江两岸，中日双方正在进行空前绝后的殊死拚搏！ 怒江在奔腾咆哮。 它的源头是喜马拉雅山终年不化的积雪，它是怎样凿开云南边境陡峭的石崖，刻下深深的罅缝，旋即跌进宽阔的缅甸山谷，变成湍急的黑河水呢？It's a mystery.滇缅公路到这里，分外曲折崎岖跌宕起伏，这里是中国西南大门的天堑，但天堑一旦突破，西南将遭灭顶之灾！ 5月5日，日军已挺进到怒江峡谷西边，空中日机助威，地上日军炮火轰击北岸，日军先头部队已过到怒江惠通桥北岸，装甲车队已紧紧跟在后边，一场杀手性的打击就在眼前！ 中国由宋希濂部队和36师共同进行抵御战。先头部队与先头部队遭遇，为争夺制高点杀得难解难分，惠通桥炸毁了，必须歼灭入侵北岸的敌军，中国军队拚死抵抗，决不能让日军长驱直入，这是自南京陷落以来，中国面临的又一次最黯淡的日子。 5月6日日军装甲车队因桥已断被堵在西岸悬崖20里长的弯曲山路上，而日本士兵队也涌到西岸准备搭浮桥渡江。Godsend!已电告宋美龄并获准攻击的陈纳德命令飞虎队出击！同时，陈纳德已电告毛邦初和周至柔，将中国空军的15架轰炸机借到飞虎队，由中国飞行员驾驭参战。 蓝天。white clouds.怒江。悬崖。 装甲车队。truck.浮桥。苍蝇群般的日军。 P—40C机群大展雄风。一次次俯冲，一次次扫射；用俄式毁灭性炸弹炸崩山顶、堵塞道路，将日军群各各封闭加以歼灭。轰炸机发挥威力，直炸得天昏地暗、山崩谷裂，滑坡几乎淹埋了公路。炸毁卡车、炸毁浮桥、炸毁一切架桥设备。 中国部队已在东岸深挖战壕，一步也不敢离开。不能后撤一寸，一撤，中国就完了！ 焦土。焦桥。焦车。焦尸。血染的怒江。硝烟的空气。 5月11日以后，日军的前进终被制止。他们的步兵炮兵也在怒江西岸设防，两军对峙，一直到1944年中国远征军再度越过怒江，才将他们赶走。 怒江保卫战是缅甸悲剧的最后一幕。对此，史迪威一无所知，他只是领着百余人穿越丛林。自然，被称为死亡陷阱的热带丛林不会因他是美国中将而变得温柔，瘴气、毒虫、虐疾、霍乱、回归热、饥饿的死亡阴影同样笼罩着他们。但他毕竟是要人，斯考特驾着飞机仍在寻找他，并在他出走的丛林地带投下食品、药物和信件。而不明真相的美国新闻界，仍在大肆宣扬史迪威正指挥着缅北激战。 二十余天后，史迪威和他的部属衣衫褴褛一瘸一拐地出现在印度的伊姆法尔！此刻他并没有联想起三月的腊戍，他面对衣冠不整的弗里尔曼和飞虎队所作的尖刻的挖苦。人，其实很难做到宽容和理解。 史迪威的这一举动显然让美国报刊吃了一惊。但是，一个近六十的老人如此倔犟甚至固执地这么做了，穿越丛林，木筏渡江，翻山越岭，这让富有冒险精神的美国人感受到征服的魅力，就个人而言，史迪威是勇敢无畏，不屈不挠的，有着刚强坚韧的意志和毅力。美国报刊也就撇开历史的视角，不谈亚洲战场的后果，只是绘声绘色渲染这长途跋涉的传奇和惊险！史迪威倒还坦白率直，5月25日美联社发自新德里的一篇报道中，他说：“我承认，我们挨了打，我们不得不撤离缅甸，真是丢脸得很。我想，我们应该弄清是什么原因造成的，我们要回去并重新占领缅甸。”他并没有自省。 蒋介石苦不堪言，真有“打落门牙往肚里吞”的屈辱感。不要说失去了滇缅公路这条至关重要的供应线，重要的是浩浩荡荡十万中国远征军，不过几个月，竟被损得七零八落！他不能原谅史迪威，却又发作不得，只是自此从心底里不信赖史迪威，哪怕史迪威是西点学校毕业的美国中将。而陈纳德，则以忠诚、战略眼光和战术水平赢得了他的绝对信赖，哪怕陈纳德原不过一默默无闻的退役上尉，直到4月20日，方由罗斯福总统向参议院建议提升为准将并获得通过。蒋介石的褒贬亲疏，客观上也深化了这两个美国人原就有的矛盾。 生性耿直倔犟的陈纳德却不能在复杂微妙的关系中保持沉默。边镇畹町，早春二月时欢送远征军的鲜花牌坊已经枯萎，有多少壮志未酬身先死的中华英魂在异域冤屈地游荡呢？他对史迪威的穿越丛林发表评议，认为如果史迪威仅仅是一连、一营或者一团之长，那么他的出走自堪尚嘉，但是，肩负美国在亚洲的高级将官和中国参谋长这双重大任，他的举动是对重任的漠视、玩忽职守！因而，陈纳德相信史迪威仅仅把自己看作一名普通战士，史迪威的军事思想只能打几次胜仗而决不能赢得战争的胜利。这真是刺刀见红，自然超过了自尊心极强的史迪威的心理承受力。 6月23日，史迪威向马歇尔发出一封绝密函件，状告陈纳德在昆明为飞虎队建立妓女院，算是报了一箭之仇。不算无中生有，但属捕风捉影，因为陈纳德对记者白修德说过：大兵们总得要有女人。陈纳德闻之付诸一笑，他和飞虎队实在忙得不可开交。而两个美国人在大是大非小是小非上乱麻般的纠葛却越搅越乱。 7月4日，是美国空军志愿队的解散日。 尽管罗斯福总统曾通过马歇尔给志愿队打来密电，称“美国志愿队的英勇和无畏及其非凡的作战效力实为全美国的荣耀”，他“对志愿队驾驶员获得举世赞赏引以为荣”，但是，志愿队仍不得不解散，其中237名志愿队队员选择了返回美国，其余的编入所谓的第23战斗机大队。 尽管早巳知道行将解散，但在最后的几个月中，飞虎队仍威名大振。就在4日清晨，12架日本轰炸机从汉口起飞经南昌欲袭击衡阳，飞虎队仍凌空而起予以痛击。 多好的飞虎队员！陈纳德对志愿队的解散深为遗憾。 解散仪式在重庆举行，原打算野餐，但天公飘起了毛毛细雨，且绵绵不绝。中国诗句怎么说？If the sky is loving, the sky is also old.中国俗话怎么说？下雨天，留客天。是这意思。 于是改在林森的官邸举办烤烧晚宴，战地服务团主任黄仁霖担任司仪，端庄的宋庆龄和宋霭龄赠给陈纳德一幅油画，画着他跟蒋介石夫妇在一起。没有出战的飞虎队员都参加了晚宴。 蒋介石致祝酒辞：“中国民众将永远把陈纳德将军和他的一队空中将士当作自己的战友和来自一个友好国家的友好代表。” 人们都高高地举起了酒杯，一片欢呼，室外是淅淅沥沥的雨声，陈纳德的眼濡湿了。并不久远的往事又鲜活于眼前。 去年的7月8日，他精疲力竭又精神抖擞地从旧金山飞回中国，美国空军志愿队由精神话变成了现实。以后他往返昆明与东瓜，怎能忘记热带丛林中苦练五个月的日日夜夜？等到12月20日，空战终于在昆明上空打响！12月23日，仰光上空又传捷报！飞虎队和鲨鱼头标志威震四海。缅甸、中国、泰国、印度支那的上空打了七个月的仗，飞虎队是硬打实打巧打打出来的。 请听听这些统计数字吧。七个月摧毁日机299架，此外还有可能摧毁153架。志愿队在战斗中损失12架P—40C，在地面丧机61架。有4名驾驶员在空战中阵亡，6名死于高射炮火，2名在地面被炸身亡，10名在空难事故中丧身，3名被俘。志愿队队员中，多数受过中国政府的奖章，其中10名驾驶员还获得英美两国的优异飞行十字章。他陈纳德，已获得中国的云麾勋章、不列颠帝国勋章和美国优异服务章。 空中激战的火球浓烟，生龙活虎的志愿队队员们、闪闪发光的各式勋章、默默抢修跑道机场的中国民工们……在陈纳德的脑海中交相叠印着，记忆力超人的他，记得住每个队员的姓名、外貌和性格，他爱他们，他为每一个死难者的伤心哀悼。但他知道，中国仍需要他们，志愿队是被迫解散的。 晚会上中国的古典音乐和美国民歌交替播放，伴着窗外的雨声，他深深地叹了口气，他分外珍惜这一年，一个正义的空军指挥员得到了最好的机会——完全不受拘束地集合和训练一批战斗的官兵，为正义而战。在美国，即便在夏威夷的卢克机场，他也不曾有这样的经历，而中国，给了他一生中最艰难也最辉煌的经历。 他爱中国。 他发誓，志愿队解散了，但飞虎队的荣誉、飞虎队的灵魂，决不会随着解散而烟消云散。 但是，雨天的别离，苍凉的感伤毕竟压倒了振奋。 八月的一个雨天，在昆明陈纳德的办公室里，他收到孔祥熙寄自重庆的一封信，才知道他的父亲已在七月去世了！他怔怔地站在窗前，信纸飘然附地。窗外大雨滂沱，似乎苍天也在悲号。他的父亲，只是路易斯安那州的一个普通农人，种棉花、打猎、垂钓、莳弄菜地而已，33岁时失去了发妻，43岁时第二个妻子又病故，父亲的中年历经两次丧妻的打击，陈纳德兄弟俩是在父亲粗糙大手的抚摸中成长的，父亲淳朴、耿直、充满了活力，他让儿子在大自然的怀抱中闯荡，与神秘的大森林作伴，跟湍急的江河拚搏，所以陈纳德方铸造成无所畏惧的自然之子吧！ 也许父亲并不很理解他为什么长期呆在中国，但父亲为儿子所做的一切而自豪。每年父亲都要给他寄上两三封信。信很短，但一笔一划都是父亲粗糙的大手用心勾勒的，读着信，像温暖的电流将远隔重洋的父子的心沟通了。父亲和家里人看来还是理解他并谅解他的，他们并不要他立即赶回美国，只是以后再也收不到父亲的信了！父亲——撕心裂肺的呼唤在莽苍苍的烟雨中传出很远很远，但是，80岁的老父已长眠地下。52岁的男子泪流满面，不能自己。 9月的一个雨天，一对恋人在桂林独秀峰上依依惜别。 此峤独秀。 像硕大的春笋破土而出，像天外飞来的神奇山峦，此峰古朴峻秀、孤傲挺拔，与叠彩山、伏波山鼎足而立，是古城桂林的绝佳之处。 毕尔就要去重庆，陈香梅留在桂林郊外的岭南流亡大学，离别在即。然而，毕尔不想离别，他想说服她，让她跟他走。本想寻个清静处喝杯下午茶，但只吃到热乎乎的醪糟蛋，那闹哄哄的茶肆也不适宜他诉衷肠，于是，他俩共撑一把暗红底翠绿茶叶图案的油纸伞来到了独秀峰。 细雨··，四周不见人。但是两人却一时无语，像有什么阻隔着。山麓的读书岩、太平岩、月牙池也都扇不起他们的兴致，毕尔无话找话，指着独秀峰上一巨大的“寿”字说：“这'寿'字，好大气魄，果真是慈禧太后的手笔？我怀疑是书法家代笔。” 香梅说：“哼，慈禧太后纵有千般的不是，可不见得她就写不来一手好字！男人就爱俯视女人。” 毕尔笑了：“嗬，小女子蛮有大气魄。我可是仰视着你的，你是天上的星星月亮都成，就别是女皇、太后什么的。” 香梅认真地：“女皇？太后？我一点也不喜欢有政治野心的女人，但是我喜欢并立志做一个独立于世的女子。” 毕尔敛了笑容，看来，要说服她跟他走，不容易！ 两人又默默无语。 雨··，近黄昏，天地间一片非雨非雾的混沌。毕尔怕淋着她，伞总往她这倾斜；香梅怕淋着他，又总往他这边靠；有意无意中两人竟挨得紧紧的，毕尔颤栗了。 他轻声说：“小香梅，还记得去年的九月…香港的红房子……尔后是别离……别离又重逢是战火…战火后是逃难……生生死死都经过了，又到了九月，我要对你说……可是又总没说……” 陈香梅的心怦怦乱跳，是的，这一年，他们经历了真正的生死恋，然而，就是一个“爱”字也没说过！她羞怯地偷眼看他，他是那样紧张，尖尖的喉节上下动着，这可不是平时的毕尔，忽然间，她想淘气了，她头一偏：“毕尔，我们登独秀峰吧，比一比，谁先上峰顶。”说着，她撒开匀称的双腿就往西麓奔。 毕尔怔住了。女孩，少不更事的女孩呵。她举着雨伞急急追赶着：“嗳，雨天雨地，石阶又窄又陡，你别跑，我甘拜下风，还不行？等等。” 她可不等他，没命地往上蹿；他不敢拽住她，又不敢超越她，只是高高地撑着伞紧跟着她。这柄暗红底翠绿荷叶图案的伞给这寂寥的黄昏雨平添了鲜活。 “嗨，306级！”她气喘吁吁又得意扬扬地嚷嚷。 “一年应该是366天呵。”他神不守舍、忧心忡忡。 她登高远眺，只见群峰遥遥、神奇缥缈；他俯瞰山城，只见高高低低纵横交错的是黑压压的青灰瓦屋顶，青灰瓦上蒸腾着白··水气，那是人间烟火所致。 He sighed.她是浪漫的，他是现实的；她还只17岁，可他已经27岁了。 他怕自己等不及，他必须此刻就说服她。 “香梅，请你答应我，也许我太自私了，我想请你跟我——一起去重庆。”他一只手撑伞，一只手便紧握住了她的手，他不能失去她。 她抬眼望着他：“毕尔，请你原谅我，我不能。你知道，岭南大学就在这，我再也不愿离开学校。父亲也将钱寄到桂林亲友家，几个妹妹可借宿在亲友家，也都能上学。大姐要去昆明飞虎队当护士，噢，你不是挺崇拜飞虎将军吗，我们都为大姐感到高兴，这样，我更不能离开妹妹们了。” 她的漆黑的眸子流泻的是单纯和真诚，他不能责怪她。他拧着眉头想了想，一咬牙：“也好，我不去重庆了。我留在桂林，跟你、跟你的妹妹们在一块。” “别！求你别任性。你不能丢掉那份事，兵荒马乱的，你很难再找到适合你事业发展的公司。再说，爱莲还跟着你呢。”这时的她又变得老气横秋了。她说的是现实。 他烦乱了：“可是，我说过，不，是起过誓，再也不离开你，永远。呵，我只要你一句话，是你跟着我去重庆，还是我跟着你留在桂林，两者必居其一！别无选择！” 她心乱如麻！她不能违心地丢弃学业跟他走，她也决不能叫他丢弃事业留在她的身边。她不知该怎么回答，慌乱中她嗫嚅着：“毕尔，原谅我……得作出第三种选择。”