Chapter 10 chapter 9

Seeing Hong Wangnan's full of pride, Wen Xin felt disgusted instinctively.Hong Wangnan's expression was very similar to his previous self, not so much his dislike of Hong Wangnan, but his past self.But Hong Wangnan was too scary, Hong Wangnan made him feel that "patriotism" was like a plague, he couldn't escape, he couldn't be happy.He tried to change the subject, and said with a wry smile: "When I was your age, the eldest was already born. You are not young anymore, get married quickly, don't be like me later, when you grow old and have a son, your ambition will be worn out." Gone."

Hong Wangnan seemed to be encouraging him: "Your ambition will not be worn out. You fired all your Japanese bosses, isn't that ambitious enough?" Wen Xin expressed his gratitude for Hong Wangnan's understanding, and sighed: "I can't be a hero to save the nation, at least I can't be a bear who takes money from the Japanese." "What will you do with your future livelihood?" Wen Xin said dejectedly: "Living is a day." Hong Wangnan retorted: "You are not a good father when you say that. The child is only less than two months old, and he is growing up every day. Every day he lives is counted as a day!"

Wen Xin fell silent.Hong Wangnan glanced at him.The conversation froze. After a long time, Wen Xin suddenly asked: "I went to the mainland with you, will my family be taken care of?" Hong Wangnan looked at Wen Xin eagerly, and he saw a glimmer of hope in Wen Xin's expectant eyes: "Your salary, the factory will pay more than the Japanese boss..." Wen Xin interrupted him: "I mean the safety of my wife and children." "It's up to you to choose. You can let them live in the Shanghai Concession, or you can let them go to Chongqing." Wen Xin thought for a while: "Give me another two days to think about it."

Hong Wangnan stretched out his index finger: "One day, how is it?" Wen Xin was displeased: "Is it really only a day or two away?" Hong Wangnan's tone was very sincere: "I hope you can go to Shanghai with me, and then secretly go to Hong Kong with a group of people from the old central factory from Shanghai. They will leave in three days." What Wen Xin was most afraid of was sincerity, so he had to compromise: "Okay, one day at a time. I've thought it over and will send you a telegram to Shanghai." Hong Wangnan smiled: "You don't need to waste money on telegrams, I'll just wait for you here for a day."

Wen Xin became anxious: "Don't force me like this! I have two children, a wife and a servant, why don't you let me say goodbye to them?" "As long as you need to say goodbye to them, I'll wait for you. Don't you want to talk about your acquaintances from the old Central Factory on the way?" Wen Xin stared at Hong Wangnan, finally laughed, and shook his head helplessly: "You, you might as well kidnap me." Hong Wangnan told the truth: "Someone wanted to kidnap you to the mainland, but I stopped you. I think that for a scientist with a conscience, kidnapping hurts his conscience."

Wen Xin was startled: "Who wants to kidnap me?" Hong Wangnan waved his hand lightly: "Don't inquire about things that won't happen." Wen Xin was stunned, both fearful and astonished.Hong Wangnan stretched out his hand comfortingly, and shook him: "Then I'll go out first, and you can hurry up and think about it from now on." After speaking, he walked to the front yard. Wen Xin called Hong Wangnan to stop: "If you say that, what else do I have to think about? I just need to hurry up and arrange the affairs of my family. By the way, go out from the back door and turn left. There is a mountain goods store that sells very good dried bamboo shoots. It’s also cheaper than other houses, so don’t go back to Shanghai empty-handed, you’re going to be someone’s son-in-law.”

Hong Wangnan turned around and thanked Wen Xin with a smile: "Then I'll take a look. I haven't had the leisure to go shopping in two or three years." Then he came out from the back door of the courtyard, turned left, and walked across the road. Under the shade of a tree not far from the back door, stood Old Tang.He and Xiao Ding investigated for a long time and found that the courtyard had front and rear doors. He asked Xiao Ding to follow the front door and came to the back door by himself. As soon as he lit his cigarette, he looked up and saw a man in a light-colored silk gown and a straw hat had come out. He took a puff of his cigarette, stared at the man, and followed him calmly.He believed that this man was Hong Wangnan.He may not be able to do other things, but he is very confident in judging people: after more than 20 years of scouting and tracking, he can smell what kind of person he should be.

Hong Wangnan walked slowly along the road, and Old Tang followed slowly. When Hong Wangnan walked into a wild goods store, a boss in his fifties who was dusting himself hurriedly bowed to him.He was browsing the various goods on the shelves, absent-minded, or eager to pass the time, so that Wen Xin could finally make up his mind. "Shopkeeper, I would like to ask you, what is the most famous local mountain product in Jianqiao?" The boss smiled all over his face: "Shanghai people like these kinds of dried bamboo shoots, these kinds of pickled bamboo shoots, and these kinds of small walnuts. You can try it first, sir." He said and handed a walnut tong to Hong Wangnan.

"Thank you. Then I won't be polite." Hong Wangnan deliberately killed the time, picked up a small walnut, and opened the shell with clips. The boss moved up a ladder behind the door and greeted Hong Wangnan: "Take a look slowly, sir, we can discuss the price." After speaking, he carried the ladder to the tree outside the door to hang a "big sale" flag. After hanging the flag, the boss climbed down the ladder, the ladder shook, and he let out an "ouch".Old Tang who was standing under the tree didn't even look at him, and continued to smoke his cigarette. The boss immediately recognized that he was from Shanghai.

Hong Wangnan put some selected mountain and dry goods on the wooden counter.The boss came back to the store and asked, "Didn't the Mr. Shanghai at the door come with you?" Hong Wangnan was a little surprised: "Which Mr. Shanghai?" He quickly walked to the door, glanced outside, saw no one, and walked back to the counter in doubt. The boss chatted while packing the goods: "The gentleman standing under the tree smoking, I knew he was from Shanghai at a glance. Jianqiao is a small place, and everyone in the town is acquainted with each other. We know the Japanese soldiers stationed outside the town. We are familiar with it, and when their troops are deployed, we can all see that they are new Japanese soldiers."

The boss then sent a complaint from Shanghainese: "The blood of Shanghainese is colder than ours. If something happens to you, he will act as if he didn't see it. Just now I climbed on the ladder, and the ladder almost fell down. That gentleman It's like I didn't see it, I didn't hear it. So I said, he must have come from Shanghai with you, sir." Hong Wangnan asked: "Where is that Mr. Shanghai you saw standing now?" The boss gestured with gestures: "Here, when you go out, count to the left, the fifth tree." Hong Wangnan kept an eye out for it, and stepped out of the high threshold of the shop with big and small paper bags, stood on the steps, glanced to the left, and there was indeed a line of green smoke coming out from behind the fifth tree counted from the shop entrance.He stepped down three stone steps, crossed the road directly, and then walked along the road, walking comfortably and unhurriedly.He deliberately dropped the small paper bag in his hand on the ground, and when he bent down to pick it up, he looked back, and the old Tang on the other side of the road had no time to dodge, and the overall image was caught by Hong Wangnan's eyes: black pants, moon white shirt, black Cloth shoes and sunglasses. Walking to the gate of the courtyard, Hong Wangnan hesitated for a moment, and then walked into the gate.Suddenly a shout came from the well platform: "Mr. Hong!" Hong Wangnan raised his head and saw a wooden barrel for drilling well water in front of Xiao Ding, shaking water drops with both hands, obviously just drinking water from the wooden barrel. "Xiao Ding!" Hong Wangnan felt relieved, "It's great that you're here!" Xiao Ding ran down from the well platform: "I was worried that you would be unsafe, after much deliberation, I followed from Shanghai!" Hong Wangnan held Xiao Ding's hand as if reunited, approached him, and said in a low voice, "Just now I met someone who seems to be following me." Xiao Ding was secretly taken aback, his expression changed: "What kind of person is he?" "I didn't see it clearly. I'm about the same size as me. I wear black pants, a white coat, and sunglasses. That's all I can see. By the way, I'm wearing cloth shoes from Huachang Shoes Company." Xiao Ding was very surprised: "You can even see the shoes?" "Are you here alone?" Xiao Ding let out an "ah" and almost jumped up, wondering if Hong Wangnan saw through that he and Old Tang were in the same gang? Hong Wangnan didn't notice Xiaoding's abnormality, so he analyzed on his own: "So he is not a member of Ji Jiaming's sect. Then he must be following me. No matter what, if you come, we will have more combat power and see how he goes." Who is it and what do you want to do." Xiao Ding secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Have you found Mr. Wen?" "I found it. We talked very well! If we can get rid of the mysterious follower, I think we should be able to bring Wen Xin to Shanghai this time and organize him into the third batch of teams going to the mainland." Xiao Ding also pretended to be very happy and wanted to take Hong Wangnan to the town for lunch, but Hong Wangnan still wanted to talk to Wen Xin, so Xiao Ding lost all his plans and walked out of the courtyard restlessly. Old Tang was very dissatisfied with Xiao Ding: "Why didn't you trick Hong Wangnan out?" Xiao Ding wiped the cold sweat off his forehead: "How can he be so easy to deceive?" Old Tang stomped anxiously: "Idiot, even if you call him here, the two of us can fight!" Xiao Ding muttered: "You keep an eye on him, he has already found out! If I call him out, both of us will be exposed. There is a regiment of Japanese soldiers stationed outside the city gate, and the Japanese soldiers often come into the town to do business and buy things. None of us can run away with the gun!" Old Tang patted Xiao Ding on the shoulder calmly: "I know better than you! The two of us, we need to shoot him as a scholar? Follow me and calm down! I inquired, there are still people living outside this town. The whole family was formerly an employee of the Central Aircraft Manufacturing Plant, but they were in charge of the bathhouse for the employees. You told Hong Wangnan that the old worker wanted to go to the mainland, so he asked everywhere about Wen Xin... In this way, he will definitely come out with you. This alley Very good, very secluded, suitable for attack. Grab the one surnamed Hong, and then catch the one surnamed Wen. Now neither of them can escape.” Old Tang pointed to a telegraph pole on the right side of the courtyard gate and said, “Look , I am hiding behind here, you lead him to the other side of the alley, I will start from behind... The difficulty is to catch the live ones and bring them back... You are not bad at picking people's jaws, don't you?" Xiao Ding shook his head in fear. Old Tang expressed regret, and he made up his mind: "Okay, then I'll pick off his big hip. He has a broken leg and we will work harder. We have to carry him for a few steps. The advantage is that we don't have to worry about him escaping." When Mrs. Wen heard that her husband was going to the mainland, she kept crying and crying, fearing that she would never see him again, so she wanted to go with him. Wen Xin finished packing her things silently, but his wife was still crying, which made Wen Xin cry again. Sad, but also impetuous.Hong Wangnan went over to comfort Mrs. Wen, but Mrs. Wen glared at him immediately, so she picked up a small stool and sat down under the willow tree in the yard. The maid of the Wen family was carrying the baby back and forth under the eaves of the front porch of the three rooms facing south, humming a lullaby incompletely. Hong Wangnan looked at the baby in a daze, and didn't even notice that Xiao Ding came to him. arrive.Xiao Ding told Hong Wangnan that there was still an old central factory worker in the town who was over fifty and wanted to go to the new factory in the interior.Hong Wangnan was very happy when he heard that, and hurriedly asked where the man was.Xiao Ding said that the man lived in the south of Jianqiao Town, and he came to see Wen Xin just now, and he also knew Hong Wangnan, and he was at the gate now. When he reached the gate, Xiao Ding bluffed and shouted a few times: "Master Tao!" Of course Master Tao did not appear, Xiao Ding pretended to lead Wang Nan to the south entrance of the alley, Hong Wang Nan stopped and said, "Go find him, I am at Wen Xin's house." Wait. I'm afraid that Mrs. Wen's nagging will make Wen Xin change her mind." After speaking, he turned to leave. Old Tang, wearing sunglasses, rushed in front of Hong Wangnan with a dagger in his hand. Before Hong Wangnan could react, Xiao Ding rushed from behind Hong Wangnan, strangling his neck from behind with both hands. Old Tang said to Xiao Ding: "Take it easy. Mr. Hong is not a spy of yours, so he doesn't know how to defend himself." Xiao Ding loosened his hand a little, and the pistol in his right hand rested on Hong Wangnan's waist. Hong Wangnan was confused: "Xiao Ding, who are you?" Old Tang replied for Xiao Ding: "Haha, whoever gives more money, Xiao Ding belongs to him. Now Xiao Ding belongs to me. Well, when we return to Shanghai, Mr. Hong will know who we belong to. let's go." Hong Wangnan didn't move.Old Tang suddenly tripped him and tripped him. Before he could get up, he slammed his hands hard on his big hip joints, and the big hip joints were dislocated.He couldn't get up, his face suddenly turned sallow, and a thin layer of sweat emerged from his forehead.He raised his upper body and looked at his legs, which dragged limply on the ground, like a part of a body that didn't belong to him.Old Tang was satisfied with his unique skill, and said, "Don't look at it, it's useless to you for the time being. But it hurts a little, and you can walk with it in the future. Xiao Ding, set Mr. Hong up." Xiao Ding and Old Tang grabbed Hong Wangnan's two arms respectively and dragged him up from the ground.A sharp pain made him scream out loud. Old Tang asked Xiao Ding to support Hong Wangnan, and bent down to pat the dust on Hong Wangnan's body and legs.Hong Wangnan yelled again.Old Tang stared coldly into Hong Wangnan's eyes: "I know how painful it is to have a sprained leg. I have sprained it too. If I don't hurt myself, how can I treat others? You still have a little dust on your trousers. I won't dust it off for you. What are you doing?" The time is dishonest, I will continue to brush it off." Hong Wangnan was in a cold sweat: "The only ones who bully my fellow countrymen at this time are traitors and lackeys!" Old Tang shook his head helplessly at Xiao Ding: "So I think it's better to take off the chin, at least it can make the ears clean." He patted Hong Wangnan on the shoulder and said: "Don't be angry, when you say what my boss wants to hear, I'll talk to you again." Putting the legs back together for you is much easier than putting together an airplane." Xiao Ding reminded Old Tang: "What about Wen Xin?" Old Tang asked Hong Wangnan: "How is it? Has Wen Xin been recruited and rebelled by you? Has he agreed to go to the mainland with you?" Hong Wangnan didn't lose his mind because of the pain: "I can't persuade him! If I had known this, I wouldn't have come to Jianqiao!" Old Tang nodded thoughtfully: "Well, anyway, the surname Wen won't leave with you, so we'll deal with you first." Now Hong Wangnan is calling the sky and the earth is not working, so he has no choice but to let Lao Tang manipulate him.At this moment, what he thought of was actually Sang Xia, not Wang Duoying. Wang Duoying took care of He Xiaohui according to Hong Wangnan's entrustment. She was surprised when she met him. This world is so small. It was this person who helped her out on the road two days ago. She was always thinking about it, but she never expected to meet her here.He Xiaohui also recognized her, and he was still in the mood to joke: "You asked me to pay back the money?" The bed next to He Xiaohui was already empty, and now it's a separate ward, making it much easier to talk.Sitting beside He Xiaohui's bed, Wang Duoying fed He Xiaohui roast beef and red vegetables with a spoon.He Xiaohui was not used to being fed, so he reached out to get a spoon: "I'll do it myself." Wang Duoying deftly avoided He Xiaohui's hand: "The nurse said, come by yourself, just eat a small half." He Xiaohui said distressedly: "But I really can't eat the foreign food here!" He Xiaohui's childishness showed inadvertently, but Wang Duoying felt that he was easy to dismiss: "This is what the doctor ordered you to eat. After bleeding so much, the beef and red vegetables are blood-enriching." "My stomach can hold pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and sweet potato vines, but I can't hold these. Once I eat it, it will go up here!" He Xiaohui pointed to his chin and said, "By the way, the bitter vegetables that grow in the wild I taste delicious, bitter vegetable, you know? The scientific name is... Dandelion." Wang Duoying became curious: "Dandelions can also be eaten?" A smile gradually appeared on He Xiaohui's face, and he began to chew on his memories: "It was delicious. In February, when the bitter vegetables were not in buds, I just dug them into a big basket, scalded them with boiling water, and soaked them overnight. , the next day there is only a faint fragrance, and the bitterness is gone. Put some salt and vinegar, um... add some wild onions, the taste is fresh and fragrant, just like taking a bite of spring into your mouth and belly In... the stale air of a winter has been washed away..." "It's so well said, I want to eat it!" Wang Duoying cut off a large piece of beef and stuffed it into He Xiaohui's mouth.He Xiaohui didn't notice it all at once, chewing sweetly. "At that time, as soon as the troops camped, we satirized vegetables. The girls in the propaganda team had the sharpest eyes and narrow minds. When they squatted down and stood up, the two pockets of the military uniform were filled." Everything He Xiaohui said was novel to Wang Duoying: "What kind of team is the propaganda team?" He Xiaohui's eyes seemed to be covered with a layer of brilliance: "A small team of about ten people. When we go to the villages and towns, we will explain our policies and the principles of anti-feudalism and anti-exploitation to the old folks in the villages and towns. Understand, we must compose a small play for the common people to sing. For example, now, the propaganda team will sing songs of anti-Japanese and national salvation with the fellow villagers, and perform plays against Japan, so that the common people can build confidence in the destiny of their own nation. Build trust in our anti-Japanese team and support us There are many famous artists in the New Fourth Army and the Eighth Route Army! The head of the music department of Yan’an Anti-Japanese University is Xian Xinghai.” Wang Duoying took the opportunity to stuff another large piece of beef into He Xiaohui's mouth, "I know Xian Xinghai! I have seen the drama "Thunderstorm", and he wrote the music!" Seeing He Xiaohui chewing and swallowing the beef unconsciously, Wang Duoying secretly laughed.She had never taken care of anyone before, and it was this big man who looked like the monitor of a student who had unearthed her hidden motherhood and made her really feel the joy of taking care of others. "And...there is also "Youth March", which was also written by Xian Xinghai. The Eighth Route Army also has a famous composer who belongs to my family, so I remember his name very well! His name is He Luting. To the Anti-Japanese Guerrillas The song I wrote is too difficult to sing! We laughed as soon as we sang it, and no one could sing it right! It’s like this, ah——” He Xiaohui became more and more excited as he spoke, and he beat the time with his unbandaged hand with difficulty, “I want the next Half-beat...we are all sharpshooters, every bullet kills an enemy...still not singing accurately, the left hand beats the beat, not strong. We are all flying troops, even though the mountains are high and the water is deep..." Wang Duoying listened intently, her eyes sparkling: "It's so nice!" Isn't this kind of enthusiastic and active life what she longed for for a long time? He Xiaohui's physical condition did not allow him to make large movements, and he soon became tired, and his hand that beat the time dropped: "In our New Fourth Army guerrillas, there are also artists who are good at singing, dancing, and fighting, and there are also artists who can write Gezi's female soldiers..." Wang Duoying interjected: "There is also a female soldier named Zilan." He Xiaohui's expression changed immediately, and he looked at Wang Duoying in surprise and hostility.Wang Duoying realized that she had said something wrong, and she was a little scared: "What's wrong?" He Xiaohui's tone became stiff: "How do you know this person?" Wang Duoying said cautiously: "Sang Xia told Hong Wangnan. You were always called by this name when you were unconscious." He Xiaohui lowered his head and stopped talking. Wang Duoying's curiosity flared up again, and she cautiously probed: "Is he your wife?" He Xiaohui raised his head suddenly, with an extremely fierce attitude: "There are no wives in our army!" The bourgeois-sounding appellation "Mrs." obviously does not meet his aesthetic requirements. Wang Duoying shrank her head in fright, stood up with an almost empty plate, and walked pitifully towards the door.The sound of her twisting the doorknob woke He Xiaohui up. He lowered his head and said, "I'm sorry!" Wang Duoying turned around, smiled apologetically and said, "I should say I'm sorry. You talk so much." He Xiaohui had tried to calm himself down, but his eyes were full of grief: "Zi Lan is the mother of my child. When she gave birth, she let the army hide in the village and was killed by the Japanese devils. Everyone in the village Killed." Wang Duoying was shocked: "What... when did it happen?" "More than a month ago." Wang Duoying yelled, and the plate in her hand almost fell to the ground. "It's only been more than a month!" She stared at the man in front of her, his expression became calm, but behind his calmness must be hidden deep pain, hidden some secrets that cannot be aired. The small freighter was speeding briskly on the water. Sang Xia and Wang Mutian were sitting on the deck of the ship, and the breeze was blowing their young faces and thick hair.Sang Xia took out a thin coat from her purse and put it on Wang Mutian. Wang Mutian was staring at the water in a daze, then suddenly turned to look at Sang Xia with a bit of anxiety in his eyes: "Sister Xiaoxia, you know me well. So much, I don't know anything about you. Just now I was thinking, if the Japanese soldiers found the medicine hidden in the fruit on the pier this morning... If they had shot me then, you would still be in my heart Mystery, wouldn’t I die with this mystery?” Sang Xia looked at Wang Mutian calmly: "So you were silent all the way because you were thinking about this matter? This morning is very dangerous. If they really raise their guns at you, will you regret it?" Wang Mutian shook his head vigorously, and Sang Xia said quietly: "Don't answer in such a hurry, think about it again, you are only eighteen years old, maybe your life will be wonderful, what should happen has not had time to happen, you won't regret it ?” "I don't regret it, I'll be pissed!" "why?" Wang Mutian thought for a while, and said, "Because...it must be because I didn't do things thoughtfully, and I didn't act smart enough, so I showed my flaws and led to an irreparable ending. What about you? Will you regret it?" Sang Xia's eyes flashed blankly: "I don't know... People probably don't know whether they are a good guy or a coward until the last moment. But I'll tell you the truth, I was very scared at the time, to what extent? I have a problem, I have to eat a piece of candy every morning at seven or eight o’clock, otherwise I will feel dizzy and heartbeat, and in severe cases, hypoglycemia will occur.” She took out a piece of candy from her pants pocket, peeled off the candy wrapper, and inside was sticky and shapeless She smiled self-deprecatingly, "Look, I'm so scared: the sugar melted in my pocket and I even forgot to eat it. Fear cured hypoglycemia!" Wang Mutian watched Sang Xia throwing candies into the river, he couldn't understand what Sang Xia said, just like he didn't understand the meaning of death. Sang Xia looked at the water in front of her and said quietly: "That's why people don't know whether they value their beliefs more than their lives until they are really facing death. Last night in your living room, I ran into Hong Wangnan, I know that he is at the moment before taking a desperate risk, it is in the gap between danger and safety, I especially want to talk to him..." "Have you talked to him?" Sang Xia shook her head. Wang Mutian was a little curious: "What do you want to talk to him about?" Sang Xia's eyes gradually seemed to be burning: "Talk about what I believe in and what he believes in. You don't need to talk about the belief itself, because I know that my belief is very different from his. I just want to talk about the feeling of having faith." Wang Mutian looked at her with an obsession in her fiery eyes, and this obsession made Wang Mutian see a different side of her.But he is still too young, his youth is still too hazy, he still can't understand these things. Sang Xia continued to talk infatuatedly, as if someone was sitting in front of her and listening to her confide, her tone was full of dreams: "When you have faith, and see people in the world busy chattering, mediocre, and sorrowful every day, you suddenly I don’t understand: How big is it? Is it worth it for them? All the trivial things are regarded as big things by them to get busy, grieve, and fight. You will realize that all the things in the world are small things, and there is no big deal . . . and you will smile to yourself, because your faith is a great secret, a great secret that those who grieve and wrestle over little things will never fathom. You will die for the great secret, because compared with it, Death is not a big deal." Wang Mutian looked at Sang Xia stupidly, and Sang Xia suddenly realized her gaffe, she couldn't help but blush, and laughed at herself: "What! What nonsense! Petty bourgeoisie!" Wang Mutian couldn't find a reason to laugh at Sang Xia, he could only be moved by her words: "Brother Wang Nan will definitely listen." He saw a trace of tenderness in Sang Xia's eyes. The small freighter gradually docked along the river.A sampan came across from the shore, and there were two young men on the sampan, both wearing Chinese-style shirts and pants, and wearing bamboo hats, the latter one looked about the same age as Wang Mutian.When Sang Xia saw them, she turned her head and whispered to Wang Mutian, "This is my first time here, and I have never seen anyone at this traffic station. You call them in code words." Wang Mutian immediately did as he said: "Hey, sir, I brought the papaya Boss Hu asked me to bring." The older man standing at the bow looked back at his companion, with a surprised expression on his face, and replied, "Boss Hu asked, can the price be lowered?" Wang Mutian replied: "It's all at the issue price." "Boss Hu is your regular customer, let's lower it a bit!" Wang Mutian glanced back at Sang Xia, who had already stood up and said firmly, "People from the New Fourth Army traffic station!" The sampan approached quickly.Two men jumped onto the small freighter.The man who shouted just now got into the cabin and came out again soon: "Where is Lao He?" Sang Xia went up to say hello: "You are Li Shujiang, the station manager. I am Sang Xia. Lao He was injured in an operation. He had an operation a few days ago, and he is still in the hospital..." Then he pushed Wang Mutian in front of him. Said: "This is the new comrade we just developed, called Wang Mutian." Li Shujiang looked at Sang Xia, then at Wang Mutian, his tone full of contempt: "Nonsense! One is a new comrade, and the other is a woman! Do you think this is the Shanghai Concession, protected by French and British?" Sang Xia and Wang Mutian were stunned, they didn't expect that they finally met their comrades, and the "comrades" had such an attitude. Li Shujiang asked again: "Did Lao He approve you to do this?" Sang Xia numbly shook her head. Li Shujiang's tone became severe: "Lao He wants to approve you to do this, he is just messing around! This river comes from Shanghai, how many boats will run into devils! They are looking for young women everywhere, women can't hide in the reeds! They set fire to the reeds and smoked out the people hiding in them! You come here in broad daylight without pretending to be a fool! If you are brave, what about the medicine? Wouldn’t the newly established medicine transportation line be broken?” Sang Xia realized the seriousness of the matter, and honestly admitted her mistake: "I'm sorry. I don't have experience, and I don't think things through. Be sure to pay attention next time..." Li Shujiang interrupted Sang Xia impatiently: "In our business, don't think about the next time, just this time, if you make a mistake this time, there will be no next time!" He waved his hand to the young man who came with him, "When Go to the bow, pay attention to vigilance." Wang Mutian gave Li Shujiang a disgusted look. Li Shujiang noticed his expression, as if he wanted to provoke him deliberately: "People like you who come from Shanghai, the biggest headache is liberalism, making your own decisions..." Wang Mutian finally couldn't bear it any longer: "What's wrong with coming from Shanghai? We are under the noses of the Japanese devils every day, so we have to be flexible! Sang Xia even had a face-to-face confrontation with a Japanese soldier today, she is much more courageous than you! What are you talking about?" Li Shujiang's eyes widened, he looked at Wang Mutian, and then at Sang Xia: "Hey, Lao He is the young master recruited from somewhere, can't even speak a single word, can he? I don't want to hear criticism, let me go!" Sang Xia tugged at Wang Mutian's sleeve, signaling him to stop talking, but instead he puffed up his chest: "I don't want to hear your criticism! I'm not leaving either! Anti-Japanese and national salvation is not your private business, I still have to come to your house Applying for a job, if you let me go, I will leave? What’s the big deal? You are so fierce to everyone! You have the guts to be fierce with the Japanese!” Li Shujiang also had a violent temper: "I will expel your anti-Japanese qualification right now! When you get to the pier, get off right away!" Wang Mutian snorted: "I am not under your leadership, I am under the leadership of Comrade Sang Xia and Comrade He Xiaohui! Lao He dare not expel me from resisting Japan, neither Chiang Kai-shek nor Mao Zedong has the right to expel me from resisting Japan!" Li Shujiang glanced at Wang Mutian: "Student soldiers from Shanghai are fighting wars with lip service!" Wang Mutian's eyes were about to burst into flames: "If you take one more bite from Shanghai, I will fight with you!" He rolled up his sleeves eager to try.Seeing his posture, Li Shujiang laughed, as if he didn't take him seriously at all. Sang Xia reluctantly pushed Wang Mutian into the cabin: "Comrade Wang Mutian! Go into the cabin! Reflect for twenty minutes!" Old Tang had great powers. He bought a bamboo bed during lunch, turned it over and added a pair of bamboo poles. The bamboo bed became a stretcher. He and Xiao Ding slowly carried Hong Wangnan to the gate of Jianqiao Township. Car back to Shanghai.He took a steamed stuffed bun and fed it to Hong Wangnan's mouth, Hong Wangnan glared at him and turned his face away. Old Tang hoped that Hong Wangnan could understand their difficulties: "Don't hate me, and don't hate Xiao Ding, we have no personal enmity with you." "I have nothing to do with all the traitors and lackeys, but I have personal enmity." "Surnamed Hong, shut up!" Old Tang didn't speak, but Xiao Ding jumped up and kicked Hong Wangnan's leg.Hong Wangnan screamed, sweating profusely from the pain. Xiao Ding turned his face very quickly, because his identity changed quickly, and he still couldn't adapt himself to being called a "traitor running dog".Old Tang looked at the young and energetic Xiao Ding, and sighed sadly: "It's up to him to complain. The boss pays us money, not only for our meals, but also for our beatings and scolding." In the morning, the hired car drove over from the street and stopped on the opposite side of the road. Old Tang shouted at the driver: "Come down, help us lift people together!" The driver didn't move, as if he didn't hear... Old Tang was furious, and what he hated most was arrogance: "Can't you hear? Or is it plague?" He angrily walked across the road and shouted at the driver, "I want you to help carry the patient!" The driver said: "I don't earn money to carry people. Besides, my car doesn't carry patients." The driver's tone was dull and his expression was weird. Old Tang was a little strange: "What the hell are you doing?" He rushed to the driver's side and was about to open the door when the rear door suddenly opened. One gun was aimed at Old Tang, and the other was aimed at Xiao Ding. As soon as Xiao Ding saw the person coming out, his legs became weak: "Don't shoot, Lao Ji...it's this person!" He pointed at Old Tang, "This person forced me, if I don't do it, he will kill me!" Kill me! I know I was wrong...I will take the blame and do meritorious service!" Then he suddenly knelt down. Ji Jiaming looked at Xiao Ding expressionlessly: "You and Master Chen, both of you, bring Mr. Hong over to me." The driver of the car responded, got out of the car and ran across the road, putting the bamboo pole in front of the stretcher on his shoulders.Hong Wangnan, who was lying on the stretcher, was surprised and happy when he saw Ji Jiaming, and seemed to regret that he didn't let Ji Jiaming come with him, otherwise he wouldn't be disabled now. After carrying Hong Wangnan into the car, Ji Jiaming pointed a gun at Old Tang and said to Xiao Ding, "This is your chance to atone for your sins: tie this man up for me, and use the rope you used to carry the stretcher." Using his teeth and fingers, Xiao Ding untied a hemp rope from the stretcher, walked behind Old Tang and began to bind him. Before the old Tang got out of the reversal of the situation, he yelled: "Little bastard! I should have I understand, things that are easy to get are too cheap, and things that are too cheap are not good things!" Xiao Ding pushed Old Tang hard.Old Tang turned his head and said to Ji Jiaming: "Your subordinate is really cheap. I don't need to spend a punch or a kick, so he sold you!" Ji Jiaming escorted Xiao Ding and Old Tang to the depths of the bamboo forest with pistols.Ji Jiaming asked Old Tang: "Who sent you to follow Hong Wangnan?" Old Tang spoke very honestly: "It was money that made me follow. You pay, and let me follow anyone." Ji Jiaming faced Xiao Ding: "Xiao Ding, I will give you another chance to make meritorious deeds and atone for your sins. There is a stone over there, take it here." Xiao Ding brought over a stone the size of a melon.Ji Jiaming continued to ask Old Tang: "Let me ask you, who sent you here. Stop being naughty with me, saying that money sent you here." Old Tang is still acting like a hero: "You don't even know me after I tell you." "Xiao Ding, the stone is ready, aim at the back of his head and smash it." Xiao Ding gritted his teeth and lifted the stone.Old Tang yelled: "The surname is Hirano! That man's name is Hirano Tanikawa! He belongs to a Japanese company!" Ji Jiaming laughed loudly: "You are not expensive, you sold your master without firing a single shot from me! Which company in Japan?" Old Tang said dejectedly, "I knew it was a trading company..." Ji Jiaming turned to Xiaoding: "Xiaoding, are you ready?" Old Tang yelled again: "Wait! I really know what kind of company it is, it's a trading company..." Ji Jiaming put the gun in his waist, and put down the front of his coat: "I can't stay here for long, and I don't have time to interrogate you, so I will give you a fair treatment like an ordinary traitor." He took out a mute and installed it on Xiao Ding's pistol: "Ding Zhengtang, try your marksmanship." Xiao Ding said "yes" and raised his pistol. Old Tang scolded Xiao Ding: "Bastard..." Before he finished cursing, Xiao Ding had already pulled the trigger. These are the last words that Old Tang left to the world.Old Tang lived a boring life and died a boring one. His life was a complete tragedy. The saddest thing is that no one shed a single tear for his death. Of course Xiao Ding is also going to die.Because Ji Jiaming would never show mercy to a traitor. 季家鸣从竹林回来的时候，被五花大绑在后座中间的闻辛正在冲洪望楠大发雷霆：“你忍心我就这样离开我太太和孩子吗？我刚出大门，想买些香烟带到路上，怕内地买不到烟，就被你们绑架了……” 季家鸣到底还是把闻辛给绑架了。洪望楠有苦难言，徒劳地辩解说：“闻辛，绑架跟我一点儿关系都没有！” 季家鸣押着老唐小丁进竹林的时候，洪望楠从后备箱里发现了倒霉的闻辛，这件事完全是季家鸣自作主张，完全跟他没关系。可是现在他却根本无法洗脱自己的嫌疑。闻辛额头青筋暴出，根本不听解释：“你们是一伙儿的！” 季家鸣阴沉着脸走过来：“谁再出声，我这里有最省事的办法让他安静。”他吩咐司机：“开车！” 季家鸣血管里流的，很可能不是血，是冰碴子。只要能达到目的，他不介意用任何手段。他只追求效果，他的行为底色也许是冷静，但他的外在表现却是冷漠，是冷酷。洪望楠恨恨地盯着季家鸣的后背：“季家鸣，我会向上级报告你的！你这样对待一个将要担负大任的专家，我必须请求上级给你处分！” 季家鸣头也不回：“谁的上级？你的上级和我的上级是两码事。假如我一开始就听从我上级的指令，不让你插手，就不会出这么多节外生枝的事了！你这一插手，浪费了我这么多人力和经费，也耽误了时间！” 洪望楠的脸因痛苦和愤怒变得扭曲：“救国救亡是自愿的，本来闻先生已经有了九分五的自愿，现在全让你毁了！” 闻辛在一边心灰意冷地说：“好了，洪望楠！我人都给绑来了，你跟他再把戏往下唱，不难为情吗？” 小货轮靠了岸。一个中年男人跳上栈桥，跑到船上。李叔江对桑霞指着中年男人说：“船交给他，你们跟我下船，休息一下。” 中年男人牵起船上的绳子，把它绕在码头的铁桩子上。几个戴搬运工帽子、垫肩的年轻男子从栈桥上跑来，跳上船，开始搬运筐子。李叔江和桑霞把筐子分拣开，留下那六个写有特殊编码的筐子。 一艘乌篷船在夕阳里沿着逶迤的河道驶来，六个筐子被搬上船，李叔江和随他一起的年轻交通员一前一后驾船。 桑霞和王沐天在煤油灯下把六个藤条筐里的水果倒在甲板上，从木瓜里掏出药剂，裹上棉花胎，塞入一根根掏空的楠竹杠子。然后桑霞把竹杠子的头端封起来。王沐天非常认真地仿效她，一只大蚊子叮在他的太阳穴上，他都毫无感觉。 桑霞看了眼王沐天：“还在生气啊？” 王沐天满脸的不服气：“他凭什么那么傲慢！” 桑霞点了一下王沐天的脑门儿：“他是为我也为你好。一个男孩子，心眼儿大点儿，我都不计较。”看王沐天不说话，桑霞接着说：“出来行动，会碰到各种人，不是每一个人都让你喜欢。这不是在家里，你妈说你你能顶撞，管妈老罗说你你也可以回嘴，现在你在革命队伍里，上级批评下级，都顶嘴都解释，还怎么执行任务，怎么打仗啊？” 王沐天伸长脖子：“我巴不得现在就打一仗！让他看看，我是不是胆小鬼！是不是就配听他挖苦打趣！” 他没有料到，他的愿望很快就实现了，李叔江果然不再对他挖苦打趣了。 下了乌篷船，天已经黑透，月亮升上半空，几个人又踏上了乡间小路，交通员扛着两根竹杠子走在最前面，桑霞和王沐天各扛了两根竹杠子走在中间。有狗吠声传来，王沐天循声看去，狗吠的起源处亮着模糊的灯火。 李叔江走在最后，肩上扛了四根竹杠子。 王沐天竹竿里装的药多，桑霞要求跟他换一换，王沐天躲开了她。李叔江小声制止他们：“嘘！不要说话！快走！”他用下巴指着灯火狗吠处，“那边的镇子上住了一个营的日本兵，离这里只有两里路。” 狗吠越来越狂乱。李叔江嘱咐大家：“万一碰到鬼子的巡逻兵，你们三人就先走。记住，药品是几百个伤员的生命。” 前面是芦苇滩，从芦苇里传出一片蛙鸣。交通员打手势让跟在身后的王沐天和桑霞停下：“这里就是新四军部队来人跟我们接头的地方。”王沐天四处看看，似乎真正进入小说中的历险了。 走在最后的李叔江随后出现在小道上，他把四根竹杠子从肩上小心翼翼地放到地上，擦了一把额头上和脖子上的汗。王沐天借着月光仔细打量着他，他注意到王沐天在看他，便也看着王沐天，眼睛闪闪发亮，王沐天赶紧把目光转向别的地方。 交通员嘿嘿一笑，夸王沐天：“嘿，你这个小上海佬儿，不错啊，走旱路不比我这个江北佬儿差！” 桑霞低声笑起来。王沐天显摆说：“我们在上海经常跟鬼子打游击，脚板练出来了！” “你们打游击？怎么打？” 王沐天自豪地说：“在法租界、英租界，也有时候在华界，贴标语，撒传单，在鬼子的卡车轮子上扎眼，还偷了一个日本军官的摩托车……” 李叔江忽然把手指放在唇上：“嘘……”聆听片刻，才说：“人到了！我去接一下！”说着便钻进了芦苇丛。 王沐天好奇地问交通员：“他是顺风耳吗？怎么听得见有人来了？” 交通员说：“你刚才没注意，青蛙一下子都不叫了，这就是有人来了呗。” 李叔江又出现了，他站在芦苇深处，对着三人摆摆手，要大家过去。 五个身背武装的年轻战士站在月光里，李叔江指着桑霞对战士们说：“来，给你们介绍一下：这是我们新四军联络站上海分站的副站长，桑霞同志。”他又指着为首的战士对桑霞说：“小桑，这人叫方块九，姓方，没人叫他大号，新四军四支队的侦查连长，一场仗活下来就打扑克。” Everyone laughed.方连长跟桑霞握手，一挥手其余几个战士走上来，扛起地上的竹杠子。 李叔江伸手和方连长两手相握：“方块九，一路平安！” 方连长看着桑霞和王沐天几个人，半开玩笑地说：“当然，好几个人等我回去接着打扑克呢！”他最后一个扛起竹杠子，很快消失在芦苇丛里。 李叔江带着大家走出芦苇荡稀疏的水滩，往停泊在水边的乌篷船跑去，跑到半道，他们身后突然响起枪声，李叔江回过头说：“坏了，方块九他们碰到鬼子巡逻兵了。这是三八大盖的枪声。万一鬼子人多，那些药品就完了！” 王沐天的表情显得有些古怪，李叔江对他和桑霞说：“你们俩在这里等着，哪里都不要去，发现有人就往芦苇深的地方躲，等我们回来！”转身对交通员一挥手，“我们走！”两人一闪身，消失在芦苇丛里。 枪声密集起来。桑霞从小皮包拿出小手枪，又拿出几发子弹：“阿沐，你在这里等着，我跟李站长去！” 好不容易逮住表现机会，王沐天跃跃欲试：“我也去！” 桑霞低声斥责王沐天：“不行！要是出了意外，我跟你母亲怎么交代？你是你母亲的命根子！再说，上海的工作非常需要你！我刚才跟你说过，战士要一切行动听指挥！” 李叔江追上了方连长一行人，要大家往北走，由交通员带领，他和方连长负责掩护。 月光照着扶摇动荡的芦苇，桑霞伏在深处的地上，看见三四个日本兵从她面前一面开枪一面跑过去。王沐天匍匐行进到她身后，无论桑霞如何声色俱厉，始终赖着不肯走。这是他第一次接触打仗，不但没有感到害怕，反而还有一丝兴奋和激动。他看到李叔江埋伏在芦苇丛中，等到一个日本兵冲到离他只有七八米了，轻轻一勾扳机，日本兵倒下来，接着又迅速换了个位置，再次射击，又有一个日本兵倒下去。 现在，王沐天一点也不反感李叔江了，甚至有些佩服起来，这人虽然粗鲁，但是还是很有本事的。总有一天，他会成为李叔江那样的人，不，比李叔江更强的人。 日本兵扔出一颗手榴弹，手榴弹落在李叔江的身边，嗤嗤打转，李叔江一脚将它踢出去，手榴弹在空中爆炸，一小片夜空被染红了，红色的夜空居然显得有几分壮丽。 桑霞使劲推了王沐天一把：“快回去！”王沐天站起身来看了看她，转过身，猫着腰往回跑去。跑了七八步，他停下来，见桑霞低着身体向双方接火的地方潜行，他忍不住又转回去，他的自尊和虚荣都不允许自己当个小逃兵。 忽然，王沐天看到一颗子弹飞来，李叔江右胸中弹，在芦苇丛中翻滚。一个日本兵端着枪上来，举起刺刀朝血泊里的李叔江刺去，刚刺了一下，日本兵身后飞来一颗子弹——开枪的是从日本兵身后潜行过来的桑霞。 日本兵晃了晃，倒在芦苇里。桑霞出现在日本兵五步远的后方，她见那个日本兵正在蹬腿，又补了他一枪，日本兵停止了挣扎，她却浑身发抖，紧张和亢奋让她近乎窒息。 桑霞呼唤李叔江，王沐天紧跟着出现，两人焦急地看着胸口被血湿透的李叔江。李叔江微微睁开眼睛，微弱地说：“快……撤！” 方连长跑过来，赶紧背起李叔江，冲桑霞和王沐天喊：“快撤！一个连的鬼子都给惊醒了！马上会包抄上来！” 桑霞拉起王沐天，跟在方连长的身后，很快钻入芦苇荡，方连长说：“前面就是进山的路，进了山就好了。鬼子不敢跟着我们进山，怕中我们游击队的埋伏。” 走了片刻，桑霞发现王沐天不见了，便压低声音叫喊起来，没有回应，赶紧折身寻找。 王沐天自作主张，要跟日本兵来个短兵相接，他趴在芦苇荡的洼地里，身边摆着三颗日本兵的手榴弹，枪口对准前方。这是他从刚刚死去的日本兵身上搜到的战利品。 五六个日本兵弓着腰，端着上了刺刀的三八大盖从五个方向跑上来，形成包围圈。王沐天开了一枪，没打着目标。他有点惊慌，来不及瞄准，又开了一枪。日本兵开始小心翼翼地收缩包围圈。 桑霞猫着腰跑来，从五十多米以外看见了王沐天深陷的危机，心急如焚。 王沐天拉开手榴弹的弦，向一个冲近了的日本兵扔出一颗手榴弹，日本兵立刻卧倒，等烟雾散开，王沐天看见那个日本兵已经从他面前的芦苇里钻出来。王沐天拿出在上海逃避巡捕和日本兵的赛跑速度，疯狂奔跑。 拼命追赶王沐天的日本兵没有注意到在路旁还埋伏有人，经过桑霞身边的时候，桑霞举起手枪，将日本兵撂倒了。 方连长此刻也匆匆赶了回来，震怒地瞪着王沐天：“怎么回事？” 王沐天有些心虚了：“我想掩护你们的……” 方连长低声斥责：“捣乱！往山坡那边突围！李站长还等着我们！” 桑霞拉着王沐天跟着方连长向芦苇荡高处跑去，回到李叔江躺的地方，只看见被压倒的芦苇上一滩血迹，李叔江又不见了。 方连长点着王沐天的鼻子：“都是你，逞能！”王沐天瞠目结舌，没想到自己又给大家带来麻烦，心里祈求着希望李叔江能够没事。 他们身后的枪声又激烈起来。三个人朝低洼处看去，隐约看见李叔江一个人在阻击日本兵。一颗手榴弹从敌方投过来，爆炸声惊天动地。 方连长一把揪掉帽子，对桑霞和沐天一摆手：“你们快撤，往山上走！我去看看！” 王沐天瞪着眼睛：“李站长呢？” “还问个屁！快走！在山下的土地奶奶庙前面等我。不准擅自行动，再乱跑我要不枪毙你我是你儿！”方连长怒气冲冲地说完便钻入芦苇飞速潜行，眨眼间消失了。 桑霞和王沐天坐在土地奶奶庙门口的台阶上。王沐天把头枕在两个膝盖头上，睡着了。当他醒来的时候，听到了李叔江牺牲的消息。 李叔江为掩护大家，在重伤情况下拼尽最后力气，又干掉了几个日本兵。 王沐天的第一场真正的战斗就是这样结束的，一切快得就像一眨眼。眨眼间一个优秀的战士就离开了大家，因为他的无知和好奇，还有他的逞强。 黎明到了，桑霞和沐天跟着方连长默默在山路上行进，王沐天停下来，回过头，看着山下。桑霞见王沐天对着山下发怔，走过来，轻轻拉了他一下。他看着桑霞，眼睛渐渐湿润了。他为自己的鲁莽和好强而懊丧悔恨。他终于意识到，在这之前，他只能算是个大胆的人，那一天他明白了，他和一个合格的、勇敢的战士之间的距离还有很远。他和李叔江、和桑霞之间的距离还有很远。