Chapter 23 twenty-three

"I didn't expect you to go so fast! A few days ago, you didn't say you were going to Hankou, why did you change your policy all of a sudden?" "How did I change this? It's all Uncle Ji!" "Then, the consolation group is simply thrown into the ocean?" "Hey, look at your mouth! How powerful. When did you learn it, and who did you learn it from?" "I learned from you!" With a chuckle. "Well, to be serious, do you approve of my going to Hankou?" "No!" There was a smile in the voice. "Why don't you agree?"

"Oh! Why are you asking me again? You said it yourself a few months ago: Going to Hankou is just an escape!" "Well, but a month has passed, and things are a little different." "Now there is anti-war work over there, isn't it?" "Ah, what a good mouth! This time I will not spare you!" The crisp sound of high-heeled shoes came out of the moon cave door at the other end of the corridor one after the other.The one running in front was long and slender, with an oval face, and a neat white nurse's uniform, revealing the hem of a maroon velvet cheongsam; the one running behind was shorter, but nimble, and was wearing a black cheongsam with cloud satin , with a snow-white silk scarf around her neck.

The one in front is Su Xinjia, and the one behind is Yan Jiexiu. The two were running, chasing, and laughing, and when they reached the end of the corridor, Su Xinjia suddenly turned around, leaning his back against a glass door, and hugged Yan Jiexiu who was chasing him, panting lightly, giggling Say: "Okay, sister Jie, let's just forgive this time! Let's talk serious." "Ah, ah, it seems that I was being naughty there!" "Whether it's you or me, joking around is good for hygiene. I really should thank you, sister Jie. I haven't laughed like this for many days!"

While talking, Su Xinjia pushed open the glass door and pulled Yan Jiexiu in.This is the rest room for the nurses when they change shifts, and now there is no one there. The two sat on a rattan couch by the window, holding hands, looking at each other, and didn't speak for a long time. "The last time I heard you talk about the relief group, I was so excited that I didn't even know what it was like to eat," Su Xinjia said quietly, looking at the ceiling. "I'm happy for you, but also jealous of you. Dad saw that I was upset, and he was very sad. The next morning, he whispered to me: You can go with Jiexiu and the others. I'm at ease. Dad Mrs. I loved me, and I was so happy that I shed tears. But I said to my father: I won’t go! Dad doesn’t worry about me, I don’t worry about Dad, besides, there’s Mom! Mom’s wounds haven’t healed yet, and I can’t get out of bed yet. If you don’t worry about her, she won’t worry about me either! But then your relief group failed, and Dad seemed to have relieved a heavy burden. He joked with me and said: It’s not easy, it’s not good to save you , keep it and get lovesick."

"Hey, don't mention it, it makes people angry. Uncle Ji has been running for three days, but he still can't get official permission. The Chinese don't have the freedom to comfort the Chinese army. Isn't it strange? Mr. Chen has long expected that this matter will not be done. It was successful because we wanted to go to the north to comfort the 'non-direct line' troops. Uncle Ji still refused to believe that their tolerance was so small. Later, when he hit a wall, he had to believe it, but he was also indifferent to the Shanghai affairs. Coincidentally Our factory is going to move to Hankou. He doesn’t care about his father, but he still doesn’t want to. He must take care of it. It’s not because he wants to change the air. But, sister Xin, why don’t you agree with me going? Staying in Shanghai is also boring and uncomfortable!"

"Why don't you agree?" Su Xinjia said with a soft smile, "I can't bear to leave you!" "Ah, ah, seriously, why on earth?" "The air here is getting worse and worse for you!" "Oh!" Yan Jiexiu opened her big eyes. "The more you change, the worse it gets, I won't lie to you." "It can't be worse than here." "If you don't believe me, try it." "Hey, sister Xin, stop kidding! Who did you hear that from? Is it Mr. Chen?" "No. My aunt's second brother and third sister wrote me about it."

"Has anyone also nailed their ends?" "No! These two are good students who are immersed in their studies. They are not qualified to enjoy these troubles. They said in their letter that Hankou is a scene of peace, and the atmosphere of prosperity and pleasure is a bit unbearable even for them!" "But why is this not the case here? Xin Jia, you have always been doing your duty in the hospital, and you see wounded soldiers every day, but you come to my house for two days to have a look,——ah, uncle the day before yesterday It's a little better now that you're gone."

"However, there are still people in Shanghai who are doing anti-Japanese work. Hankou, ah, the teahouses and restaurants are very lively, and there are posters on the wall saying 'Don't talk about current affairs'. In the middle of the night in Shanghai, the sound of cannons and machine guns can be heard. Hankou, on the street with the most hotels, you can only hear the sound of huqin and playing cards. There are several hotels, with cigarette lights on in a grand manner, seven or eight guns in each room, and there are people waiting outside the door. Nine o'clock As soon as the clock passes, all the hotels, big or small, are crowded with prostitutes, and the guests order their plays, including "Su Sanqi Jie" and "March of the Volunteers";——Jiemei, think about it, "March of the Volunteers" And give those bastard men something to make fun of!"

Su Xinjia's voice became lower and lower, and finally she bowed her head and fell silent. She pinched Yan Jiexiu's hand hard but squeezed it hard.Yan Jiexiu also seemed to have drunk a glass of bitter water, frowning, unable to speak. An alarm clock on the table was beeping, and there was a faint and noisy sound from outside. "So, sister Jie," Su Xinjia took Yan Jiexiu's hand and pressed it to her face, "I don't like Hankou, and I don't agree with you going to Hankou. You think the anti-Japanese work in Shanghai is nothing more than that, you It’s better to come here, we are together every day. It’s interesting here. All wounded soldiers are accepted here, all are small soldiers, and there are no officials. It’s interesting to serve the small soldiers. Dad also said: If it weren’t for the small soldiers, he wouldn’t come either. Fulfill your duty!"

"Well, it's a pity I'm not a medical student." "What does it matter? You can learn it. Every time Dad has an operation, I will always be his assistant." Su Xinjia raised her long eyebrows, and couldn't help but feel happy in her heart. "Father said that in another three months, I should do it myself! Jiemei, think about it, how easy it is to learn to operate in three months!" "But, Sister Xin, you have studied medicine for three years. Me, I think it's really bad. I have only studied engineering for half a year. Sometimes I think I should study again. However, this mess... "

Su Xinjia suddenly interrupted Yan Jiexiu with a wave of his hand.The clamoring voice from outside became louder and louder, but a few huge waves jumped out of the sea-like sound: "Nonsense! Who are you lying to? I will not be deceived!" Then I couldn't hear clearly again. "Ah, it's twenty minutes past four." Yan Jiexiu looked at the alarm clock on the table and said in surprise, "Why hasn't Uncle Ji come yet?" Su Xinjia nodded, as if answering Yan Jiexiu, or telling her not to speak.She was still listening to the commotion outside. "What is that? Is it the wounded soldiers?" "Yes!" Su Xinjia sighed, "Probably there was a conflict with the administrator again! This hospital is run very badly, and the director is full of bureaucracy. Dad can only manage the operating room and ward. He said: I have contributed to my hospital." It’s just a matter of dedication. Jiemei, I can’t let the bureaucrats do anything. I see that Dad is here, and he only takes six points of his skills, and it’s thankless.” "No, I went to visit my aunt the day before yesterday, and she also said that the old man paid for his hard work and was angry! My wife was lying on the bed, but the old man was busy with work in the hospital, and sometimes he didn't come home all day and all night. Call a friend in the same business and ask him to help change his wife's medicine." "Oh! There was such a time. A large number of seriously injured people came. After working all day and midnight, even I couldn't spare time to go home and change my mother's dressing. Mom's injury is not a serious problem, but she is getting old. Easy to swallow." "In the past few days, how many wounded soldiers have come?" "Not many." "It's coming in large numbers!" "How do you know?" "I have ears to repay God." Su Xinjia pursed her lips and scratched Yan Jiexiu's face with her pointed fingers to shame her.Yan Jiexiu squeezed Su Xinjia's hand: "Don't you believe it? Let me tell you. You also know this Ear God, that Zhao Kejiu." "Which Zhao Kejiu?" "Are there two? Anyway, I'm talking about Zhao Kejiu, who is doing some political work in the army now. He has come to see me twice, he's really cool, but the uniform doesn't fit him well. " "Oh, oh, I remembered! It's that Zhao Kejiu!" "Did he come to see you too?" "No. But he went to Luo for information." "Does Luo Qiuzhi often visit you?" Yan Jiexiu's big eyes suddenly flashed alertly. "Always come to my house almost once a week." "What did he talk to you about? Did he ask about me? Did he ask about Uncle Ji and Mr. Chen?" "Sometimes I ask. But I'm also busy, so I don't have much time at home. He doesn't come here very often. He comes once in a while, and he just sits in Dad's office and then leaves." "Did he ask anyone else?" "Maybe. But I can't remember." Yan Jiexiu didn't ask any more questions, but she looked at Su Xinjia flickeringly with her alert eyes, but she was thinking in her heart, how to tell her about Luo Qiuzhi's dishonorable behavior?Should I tell her?Before he could think about it, suddenly the noisy voice outside became more intense, shouting "Fight!" "I'll go and have a look!" Su Xinjia stood up hastily, "Jie, sit down for a while, and I'll be back." The tide of noise outside was a little lower, and someone was speaking loudly angrily; Yan Jiexiu heard a few intermittent sentences: "You eat everything...from the blood of the living to the bones of the dead...Usually you eat nothing, You eat the clothes of the brothers, when you start the camp, you eat the kick-off fee, the gangsters, and the common people, and now...you still eat the medical expenses and burial expenses of the brothers!...You are putting on airs in front of Lao Tzu today, and Lao Tzu is on the front line Where did you lie down when you went to bed desperately?" Who is this?What a joy to scold!Thinking this way, Yan Jiexiu walked out of the door slowly, looking at the side of the moon cave door. The two nurses who had just got off work came from the Moon Cave Gate talking and laughing all the way.Although I don't know their names, I have met them many times and they are very familiar; Yan Jiexiu smiled and nodded to the two, and asked, "What's going on over there?" "I don't really understand! The situation is their own business in the army." "Who is cursing?" "Oh, that's someone named Sun..." "He's a platoon leader," said another younger nursing lady, "that kind of irritable temper, ah, I have to quarrel with the supervisor every day. He is very straightforward." "But I'm afraid of him." said the older nurse, pouting her lips with lipstick. "What? Afraid he loses his temper?" Yan Jiexiu smiled. "No!" The young man eagerly rushed to answer. "When I first entered the hospital, my temper was even worse. At that time, there was a young lady who came to do my duty. She was spoiled and loved too much cleanliness. She frowned as soon as she entered the ward, and she was always stuck with a handkerchief in her mouth. Once, The one surnamed Sun didn't like it for some reason, so he—" "Just scolded her?" "To put it politely, it's really uncomfortable. He said: Well, miss, have you suffered? We are all soldiers, dirty and smelly, there is nothing we can do! With your status, why don't you go Waiting officer, come here?" "But he's still reasonable. When he met Dr. Su, he behaved himself." "And he's an injustice. The wounded are all behind him." At this time, the tide of noise rose again.Yan Jiexiu looked at the older nurse and asked with a smile: "Go in and have a look, okay?" "I'll take you there!" The young nurse rushed to answer and took Yan Jiexiu's arm affectionately. They entered a large ward.One and a half months ago, when Su Zipei hadn't fulfilled his duties in this hospital and assumed special responsibilities, Yan Jiexiu also came to comfort her, but now she just walked into this large ward, and she felt a bright light in her eyes.Now here is tidy and clean.More than 20 hospital beds were covered with snow-white sheets, and the floor was wiped clean.Because here are all minor injuries or those who will be discharged soon after most of their injuries have recovered, Su Zipei specially prepared things for them to entertain: a few sets of chess pieces and a phonograph.It was all donated by him personally. There were no one in more than twenty hospital beds.They were all gathered in a heap in the middle of the room where the fire was to be installed.The voice was so noisy that I couldn't hear what they were arguing about, but I could only hear them yelling repeatedly: "Go, everyone!" From between those leg slits, Yan Jiexiu saw a pair of high riding boots with bright spurs, they were really black and shiny, and they could be seen; he also saw the hem of Su Xinjia's maroon cheongsam, but he didn't hear her voice . Yan Jiexiu came closer.At the core of the crowd was a man in a suit with a livid face, scolding angrily.But his voice was drowned in the roar of "Go to everyone", and he couldn't hear a word clearly.Next to the man in the suit was the one in riding boots, sweating profusely and his face pale.Su Xinjia stood in front of a wounded soldier, as if trying to persuade him.The wounded soldier had thick eyebrows, a big mouth, and round, dark eyes, staring at the man in the suit all the time. Now that Su Xinjia also saw Yan Jiexiu, she frowned and smiled.The wounded soldier with thick eyebrows and wide mouth turned to talk to other wounded soldiers.Su Xinjia squeezed out of the crowd.The target of the wounded soldiers turned to the man in the suit, one after another, shouting and cursing: "You are not worthy to order us! What are you!... Go look in the mirror, are you worthy?" Yan Jiexiu greeted Su Xinjia and asked softly: "Why do you want everyone to go?" "Hey, they want to go with Platoon Leader Sun! It's all because the officer didn't handle it well. One sentence resisted him, hey, he became angry from embarrassment, and said, I knew you were restless. , take you to the Military Law Office! He said that Platoon Commander Sun is gathering crowds to cause trouble." "How did it start?" "It's not because of the corruption of some officers! I heard that there is a reward for the Mid-Autumn Festival, but it has never been distributed to them." While talking, the two walked to the right side of the crowd. The nurse on duty was leaning against a pillar. Seeing Su Xinjia approaching, she hurriedly asked: "Go ask Dr. Su?" Before Su Xinjia answered, he saw that the crowd was already moving.The wounded soldiers shouted wildly: "Can't go, don't let them go!" The crowd moved to the door, but stopped again. "Aren't you going to rebel?" The man in the suit jumped up and down in the crowd and scolded loudly. "Who is he?" Yan Jiexiu asked. "Administrator," Su Xinjia replied softly, "but he doesn't care about the wounded soldiers. He doesn't care about anything. It's his duty to prevent students and wounded soldiers from approaching." The crowd moved to the original place again.The officer and administrator repeatedly tried to break out of the encirclement, but were unsuccessful.The officer was in a hurry and shouted loudly: "What are you going to do? It's inappropriate!" With this drink, the wounded soldiers calmed down, but the encirclement did not relax.Suddenly Platoon Leader Sun raised his hands and shouted loudly: "Brothers! Let's push out the deputies, go to the magistrate, and ask—" What he said below was covered by the sound of applause.Then everyone shouted in unison: "Send representatives! Yes! Go to the critically injured ward and the adjacent wards and send representatives!" In the midst of being overwhelmed, the nurse on duty suddenly screamed: "Ah, Doctor Su is here!" The whole ward was suddenly silent.The wounded soldiers all turned to look at the door, and the encirclement naturally relaxed. Su Zipei opened his tired eyes, looked at the wounded soldiers, and said slowly: "Everyone, you can't make noise in the ward, you have violated the hospital rules." The wounded soldiers were silent, and most of them climbed onto their beds quietly. But the officer and administrator became majestic again, and just about to speak, Su Zipei shook his hand at them and said in a stern tone: "I'm sorry. I hope you also respect the rules of the hospital. The wounded have not been discharged from the hospital, and they are under the management of the hospital. I am the chief doctor, and no one can arrest a wounded person without my signature and permission." After finishing speaking, Su Zipei ignored the unsightly faces of the officer and administrator, and turned to the nurse on duty and said: "Doctor Huang is coming to check the wards, let's check their temperature." The officer whispered something to the administrator, and they went out together.The wounded soldiers were all lying on the bed now, and Platoon Leader Sun leaned his upper body against the bed rail, smiled shyly in embarrassment, and said to himself, "It's what they caused themselves! Come here!" Su Zipei waved to Yan Jiexiu and said, "Ji Zhen has just arrived and is in my office." Yan Jiexiu and Su Xinjia bypassed the corridor outside the operating room, and passed through a small grass field, and saw Yan Jizhen standing outside the door of the chief surgeon's office, staring intently at the pots of chrysanthemums in front of the corridor. "Uncle Ji, we've been waiting for you for a long time," Yan Jiexiu called from a distance, "This time it's you who didn't keep time!" Yan Jizhen smiled, but asked Su Xinjia, "Has the wounded soldiers' dissatisfaction erupted?" Su Xinjia nodded, but did not speak. All three of them stood in front of the porch, looking at several pots of chrysanthemums, as if they had too much to say, and they didn't know where to start and what to say. It was Yan Jiexiu who spoke first: "Uncle Ji, Xin Jia and I talked a lot just now. She told me that the air in Hankou is worse than here!" Yan Jizhen didn't seem to pay much attention to Jiexiu's words of surprise, but turned to look at Su Xinjia, nodded slightly, as if to say: Do you also know that such a situation exists?But Yan Jiexiu asked impatiently: "Uncle Ji, but you never told me. Is this all true?" "Really." Yan Jizhen replied seriously. "But after we go, um, after our friends, our friends' friends, all go, the atmosphere will be different. Sooner or later, everyone will go. The battle situation in Shanghai——" He didn't finish talking when Su Zipei came.Seeing them all standing in the corridor, Su Zipei invited them to sit inside. "It's better here," Yan Jizhen smiled and shook his hand, "The atmosphere in your office is too serious." Su Xinjia and Yan Jiexiu moved three chairs, and Jiexiu pulled Xin Jia and squeezed on a chair.Su Zipei sat down and asked Jiexiu with a smile: "Miss, did you see the scene just now? The upper beam is not straight and the lower beam is crooked. Of course, the wounded soldiers did a little too much, but officials should not lose their rewards. This is their official position." sinned first!" With a wry smile, Su Zipei turned his face and said to Yan Jizhen: "I have done my duty here for a month, and I have benefited a lot! In the past, I was really ignorant. Let me just cite one thing. The year before last, the students petitioned for resistance to the outside world. At that time, people in the government did not take an oath Day said they were willing to give in, but because they were not ready, they had to bear the humiliation and give in for the time being. Brother Ji Zhen, I didn't believe their words at that time. I thought they simply didn't dare to fight. But in retrospect, the preparation There is some truth to the words "insufficient". Now I have seen with my own eyes that there is no one place and nothing. It is not due to lack of preparation! This hospital is just a specimen. After I came in, I have been fighting every day. It doesn't smell like a hospital. Son. The hospital is like that, and the rest can be seen. If you talk to the wounded soldiers, you will be shocked. Where are they fighting? They are going to die in a daze! They just use the lives of the soldiers as their own. Advertisement. Nothing is prepared, there is no plan; a headache treats the head, and a foot hurts the foot! Officials pay attention to making reimbursements. I see those division commanders, army commanders, and commander-in-chiefs who reimburse themselves for the lives of soldiers!" Such indignation from Su Zipei is rare, not only Yan Jizhen was shocked when he heard it, but Jiexiu and Xin Jia also opened their eyes wide, as if they couldn't believe that such a painful and sharp comment did not come from Ji Zhen's mouth. "However, there is one thing they have done very seriously. They are not lacking in preparation, and they are also refraining from reimbursement." Ji Zhen suddenly said with a grin. "Hey! So sometimes it makes people sad and discouraged!" Su Zipei's face became extremely painful and serious. "Brother Ji Zhen, I am here. I have tasted enough sweets and bitters every day mentally, and I don't even feel the physical fatigue! What is sour? The wounded soldiers are here, and it seems that they have delayed the first aid at the front line. Injury turned into a serious illness: how can people not feel sad after seeing this? This is sour! What is bitter? The hospital is not fully equipped, the medicine is not complete, and a good woman can’t cook without rice, this is bitter! What is sweet? Every day A wounded soldier has his own evocative story, not to mention anything else, just one thing: They clearly knew that they were fighting blindly, they clearly saw their brothers being carried down from the line of fire, lacked first aid, minor injuries turned into serious injuries, serious injuries Cheng died, but they still didn't look back, and went to the front line! Hey..." Su Zipei's voice was too low to be heard. He lowered his head and cupped his face with his hands. Then he raised his head abruptly and saw Yan Jiexiu and Xin Jia's eyes were red, and said loudly: "Miss, I also shed tears the first time, and I couldn't help crying the second and third time, but my heart is sweet!" There was a moment of silence.Yan Jiexiu held back tears and asked with a forced smile: "Uncle Su, there is one more thing, what is spicy?" Before Su Zipei could answer, the hospital officer came to report: a new batch of wounded soldiers had arrived, please ask him to take care of them.Su Zipei jumped up and said "please accompany me", and left immediately.While crossing the lawn, he turned around and raised his hands and shouted: "Brother Ji Zhen, why don't you just leave the day after tomorrow? How about having a light meal at the house tomorrow? Miss, you come too.Aunt Su is always thinking of you! " "Don't dare to disturb!" When Yan Jizhen answered this sentence with a smile, Dr. Su had already arrived at the corridor on the other side of the lawn. Several nurses in white clothes rushed to meet him, and they went to the operating room together. They looked at Dr. Su's back, and in front of their eyes were the bloody bodies of the injured, and Dr. Su's "sweet, bitter, hot" voice was still ringing in their ears. Yan Jizhen looked at Su Xinjia in a blink of an eye: "What's your plan? Not moving for now?" Su Xinjia nodded.Yan Jiexiu rushed to say: "In two or three months, she will have surgery!" "You promoted it for me again," Su Xinjia glanced at Jiexiu and said sheepishly. "But it's hard to say. I'm afraid Dad won't be here for long! They all hate him, envy him, and fear him. Now he insists on refusing to leave, and they can't say anything if they want to drive him away. Dad is doing his duty. The wounded and the nurses treated him well." "If you can't last two or three months, what are you going to do?" Su Xinjia shook her head, looked at the sky, and smiled lonely. How about in two or three months?She can manage so much?Even if she plans to learn how to operate a knife now, she never thought of it two months ago!Since being arrested and released, Mrs. Su certainly didn't want her to take "adventures" again, and she herself had the idea of ​​flying away from her anger.And finally settled down to learn from her father, and followed Chen Keming's advice; Chen Keming had a sentence that made her think about it all night: "You can't tell people that I will serve you, but you are still half-baked." This is the secret of her eagerness to master skills in the shortest time. Yan Jizhen knew all of this. "Maybe it won't be as bad as we think," Yan Jizhen turned to comfort her when seeing Su Xinjia's gloomy expression. "Besides, it's not like there are no internship opportunities except this hospital." "I will also inquire for you when I arrive in Hankou." Yan Jiexiu said confidently, "Sister Xin, don't worry about your matter." The last rays of the setting sun on the lawn have also faded.The three of them talked casually for a few more words, and they all felt that they had finished what they wanted to say, but their hearts seemed to be heavy with countless words.Later, Yan Jizhen and Jiexiu got up to leave. As they left the hospital, a camouflaged truck pulled up at the gate.Yan Jiexiu glanced inside the car, it was full of wounded soldiers again.