Chapter 9 Nine

By April, even though the foggy season in Chongqing is over, the fog is still very thick in the morning.The fog, damp and cold, covered the mountain city like a big curtain, and it didn't gradually dissipate until the sun was high.The sun rose like a scarlet fireball, which looked a little scary.This is an ominous sign, which means a disaster for soldiers; it also means a sunny day, which means that air raids will come again.The weather in Chongqing can be clearly divided into two seasons: winter is cold and foggy; summer is hot and fogless—but it is dangerous.Everyone knows that as soon as the sky clears, the Japanese planes will come again.

At the end of April, the alarm was raised for the first time this year.The plane did not come, but everyone knew that the war had come again.Fog, the natural line of defense that plays a protective role, is gone, and people have to resign themselves to fate. Baoqing was used to air raids.Some of the air raids he had personally experienced were still horrifying to think about.He decided to send the wretch to Nanquan Hot Spring, which is more than forty miles away from the city and is safer.He's going to get a couple of rooms there for the poor guy; rent a hotel, rent a house, whatever.If Chongqing*ちSu asuburbs are easy to buy, gown, and slack, to pick 碇Α*

And so came that unforgettable day in May.It was dusk in the mountain city, and the sun was far away, like a big fireball.Some people near the bookstore are shouting: the alarm is sounded.Some people also said that it was a rumor that the alarm was not raised.Refugees from other places knew the power of air raids and quickly hid in air-raid shelters.The locals are still doing their own things, and some people are wandering in the street nonchalantly.These "xiajiang people" are really nervous!Air raid?Not even a plane. All of a sudden, the plane came and made a booming noise.The refugees heading for the dugout ran faster.They'd heard it before—it was a bomber.But the Sichuanese stood there, staring at the sky.Maybe it's my own plane, just returned from bombing the enemy area.There are no bombs at all, what are you afraid of?

Once the foggy season was over, Second Mistress didn't dare to drink anymore.She didn't like being blown to pieces.It's much more interesting to be alive.Day and night, she is always ready to drill the air-raid shelter.She packed the money and jewelry carefully in a small bag and carried it with her. This afternoon, she was checking the alarm bag, wondering if she could put something else in it.It is best to bring a bottle of wine and drink a couple of sips when you feel dizzy.Xiulian was looking at the old postage stamps she had accumulated, while Dafeng was doing her needlework.

All of a sudden, I heard a loud bang above my head, as if a huge ax had split the sky in half.Xiulian suddenly jumped up. Baoqing ran out from the back room barefoot, "I didn't hear the alarm!" he said.Second Mistress sat on a chair, trying to stand up, but couldn't.She clutched the packet tightly in her hand.She stood up twice, but her legs were so weak that she couldn't control it.Baoqing came over to help her, and Xiulian ran to the window.A shrill roar passed through the room, the sound became louder and louder, and suddenly became silent again. "Lie down," Baoqing shouted.He himself got down on the ground.

The bomb went off—three muffled bangs, and the bookstore shook.A vase bounced off the table and fell to pieces.Xiulian blocked her ears with her fingers and crawled under the table by the window.There was a cloud of smoke in the street outside.Then there was another explosion, the sound was short and sharp, one after another.The entire bookstore was turned upside down, as if it had been punched by a giant, and then the shattered glass rattled and fell to the ground one after another. Bao Qing was the first to say: "Let's go, I figured it out." He was still lying on the ground.He spoke to comfort everyone.No one answered.He looked around, not even daring to raise his head: "Dafeng, where are you?" Dafeng was in the next room, lying under the bed: "Mom, where are you?" Second Mistress was still sitting in the chair , clutching that pocket tightly.Her feet were wet.She peed her pants! "It's over," Baoqing reassured her.She is silent.He walked over and touched her hand.Hands are cold.Seeing her crying, he called Dafeng over to comfort his mother.Dafeng crawled out from under the bed, his body and face were covered with dust and cobwebs, and his eyes were full of tears.

Baoqing put on shoes and socks.When Second Mistress came to her senses, he had already walked to the door. "Where are you going?" she cried. "Go and see the Tang family, I have to see how they are doing." "Leave me alone? I'm scared to death, but you only think about others." Baoqing hesitated for a moment.But he went downstairs anyway.She defiantly confronted him again, which meant that she was all right.It is his duty to see how the Tang family is doing.Qinzhu is the cornerstone in his class, and Xiao Liu is the only luthier in Chongqing who can play the sanxian.He had to go see them now, and maybe they would save him a little trouble in the future.

Outside the street was the same as usual.He thought the street was gone, the bombs were so close.There was broken glass everywhere.Some firefighters and police were running around, and there were not many people on the street.The sun has set.Looking across the street, on the roofs of the next few streets, there was a strong light like a rainbow. That was not a rainbow, but a house on fire.Part of the mountain city was already in flames.His heart ached.He quickened his pace.It was the area where the Tang family lived that caught fire.his corner!His luthier!When he got to the back, a line of police officers blocked him.He took out the energy of breastfeeding and squeezed through the crowd.The whole street is burning.The smell of burnt meat went straight to his nostrils.He felt nauseous and walked away quickly.

In the end, he climbed up the mountain and headed in the direction of Tang's Hotel.Maybe he could fight his way through the alley and find them.However, wherever he went, it was so miserable that people dared not look at it.The streets near the mountain were full of raging fires, and thick smoke rolled towards him overwhelmingly.All that could be heard were the crackling of the fire, the screams of the besieged, and the ominous ringing of the fire engine's bell.New flames, like yellow flowers in the darkness, sprang up from everywhere, and soon turned into blazing tongues.The sky above the head also became a terrible mirror, now yellow and now red, as if God deliberately watched people burn to death in the furnace below for fun.

With his head down, Baoqing walked home with a heavy heart, and there was always a large piece of frightening fire in front of his eyes. At this moment, the streets are full of people, everyone wants to go out of the city, all the rickshaws are piled high with things, and the family is fleeing with all their bags and bags, and the people who can’t find the rickshaw, Cursing, some crying.Children who have lost their parents are crying.Some people also brought squawking pigs and clucking chickens. A person almost bumped into Baoqing.His face was livid with anger, and instead of apologizing, he cursed, "You people from Xiajiang," he shouted, pointing, "You hired the plane. Go back to the river."

Baoqing didn't want to quarrel with him.Obviously, he was wrong.Where is the plane that the refugees recruited.He forgot that the person was still scolding him, and he was lost in thought.As he walked, he was still pondering.You can write a drum speech to tell everyone what is going on with the war and why there is a war of resistance. Suddenly, he fell to the ground.A mad man ran wild down the street and knocked him down.He stood up and dusted off his clothes.Only then did he see that he had already passed the bookstore. Xiulian is waiting for him.She looked so small, so lonely. "Dad, everyone has gone out of town," she said, "Why don't we go? Go to Nanquan Hot Spring to find uncle." Baoqing couldn't make up his mind.When it was over, he said, "How do we go? We can't find a foreign car or a sliding pole in the city, let alone a car. We can't go tonight. We'll think of a way tomorrow when the city is free." "I want to go now, Dad. I'm not afraid of being blown up, I'm afraid of hearing the sound." He shook his head. "I saw with my own eyes that the streets by the river were on fire. We couldn't walk through - the police blocked the road. We'll find a way tomorrow morning." She looked at him suspiciously and asked, "Don How is home?" "I don't know." His chin trembled. "I can't walk. There's fire everywhere. It's scary." Her dark eyes were dimmed.She looked at the ceiling. "Dad, will there be an air strike tomorrow?" "who knows." "I can't wait," she laughed dryly. "Even if I go, I will go to my uncle's place. I don't want to be attacked again." Second Mistress screamed at them.Although she had been drinking, her face was still pale. "I can't die here," she yelled, "move, move, do something." "Tomorrow morning, we'll go to Nan Hot Spring," Bao Qing said, tired and nervous.It made him sad to see her like this. No one slept.The streets were crowded with people all night, and no one dared to go to sleep.Rumors abound.Every time a new rumor was heard, the women burst into tears, and it was heartbreaking to hear.Four thousand people were killed, that's official news.If 4,000 people were killed in one blow, it would be even more unimaginable in the future.Every rumor made the rioting crowd more disturbed and miserable. At two o'clock at night, Baoqing couldn't fall asleep, so he didn't sleep at all.He put on his clothes, went downstairs, and walked to the bookstore—that was the crystallization of his brainstorming and the place where he became famous.Baoqing, who is the class leader, is lucky to have a group of familiar seats here.However, the sight in front of him made his head numb.The congratulatory banners and plaques are still hung on the wall, all of which are in praise of him.Some of his most cherished ones have been sent to Nanquan Hot Spring.Then there are tables, chairs, and benches.It's all hard work.What's the use now?On the long table over there, two hundred sets of newly bought tureen were neatly stacked.He holds his bald head in both hands.These teacups are his blood and sweat!There is no way to take them away.The family may have to travel long distances to get to South Hot Spring.There may also be airstrikes.Maybe tomorrow night, the whole street will be reduced to ashes, not a single tea bowl will be left.Is it because he made two money when other people's homes were ruined, so he got such retribution? His forehead was covered with sweat.He suddenly raised his broad, wrinkled face and smiled.With life, what else to worry about?What are a few teacups?He went backstage and put the drum and sanxian into a cloth bag.Seeing these treasures made him feel better.As long as he has them, he has nothing to fear.You can earn money to eat wherever you go. He found a piece of red paper and wrote a notice in large strokes: "The bookstore will be closed for three days." He walked to the front of the bookstore and pasted the red paper on the most conspicuous place.When it's over, go backstage.This time he knelt down and begged God to bless him.Ask the merciful Bodhisattva and patriarch to bless—"Bodhisattva bless, bless! I will burn more incense in the future." After he finished, he went to wake up the family, and it was already three o'clock.Xiulian turned over and narrowed her eyes. "Another air raid?" she asked.Baoqing hurriedly said no and told her that it was time to leave.She jumped out of bed like a bunny.Her bag had already been packed, and there were two pieces of clothing and accumulated stamps in it.Second Mistress yawned and picked up the bag.Dafeng hid behind her mother.She was afraid that her father would ask her to play drums. "Good girl," he begged, "help me. The Sanxian is heavy enough." She was displeased, but she still picked up the drum.Baoqing locked the door of the bookstore.He stood for a moment, gazing at the place, full of sadness.He turned around abruptly and set off with the whole family.A layer of mist enveloped the mountain city.Thousands of people still crowded the streets, pale, stern, and bewildered.Some people walked with heavy and slow steps, and some people stared blankly.The streets where Baoqing's family walked were still burning.You can clearly see the charred skeleton of the house still smoking, and in some places still spitting flames.They walked among piles of rubble and burnt wood, and there was an unpleasant smell of burning everywhere.Now and then a corpse was seen, and now and then a solitary pillar stood there.Once, as they walked, a pillar fell, sending up a cloud of glowing ash.They quickened their pace, stuffing their noses with their hands, trying to avoid the terrible stench. Second Mistress was so frightened that she didn't even care about swearing.She is usually the least happy to be busy, but now she always feels that everyone is walking too slowly.She stopped abruptly, screamed, and covered her face.It turned out that she had stepped on a dead child.Xiulian was entangled in a ball of disconnected wires, Baoqing turned around to help her untie her, she was terrified, and managed to break free, tearing off a piece of clothes.Dafeng kept tumbling somersaults, but still clung to the drum tightly. They walked for hours, winding their way through rubbled streets, crawling over ruined houses and piles of dead bodies, until they reached the waterfront.It's shocking!Looking back at the hardships and dangers they have experienced, they all collapsed on the wet sand and couldn't get up.A piece of scorched earth and ruins.Puffs of thick smoke and tongues of fire shot straight into the sky.That large expanse of scorched earth looked like a huge black dragon with a tongue of fire sticking out of its mouth.There are hundreds of such black dragons. They had to try to get across the river.Baoqing went to find the ferry.A whistle sounded, and the ferry went on as usual.That's it!Many people paid a shockingly high price to cross the river in a small boat.There is a ferry *bald 谩W』yong蠼* people are worried and afraid. The ferry was already packed.After crossing the river, he asked the second mistress and the two girls to wait in the teahouse first, and ran out to find a way by himself.The bus stop was crowded with people, and Bao Qing concluded that even if they waited for a week, the bus would not be able to take all the waiting people there.He wants to hire a slider.The asking price for a slider lift is insanely high.At the end he found a private car.He approached the driver with a smiling face.Ask the driver to drink tea, the driver is happy.After a while, Bao Qingsai offered him a considerable amount of money, asking him to take his family to Nanquan Hot Spring, and the driver readily agreed.He was trying to do such a business! There is a car to sit in, and Xiulian is very happy.It's just like in a storybook.The second grandma complained again. "If I knew there was a car, I would have brought more things," she muttered.Baoqing was speechless.He was very happy, and the Bodhisattva still blessed him. The scenery outside the window ran back quickly, and Xiulian quickly forgot about her fatigue.Everything is fresh and beautiful.South Hot Spring is really interesting, the streets are narrow and small, backed by the continuous Daqingshan.There are many things to see: the gurgling brook, the graceful pine trees, the sun is so peaceful and serene, which is different from the sun in Chongqing.The col is a deep purple shade, and the green terraces stretch as far as the eye can see.She had never seen such a beautiful sight. Seeing them, the wimp burst into tears.He thought they were all killed.His face was yellowish-grey and wrinkled, and his eyes were bloodshot. "You don't seem to have slept all night," Baoqing said, "Brother, why don't you rest?" "How can I sleep with such a big heart?"He held Xiulian's shoulders and said enthusiastically like a child: "Go to sleep for a while, son, and sleep well. When you wake up tomorrow, go to the hot spring to take a bath. That will be interesting!" He looked at everyone , Huanhuanxi looked everyone over. "It's great to be alive! It's great! We all have to take a bath. Good, great!" He didn't know where to start when he was happy.Just keep your mouth shut. "My good brother," he said to Bao Qing, "you must sleep first." Bao Qing was very disapproving: "I'm not busy, I still have serious business to do." "Serious business?" The wimp looked at his brother, thinking he was crazy. "Such a beautiful place, what else is there to do?" Bao Qing handed the precious sanxian to the wimp, "I'll go to the town and see if I can make art here." After speaking, he walked briskly away.