Chapter 10 Marble (excerpt)-7

After all, the little military water bottle was carried by Joseph, and it was carried upside down. Although there are some minor problems, they are generally not bad, and their spirits are very good. And the one with the best energy was Joseph, who was stretching his arms and sleeves again, as if he was about to raise his hands again to strike.He looked around for a long time, but found nothing. Mother watched him dance and flirt, and was afraid that he might have caused some trouble, because although the carriage was not too crowded, people passing by couldn't move, and every time they stretched their legs, they would step on other people's feet, not to mention Joseph He was standing at the door of the carriage.

The mother saw Joseph stretching his legs and feet like this, so she greeted Joseph: "Joseph, come to Ma." At this time, an old man with a white beard came into the carriage, leaning on a crutch trembling in his hand.The people on the left swarmed and the people on the right squeezed, and the old man happened to fall beside Joseph. In fact, the old man didn't crush Joseph, but knocked his small military water bottle for a while.This Joseph was in a terrible situation, and he kicked and punched the old man with his feet. All the people in the car watched and praised the little hero, saying:

"This kid is really amazing! Like a little tiger." The mother hurried over and pulled Joseph over, and said: "This is not in Qingdao. You can beat anyone at home in Qingdao... You can't do it in Shanghai. Come back, come back..." Joseph was used to beating people, so he would not listen to his mother.His mother had already pulled him back, and he struggled to run out again, ran to the old man, and tore off a few of the old man's beard, which was a little relief. After a while, Joseph ran away again, to the end of the carriage, where a child in a red jacket sat on a woman's lap.Joseph ran there and pulled the four or five-year-old child down.Just pull it down and hit it, regardless of the reason.

Afterwards, Ma Bole asked why he beat the child? Joseph said: "He's looking at me! He's staring at me with both eyes." Then Marble and his wife laughed. Instead of teaching Joseph a lesson, he praised him, saying: "Joseph is such an amazing kid. He has so much courage. No matter how old or young he is, he can beat him whenever he wants. No wonder his grandpa said that in the future, this kid will be a Mussolini as well as a Hitler." The lady rolled her hand around Joseph's head, her eyes narrowed in a smile, and said: "If all the children in China are like Joseph, China will not perish. No matter who you are, they will hit them all."

Joseph was very satisfied when he heard it. Although he didn't quite understand what his mother said about Hitler, he could tell from the look on his face that his mother was praising him. After a lot of praise, Joseph finally rested and temporarily stopped the thought of beating someone.Whenever Joseph beat someone, if no one around him applauded him, he always felt that the beating was not enough and he wanted to keep beating.If someone next to him applauds, he will be more interested in the fight, and he must continue to fight.Only when his grandfather or his mother was around, he stopped for a little praise, because his acting skills had already been appreciated by his closest people.

But the mother was still not very aware of Joseph's mentality, so sometimes a lot of trouble was caused.For example, when Joseph was beating someone, his mother stopped him, and he had to beat him. In the end, even if he couldn’t hit the person, he would lie on the ground and roll around, or he was mad and beat his mother. . Now Joseph is very kind, reaching out to his brother David to borrow the cap of the thermos and drinking hot water (because his cap was lost on the train).After drinking it, I put the cap on the water bottle carefully.This is usually impossible. Usually, when he uses other people's things, he just grabs them with his hand.When you're done using it, just throw it on the ground.If David said that he threw it incorrectly, such as the water bottle cap, he would have dared to crush it with his feet.

Ma Bole and his family, the train is about to leave now, they are still very tidy and in good spirits, although Joseph had two troubles, but these two troubles were caused by poor people, it doesn't matter.Because the old man had no son or wife, and was dressed in such shabby clothes, it was obvious that he was not a rich and powerful man, but a poor old man, who would be afraid of beating a dozen.There was also that child, not to mention nothing, with a tuft of hair on her head, wearing a red jacket, one could tell that she was a country child, and she only looked at the tuft of hair on her head, so it didn't matter if she was beaten.

Therefore, although Joseph had two troubles, it did not have any bad influence on the spirit of the whole family.At the same time, because they have sufficient dry food and are fully armed, they are the only ones who are the best in this carriage. Opposite them occupied two rows of chairs, three children and two adults, and they were so neatly dressed and neatly dressed, it was really enviable. Three children, all in shorts.Just looking at it gave off a feeling of lightness and convenience, as if when they arrived at the Songjiang Bridge, their whole family must win in that struggle.Because they were organized and prepared from the very beginning, and this preparation and organization can be seen face to face.If you don’t believe me, just look at Xiao Yage, who is very energetic, holding the dry food bag with his right hand, and the flashlight with his left hand, and always asks, when will the Songjiang Bridge arrive?

Mother had no choice but to say: "Quickly." In fact, the train hasn't left yet. third chapter This time when Ma Bole got on the train, he was neither happy nor worried, but handled everything calmly and well.The boxes and baskets are also put away, and the children are sitting there very well. "Although Joseph was always a bit unruly, his mother was watching over him, so he didn't have to be distracted. His mood felt very condensed.Although he was riding in a third-class car, it was inevitable that he would make a lot of noise, the child cried, the woman screamed, and the chaos made his head dizzy and his eyes dazed.

But this does not affect Ma Bole at all, he is sitting quietly, his heart is very quiet, he looks at them with his eyes, he listens to them with his ears, but neither sees nor hears look.Those loud voices must not bother him.He was extremely calm.It seems that his most remarkable Songjiang Bridge is not great now, and it seems that it is not in front of his eyes. He is calm, he is very comfortable, he is sitting by the window.From time to time he opened his mouth wide to breathe in the fresh air, and he could look out of the window at the scenery. Because Ma Bole's state of mind became very tolerant, someone threw something in through the car window and threw it on his head, he was not angry, he just turned the corner of his mouth slightly to the right, and he dropped the thing on the ground. went to the ground.

He said to his wife: "Look, look how many things those people are carrying! He will be unlucky when he gets to the Yujiang Bridge." After a while, he called his wife again: "Look, the train is not running yet, and there are more and more people." After a while, he told Mrs. "Look at those who came late, when they get on the train, can they still have a place to sit? Even if they stand, they may have no place to sit." After a while, he pointed at his wife again: "Look, look!" The wife saw that a child had been crushed outside the train, and the child's nose was bleeding from the fall. After seeing this situation, Ma Bole didn't panic at all, because he felt that they themselves were never in such danger, they were already safe and sound, and the whole family had their own place. Ma Bole sat peacefully, watched peacefully, and listened peacefully.But it's all seeing as if you haven't seen it, and hearing it as if you haven't heard it. He has reached a state of meditation. The train couldn't leave the station for a while.It was almost half an hour before they were on the train.If this was normal, Ma Bole would definitely be fidgeting again, or cursed: "What a fucking Chinese." But today, he felt that everything was appropriate and everything was harmonious, so that riotous feeling It simply cannot happen.In today's situation, it's not that he is calming himself down. It's not like usual. He's already frightened, his face has turned pale with fright, and he keeps saying: "Not afraid, not afraid." But today is not artificial, but natural, and he is very calm. This is all because he went well once he got started. Wife, child, things, nothing is lost, what is it if this is not smooth? As soon as the train started, Marble looked at the scenery along the horizon. It was dusk, and the sun was about to set.The sun was shining red in the small bamboo forest behind the village, and the buffaloes were walking slowly in the paddy fields.The train passed by someone's house, and the children of that family stood up in groups of threes and looked at the train.The children stood there stunned, as if stunned by the rumbling train.How long has the war been fought in Shanghai? It seems that they can't see any traces here, or there will be a troop transport vehicle coming in a while.Marble thought so.But after a while it was dark, there was no moon in the sky, only stars.There are no lights in the carriages, only the fireworks of people smoking.horse Bole wanted to see the military vehicle transporting troops, but after all he didn't see it, he fell asleep, and slept very soundly, as if at home, snoring, dreaming, and sometimes said a word or two in his sleep: "What a fucking Chinese..." "What will we do then?" The wife listened, but did not answer. The train kept going, rumbling, rumbling.The wife sat beside her without closing her eyes.For David was asleep, Jacob was asleep, Joseph was asleep. Jacob was sleeping in his mother's arms.David leaned against the corner and fell asleep like his father.As for Joseph, he generously occupied most of the chair, like a small bed, and he slept on it, and he slept very comfortably.He stretched out his leg, kicking David's knee every now and then with the heel of his stiff shoe.Joseph's habit is that every turn is very violent. The mother is afraid that he will fall off the chair, so she must always pay attention to him. After sleeping until eight or nine o'clock, the cold air hit. One child sneezed and another coughed. The mother covered one with a coat and wrapped the other in a sweater.Added a lot of things, I am afraid that people will be taken away in sleep, so Mrs. Ma Paile did not even close her eyes. In the middle of the night, not only Ma Bole's family fell asleep, but also everyone in the carriage fell asleep.Snoring, snoring, snoring, gnashing of teeth, cursing, talking, all kinds of sounds arose. In the whole carriage, only Ma Bole's wife seemed to be awake. When she looked up, everyone had strange expressions on their faces. Some of them were biting their lips and wrinkling their noses, making people very frightened.And Mrs. Marble, never. Mrs Marlborough had never ridden third class.This was all Ma Bole's idea. He said that when fleeing, saving money was the first priority, so he took the third-class car. The more the wife watched, the more frightened she became, and she wanted to wake Ma Bole to be her companion, but seeing him sleeping so reluctantly, she wanted to call a few times, but they all stopped, and she endured it herself. Suddenly, someone jumped up on the seat behind him with a wow.It turned out that it was not a magical ghost, but a burden that fell on his head from a high place.But it frightened Mrs. Marble, who took Marble's body, which was still soundly asleep, and cried: "Paul, Paul!" Ma Bole just slept very well, how could he wake up, so he was half awake, slapped his wife's arm that was holding him tightly and said: "What are you doing...what are you doing..." Mrs. said: "Paul, wake up..." Ma Bole didn't even hear it, so he gritted his teeth and fell asleep again. I don't know if he completely forgot Songjiang Bridge in his dream. When Ma Bole woke up, the world had changed drastically, shouting, shouting, and shouting, it was already a bit close to shaking the sky and the earth. Ma Bole's drooping neck suddenly lifted up. When he heard his wife say that the Songjiang Bridge had arrived, he straightened his neck and wiped his eyes. If there was no second sentence, he said: "Grab it!" Probably he was not fully awake yet, so he picked up his flashlight, and ran forward without his backpack and ration bag.I ran to the door of the train and saw that there were already groups of people getting off the train. Marble took a look: "What can we do then!" After he finished speaking, he himself felt that something was wrong. How long will it take? This is the time, he thought. The night was dark, and I just woke up feeling very cold and shivering unceasingly.Marble thought, isn't this the time to sleep at home?Then Ma Bole felt very sad, as if he could sleep in the carriage again, he would have to sleep again before getting out of the car, but how could it be possible, this is really delusional. So Ma Bole had no choice but to follow the crowd, and took the child and his wife out of the carriage. As soon as he stepped out of the carriage, he could only hear shouts from far and near, shouting continuously.As for where is the Songjiang Bridge?You can't even see it, so you have to join the crowd and follow the flow of the crowd, flowing forward. After walking half a mile, we arrived at the bridge.During this half-mile journey, the desolate and desolate, the wandering and wandering, even the crying and screaming all came to the bridge. Marble has arrived at the front.The wife and children have not arrived yet. Now that we are at the bridge, there is nowhere to stop, and there is nowhere to wait.Those who are behind will squeeze those who are in front, and when they are crushed, they will step on the ones in front and cross over. People are walking very fast, like a whirlwind, like a torrent.As he walked, he yelled.The people in front had already snatched the Songjiang Bridge.Because the night is dark, only shouts can be heard, but no people can be seen, as if the earth is still a vast expanse.The voice was heard from a distance, as if it had come from heaven and earth out of thin air. The voice was strong and suppressed, and it didn't seem to come from a human mouth, but it seemed to be squeezed out of a small box. Now that Ma Bole has come to the bridge, he can't stand or stop. Looking under the bridge, the bright white water is as condensed as mercury.When Ma Bole saw it, he was frightened. Because he has no physical strength at all.His big suitcase weighs about 50 catties, his Jager weighs about 30 catties, and his dry food bags and thermos bottles weigh more than 20 catties, so a total of about 100 catties. For such a thin Ma Bole, it was too much for him to bear a hundred catties. So when he came to the bridge, he looked at the water under the bridge, his head became dizzy, as if he was about to fall, top-heavy.he thinks: "Are you afraid you won't be able to cross the bridge?" But the people behind him didn't let him stop even a single step, rushing, rushing, and pushing forward, the scene was very scary.Marble thought, why hasn't the wife arrived yet?Just a moment ago they were shouting that they were connected to each other, but now they couldn't even hear the shouting.Ma Bole thought, maybe because everyone shouted, the voice was confused, and it was impossible to hear who was calling, so Ma Bole only listened carefully, distinguished, and searched in the sea of ​​the sound.Among those voices, there seemed to be the voice of his wife.If you listen carefully, it's not true at all. He couldn't think of a good way, he couldn't lift his big box, he couldn't carry his Jager, and he felt as if his dry food bag was as heavy as a big rock.And that flashlight is very bad, it can make troubles, dripping on the body, one step hits the hip bone, and another step hits the buttocks, he thinks that hitting with the flashlight won't kill people, so it doesn't matter Yes, and the most important thing is the big box and Jager, the same must be thrown out of the two, either the big box or the Jager. But these two things can't be lost. Inside the big box is his suit. How can he lose the suit?A suit is the appearance, a person can have no content, but appearance is indispensable.In this day and age, who still reads your content, how much knowledge do you have, how much ability do you have?The content is invisible, but the appearance can be seen at a glance. Isn't everyone in this world using a good appearance to cover up a bad content? Marble hated the world very much, he said: "Fucking Chinese., He was already exhausted, and his mind could no longer think about those "content and appearance" theories. What he thought about just now was just a proposal that had been planned long ago, and it just came into his head now. , let the excessive fatigue drive away. Ma Bole's whole body was as hot as a fire, and his heart was beating like a balloon rising and falling in his chest.His eyes were bursting with golden flowers, and his mouth seemed to be saying something unconsciously, as if he was calling Mrs. or David.But I don't know how low the sound should be, it seems that even he himself can't hear it. Ma Bole seemed to be a little dizzy, as if his nerves were a little out of control. Ma Bole stepped aside from the railway sleepers to make way for the frighteningly surging crowd afterward. But the train track is a high earth cliff, and the sleepers are laid on the upper cliff, and both sides of the upper cliff are depressions, with aquatic plants growing underneath, and some broken wood and cinders.Ma Bole didn't know where he had just flashed like this. He felt very hot and very cold at the same time, as if a red piece of coal was soaked in water, and his hot body was cold. Wawa landed on those water plants.Marble rolled into the water under the railway. Marble didn't know where he was.And those who snatched the Songjiang Bridge didn't know that one of them named Ma Bole fell off the cliff.People are still moving forward.The flashlights on the bridge flashed horizontally and vertically.The road police were also maintaining order with flashlights in their hands.They said to the fleeing crowd: "Don't grab, walk slowly." "Don't grab it, be careful." "Don't grab, go one by one." The road police followed the passengers carefully, and used a flashlight to show the passengers the way to cross the bridge.But for a bridge that is half a mile long, there are only three or five road policemen. What's more, the road policeman has realized that his duty is to flashlight, and he can't control the rest. So he didn't care about those who were overwhelmed or fell into the river.Of course, the fact that Ma Bole was lying on the water plants was not noticed by anyone. Marble couldn't shout anymore.His big box also rolled to nowhere without a sound.Only the little Jager was very frightened, standing on the water plants, crying But once this crying sound was sandwiched by many voices crying louder than hers, her crying could not be heard. The crowd that was moving forward was still moving forward. After all the people had left and crossed the bridge, a road policeman appeared at the station, watching along the way to see how many times this train went into trouble, because every time a train arrives, there are bound to be casualties. The old man dies when he falls.Children were crushed to death and trampled on.Women also give birth on sleepers.As soon as the train carrying Ma Bole had passed the bridge, as usual, road policemen with flashlights came out to search. The road policeman heard a child crying at the bridge. As soon as the road policeman saw the child, he asked: "What's your last name?" Sure enough, Jage couldn't answer. Before getting on the train, the exercise on names was useless after all. The road policeman asked her again: "Where's Dad, where's Mom?" The road policeman spoke Shanghai dialect, which Jage didn't understand at all, and he was shaking the flashlight on the child's face, so Jage was so frightened that he cried and screamed.And she ran away while screaming, running very fast, as if something was chasing her behind. The road policeman saw the situation and thought it was very amusing, so he called several of his companions, and three or four flashlights shone on little Jager, illuminating him brightly. Little Jage was running in front, and they were shouting behind, and the voice they shouted was very terrifying: "Stop! Stop!" Jager felt that she was about to be caught by them, so she ran faster. Jager didn't know which side of the water was deep and which side was shallow, so he ran farther and farther among the aquatic plants, and the further he ran, the deeper the water became.The three policemen standing on the earth cliff watching the excitement felt that the kid was really interesting, so they picked up mud or stones and threw them towards little Jage.Their tosses were all very accurate, one by one they all landed around little Jage, and almost hit him.The water splashed from all sides, the water was very cold, and it splashed little Jage all over his face and head. They threw it and shouted: "Stop! Stop!" When Jacob heard this, he ran even faster.She felt that someone was about to catch up with her. When Jager ran to the depths of the water and almost lost his neck, the people shouting from the heights felt a little uncomfortable.But Jacques was immediately out of the water, because she had fallen. After Jager was carried to the station house, Ma Bole was also carried to the station house. The people on the station didn't know that Ma Bole was Jager's father, nor did they know that Jager was Ma Bole's daughter.Because when the road police found Jager, Jager had already run far away from her father.What's more, as soon as the policeman showed his flashlight, Jager ran to one side, further and further away, so at that time people only found Jager, a child, and did not see Ma Bole at all. No one on the station knew that Jager and Marble were a family. Marble was lying on a stretcher.Jager was in the arms of the road policeman. Jacob cried and struggled to run. Ma Bole just fell asleep.His thermos was broken, and he was carrying an empty shell; his dry food bag was completely soaked, and he was untied.The white back pocket he sewed by himself, because the pocket mouth was not sewn properly, many things, such as toothbrushes and soap, flowed out of the pocket opening, making the back pocket much thinner than before.Because it was also soaked in water, people also untied it. Ma Bole's burden of more than one hundred catties earlier was gone now.He didn't know where his big box was, and he didn't know where his Jager was. Jager can't be lost, Jager is a baby.The big suitcase can't be lost either, and inside the big suitcase is his suit.Now that both of them are lost, Ma Bole doesn't know anymore. When he woke up, he saw that the room was white for the first time, he thought, either in the hospital, or in the hotel, or in the school where he used to study.Marlborough had had scarlet fever before.When he had scarlet fever, he felt this way as soon as the fever subsided. He felt that the whole world was cold, and everything was transparent, transparent and fresh, as if he had just seen the world for the first time.Dissatisfaction with and criticism of this world has been completely withdrawn.On the contrary, for the world he asked not to reject him He wants to drink some water, he feels thirsty.He remembered, and he himself seemed to remember carrying a hot water bottle on his back.He wanted to reach out to take it, but for some reason his whole body was very lazy, so he yelled: "I need some water." After he heard his own voice, he became more sober. He remembered that he was not at home, nor in a hotel in Shanghai.This is a new place, and he clearly saw that the people walking around in the room were strangers whom he did not know. Ma Bole touched his nose, feeling uncomfortable on the nose.Touch it, no, could it be that you have been injured? He immediately had a quick feeling, is he already a wounded soldier? He had cotton on his nose, and a medical dressing. When Ma Bole touched his nose again, he thought that he was indeed a wounded soldier.Didn't I often shout that I want to join the army and become a soldier?I don't know why now that he really became a soldier, Ma Bole regretted it very much. It turned out that the words of becoming a soldier were just to frighten his father; to lie to his wife and let them give some more money to spend.Somehow he became a soldier. Ma Bole thought, it doesn't matter if only one nose is broken, but don't suffer any serious injuries.He wanted to lift his legs and stretch his arms, but he couldn't lift one of his left legs.He panicked, and he was sweating profusely.He thought: This must be over, the left leg was sawed off. Immediately he began to cry, and he cried very loudly.I didn't really mean to serve as a soldier on the front line, but now I'm disabled.He was very sad, and he regretted it, why did he go to the front to serve as a soldier?One leg is gone. Mrs. Marlborough, Joseph and David had already come to this station, because they came to this station when they found that Marlborough was not in any carriage. Now my wife is sitting on a chair with Jager in her arms. The little Jager is very hot, and his little face is flushed red.The wet clothes all over the body were changed.The only thing is that I don't know where to put my socks, and I can't find them when I search left and right. After taking off the wet socks, I have to go barefoot.The mother held her and wrapped her in a towel.And the child seemed to be asleep, jumping up and down, with a small sound, she jumped up, and grabbed the mother's lapel tightly, as if someone was coming to snatch her away. The way it goes. Ma Bole wanted to drink water, his wife heard it, but she couldn't move, she was afraid of alarming Jager.She asked David to pour a glass of water and send it over.But Ma Bole refused to drink in every possible way. He closed his eyes and began to cry.This cry made Jacques start to cry again. Ma Bole cried for a while, and when he heard it, someone beside him was also crying, and the crying seemed familiar, and it was a child. Ma Bole opened his eyes and saw Jager crying there!Then he remembered that he rolled off the sleeper while holding Jager.He hadn't really been wounded, it was a nightmare. Ma Bole called his wife, and asked her all about it.The wife was very cold and dissatisfied with Ma Bole, so the answer was very simple, and he only said briefly. But Ma Bole was happy after hearing this. Madame said little Jager almost drowned.Ma Bole cried when he heard it┉┉ Because Ma Bole himself had a secret joy that he could not tell outsiders, that is, he was not a wounded soldier after all. After spending a day at the train station, the next night, Marble's family boarded the train again. This time, their whole family was exhausted, their spirits were much worse than when they set off in Shanghai, and their equipment was poor) Three water bottles, two and a half were broken.Only Joseph's one was for military use, and it was still solid. Although it was a little bit pressed, it could still hold water.Marble's is broken, and even its shadow is gone.David's one, but there is only a leather case for hanging the water bottle, which is still hanging on his body. I don't know if it was broken or squeezed out. Besides, the dry food bags used to be full, but now they are all empty.One is lost, and the other is that the three children eat a lot in a day, butter, bread, all eaten up.But there was still something in there, which couldn't be seen from the outside, only the dry food bag was unseemly empty. Let’s talk about the three children. David sat there bored and pulled his hair. The feet are not swollen anywhere else, such as the eyes or the nose, which are easy to deal with, but the feet are swollen, and it is not very convenient to beat someone, so Joseph tried to do it several times, but he held back But Jager's little face was still feverish, and he was afraid of everything, always lying in his mother's arms, holding his mother's lapel tightly with his hands. Mrs. Marble's hair, which had not been combed properly for two days, was unkempt, for her hair had been permed, and would have been better otherwise.But once it was ironed, it was difficult to handle, like a foreign chicken, her hair was scattered around, and there was only one pearl ear clip left, so it was difficult to wear.So her whole head is just a mess of grass, and there is nothing to shine.Her eyes are usually very dark and big, but after two nights without sleep, they were completely dark. Only Ma Bole was in good spirits. When people asked him why his nose was covered with a medicinal cloth, he said to the whole car: "I am a soldier of honor." Chapter Four What Ma Bole was most afraid of was the future, which hadn't happened yet, and as soon as he expected it, he began to be afraid.No matter how far that thing is from when it happens, or it may not happen at all, as long as he foresees the possibility of that thing, he becomes very scared. When he was really on the scene, he became careless instead, thinking: "Anyway, that's the way things are, so what are you talking about! What else is there to talk about!" The train carrying Ma Bole actually arrived in Nanjing. Ma Bole thought: "At any rate, it's finally here." Out of the station, he said: "Go eat roast duck. I heard that the duck in Nanjing is the fattest." The wife was confused, and the wife suggested that it is better to stay in a hotel first. Because when we got off the train, it was raining lightly, and the children were all carrying their things. No matter how hungry they were, they had to find a place to put them in. Because of my wife's insistence, I decided to find a hotel to stay in first. There, Ma Bole was always cheered up, so when the gendarme came to check the store, he questioned him for a long time, and Ma Bole was not unlucky. The gendarme said: "Where are you from?" Ma Paile replied: "I'm from Shandong." The gendarme said: "Shandong people are the most traitors." If Ma Bole had heard this in the past, even though he didn't dare to scold the military police face to face, he would say in his heart: "What a fucking Chinese!" Ma Bole didn't think so, because he was in a particularly happy mood. May I ask why Ma Bole is in such a happy mood?His nose was broken, and he almost died from the fall. He fell into a coma, and the personnel did not know. The nose is still swollen up to now.But he thought: Didn't he fall to his death? What if he fell to his death?Didn't we finally arrive in Nanjing!What if we can't make it to Nanjing? Ma Bole felt inexplicably grateful that the Songjiang Bridge didn't throw him to death. Fortunately, there was the Songjiang Bridge that threw Ma Bole. If there was no pain, how would he know that there was happiness; if there was no Songjiang Bridge, how could he be as happy as he is now? Ma Bole is very satisfied now, and he is about to eat roast duck. It was as if he had reached his ultimate goal.How terrible the air raid on Nanjing was, it was as late as night.When Ma Bole was in Shanghai, when he thought of Nanjing, his mind would go round and round, just like thinking about Songjiang Bridge.But now it is all overshadowed by the victory of the Songjiang Bridge. He is going out to eat roast duck. Before he went out, he heard the voice of the gendarmes questioning the guests next door.The gendarme asked: "Where are you from?" "Liaoning people." "How old are you?" "Thirty years old." "From where?" "From Shanghai." "Where to go?" "To Hankou." "What occupation is it now?" "The editor in the bookstore." "Which bookstore, do you have any documents?" Ma Bole said "Yes", and then heard the sound of the box being turned over. Afterwards, the gendarme asked again. "What did you do before?" The man said that he used to study at the Lecture Hall in Liaoning, and he came to Shanghai after September 18th. The gendarme said again: "Since you are a soldier, why don't you join the army? Now that our country is fighting a war of resistance, talents are needed ahead. Since you are a soldier, why don't you join the army?" The man who was questioned said: "I changed my career a long time ago, from a warrior to a literati." The gendarme said: "Since you are a soldier, you should join the army. You should go to the front instead of the rear. Now our Chinese nation has reached the most dangerous moment." After Ma Bole listened again, there was no result, and the question was probably over.When Ma Bole looked out from the door again, the gendarme had already come out.There were three gendarmes in a row, and one of them was still saying: "He is from Liaoning. Many people in Liaoning are traitors. How come people from all provinces are traitors? After hearing these words, Ma Bole didn't dare go over and slap the military police immediately, but he scolded him in his heart: "What a fucking Chinese." But now he not only didn't scold, he also found it very amusing, he thought the gendarmerie's conversation was very interesting, he thought it would be nice to have a diary to write it down.This thought was just a flash, and then I thought of roast duck. "Jage, let's go! Go eat roast duck." Jager sat on the bed.He immediately hugged him from behind, which surprised Jager again.Jager stared: "Mom!" Wow cried out.And ran away screaming. Marble's roast duck is eaten next to a small stream with a bridge over it.People walk on the bridge, and ducks run under the bridge. Marble took a look: "What a fat duck!" He couldn't wait any longer. The ducks under the bridge had fur. If they didn't, he really wanted to pick one up and eat it. Twenty or thirty steps further on, there is a small restaurant there.This small restaurant is built on the current, and the running water below can be seen from the cracks in the floor, and there are ducks floating on the water.Joseph pressed his eyes to the crack in the floor, and he cried out: "Flower...white, green forehead...a big black duck..." When it was time to eat the duck, Joseph kept looking at the duck swimming under the floor. The roasted duck is not good, the skin is too old.Mrs. said: "The restaurant is too small, how can a small restaurant have fun." Marble said: “这种眼光是根本不对的，什么事情不能机械的看法……烤鸭子是南京的特产，若在咱家那边，大馆子你给他一只鸭子，问问他会烤吗？” 马伯乐正说之间，把个鸭子大腿放在嘴里，一咬，咬出血来了。 “好腥气，不能吃。” 马伯乐说着，于是吐了出来。 他吃烤鸭子是不大有经验的，他想翅膀可以吃吧。一看翅膀也是红的，似乎不太熟。又到胸脯上去试一试，胸脯也不太熟，用筷子夹，是无论如何也夹不下来一块肉的。于是他拿出削梨的小刀，用刀子割着。割下来的那肉，虽然没有多少血，但总觉得有点腥气，也只好多加一些酱油、醋，忍耐着吃着。吃到忍无可忍的时候，是那胸脯割到后来也出了血了。 这回可没法吃了。马伯乐招呼着算了帐，并且叫那堂棺把那剩下来的鸭子包了起来。他预备拿到旅馆里煮一煮再吃。Mrs. said: “你怎么又没有骂这个中国人呢？” “真他妈的中国人！”马伯乐想起来了。 走在路上，马伯乐就有点不大高兴，想不到南京的鸭子这样的使人失望。他自己也后悔了起来，为什么不到一个像样的饭馆去吃？这馆子不怪太太说不行，你看那些吃客吧，大兵，警察，差一点拉洋车的也都在一块了。这是下等人去的地方，不会好的。 马伯乐的心上无缘无故的就起着阴暗的影子。看一看天，天又下雨，看一看地，地又泥湿。南京一切都和上海不同，也和青岛不同，到处很凄凉。尤其在遭日本空袭之后，街上冷冷落落的，行人更少，又加上天落着牛毛雨，真是凄凉。 马伯乐一回到旅馆里，就躺在床上了。吃下去的鸭子，一时不容易消化，上上下下地反复。托茶房买的船票，茶房说又是三天后有船，又是五天后有船，茶房在过道上和太太嚷着： “船票难买呀。现在是下雨的天，明天天一晴了日本飞机就要来轰炸。” 马伯乐一听，到那时候可怎么办呢？立刻从床上跳了起来，往外一看，正好对面那幢房子就被炸掉一个屋角。他想：明天若是天晴了可怎么办呢？ 马伯乐挣扎着，他不愿意立刻就绝望的，但到了晚上，他是非绝望不可的了。第一因为天晴了，第二船票还是毫无头绪，第三是那吃在胃里边去的鸭子无论如何也消化不了。 他的胃里又酸又辣，简直不知是什么滋味，一直闹到了夜深，头上一阵阵出着汗。闹到了下半夜，马伯乐的精神就更不镇定，太太简直不知道他是怎么的了，一会听他说： “你看一看天上的星星吧。” 一会听他说： “星星出来了没有？” 太太以为他的病很重，怎么说起胡话来了。 Mrs. said: “保罗，我看你还是吃一片阿斯匹林吧。” Marble said: “不，我问你星星到底出来了没有？” 太太以为马伯乐的热度一定很高了，不然怎么一劲说胡话？ 其实他怕天晴了飞机要来炸呢。 第二天马伯乐就离开了南京了，全家上了一只小汽船。票子是旅馆的茶房给买的。一切很顺利，不过在票价上加了个二成。 那是自然的，大乱的时候，不发一点财，还等到什么时候？国难的时候，不发一点财，等国好了，可到什么地方发去？人在生死存亡的关头，说一就是一，说二就是二。还是钱要紧，还是生命要紧？马伯乐想：给了那茶房完成就算了吧。 但是太太说： “平常你就愿意骂中国人，买东西你多花一个铜板也不肯。让这茶房一敲就是四五块。钱让人家敲了去还不算，还有一篇大理论。” Marble said: “你这个人太机械，你也不想想，那是个什么年头，这是个什么年头！” Mrs. said: “这是什么年头？” Marble said: “这是飞机轰炸的年头。” 这都是在旅馆里的话，既然到了船上，这话也都不提了。太太也觉得不错，早到汉口一天，早安心一天。何况船还没开呢，警报就发了，可见早早地离开南京是对的。这小船脏得一塌糊涂， 让它在光天化日之下走着实在有点故意污辱它。固为那江水是明亮的，太阳是明亮的，天空也是明亮的，这三样一合，把那小船一照，照得体无完肤，斑斑节节完全显露了出来。 这样的小船本来可以载一百多人，现在因为是战时竟载了四百多人，而船主还说，不算多呢，多的时候，可载五六百。 这船连厨房带厕所都是人了，甲板上就不用说了。甲板上坐人是可以的，怎么厨房和厕所也都卖票吗？ 若不是马伯乐亲眼看了，你讲给他听，他是不信的。马伯乐一开厕所的门，那里边躺着一个。马伯乐到厨房去装饭，灶口旁边横着一个。开初他也是不能明白，后来经过别人一番讲解，他才算明白了。 那就是生了虎列拉的到厕所去昏倒在里边的了。到厨房去装饭的发了疟子，特别怕冷就在火灶旁倒下了。 这船上有伤兵，有换防的兵。伤兵可一看就看得出来，反正是受了伤的，这里包着一块白布，那里包着一块白布的。至于那从前线退下来换防的，可就有些认不出来了，也穿着军衣裳，也戴军帽子，问他有什么执照，他不肯拿出来：他把桌子一拍，把脚一跺，有的竟把眼睛一瞪。 般老板也就不敢再问他了，他是没买票的。 这船的空气不大好，腥气，好像载着一船鱼似的，而不是载着人。又腥气，又潮湿，用手摸一摸什么，什么都湿漉漉的，发粘的。 马伯乐一上了这船就睡着了，这像在火车上一样，睡得打着鼾，吹着气。不到吃饭的时候不起来。 马伯乐住的是舱底，是特殊阶级，和船老板住在一起。租的是茶房的床，床上是硬板铺小席头，虽然铁硬，臭虫很多，但把自己的被褥拿出来一铺上，也就很舒服了。臭虫虽然偶尔出来活动一会，总算不很多，还没有那上海的旅馆的臭虫多呢。 马伯乐睡在这舱底下，觉得很舒适，靠着马伯乐的旁边还有一个小窗子，有时偶然也打开一会，算是通通空气。但空气就总不进来，反而有一些煤烟和碎小的煤渣落进来。于是马伯乐说： “外边空气比舱里的空气更坏呢。” 于是又把窗子紧紧地关上了。 马伯乐睡得很沉熟，不到吃饭的时候绝对不醒。 一醒了就吃，一吃饱就唾。 那小船载着马伯乐昏昏庸庸地向前走着，走得并不起劲，好像这船没有吃饱饭似的，又好像没有睡好觉似的，看起来非常懒散，有一打无一打地向前混着。江上的波浪来了，这船并不像别的船，用船头把那波浪压下去，而是不进不退地让那波浪打着它，然后让那波浪自动地从那船底滚过去了。当那波浪从船底滚过的时候，船身就东摇西晃了起来，波浪显得大残忍了一点，怎么对于这样一个完全老实的小船也不略微地加以体恤，加以可怜呢！ “唉！无情的波浪啊！无情的江水啊！” 全船的船板，通体上下都感伤起来，咯咯喳喳地在响叫了。 一阵浪来了，就这样子对付过去了。 若来了风，这风比波浪更坏，把船吹得歪歪着走。向前进不是向前进，向后退不是向后退，而好像从那风的夹缝中，企望那风施恩的样子，请那风把它放了过去。 那风苦是小了一点，这老实的小船就吭吭了一阵也就过去了。 假使那风再大？这小船可就打了横了，不进不退，把船身歪歪着，似乎在形容着这风大得无以抵抗了。 这船是忠实又老实，实事求是，绝不挣扎，到了必要的时候，就是把那满船的搭客翻到江里去也是在所不惜的。 幸好，所遇见的几阵风都不算大大，把这船略微地吹了一吹，也就放它过去了。 不然像马伯乐睡在这船底上可够受的，临时想要逃呵，那舱底连个窗户门都没有呢，何况像马伯乐似的，又睡得昏头昏脑！ 这船在长江上走好几百里了，它颤颤巍巍的，岂止好几百里，总计起来，好几千里也有了，也许还上了万呢。因为这船从南京到汉口，从汉口又到南京，它来回地载着客人，上千上万的客人也让它载过了。 这都是“八一三”之后的事情。 这船每走上百八十里路就要丢了几个螺丝钉。每从南京到了汉口这一趟就要塌了一处栏杆或是断了一处船板。船板断了一处就用一块短板片浮在上边。船栏杆塌了，就用一条绳子拦住，不加修理，有人就问船老板说： “为什么不修理呢？” 船老板说： “不要修理了，修理就不上算了。” 那问的人不大懂得，船老板也就不再往下细说。 这船仍旧是南京一趟，汉口一趟地走着，走得非常吃力，而且受尽了人家的嘲笑。和它同一天从南京开出来的船，人家那船到了汉口，又载了新的客人和货，往回走了，整整和它遇在半路，这两个船相遇的时候，在大江上就闹了一阵玩笑。 那个完全健康的刷洗得干净的船向这个没睡醒的船说： “走得不慢，再过两三天汉口可见。” 这没有螺丝钉的船上的水手向着那船上水手说： “你走得快能怎样呢？” 两个船上的水手还互相乱抛着东西，打闹得非常有趣。 本来坐在这慢船上的乘客，对于这慢船难免不有些憎恨，有些愤慨，但经那快船水手的一番嘲笑，于是也就同仇敌汽了起来，站到这慢船的一面来，觉得这慢船有一个共同的命运。 岂不知它已经保了险了呢！而他们却没有。 这船载得客人也实在载得大多了，无孔不入，就连机器房里边也有客人坐在里边抽着烟卷。 约瑟因为身体好，精力过剩，到处参观，就来到了机器房的旁边。机器房是在船底，里边格格哒哒地响着。约瑟觉得很好玩，就要下去看看，无奈那个小楼梯像个洞似的，约瑟有点害怕。那在机器旁边坐着的旅客就招呼着他，觉得这小孩穿的可怪整齐的，就说： “小孩下来看看，我给你照个亮。” 于是在那洞似的小梯子口间就有人划着一根火柴。约瑟下去了。觉得那里边只是汽油的气味，并且热烘烘的，很不舒服，就想要立刻出来。 这时，那划火柴的人，拿了一个小圆东西放在约瑟的手里。约瑟觉得这东西热忽忽的，一看，是一个螺丝转，六棱的，觉得很好玩，也就伸出手去，随便摘了两个。 那管理机器的人，满脸油呈：走过来了，把约瑟吓了一跳，他往约瑟的手上看着，并且问约瑟： “你拿的什么？” 约瑟把手张开了。那人看了看，又笑了，并且抚摸着约瑟的头顶： “这小孩交关干净……拿去玩吧。” 约瑟拿着四个螺丝转，雅格两个，自己两个，大卫没有。大卫刚要一看，约瑟过去就是一掌，打在大卫的脸上。Joseph said: “看，看到你眼睛里去怕拿不出来。” 大卫正想哭，却让母亲拉过去了。 母亲一看约瑟玩着的那东西，就问那东西是哪里来的？ 约瑟说机器房里来的。 mother said: “这孩子，还得了，什么地方你都去，机器房也是好去的，多危险。” 母亲说完了，也就完了，雅格和约瑟就在那里玩着。母亲还说： “好好玩吧，别打仗！” 船老板来了。母亲怕船老板来了不愿意，这不是损坏人家的船吗？母亲就假装刚刚看见，说： “约瑟，你真是太淘气啦……你这些东西是哪儿拿来的，赶快送回去……” 岂不知这船老板可不同别的船老板，大方得很，满不在乎。说：“玩吧，玩吧……够不够？不够可再到机器房去拣，那边多得很呢。”约瑟的母亲，觉得船老板这人随随便便的很不错，于是就向约瑟说： “好好玩去吧，别打仗。” 大卫也想要去拣那螺丝转，但是因为胆小，那机器房他不敢下去。他让约瑟下，约瑟下去就拣了一把来，大大小小的，大的如铜板大，小的钮扣大。 这船载的客人也实在太多了。夜里鼾声如雷，好像是载了一船青蛙似的，呱呱地响着。白天，刚好像一家人们都在吃饭，这一堆人吃光了，那一堆人再吃，那一堆人吃完了，第三堆人再吃。 厨房小，碗筷少，只得轮流着吃。每日三顿，再加上这一轮流，就闹成了川流不息，整天吃饭的现象。 因此苍蝇忽忽的飞着，饭粒掉在船板上的，人们用脚踩着，踩成了烂泥之后，就在那里发着气味。 这船的气味非常之大，人们不能洗澡，船板不能洗刷，而那厕所大小了，不够用的，于是人们就自动地把厕所的周围都开辟了起来，又开辟了一个天然厕所。所以这船每当靠岸的时候，检疫处的人员都不肯上来检查，只坐着小汽艇来到了江心，老远招呼着： “船上有病人没有？” 船上说： "No." 于是，这船可以开到码头去了。 马伯乐的这只船临到了汉口码头的时候，人们连骂带吵地就在甲板上闹着。船老板站在小扶梯上把头从舱底探了出去。船老板用演说教导他们。 这船的乘客们不知怎么的，一路都是服服帖帖的，给苍蝇吃，就吃苍蝇（饭里带苍蝇）；给开辟了一个天然厕所，也不反对。惟独一到码头，大家就都吵了起来。一边拍着行李，一边踢着船板： “这是他妈的什么船，真害人哪！” “这船，他妈的还让人家买票！” “这船，烧火吧，” 从太阳一出来，影影绰绰的就看见汉口了，在长江的边上，在一堆蓝瓦瓦的青烟里边。 人们从那个时候，就开始整理东西，好像是说稍微慢了一点，就怕来不及下船了。船的甲板上，其中有几个年老的人，年老的人是到处落伍。无怪乎那优胜劣败的哲学是千对万对的。看吧，甲板上坐着三个老头，一个五十多岁，一个六十多岁，一个七十多岁，其实不用看，一想就知道他们三个必将成为劣败者。他们的手是颤抖的，捆起行李来是哆哆嗦嗦的，好像那行李里边包着动物似的。 所有船上的人从太阳刚一冒红的时候，就开始收拾，收拾到小晌午，早都收拾好了，就等汉口一到，人们提着东西就下去了。 但是汉口却总是不到，走了半晌午，那汉口还是看去在蓝烟之中。船上的人因为下船的心太急切了，就都站起来不肯坐下，往那远的一堆的蓝烟看去。 Some said: “快，二十四拜都拜了，只差这一哆嗦了。” Some said: “王宝钏十八年的寒窑都耐过了，这五六天算什么。” Some said: “心急吃不了热枣粥。” “心急成吗？心急成不了大英雄。” “心急没官做。” 就是那说不心急的人，一边说着一边急得在甲板上打转。那些听着的人，也越听越站不住脚。就像自己知道了自己有那么一种弱点的人，起誓发愿他说：“我若再那么着，我是王八蛋。”结果自己成了王八蛋了，因为他非那么着不可。这船夜以继日地突突地向前进着，永远前进不出什么结果来，好像让什么人把它丢进泥河了似的。那江上的每个波浪每个泡沫似乎都带着粘性，把船底给沾住了。眼看着汉口，手指着汉口，可就是到不了汉口。从太阳一冒红，就看见汉口在一片蓝瓦瓦的气象之中，到现在已经小晌午了，往汉口那方一看，依旧仍是“松下问童子，云深不知处”。 这船上的乘客，有些是去过汉口的，有些是第一次。那去过汉口的就当众炫乎着，说那江汉关口有一个大钟楼，那大钟楼是多么高，多么高！离得好远就看得见了。 有些没有去过汉口的就跟着大家往那边看，但是无论怎样看，也看不到。年老的人说： “我的眼睛老花了，你们往那边看看，是不是那就是大钟楼的尖顶呢？吃完了午饭，到了下半天，那钟楼的顶尖还是一点也看不见。 到了三四点钟，那钟楼还是一点也看不见。 又是晚饭了，那钟楼还是一点也看不见。 于是人们目瞪口呆，你看着我，我看着你。这船慢得这样出奇，把人们全吓住了。 “难道真个还要摊开行李睡觉吗？” 其实是不用怀疑了，今夜是下不了船的。但人们总觉得还有希望，所以都一声不响地坐着，还在等待着。 那船上的水手说： “今天算是到不了喽。”这才算完全给人们断了念头。有的时候，断念是好的。 本来那船上的水手，一早说这船今天会到，但也没有说得十分肯定。也不过就是“可能到”，“或可到”，“有到的希望”的意思。 但那些心急的乘客一听了就变成了“非到不可”了。 第二天，一早晨起来，人们就骂着。汉口的确离着不远了，那大钟楼已经看得清清晰晰的了，江面上的舢板船还有大帆船，是那么多。江上发着各种声音，说话声，打水声，还有些噢呵——纤绳的声音。但是人们不看这些，人们一边捆着行李，一边骂着。 有的说腰痛，有的说腿痛，有的说肚子痛，还有的说眼睛昨天晚上受了风。好像只差了昨夜的这一夜的工夫，就出了许多乱子。假若昨天这船若是到了，这一切病症都不会发生。 有的说，昨天晚上的风特别厉害；有的说，昨天晚上的饭特别生硬，吃了肚子痛；有的说，他三十多年的老病，没有犯过，昨天晚上这一夜就犯了。另一个听了就接着说： “可不是，十多年前，我这腿肚子让疯狗咬了一口，落了一个疤。经你这一提，我才觉得昨天夜里就觉得发痒。” 另一个又说： “可不是嘛，这是一股子大邪风。” Another said: “邪风就犯病的……” 于是乎一个搔背，一个抓腿。一个说背痛，一个说腿痒。而恰巧是他们两个又都是老病，而这老病，又都是因为昨晚这一夜工夫而犯的。他们俩个，十分同病相怜。