Chapter 3 two

At that time, Iri was only in his twenties, and the railway journey from Beijing to Shanghai was not tiring for him. After arriving in Shanghai, I heard that the law and order in Yuling area was not very stable. In a village called Ruidianzhuang near Yuling, a small Japanese garrison was stationed, and a few soldiers were also stationed in several other nearby places.The garrison in that area sometimes sends about a liaison team to Shanghai. It would be the safest to go to Yuling with them. However, entering the river is very urgent. Because Shangfeng only allowed him to stay in Yuling for one month, he had to arrive as soon as possible.

According to the Japanese Military Reporting Department, guerrilla activities have been quite frequent recently. Only when I came here again 25 years later did I realize that the journey only takes half a day, but in those days it was necessary to stay for one night because traffic was not available halfway. If you ride a bicycle and start in the morning, you may be able to arrive in the middle of the night. On the second day after Irijiang arrived in Shanghai, he quickly got a bicycle, loaded it into a military truck, and set off. Be careful, the road that is closed to traffic is dangerous.

The special staff of the reporting department asked worriedly. Resign yourself to fate!Irie answered. He didn't think there was anything scary about the guerrillas, and thought to himself, it wasn't a war anyway. It is of course good that young people are energetic, but it is not an urgent matter where every second counts. How about waiting a few more days? However, when will the liaison team come? Military secrets, I can't say so clearly, but it should arrive within a week! a week?Can't wait that long. A quarter of the journey to Yuling can be taken by truck. Since this section is the main supply line for the Japanese army, it is heavily guarded and safe.

On the fork road to Yuling, unload the bicycle into the river.The soldier driving the truck was an intellectual who graduated from a higher industrial school. He reminded Irie when saying goodbye: This is the sphere of influence of Wolong, be careful! According to the soldiers, the story of the guerrilla leader operating in this area was once reported by a foreign magazine.He often haunted the Japanese-occupied areas in order to scout the enemy's situation, but no one knew what he looked like, because his photos could not be taken during interviews. That report gave him the title of Crouching Dragon, and his companions were happy to call him that.Perhaps a bit of an exaggeration, but it was said to be a mysterious figure who was elusive, invincible, educated, and spoke good English.

Got it, I'll keep an eye out. Although Irie answered in this way, he thought to himself, such an attractive Wolong really wants to see him! It should be said that among the people I met, there were too few such charismatic characters who were not constrained by the world. It is spring in the south bank of the Yangtze River (Yangtze River). Peach blossoms are blooming everywhere, and the seemingly quiet pastoral scenery will encounter guerrillas unexpectedly. Although it is an area under the control of the Japanese army, the so-called controlled area is limited to points and lines.The endless field in front of me, which has not yet been transplanted, is a surface separated from points and lines.

The uneven country road that I entered the river is a slender line that is vulnerable to being attacked from all sides. Ordinary bicycles often blow out tires, so he deliberately chose a bicycle that does not need to be pumped and has extremely thick rubber rings embedded in the wheels that will not blow out.However, although the wheels will not blow out, tires that are too hard and inelastic are really uncomfortable to ride. Sure enough, after riding on the bumpy road for a while, the buttocks hurt unspeakably. Entering the river, we parked under a willow tree beside the road and took a rest.When I lit a cigarette, I suddenly saw a slogan pasted on the trunk of the willow, which read: The final victory does not wait for the tortoise.

The final victory needs no divination to speak for itself.This is by no means a slogan advocated by the Japanese army or the Wang Jingwei puppet regime in Nanking. The left corner of the slogan is signed by the Loyalty and National Salvation Army of the Third War Zone. During the Anti-Japanese War, the main battlefields of the Chinese army and the Japanese army were divided into the first to ninth theaters, plus the three border theaters of Lusu, Jicha, Henan, Shandong, Jiangsu and Anhui, and there were a total of twelve theaters.This area belongs to the third war zone under the command of General Gu Zhutong, and the headquarters is located in Jianyang, Fujian Province.

The Loyalty and Nation Salvation Army is affiliated to the third war zone. It is neither a regular army nor a guerrilla. It is called the Loyalty and National Salvation Army for short. Irie had heard a little bit about it, and when he saw the slogan, his spirit also became tense. There was grass under the willows, and he sat down and blew smoke rings into the sky. Bathed in warm sunshine, the slight spring breeze blows away the smoke rings. It was so peaceful, but he remembered the war. When he was a student, due to lung disease, he was diagnosed as a Class C physique during the conscription medical examination, but due to the deterioration of the situation, he may still be recruited to the battlefield at any time.Maybe when he will step onto the battlefield of flesh and steel, at this time, he should enjoy this rare moment in front of him.

While snuffing out the butt of the cigarette in the grass, he felt someone behind him. Looking back, I saw five men walking from the ridge of the field to the road next to the river. Irie stood up reflexively, putting on a defensive posture. The man in the front wore loose navy blue trousers, an unbuttoned gray stand-up collar, and his hair was almost white.Irie breathed a sigh of relief and thought: It must be the people around here, too old to be a guerrilla. The other party seemed to be aware of Irie's panic, and turned his head around anxiously and suspiciously.Compared with the man in the front, the man at the back looked much younger, dressed casually, and at first glance, he looked like a tenant farmer.

The old man whispered to his companion, and then the bald man in shorts walked up to Irie and asked: Where did you come from?Let me see the certificate of good citizenship. With a strong local accent, even Irijiang, who can speak Chinese, had a hard time understanding it. At that time, the Japanese army and the puppet regime of Wang Jingwei cooperated in the so-called clearing of the countryside. Cleaning up the countryside sounds like a big deal, but in fact it is to eradicate the anti-Japanese elements in the occupied areas and establish a safe zone. It is not enough to just hold the points and lines, the plan will expand to the whole area.

However, it is not easy to maintain the overall occupation of the occupied area, so the lower Yangtze River Delta was selected as a specific area. The work of clearing the countryside includes: searching every household, strictly checking and registering household registration, issuing good citizen certificates, and then sealing off the area to prevent contact with guerrilla areas. Those who do not have good citizen certificates are immediately arrested. Irie showed the ID card in his pocket to the bald man. It's not this stuff, Good Citizen Certificate!Certificate of good citizenship! The bald man said gruffly. Entering Jiang is not Chinese, and he does not have a good citizen certificate.Even the piece of paper that can prove that he is an employee of the research institute is very different from the shape of the certificate held by the bald man. Irie was confused, so he had to take out the letter of introduction brought from Shanghai together with the envelope.The letter was sent to the captain of the garrison stationed at Ruidianzhuang, and the envelope said Second Lieutenant Miyake Den. The other party didn't know how to deal with it, and was at a loss for a while.The illiterate bald man had no choice but to show the letter to the old man. Oh, Japanese adults The old man glanced at the letter, put on a smiling face, and respectfully handed the letter back to Ijiang.Then, he took out his good citizen card from his pocket and showed it to Irie. Hello, my name is Liu.The old man said in clumsy Japanese, Mr. Miyake is my friend. I found it troublesome, so I entered the river and asked in Chinese: How far is it to Ruidianzhuang? Chinese is really good.The old man opened his eyes wide and said something flattering.There is still a way to go.If you don't mind it, come to my house and sit down, it's very close, there is a temple fair today! Yes, Irie has felt dry mouth since just now, and was about to drink a cup of tea, so let me have a sip of tea. Oh, you're welcome, it's my pleasure, but wait a minute, I've got work to do. The old man turned around and spouted spittle and said something to the man behind him. He spoke the unique dialect of this place, and Irie couldn't understand the content at all. The old man pointed at the willow tree, and the man behind him bent over and approached the willow tree, and carefully tore off the slogan attached to the trunk. The word came down from above that if you see this thing, you have to tear it down immediately.the old man explained. Although the old man's home was nearby, it was quite a distance to walk, but it happened to be in the direction of Yuling, so it was not a long way to go. It seems that the old man is a rich man in the area, and the house is the largest in that area, shaped like a , with gray brick walls looking very grand. Entering the gate is the courtyard, and entering the river is led into the room on the left. From here, the opposite room can be seen across the yard.The countryside is relatively open, the doors are not closed, and many people gather in the opposite room.I just heard that there is a temple fair, so I gathered here. The room Iri was led into looked like someone had stayed there not long ago, and the room was in a mess. Please wait a moment, and I will call someone to bring tea right away! After speaking, the old man retreated to the back room. The old man was replaced by a round-faced girl about fifteen or sixteen years old. Excuse me, I will tidy up the room. Their eyes met, and Irie felt hostility in the girl's eyes. She picked up the scattered papers on the table in the corner of the room. Irie looked there casually, and saw that there were a lot of slogans posted on the willows just now, and there were more than a hundred of them. Hey, so many! Irie stood up and leaned over to take a look. and other slogans I swear to regain the lost ground with iron and blood, Thoroughly fight against Japanese pirates. ◇ All are anti-Japanese slogans.Some of the corners of the slogans were torn, and some had traces of discolored paste, which may have been confiscated from somewhere.The girl didn't pay attention to Irie, and seemed to be very busy tidying up, which could be seen on purpose. How to deal with these?Irie asked. The girl stopped and replied angrily: For sale! Want to sell?Who to sell to? The girl didn't answer. Japanese soldiers? The girl was silent and shook her head. From Nanjing? Although consciously nagging, Irie still asked.The people who mentioned Nanjing probably refer to the Chinese who took refuge in Japan. The girl replied simply and clearly: By the way, it is going to be sold to Xie Shiyu from Nanjing. Did you come here specially to buy it from Nanjing?It's amazing! The other person is here, the man, in Yuling. The girl pouted and said. It can be seen that the girl is obviously in the position of blaming the torn-off anti-Japanese slogans in exchange for compensation. Because I am young, I probably don't know how to hide my feelings in front of the Japanese.It is also possible that the other party is Japanese, so he deliberately speaks harshly.If so, that's a brave girl. How much money can be sold? have no idea. The girl thrust her chin forward and said. Irie wanted to tease her and said: Good deal, no cost anyway. No, no money at all. The girl replied angrily. Why? The Zhong Salvation Army will come to collect the money. Saying that, the girl picked up the stack of slogans and trotted out of the room. I see Irie can somewhat understand the pain of the people living in a turbulent place. In the Japanese-occupied areas, if the people were disobedient and unwilling to assist, their own safety would be threatened.If the pasted anti-Japanese propaganda slogans were not torn off, the village chief and other elders would be severely reprimanded. However, this is where the Loyalty and National Salvation Army and the guerrilla forces infiltrate and see each other, and tearing up the slogan will cause trouble. What a dilemma. So, there must be some kind of deal in it. If I don’t tear up the slogan you posted, I will be scolded. I’m sorry, but I have to tear it up.But on the other hand Forget it, just pay! Perhaps the man named Xie Shiyu sent by the puppet regime of Wang will more or less give some compensation.But the amount that the masters here handed over to the Loyalty Army might far exceed the reward they received. Thinking about it, Irie couldn't help but feel heavy. Tea finally came.This time, it was an elderly maid. What about the little girl just now?Irie asked. Oh, that's my wife's niece. The maid answered carefully. Oh, she stayed home to help with the housework? No, it's not, most of the time at school. Very interesting little girl, I want to talk to her again. Yes, I'll call her. Will it be inconvenient? Entering the river regretted that he was not polite enough. This was also felt in Beijing. Some ordinary people did not dare to disobey what the Japanese said. Although I said that there is no need to force it, the maid still hurried out to call the little girl. After entering the river, drinking tea and smoking, the master came into the room and said: I'm sorry I didn't greet you, because of the temple fair, many people came.How about another cup of tea? The old man was full of smiles and kept bowing his waist. There seemed to be something hidden beyond the smiling face and courteous demeanor.Japanese people often say when talking about Chinese people that they are different on the outside and inside. You can’t tell what you are thinking just from the outside, so you must not be careless.Irie heard similar remarks from many colleagues.But then again, who can be honest with you when you stand before others as a conqueror? Really no, thank you, I have to hit the road.Irie said. Sit down for a while.When you arrive at Yuling, please say hello to Mr. Miyake for me, and thank you for his care. It is not clear what kind of contact the owner of the house had with Miyake. It is said that he was taken care of, but he may be talking ironically. Irie thought to himself, if the other party is doing superficial work, he has no choice but to socialize a few words. When I meet the captain, I will definitely convey it. At this moment, the maid came in and said fearfully: I'm sorry, I looked for it, but the kid has gone somewhere, I've looked for it at home no problem, no problem! Irie waved his hand. what happened?asked the old man. Ah, nothing.Irie said with a smile, pretending to be nonchalant.I want to ask Missy about the nearby schools.Since she's not here, it doesn't matter, anyway, I can ask about this matter after arriving in Yuling. Entering the river wanted to say goodbye, but was persuaded by the old man to stay several times.At this time, in order to respect the other party's face, even if you stay for ten minutes, it is considered etiquette. Thinking of this, Irie sat down again.This time, another maid brought in the glutinous rice balls. Offerings for worship, please have a taste. The old man persuaded him to go into the river to eat glutinous rice balls. In this way, it is difficult to refuse.Entering the river to eat glutinous rice balls, the old man said beside him: When you arrive at Yuling, you can see something interesting, a ceremony called "pointing Zhu". Order Zhu? You will know when you go, it is a ceremony held only once in ten years, please don't miss it. After eating the glutinous rice balls, Irie stood up and said: I didn't expect to be disturbed for so long, I really have to go, otherwise I'm afraid it will be midnight when I arrive at Yuling! Is that right, then I won't keep it anymore. The old man looked sorry. Irikawa was about to walk towards the door when there was a sudden commotion in the yard, and there was a sharp cry. A young man ran barefoot from the yard and said out of breath: surrounded.It's guerrillas! ah?The old man's face changed drastically. Didn't they just negotiate a few days ago?shouldn't have come so soon Said it was because a Japanese came and demanded that the Japanese be handed over How did this work.Quick, quickly hide! The old man grabbed Irie's wrist. Irie shook that hand away and said: Thank you for taking care of me, and I will bring you trouble, so I can't hide! It's not a relationship of courage. Dozens of strong young men with cloths on their heads rushed into the courtyard, staring angrily at the room. It was too late to escape. A man with a rifle came out, and said solemnly: Are the Japanese here?Hand over the Japanese! I am that Japanese. Irie walked towards them. A group of people in the yard quickly stood around and surrounded Irie.He held up his hands, indicating that he had no intention of confrontation. The encirclement gradually narrowed, and both of Irie's wrists were grabbed.The man with the rifle untied the rope hanging around his waist with one hand, and approached Irie.Irie was about to see the man clearly, but suddenly his eyes went dark, and his eyes were covered by cloth strips.