Nine Songs of Anti-Japanese War
Chapter 43
In December, a stage play adapted from a popular romance novel premiered at the Xinguang Theater in Shanghai. 【Note 12】After the performance, the theater crowd poured out.The rain has lasted all day, and at night the temperature dropped, and the continuous rain turned into sticky sleet. Occasionally, a small wind would make people shiver.The crowd lingered for a while at the entrance of the theater, held up umbrellas or got into cars, and went down to the brightly lit Ningbo Road at night.People who have spare money to watch dramas in this period must dress decently, and the night has cast a fig leaf on the cruel living situation. The scene in front of the theater at this moment, if you don’t look deeply, it’s like going back to Shanghai in the 1s Best hour in the International Settlement.
Shanghai and Hong Kong came out with the last group of people.The audience's comments on the plot fell into their ears from time to time, including high-level themes that cut into the theme and exaggerated and vulgar emotions.They went out in silence all the way, without much conversation, until Shanghai took down the black umbrella hanging from its arm, and Hong Kong said, "Let me fight."
"No need. You are a guest, so it should be more convenient." Shanghai smiled and held up the umbrella.The hard umbrella ribs opened slowly, stretching the thick and flexible dark umbrella surface, and the same dark umbrella handle was pinched in his hand, which matched his black long-swing coat very well.Hong Kong no longer refused, and let the umbrella cover his head.Compared to 41, the Japanese authorities have gradually loosened their control over them, most of the autonomy in daily administration has returned, they can eat enough food, and the complexion of the two has gradually improved.Under an umbrella, they seem to have returned to the glitz on the surface. They are two handsome young people who are full of ambition.
Hong Kong saw that most of the people passing by were men and women in couples, and said a little jokingly: "It's a waste of you to give me the ticket."
"How to waste?"
"It's usually better to find a female partner for plays about the love between men and women, right? Let me watch it with you. It's the premiere. Don't you feel regretful?"
"How can any girl dare to hang out with me now..." Shanghai muttered in a low voice. "A lot of mysterious things can't be told, and there is no possibility of getting married..."
"Indeed," Hong Kong chuckled, "Both are deadly."
"Especially not getting married."
"Well, especially this." Being in a different place is also beneficial. Hong Kong feels that it has not been so casual in a long time, and he can put aside his worries for a while, so he is determined to say more, "I have seen the original "Love in a Fallen City" It's a very true story. It's not bad to adapt a stage play, but the meaning is a little bit worse... After the city was occupied by the Japanese, people were relieved from the short war, and they still had nothing to do and were in a trance. They could only be busy. I want to start a family, have children, take care of daily necessities, and grasp the little warmth in the little world that is left. If I were an ordinary person, at my age," he glanced at the young men and women who were gradually dispersing on the street, "probably get married."
Shanghai shrugged: "I really can't imagine you getting married."
"You will do it if you push it to that level." Hong Kong countered, "You may still be a very suitable man for marriage! You earn a lot of money, and you are also interested in helping your wife with housework and cooking..."
"Don't you? Last time I went to your place to play, you still opened the door with your hands stained with laundry foam."
"Oh, I used to hand it over to the servants to wash, but after the war...you know."
Shanghai nodded. He had indeed heard a little bit from Hong Kong.After negotiating conditions with the Japanese side, Hong Kong received courtesy after returning to the jurisdiction. Except for the limited scope of activities, the living environment did not change much immediately.But after the war, it is inevitable that there will be a lot of violations of law and discipline. A small official who hugged the thigh of the Japanese to help create riots before the war took a fancy to the collection in his home, and brought a team of soldiers to the door without knowing the identity of the object. Came to loot and scared away all the servants.Hong Kong can sue to seek justice, but he held his breath when he thought that the other party was also Chinese, and he didn't want to talk about such things with the Japanese authorities.Later, when Yokohama came to investigate, he found out by accident that the perpetrator was scolded and fired and compensated for most of his losses.While saying thank you, he thought about the appropriate expression for Yokohama, but in the end he didn't make any expression.
After the servant ran away, he lived a life of doing housework by himself as he did when he was a child. His activities were limited, his official duties were rare, and the media that all praised the performance of the imperial army also had a lot of attention. With no choice, housework became an overwhelming People relax.Until Yokohama compensated him for the loss, he never thought of inviting the servant back.
They were walking on Ningbo Road, the wet road surface reflected the lights, the dark sky and the sleet swaying in the wind.Shanghai sighed, with a soothing tone: "It's not easy for everyone these years."
"Well. I think I'm lucky... It's good to be used to doing housework. At least this thing can give me a real sense of 'alive'." Hong Kong subconsciously looked down at his hand, and he picked up the kitchen knife The deep knife wound I accidentally cut on my ring finger later, of course healed up long ago. "Otherwise, these days can only pass like a dream."
"It's really like a dream." Shanghai added in his heart, it was still a nightmare with no end in sight. "If you don't want to live like a dream, you have to hold on to some hope. Whether it's career, housework, or entertainment, it's all hope. In this kind of world, the hope for the future is too slim, and the rest have to risk their lives to resist , or hide back into mediocrity. And most people can’t let them risk their lives...they can only return to mediocrity, but many people can’t even grasp this point, which is even more tragic.”
Hong Kong smiled and brought the topic back to the stage play naturally: "Fortunately, Bai Liusu and Fan Liuyuan caught it. It's a happy ending. Although it's very vulgar, it's enough to comfort people."
After hearing this, Shanghai suddenly stopped and looked at him carefully: "You smile like you have some deep meaning?"
"It's nothing..." Hong Kong joked half-truthfully, "I just suddenly thought that the overthrow of my city would lead to a sincere union between a pair of Bi people, and it would finally bring a good thing. It is also worth gratifying."
"What kind of people are they! They are just ordinary people who are vulgar and selfish! They are just so selfish that they are not hateful—" Shanghai couldn't stop laughing after finishing speaking.Troubled times are enough to change too many people and things. The lukewarm relationship between him and Hong Kong has become much closer in the past two or three years. At first, the two would find topics uncomfortably and laugh a little awkwardly. Now it has become Very relaxed.
Hong Kong still answered him in a serious manner: "Yes. Such ordinary people must not look down upon."
"You're making fun of me again..."
At this time they arrived at the hotel where they stayed in Hong Kong.Shanghai said: "I won't go up. See you at the old place tomorrow?"
"Well, see you at the old place."
Shanghai waved his hand, said good night with a smile, and turned away. When he left the theater just now, most of the gentleman's appearance had fallen off, and the back of the stairs still had a little jumping pace.Obviously he is a bit older than me, Hong Kong thought, he is like a child who hides something happy in his heart...
"Old Place" is a restaurant that used to belong to the French Concession.After the rendezvous, the two went out from the back door again, and went to the alley. Although they didn't find anyone following them all the way, they maintained 12 points of caution. Finally, they came to a place that was burnt black during the "August [-]" War of Resistance. In the rebuilt old warehouse.
Ningbo was squatting in front of a pile of goods and looking at his watch a little fidgety. As soon as the two entered the door, they complained that they were too slow, which made him wait for half an hour longer.
"I'm a bit suspicious today, I've been around a few more times, I'm sorry." Shanghai said, but he didn't apologize sincerely, and then he justified himself: "Being careful is never bad, Hong Kong is here for the first time. Come on, I don't want to have an accident the first time."
"You are always right." Ningbo glanced at him, but did not continue to complain.What he brought was a batch of certificates printed in the suburbs of Zhejiang, which were specially aimed at the counterfeiting of China Reserve Bank Notes and Union Bank Notes issued by the pseudo-government. special coupons".There is also a stronghold for manufacturing special coupons in the Shanghai jurisdiction, but they are often inconvenient because they are subject to more surveillance and interrogation than in Zhejiang. Ningbo transports the special coupons here mainly to purchase materials that are not easily available elsewhere, and then pass the materials through Shanghai and other insiders. Go to unoccupied areas.
Hong Kong brought money printing machines and other tools that facilitate the manufacture of money.Originally, no matter the spy activities of the Japanese puppets or KMT, he could not take care of them before and after the fall of the Japanese. However, since the recent Guiliu Battle ended in failure and the freight route to Guangxi was cut off, these were used by KMT spies to do business with the Japanese and puppet companies. The money-printing tools that are available are useless in the local area.Although Hong Kong is not an impulsive person, once his self-talking temperament comes up, he can't take it back. After knowing this, he decided to help himself and transport the things to East China, so that he can continue to exert his residual heat.
Ningbo was very happy, and thanked him repeatedly, saying that he had worked so hard at the risk.
Hong Kong said: "It's nothing. In the past, the guerrillas in Guangdong used special coupons to smuggle, and I have also handled one or two of them. And..." He curled his lips slightly, as if recalling the unpleasant past, showing a helpless expression, "The Japanese army When they attacked my jurisdiction, they robbed a lot of currency printing tools and code books of the national government in Hong Kong, which provided them with great convenience for counterfeiting legal currency. If my place can resist for a long time, these things will not be left to the Japanese. Now I am also responsible for the passiveness of China in the war above."
"Who is responsible? There are still a bunch of organizations in my city dumping counterfeit legal currency to the Kuomintang-controlled area. According to you, I should have slammed into the wall and died in shame." Shanghai said as he bent down and inspected the goods one by one, " In the past two years, you have helped us prepare for the economic war and set up a bridge with the United Kingdom, which has given us enough face."
Hong Kong didn't like the way the Japanese ruled in Hong Kong. China and the UK have the same interests in this matter, and it seems to him that matchmaking is just a matter of favor.Just as he was about to say something polite, he heard Shanghai say again: "When the war is won, I'm still a little bit reluctant to see you mix with the British again."
"Shanghai!" Ningbo called him, as if blaming him for inappropriate words.
Hong Kong smiled and changed the subject: "I will be like that in the foreseeable future. Your life will change a lot, right? Britain and the United States have announced that they will give up their privileges in China after the war, and the city will return to be completely under the jurisdiction of China?"
Ningbo nodded, and took the conversation like a rush to answer, lest Shanghai say inappropriate lines: "Yes. Especially in Shanghai, the Japanese Concession goes without saying, and Britain and the United States also promised to return the public concession to him. The French Concession..." He hugged With some subtle emotions, he turned his head, "The French Concession in Shanghai, Tianjin, Han and other places was taken back by the Wang government last year."
"Wang Jingwei..." Hong Kong said in a low voice, "I heard that he died of illness last month." [Note 2] Shanghai has already inspected the goods. Arm, "Well, I finally did a good thing a year before my death. And I don't have to watch Jiang come back to liquidate him. It's a good time to die—it's just that he became a joke in the last stage of his life. I'm afraid it can't be done. changed."
"He may have thought until his death that, apart from selfishness in power struggles, he would not fight an inevitable battle for the survival of the nation. It's just that the change in the current situation was not as expected."
"Who cares about those." Shanghai snorted, "I might understand other traitors, after all, many of them have nowhere to go. Although they are disgraceful, they don't have too bad intentions and great destructive power. But Wang—— He held an important position in the Chongqing government, and he had no choice but to go all out to travel thousands of miles from Chongqing to Hanoi to join the Japanese. This determination is too exaggerated. He may feel that he is willing to bear the burden of humiliation, and is willing to bear the shame of traitors for the sake of righteousness, but he actually What did he do? He has no respect for those people who insist on not abandoning their motherland in times of crisis, and who are still living tenaciously and uprightly despite hardships. He knows how much harm his actions will cause them, but Or betrayed them in wishful thinking... He overestimated himself and underestimated others." Shanghai said coldly, "Britain, the United States and Japan, this is not a matter of simply standing on which side. I can't forgive him, and I can't forgive him. It’s definitely not because he has bad vision or picked the wrong team.”
"...Of course," he concluded, shaking his hands as if to drive away the clouds of sorrow, "we are still lucky to bet on the side of Britain, the United States and Russia. This is a good result that was hard to expect a few years ago."
Ningbo sat on the cargo box a little upset: "It's a pity that our performance in the domestic battlefield has been too weak recently. I'm afraid we still have to leave regrets. It's not in the Northeast, it's in Mongolia..."
Hong Kong said: "But it will not affect your recovery of jurisdiction."
"Yeah." Shanghai smiled, "Thinking about it, I'm a little excited. Such a big Shanghai beach has finally become something I can control. I'm a little afraid that something bad will happen if I don't have experience... I will ask you for advice then. ,Hongkong."
"The area under my jurisdiction is much smaller than yours."
"There is no direct relationship between complexity and area."
"Then, I hope I can really use it by then..."
After completing the handover, they dispersed shortly after leaving the warehouse. Although the moods of the three were subtly different, they all had imagination and expectations for the future.On the return trip, we pass through a section of the former public concession. There are many magnificent classical European-style buildings on both sides of the road. Looking at them, Shanghai suddenly remembered that he tried to talk to New York about deregulation in the early 30s, but New York turned the conversation around very nicely, causing him to run to the fifth. The wind blew on the avenue for a while before regaining my confidence.
After the baptism of war and suffering, the career he had been looking forward to was realized in this way.Regardless of the original concession or the Chinese territory, there must be large-scale construction after the war.He figured that although the classical buildings are gorgeously decorated, they are too cumbersome and cost-effective after all. No matter whether it is Western or Chinese style, it should not be encouraged to rebuild after the war.When introducing national capital to buy businesses, the physical architecture should still be based on the modernism of form following function, and everything should be based on actual needs...
The whole 11 years have passed like a dream.Fortunately, he has not lived like a dream these years. Fortunately, the sweat, blood, and tears he and many partners have paid, although there is not always an equivalent return, can finally be exchanged for a tomorrow that can hold expectations .According to the progress of the US military in the Pacific, if nothing else happens, Japan's defeat in the war is not in the foreseeable future, and what he said to Nanjing, "I will see you in five years" can also be realized.When the matter at hand is finished, he will ask someone to deliver a letter to Nanjing, telling him that he misses him, and hopes to see him return to the city openly as soon as possible, and then get together with relatives and friends together.
According to the Cairo Declaration, Taiwan will be able to take it back by then.We have been separated for too many years, and we can't expect too much enthusiasm for their return, but there will be peaceful times in the future that can be slowly adjusted, and there should be nothing wrong with being optimistic...
At a certain Japanese military base in Taiwan, some city owners from Taiwan and Japanese-occupied Southeast Asia are receiving military training here in accordance with the requirements of the Japanese authorities.In the past few years, it was very lively to come and go here. As countries and regions were taken back by the US military, the number of people gradually decreased.Those who are pro-American are naturally happy that they no longer have to come against their will, those who are pro-Japanese can only submit to the new power even if they are unwilling, and more people don't care about it.
Those who are still on the training ground are mostly indifferent people who mechanically complete the movements prescribed in the tutorial, neither attracting scolding from the instructor, nor wasting any extra energy.They are not optimistic about Japan's prospects in their hearts, but here they show that their thoughts are clearly asking for trouble, and at least doing more training will not hurt, so they admit it.
After the training in the morning, Taipei and Kaohsiung came to the sidelines to drink water.Even in winter, high-intensity physical exertion still steamed a whole body of sweat. Kaohsiung wiped his face with a towel, and said vaguely: "I read that right, have you become serious recently?"
"That's right." Taipei replied briefly.
"why?"
"This year's situation has turned too fast, and our destiny will have ups and downs again." Taipei looked worried, looking at the sky with surging clouds.This year he cut off his long forehead hair, which made it easier to see the expression on this delicate face. "In the face of a world that is changing too fast, it is always right to strengthen one's own strength."
"You think so? Our differences are finally resolved."
"No, I don't think the same thing as you. If the national government can regard us as a family, of course there will be no problem, just in case."
"You—" Kaohsiung's tone suddenly turned cold, "you still have a bunch of fantasies in your head. The Dutch, the Zheng family, the Japanese, you still don't understand after so much? We only have Taiwan, and we really care about Taiwan and think about her from beginning to end. It can only be us. Hope is given, and disappointment is always given back.”
"I'm not just dreaming. It's unrealistic for you to only believe in yourself and refuse to communicate sincerely with the outside world. Can't you get along well with the National Government? What the people expect is nothing more than food and clothing and a sense of belonging. In theory, I would rather Taiwanese people live better than those in Japan.”
"What if they don't want to?"
"Then discuss it separately." Taipei stood up and walked away in a flat tone, leaving no room for refutation.
Gao Xiong was a little annoyed staring at his back, but it was too exaggerated to catch up with him and continue arguing with him, so he had to divert his attention and look in other directions.She saw a woman of her stature still on the training ground, half-squatting and refitting a gun.She remembered that it was Rangoon, the former capital of British Burma.When she first came, the Japanese introduced that she had escaped after being taken away by the retreating British army, who were unable to defeat the imperial army. They highly praised her righteous spirit of fighting for the nation and her high awareness of serving the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.Therefore, even though her military literacy was blank when she first came, and she didn't even have the right posture for holding a gun, she immediately became the focus of attention.But she is not willing to socialize with unfamiliar people, and only has more contact with the city lords of her own country and neighboring countries. Kaohsiung has never spoken to her a few words.
Looking at Yang Guang, she felt that the other party was also preoccupied, not as simple as the Japanese advertised.Myanmar is at war, and it has not yet spread to Yangon's jurisdiction, but it is estimated that it will not be far away.What is Yangon thinking again?
Suddenly a strong wind blew up, carrying the fishy smell of sea water, Kaohsiung couldn't help curling up and shivering.She can't take care of her own stall, she thought, let's leave other people's affairs alone.
At the end of 1944, the Eurasian battlefield was not very peaceful.The Allied forces encountered a raid launched by elite German troops from the Ardennes Forest, and Antwerp, where the Allied forces were concentrated, was under great threat as well as its sea supplies.After the chaotic first few days, the Allies were able to regroup and concentrate on fighting the counter-offensive. Brussels and other nearby Allied castellan did their best to defend Antwerp, a city of great significance to them.As for the German army, the safety of the western front is already tied to the thin rope of the Battle of Ardennes. If they win, the crisis on the western front will be greatly improved, so that they can spare their energy to deal with the Soviet army who is aggressively attacking the eastern front; Will face the doom of becoming a sandwich between the Allies and the Soviets.Many German city lords on the western front, such as Bremen and Hannover, joined the Ardennes counterattack. Even though there were many of them who were critical of the government, other issues could only be temporarily put aside when the motherland was at a critical moment.At the junction of Fabiliou, where the gunfire is raging, neither side intends to sell an inch of land, and there is no reason to retreat. The fantasy of quietly listening to the ringing of Christmas bells and passing through the two-year handover has long since vanished.
The Philippine campaign in the Pacific is still advancing and counter-advancing with difficulty, and the artillery fire on Wright Island is approaching Luzon Island, where the capital of the Philippines is located.By capturing various islands in the Philippines, the U.S. military tried to open the key to breaking through Japan's absolute defense circle. [Note 3] Under the telegram sent by Washington from Western Europe across the ocean, in addition to direct combat, a considerable number of city owners in the Midwest of the United States also participated in this battle in various ways. They all understand that the closer they are to the Japanese mainland , the more blood is shed, the greater the price they pay for each step forward, and the more they dare not relax.
Regardless of the outcome of the momentary battle, the strength of the Allied Forces at this moment already has an overwhelming advantage.Even though China, which suffered a disastrous defeat in Henan, Hunan and Guangxi this year, the news that came was not all bad news—in places such as the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei border area controlled by the Communist Party, the results of the battle were more than the losses caused by the Japanese and puppet raids.For the people's rear, this is not a matter of comfort. A series of successes in western Yunnan, western Myanmar and northern Myanmar gave them a shot in the arm.The report sent by Kunming expressed confidence in the future operations in Myanmar, believing that the Indian Army and the Expeditionary Force will join forces in northern Myanmar just around the corner, and the Yunnan-Myanmar Highway will soon be reopened.
She wrote at the end: "Once the Yunnan-Burma Highway is opened, most of the missions of the Hump route will also end... In the past, I discussed with Chengdu about the opening of the Hump route, and predicted that 'one day when the pilots find that they have no shortage of ground. When I was navigating the signs, those signs were the wreckage of their companions scattered in the valley'. Now I fly over the hump, the weather is clear, the wreckage of the plane is scattered between the steep valleys, and the piles of aluminum sheets are shining. The landmark, the prophecy has been fulfilled. Thinking of the piles of aluminum sheets containing the skeletons of Chinese and American pilots, it is inevitable that my heart will feel sad, and tears will fill my eyes... But this is not the time for sentimentality. The only way to comfort their spirits in heaven is to fight bravely and recover the lost ground... ..."
In recent years, Chongqing, which has not shown much emotion in crowded workplaces, suddenly raised his hand to cover his eyes when he read this passage—although he quickly put it down again.As Kunming said, it is not yet time to shed tears. Even if the two armies join forces and the roads are opened up, the mission on the China-Myanmar-India battlefield will still not be over.
Another thing that can be relieved is that a group of generals of the Tenth Army who fell into the hands of the Japanese army after the Battle of Hengyang took advantage of the weak defense and fled back to the rear.Although it was a happy event, no one blamed them, but it was not easy for the city lords to laugh when they talked about the scene that day.They firmly remember that at the airport, Hengyang was still injured when he got off the plane, and the road was difficult to walk. As soon as he touched the ground, he almost knelt into Changsha's arms, buried his head, and just repeated over and over again: "I'm sorry! ... I'm sorry! I'm sorry. !"
Changsha smiled and reassured him.But many believe that if it had been just the two of them, they would have hugged and cried.The loss of the Changheng Battle was not as simple as losing the city, the psychological trauma beyond that was even greater.And when thinking of the companions lost in the defeat such as Luoyang Guilin, it is even more difficult to make a smiling expression.
Due to the shock caused by the defeat to the rear and the panic caused by the refugees fleeing from Hunan, Guangxi and Guizhou, everyone was in danger for a while, thinking that the Japanese army was going to attack the capital and there was no way out.However, after the Japanese army occupied Guiliu, it was finally exhausted. It was very difficult to maintain law and order with a huge force on Chinese soil, and it was impossible to launch a decisive offensive.The panic has subsided, but people no longer dare to be blindly optimistic, and have made various preparations for the next crisis.
When Moscow arrived in the accompanying capital for a short-term visit, the upsurge of educated youth joining the army was pushed to an unprecedented height. [Note 4] Banners and slogans of "One inch of mountains and rivers, one inch of blood, one hundred thousand youths and one hundred thousand troops" were posted everywhere, and the slogans one after another could be clearly heard only a little closer to the urban area.He was sitting in the car and was about to ask a question, and then Chengdu, who picked up the plane, explained: "This is the movement of educated youths joining the army that is being promoted in our country. Our army has long been plagued by the problem of the source of soldiers. First, there is a shortage of soldiers. The system has not been well popularized and implemented; secondly, the quality of the soldiers is low, lack of culture, it is difficult to use new weapons and make battlefield judgments, which reduces the overall combat effectiveness. Now that the war has reached a critical moment, it is time for educated youth to enter the field. "
Moscow nodded: "This is a good starting point. The quality and education level of soldiers do have a great impact on combat capabilities. It can be seen that your young people are very enthusiastic about participating?"
"Last year when the initiative of educated youths to join the army was put forward, the students as a whole were still relatively indifferent. Later, the policy was improved, the training was given, and the recent war situation stimulated the movement, and the movement has been fully rolled out." Chengdu said with a smile, "It costs so much to recruit a soldier. How twists and turns, sounds unbelievable to you? I heard that in the European battlefield, the whole people are highly organized and united to fight for the victory of the country. Ordinary rural girls can methodically warn of incoming enemy planes with simple training. And be bombarded."
"You may be talking about the United Kingdom. In our country, ordinary girls can become ace pilots, shoot down more than a dozen enemy planes, and become heroes praised by the military and civilians throughout the country."
"I seem to have heard that there was a famous female pilot in the Soviet Union. Is she still active?"
"Dead in battle. Besieged by eight Messerschmitts, she didn't escape the death like before... Even the remains were not found. Maybe everything was a sign, her friends and lovers were all there I died in the months before that.” [Note 5] “It’s really heartbreaking.” Chengdu’s tone was full of sincere sympathy without exaggerating, “No matter where, the death of a vigorous young man is a A great tragedy."
"You are right. We have lost too many young people... I am afraid that it will be difficult to recover for a long time after the war. Although the degree of organization and the enthusiasm of the whole people to participate, Asia cannot compare with Europe, but the survivors There are many young people, which is very beneficial to the construction of the country after the war, and this is what I envy you."
"Hey. Let you see a joke, you have to win the war first..."
The two maintained a polite and pleasant conversation atmosphere along the way.As soon as they met in Chengdu, they explained that Chongqing was busy with business, so I would pick up the plane and accompany them first, and then arrange a meeting for the two of them after they were settled.Moscow also accepted it with peace of mind. He actually didn't want to see the other party's capital soon in this kind of private visit.Today, the relationship between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party is still not good, and the Soviet Union is very ambiguous at both ends. Out of innate ideas and interests, it will not leave the communist party behind.Before departure from Moscow, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union explained to him in detail what to say to people like Chongqing and Min. He could also grasp the bottom line, but it was not comfortable to run into those two people as soon as he arrived.
Chengdu is much better.During the Cairo conference, his mild-mannered demeanor and his slightly accented but uncompromising English made a good impression on everyone present.Sure enough, Chengdu lived up to this good impression. When they got off the bus in front of the reception desk for foreign guests, although the weather was cold and the wind was howling, both of them were in a good mood.Chengdu introduced the official who will be in charge of the specific schedule during the visit, briefly summarized the necessary itinerary for the past few days, and then said: "I will explain it in more detail at the luncheon. If you want to change it, just ask."
"I think it's quite suitable, there is no need to change it."
"That would be even better. But..." Chengdu blinked his eyes slowly and smiled, "To tell you the truth, I have a lot of things to do recently, and there is a lot of conscription work to be done in the city. We will accompany you after we arrange There is another candidate for the city master of the itinerary. Of course, if you think it is inappropriate, I will stay."
"Can I find out who that candidate is?"
"Peking."
"Why do I feel wrong? Just let him come, you bother."
Chengdu observed that the other party's expression was sincere, not like a polite lie, so he was completely relieved.Let Chengdu represent Chongqing to pick up the airport, usually accompanied by Peiping, this is of course discussed in advance.
On the other hand, Beiping is not as relaxed as Chengdu.Ever since he figured out why Min still wanted him to stay in the rear, he knew that sooner or later he would have to contribute, but he never expected such direct contact.The news that Moscow wanted to visit was very sudden to everyone. After knowing that it was prompted by the Americans, he lost his temper and started to make preparations. He was also involved in this way.
He always thought of the conversation Min had come to him about.The two of them were not familiar with each other at first, and they had never had a real relationship of trust, and the confession was quickly finished after sitting across from each other.Whether it's the things that Min told him to pay attention to or the gesture of rarely looking into his eyes when talking, it shows that he didn't take his own position into consideration, and he didn't even ask if he was willing or not.However, it is his honor to be used by the people, and he has nothing to complain about.It's just that Min threw him out so decisively, and he wasn't worried that he would get out of control. He was still a little curious, and after the deal was settled, he asked why.
Min said, "It's Nanjing. He highly recommends you to me."
"...That's it."
People don't know that his heart has turned upside down, and they don't need to know.The diplomatic relationship between the two countries is like a balance beam, the discordant political atmosphere in the country and his embarrassing situation have been strangely mixed with his subtle emotions towards Moscow and other personal feelings. A little good is as hard as the sky.He intellectually decided that now was not a good time to approach Moscow.But it was even more absurd that he wanted to run away when the other party offered to deliver it to his door.
Before leaving for the luncheon, Peiping stood at the door for a while.He heard the neat singing coming from the foot of the mountain, the voice is majestic, like the howling of the mountain wind, and the rushing of the river and the sea: [Note 6] Don't you see, the army at the end of the Han Dynasty, the weak crown tied captives please long tassels
Don't you see, Ban Dingyuan, Jueyu Qingqi urges Zhanyun
A man should be in danger, how can he let Confucianism miss his life
Kuang Nai's country is in peril, and the feathers are fighting endlessly
Abandon my old pen, and write my wartime lapel
One call for more than [-] comrades, singing battle songs and joining the army
Qi joins the army, cleans up the dust, and vows to wipe out Japanese slaves regardless of his own life...
He looked at the still verdant Gele Mountain in winter, took a deep breath of the damp and chilly air in the forest, and made sure that his mood was very calm before he set foot on the road ahead.
------------------------------
Note 1: "Love in a Fallen City" is one of Zhang Ailing's masterpieces. It tells the story of Bai Liusu, a lady from an old-fashioned big family who has been excluded, who meets Fan Liuyuan, a flamboyant and wealthy bachelor. She takes herself as a bet and goes to Hong Kong to try to win Fan Liuyuan The story of love and the legal status of marriage.In the story, Bai Liusu seemed to be about to fail. When Fan Liuyuan was about to leave Hong Kong, Hong Kong was attacked by the Japanese army. Fan turned back and married Bai Gongjing through life and death. (Actually, I personally don't like the "love stories" written by typical "female writers" like Zhang, but Love in Allure is indeed an excellent one in all aspects...)
Note 2: Wang Zhaoming died of illness on November 1944, 11 in Nagoya Imperial University Hospital, Japan.After his death, he was buried in Meihua Mountain in the southwest of Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, the tomb was blown up by the National Government.
Note 3: The "Absolute Defense Circle" is an important area that must be secured by Japan on the defensive in order to defend its homeland and continue the war in the late stage of the Pacific War. However, this setting did not effectively contain the U.S. military in the late stage of the war.
Note 4: The movement of educated youth to join the army was initiated by the Nationalist Government in the late period of the Anti-Japanese War and hosted by the Three Youth League.In particular, the movement encouraged young students to join the army to supplement the gaps in the Indian Army and the Expeditionary Force. From the mobilization in September 1944 to the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, nearly 9 people were recruited.
Note 5: Lilia Litvyak, a Soviet female pilot, played 168 times and shot down 12 enemy planes alone. He died in the line of duty on August 1943, 8, at the age of 1. His remains were discovered in 22, and he was posthumously named a "Venus Hero" in 1979.
Note 6: "Song of the Intellectual Youth Joining the Army", the authors of the lyrics and music are unknown, and it was originally composed of the First Army of the Chinese Army in India.
Shanghai and Hong Kong came out with the last group of people.The audience's comments on the plot fell into their ears from time to time, including high-level themes that cut into the theme and exaggerated and vulgar emotions.They went out in silence all the way, without much conversation, until Shanghai took down the black umbrella hanging from its arm, and Hong Kong said, "Let me fight."
"No need. You are a guest, so it should be more convenient." Shanghai smiled and held up the umbrella.The hard umbrella ribs opened slowly, stretching the thick and flexible dark umbrella surface, and the same dark umbrella handle was pinched in his hand, which matched his black long-swing coat very well.Hong Kong no longer refused, and let the umbrella cover his head.Compared to 41, the Japanese authorities have gradually loosened their control over them, most of the autonomy in daily administration has returned, they can eat enough food, and the complexion of the two has gradually improved.Under an umbrella, they seem to have returned to the glitz on the surface. They are two handsome young people who are full of ambition.
Hong Kong saw that most of the people passing by were men and women in couples, and said a little jokingly: "It's a waste of you to give me the ticket."
"How to waste?"
"It's usually better to find a female partner for plays about the love between men and women, right? Let me watch it with you. It's the premiere. Don't you feel regretful?"
"How can any girl dare to hang out with me now..." Shanghai muttered in a low voice. "A lot of mysterious things can't be told, and there is no possibility of getting married..."
"Indeed," Hong Kong chuckled, "Both are deadly."
"Especially not getting married."
"Well, especially this." Being in a different place is also beneficial. Hong Kong feels that it has not been so casual in a long time, and he can put aside his worries for a while, so he is determined to say more, "I have seen the original "Love in a Fallen City" It's a very true story. It's not bad to adapt a stage play, but the meaning is a little bit worse... After the city was occupied by the Japanese, people were relieved from the short war, and they still had nothing to do and were in a trance. They could only be busy. I want to start a family, have children, take care of daily necessities, and grasp the little warmth in the little world that is left. If I were an ordinary person, at my age," he glanced at the young men and women who were gradually dispersing on the street, "probably get married."
Shanghai shrugged: "I really can't imagine you getting married."
"You will do it if you push it to that level." Hong Kong countered, "You may still be a very suitable man for marriage! You earn a lot of money, and you are also interested in helping your wife with housework and cooking..."
"Don't you? Last time I went to your place to play, you still opened the door with your hands stained with laundry foam."
"Oh, I used to hand it over to the servants to wash, but after the war...you know."
Shanghai nodded. He had indeed heard a little bit from Hong Kong.After negotiating conditions with the Japanese side, Hong Kong received courtesy after returning to the jurisdiction. Except for the limited scope of activities, the living environment did not change much immediately.But after the war, it is inevitable that there will be a lot of violations of law and discipline. A small official who hugged the thigh of the Japanese to help create riots before the war took a fancy to the collection in his home, and brought a team of soldiers to the door without knowing the identity of the object. Came to loot and scared away all the servants.Hong Kong can sue to seek justice, but he held his breath when he thought that the other party was also Chinese, and he didn't want to talk about such things with the Japanese authorities.Later, when Yokohama came to investigate, he found out by accident that the perpetrator was scolded and fired and compensated for most of his losses.While saying thank you, he thought about the appropriate expression for Yokohama, but in the end he didn't make any expression.
After the servant ran away, he lived a life of doing housework by himself as he did when he was a child. His activities were limited, his official duties were rare, and the media that all praised the performance of the imperial army also had a lot of attention. With no choice, housework became an overwhelming People relax.Until Yokohama compensated him for the loss, he never thought of inviting the servant back.
They were walking on Ningbo Road, the wet road surface reflected the lights, the dark sky and the sleet swaying in the wind.Shanghai sighed, with a soothing tone: "It's not easy for everyone these years."
"Well. I think I'm lucky... It's good to be used to doing housework. At least this thing can give me a real sense of 'alive'." Hong Kong subconsciously looked down at his hand, and he picked up the kitchen knife The deep knife wound I accidentally cut on my ring finger later, of course healed up long ago. "Otherwise, these days can only pass like a dream."
"It's really like a dream." Shanghai added in his heart, it was still a nightmare with no end in sight. "If you don't want to live like a dream, you have to hold on to some hope. Whether it's career, housework, or entertainment, it's all hope. In this kind of world, the hope for the future is too slim, and the rest have to risk their lives to resist , or hide back into mediocrity. And most people can’t let them risk their lives...they can only return to mediocrity, but many people can’t even grasp this point, which is even more tragic.”
Hong Kong smiled and brought the topic back to the stage play naturally: "Fortunately, Bai Liusu and Fan Liuyuan caught it. It's a happy ending. Although it's very vulgar, it's enough to comfort people."
After hearing this, Shanghai suddenly stopped and looked at him carefully: "You smile like you have some deep meaning?"
"It's nothing..." Hong Kong joked half-truthfully, "I just suddenly thought that the overthrow of my city would lead to a sincere union between a pair of Bi people, and it would finally bring a good thing. It is also worth gratifying."
"What kind of people are they! They are just ordinary people who are vulgar and selfish! They are just so selfish that they are not hateful—" Shanghai couldn't stop laughing after finishing speaking.Troubled times are enough to change too many people and things. The lukewarm relationship between him and Hong Kong has become much closer in the past two or three years. At first, the two would find topics uncomfortably and laugh a little awkwardly. Now it has become Very relaxed.
Hong Kong still answered him in a serious manner: "Yes. Such ordinary people must not look down upon."
"You're making fun of me again..."
At this time they arrived at the hotel where they stayed in Hong Kong.Shanghai said: "I won't go up. See you at the old place tomorrow?"
"Well, see you at the old place."
Shanghai waved his hand, said good night with a smile, and turned away. When he left the theater just now, most of the gentleman's appearance had fallen off, and the back of the stairs still had a little jumping pace.Obviously he is a bit older than me, Hong Kong thought, he is like a child who hides something happy in his heart...
"Old Place" is a restaurant that used to belong to the French Concession.After the rendezvous, the two went out from the back door again, and went to the alley. Although they didn't find anyone following them all the way, they maintained 12 points of caution. Finally, they came to a place that was burnt black during the "August [-]" War of Resistance. In the rebuilt old warehouse.
Ningbo was squatting in front of a pile of goods and looking at his watch a little fidgety. As soon as the two entered the door, they complained that they were too slow, which made him wait for half an hour longer.
"I'm a bit suspicious today, I've been around a few more times, I'm sorry." Shanghai said, but he didn't apologize sincerely, and then he justified himself: "Being careful is never bad, Hong Kong is here for the first time. Come on, I don't want to have an accident the first time."
"You are always right." Ningbo glanced at him, but did not continue to complain.What he brought was a batch of certificates printed in the suburbs of Zhejiang, which were specially aimed at the counterfeiting of China Reserve Bank Notes and Union Bank Notes issued by the pseudo-government. special coupons".There is also a stronghold for manufacturing special coupons in the Shanghai jurisdiction, but they are often inconvenient because they are subject to more surveillance and interrogation than in Zhejiang. Ningbo transports the special coupons here mainly to purchase materials that are not easily available elsewhere, and then pass the materials through Shanghai and other insiders. Go to unoccupied areas.
Hong Kong brought money printing machines and other tools that facilitate the manufacture of money.Originally, no matter the spy activities of the Japanese puppets or KMT, he could not take care of them before and after the fall of the Japanese. However, since the recent Guiliu Battle ended in failure and the freight route to Guangxi was cut off, these were used by KMT spies to do business with the Japanese and puppet companies. The money-printing tools that are available are useless in the local area.Although Hong Kong is not an impulsive person, once his self-talking temperament comes up, he can't take it back. After knowing this, he decided to help himself and transport the things to East China, so that he can continue to exert his residual heat.
Ningbo was very happy, and thanked him repeatedly, saying that he had worked so hard at the risk.
Hong Kong said: "It's nothing. In the past, the guerrillas in Guangdong used special coupons to smuggle, and I have also handled one or two of them. And..." He curled his lips slightly, as if recalling the unpleasant past, showing a helpless expression, "The Japanese army When they attacked my jurisdiction, they robbed a lot of currency printing tools and code books of the national government in Hong Kong, which provided them with great convenience for counterfeiting legal currency. If my place can resist for a long time, these things will not be left to the Japanese. Now I am also responsible for the passiveness of China in the war above."
"Who is responsible? There are still a bunch of organizations in my city dumping counterfeit legal currency to the Kuomintang-controlled area. According to you, I should have slammed into the wall and died in shame." Shanghai said as he bent down and inspected the goods one by one, " In the past two years, you have helped us prepare for the economic war and set up a bridge with the United Kingdom, which has given us enough face."
Hong Kong didn't like the way the Japanese ruled in Hong Kong. China and the UK have the same interests in this matter, and it seems to him that matchmaking is just a matter of favor.Just as he was about to say something polite, he heard Shanghai say again: "When the war is won, I'm still a little bit reluctant to see you mix with the British again."
"Shanghai!" Ningbo called him, as if blaming him for inappropriate words.
Hong Kong smiled and changed the subject: "I will be like that in the foreseeable future. Your life will change a lot, right? Britain and the United States have announced that they will give up their privileges in China after the war, and the city will return to be completely under the jurisdiction of China?"
Ningbo nodded, and took the conversation like a rush to answer, lest Shanghai say inappropriate lines: "Yes. Especially in Shanghai, the Japanese Concession goes without saying, and Britain and the United States also promised to return the public concession to him. The French Concession..." He hugged With some subtle emotions, he turned his head, "The French Concession in Shanghai, Tianjin, Han and other places was taken back by the Wang government last year."
"Wang Jingwei..." Hong Kong said in a low voice, "I heard that he died of illness last month." [Note 2] Shanghai has already inspected the goods. Arm, "Well, I finally did a good thing a year before my death. And I don't have to watch Jiang come back to liquidate him. It's a good time to die—it's just that he became a joke in the last stage of his life. I'm afraid it can't be done. changed."
"He may have thought until his death that, apart from selfishness in power struggles, he would not fight an inevitable battle for the survival of the nation. It's just that the change in the current situation was not as expected."
"Who cares about those." Shanghai snorted, "I might understand other traitors, after all, many of them have nowhere to go. Although they are disgraceful, they don't have too bad intentions and great destructive power. But Wang—— He held an important position in the Chongqing government, and he had no choice but to go all out to travel thousands of miles from Chongqing to Hanoi to join the Japanese. This determination is too exaggerated. He may feel that he is willing to bear the burden of humiliation, and is willing to bear the shame of traitors for the sake of righteousness, but he actually What did he do? He has no respect for those people who insist on not abandoning their motherland in times of crisis, and who are still living tenaciously and uprightly despite hardships. He knows how much harm his actions will cause them, but Or betrayed them in wishful thinking... He overestimated himself and underestimated others." Shanghai said coldly, "Britain, the United States and Japan, this is not a matter of simply standing on which side. I can't forgive him, and I can't forgive him. It’s definitely not because he has bad vision or picked the wrong team.”
"...Of course," he concluded, shaking his hands as if to drive away the clouds of sorrow, "we are still lucky to bet on the side of Britain, the United States and Russia. This is a good result that was hard to expect a few years ago."
Ningbo sat on the cargo box a little upset: "It's a pity that our performance in the domestic battlefield has been too weak recently. I'm afraid we still have to leave regrets. It's not in the Northeast, it's in Mongolia..."
Hong Kong said: "But it will not affect your recovery of jurisdiction."
"Yeah." Shanghai smiled, "Thinking about it, I'm a little excited. Such a big Shanghai beach has finally become something I can control. I'm a little afraid that something bad will happen if I don't have experience... I will ask you for advice then. ,Hongkong."
"The area under my jurisdiction is much smaller than yours."
"There is no direct relationship between complexity and area."
"Then, I hope I can really use it by then..."
After completing the handover, they dispersed shortly after leaving the warehouse. Although the moods of the three were subtly different, they all had imagination and expectations for the future.On the return trip, we pass through a section of the former public concession. There are many magnificent classical European-style buildings on both sides of the road. Looking at them, Shanghai suddenly remembered that he tried to talk to New York about deregulation in the early 30s, but New York turned the conversation around very nicely, causing him to run to the fifth. The wind blew on the avenue for a while before regaining my confidence.
After the baptism of war and suffering, the career he had been looking forward to was realized in this way.Regardless of the original concession or the Chinese territory, there must be large-scale construction after the war.He figured that although the classical buildings are gorgeously decorated, they are too cumbersome and cost-effective after all. No matter whether it is Western or Chinese style, it should not be encouraged to rebuild after the war.When introducing national capital to buy businesses, the physical architecture should still be based on the modernism of form following function, and everything should be based on actual needs...
The whole 11 years have passed like a dream.Fortunately, he has not lived like a dream these years. Fortunately, the sweat, blood, and tears he and many partners have paid, although there is not always an equivalent return, can finally be exchanged for a tomorrow that can hold expectations .According to the progress of the US military in the Pacific, if nothing else happens, Japan's defeat in the war is not in the foreseeable future, and what he said to Nanjing, "I will see you in five years" can also be realized.When the matter at hand is finished, he will ask someone to deliver a letter to Nanjing, telling him that he misses him, and hopes to see him return to the city openly as soon as possible, and then get together with relatives and friends together.
According to the Cairo Declaration, Taiwan will be able to take it back by then.We have been separated for too many years, and we can't expect too much enthusiasm for their return, but there will be peaceful times in the future that can be slowly adjusted, and there should be nothing wrong with being optimistic...
At a certain Japanese military base in Taiwan, some city owners from Taiwan and Japanese-occupied Southeast Asia are receiving military training here in accordance with the requirements of the Japanese authorities.In the past few years, it was very lively to come and go here. As countries and regions were taken back by the US military, the number of people gradually decreased.Those who are pro-American are naturally happy that they no longer have to come against their will, those who are pro-Japanese can only submit to the new power even if they are unwilling, and more people don't care about it.
Those who are still on the training ground are mostly indifferent people who mechanically complete the movements prescribed in the tutorial, neither attracting scolding from the instructor, nor wasting any extra energy.They are not optimistic about Japan's prospects in their hearts, but here they show that their thoughts are clearly asking for trouble, and at least doing more training will not hurt, so they admit it.
After the training in the morning, Taipei and Kaohsiung came to the sidelines to drink water.Even in winter, high-intensity physical exertion still steamed a whole body of sweat. Kaohsiung wiped his face with a towel, and said vaguely: "I read that right, have you become serious recently?"
"That's right." Taipei replied briefly.
"why?"
"This year's situation has turned too fast, and our destiny will have ups and downs again." Taipei looked worried, looking at the sky with surging clouds.This year he cut off his long forehead hair, which made it easier to see the expression on this delicate face. "In the face of a world that is changing too fast, it is always right to strengthen one's own strength."
"You think so? Our differences are finally resolved."
"No, I don't think the same thing as you. If the national government can regard us as a family, of course there will be no problem, just in case."
"You—" Kaohsiung's tone suddenly turned cold, "you still have a bunch of fantasies in your head. The Dutch, the Zheng family, the Japanese, you still don't understand after so much? We only have Taiwan, and we really care about Taiwan and think about her from beginning to end. It can only be us. Hope is given, and disappointment is always given back.”
"I'm not just dreaming. It's unrealistic for you to only believe in yourself and refuse to communicate sincerely with the outside world. Can't you get along well with the National Government? What the people expect is nothing more than food and clothing and a sense of belonging. In theory, I would rather Taiwanese people live better than those in Japan.”
"What if they don't want to?"
"Then discuss it separately." Taipei stood up and walked away in a flat tone, leaving no room for refutation.
Gao Xiong was a little annoyed staring at his back, but it was too exaggerated to catch up with him and continue arguing with him, so he had to divert his attention and look in other directions.She saw a woman of her stature still on the training ground, half-squatting and refitting a gun.She remembered that it was Rangoon, the former capital of British Burma.When she first came, the Japanese introduced that she had escaped after being taken away by the retreating British army, who were unable to defeat the imperial army. They highly praised her righteous spirit of fighting for the nation and her high awareness of serving the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.Therefore, even though her military literacy was blank when she first came, and she didn't even have the right posture for holding a gun, she immediately became the focus of attention.But she is not willing to socialize with unfamiliar people, and only has more contact with the city lords of her own country and neighboring countries. Kaohsiung has never spoken to her a few words.
Looking at Yang Guang, she felt that the other party was also preoccupied, not as simple as the Japanese advertised.Myanmar is at war, and it has not yet spread to Yangon's jurisdiction, but it is estimated that it will not be far away.What is Yangon thinking again?
Suddenly a strong wind blew up, carrying the fishy smell of sea water, Kaohsiung couldn't help curling up and shivering.She can't take care of her own stall, she thought, let's leave other people's affairs alone.
At the end of 1944, the Eurasian battlefield was not very peaceful.The Allied forces encountered a raid launched by elite German troops from the Ardennes Forest, and Antwerp, where the Allied forces were concentrated, was under great threat as well as its sea supplies.After the chaotic first few days, the Allies were able to regroup and concentrate on fighting the counter-offensive. Brussels and other nearby Allied castellan did their best to defend Antwerp, a city of great significance to them.As for the German army, the safety of the western front is already tied to the thin rope of the Battle of Ardennes. If they win, the crisis on the western front will be greatly improved, so that they can spare their energy to deal with the Soviet army who is aggressively attacking the eastern front; Will face the doom of becoming a sandwich between the Allies and the Soviets.Many German city lords on the western front, such as Bremen and Hannover, joined the Ardennes counterattack. Even though there were many of them who were critical of the government, other issues could only be temporarily put aside when the motherland was at a critical moment.At the junction of Fabiliou, where the gunfire is raging, neither side intends to sell an inch of land, and there is no reason to retreat. The fantasy of quietly listening to the ringing of Christmas bells and passing through the two-year handover has long since vanished.
The Philippine campaign in the Pacific is still advancing and counter-advancing with difficulty, and the artillery fire on Wright Island is approaching Luzon Island, where the capital of the Philippines is located.By capturing various islands in the Philippines, the U.S. military tried to open the key to breaking through Japan's absolute defense circle. [Note 3] Under the telegram sent by Washington from Western Europe across the ocean, in addition to direct combat, a considerable number of city owners in the Midwest of the United States also participated in this battle in various ways. They all understand that the closer they are to the Japanese mainland , the more blood is shed, the greater the price they pay for each step forward, and the more they dare not relax.
Regardless of the outcome of the momentary battle, the strength of the Allied Forces at this moment already has an overwhelming advantage.Even though China, which suffered a disastrous defeat in Henan, Hunan and Guangxi this year, the news that came was not all bad news—in places such as the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei border area controlled by the Communist Party, the results of the battle were more than the losses caused by the Japanese and puppet raids.For the people's rear, this is not a matter of comfort. A series of successes in western Yunnan, western Myanmar and northern Myanmar gave them a shot in the arm.The report sent by Kunming expressed confidence in the future operations in Myanmar, believing that the Indian Army and the Expeditionary Force will join forces in northern Myanmar just around the corner, and the Yunnan-Myanmar Highway will soon be reopened.
She wrote at the end: "Once the Yunnan-Burma Highway is opened, most of the missions of the Hump route will also end... In the past, I discussed with Chengdu about the opening of the Hump route, and predicted that 'one day when the pilots find that they have no shortage of ground. When I was navigating the signs, those signs were the wreckage of their companions scattered in the valley'. Now I fly over the hump, the weather is clear, the wreckage of the plane is scattered between the steep valleys, and the piles of aluminum sheets are shining. The landmark, the prophecy has been fulfilled. Thinking of the piles of aluminum sheets containing the skeletons of Chinese and American pilots, it is inevitable that my heart will feel sad, and tears will fill my eyes... But this is not the time for sentimentality. The only way to comfort their spirits in heaven is to fight bravely and recover the lost ground... ..."
In recent years, Chongqing, which has not shown much emotion in crowded workplaces, suddenly raised his hand to cover his eyes when he read this passage—although he quickly put it down again.As Kunming said, it is not yet time to shed tears. Even if the two armies join forces and the roads are opened up, the mission on the China-Myanmar-India battlefield will still not be over.
Another thing that can be relieved is that a group of generals of the Tenth Army who fell into the hands of the Japanese army after the Battle of Hengyang took advantage of the weak defense and fled back to the rear.Although it was a happy event, no one blamed them, but it was not easy for the city lords to laugh when they talked about the scene that day.They firmly remember that at the airport, Hengyang was still injured when he got off the plane, and the road was difficult to walk. As soon as he touched the ground, he almost knelt into Changsha's arms, buried his head, and just repeated over and over again: "I'm sorry! ... I'm sorry! I'm sorry. !"
Changsha smiled and reassured him.But many believe that if it had been just the two of them, they would have hugged and cried.The loss of the Changheng Battle was not as simple as losing the city, the psychological trauma beyond that was even greater.And when thinking of the companions lost in the defeat such as Luoyang Guilin, it is even more difficult to make a smiling expression.
Due to the shock caused by the defeat to the rear and the panic caused by the refugees fleeing from Hunan, Guangxi and Guizhou, everyone was in danger for a while, thinking that the Japanese army was going to attack the capital and there was no way out.However, after the Japanese army occupied Guiliu, it was finally exhausted. It was very difficult to maintain law and order with a huge force on Chinese soil, and it was impossible to launch a decisive offensive.The panic has subsided, but people no longer dare to be blindly optimistic, and have made various preparations for the next crisis.
When Moscow arrived in the accompanying capital for a short-term visit, the upsurge of educated youth joining the army was pushed to an unprecedented height. [Note 4] Banners and slogans of "One inch of mountains and rivers, one inch of blood, one hundred thousand youths and one hundred thousand troops" were posted everywhere, and the slogans one after another could be clearly heard only a little closer to the urban area.He was sitting in the car and was about to ask a question, and then Chengdu, who picked up the plane, explained: "This is the movement of educated youths joining the army that is being promoted in our country. Our army has long been plagued by the problem of the source of soldiers. First, there is a shortage of soldiers. The system has not been well popularized and implemented; secondly, the quality of the soldiers is low, lack of culture, it is difficult to use new weapons and make battlefield judgments, which reduces the overall combat effectiveness. Now that the war has reached a critical moment, it is time for educated youth to enter the field. "
Moscow nodded: "This is a good starting point. The quality and education level of soldiers do have a great impact on combat capabilities. It can be seen that your young people are very enthusiastic about participating?"
"Last year when the initiative of educated youths to join the army was put forward, the students as a whole were still relatively indifferent. Later, the policy was improved, the training was given, and the recent war situation stimulated the movement, and the movement has been fully rolled out." Chengdu said with a smile, "It costs so much to recruit a soldier. How twists and turns, sounds unbelievable to you? I heard that in the European battlefield, the whole people are highly organized and united to fight for the victory of the country. Ordinary rural girls can methodically warn of incoming enemy planes with simple training. And be bombarded."
"You may be talking about the United Kingdom. In our country, ordinary girls can become ace pilots, shoot down more than a dozen enemy planes, and become heroes praised by the military and civilians throughout the country."
"I seem to have heard that there was a famous female pilot in the Soviet Union. Is she still active?"
"Dead in battle. Besieged by eight Messerschmitts, she didn't escape the death like before... Even the remains were not found. Maybe everything was a sign, her friends and lovers were all there I died in the months before that.” [Note 5] “It’s really heartbreaking.” Chengdu’s tone was full of sincere sympathy without exaggerating, “No matter where, the death of a vigorous young man is a A great tragedy."
"You are right. We have lost too many young people... I am afraid that it will be difficult to recover for a long time after the war. Although the degree of organization and the enthusiasm of the whole people to participate, Asia cannot compare with Europe, but the survivors There are many young people, which is very beneficial to the construction of the country after the war, and this is what I envy you."
"Hey. Let you see a joke, you have to win the war first..."
The two maintained a polite and pleasant conversation atmosphere along the way.As soon as they met in Chengdu, they explained that Chongqing was busy with business, so I would pick up the plane and accompany them first, and then arrange a meeting for the two of them after they were settled.Moscow also accepted it with peace of mind. He actually didn't want to see the other party's capital soon in this kind of private visit.Today, the relationship between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party is still not good, and the Soviet Union is very ambiguous at both ends. Out of innate ideas and interests, it will not leave the communist party behind.Before departure from Moscow, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union explained to him in detail what to say to people like Chongqing and Min. He could also grasp the bottom line, but it was not comfortable to run into those two people as soon as he arrived.
Chengdu is much better.During the Cairo conference, his mild-mannered demeanor and his slightly accented but uncompromising English made a good impression on everyone present.Sure enough, Chengdu lived up to this good impression. When they got off the bus in front of the reception desk for foreign guests, although the weather was cold and the wind was howling, both of them were in a good mood.Chengdu introduced the official who will be in charge of the specific schedule during the visit, briefly summarized the necessary itinerary for the past few days, and then said: "I will explain it in more detail at the luncheon. If you want to change it, just ask."
"I think it's quite suitable, there is no need to change it."
"That would be even better. But..." Chengdu blinked his eyes slowly and smiled, "To tell you the truth, I have a lot of things to do recently, and there is a lot of conscription work to be done in the city. We will accompany you after we arrange There is another candidate for the city master of the itinerary. Of course, if you think it is inappropriate, I will stay."
"Can I find out who that candidate is?"
"Peking."
"Why do I feel wrong? Just let him come, you bother."
Chengdu observed that the other party's expression was sincere, not like a polite lie, so he was completely relieved.Let Chengdu represent Chongqing to pick up the airport, usually accompanied by Peiping, this is of course discussed in advance.
On the other hand, Beiping is not as relaxed as Chengdu.Ever since he figured out why Min still wanted him to stay in the rear, he knew that sooner or later he would have to contribute, but he never expected such direct contact.The news that Moscow wanted to visit was very sudden to everyone. After knowing that it was prompted by the Americans, he lost his temper and started to make preparations. He was also involved in this way.
He always thought of the conversation Min had come to him about.The two of them were not familiar with each other at first, and they had never had a real relationship of trust, and the confession was quickly finished after sitting across from each other.Whether it's the things that Min told him to pay attention to or the gesture of rarely looking into his eyes when talking, it shows that he didn't take his own position into consideration, and he didn't even ask if he was willing or not.However, it is his honor to be used by the people, and he has nothing to complain about.It's just that Min threw him out so decisively, and he wasn't worried that he would get out of control. He was still a little curious, and after the deal was settled, he asked why.
Min said, "It's Nanjing. He highly recommends you to me."
"...That's it."
People don't know that his heart has turned upside down, and they don't need to know.The diplomatic relationship between the two countries is like a balance beam, the discordant political atmosphere in the country and his embarrassing situation have been strangely mixed with his subtle emotions towards Moscow and other personal feelings. A little good is as hard as the sky.He intellectually decided that now was not a good time to approach Moscow.But it was even more absurd that he wanted to run away when the other party offered to deliver it to his door.
Before leaving for the luncheon, Peiping stood at the door for a while.He heard the neat singing coming from the foot of the mountain, the voice is majestic, like the howling of the mountain wind, and the rushing of the river and the sea: [Note 6] Don't you see, the army at the end of the Han Dynasty, the weak crown tied captives please long tassels
Don't you see, Ban Dingyuan, Jueyu Qingqi urges Zhanyun
A man should be in danger, how can he let Confucianism miss his life
Kuang Nai's country is in peril, and the feathers are fighting endlessly
Abandon my old pen, and write my wartime lapel
One call for more than [-] comrades, singing battle songs and joining the army
Qi joins the army, cleans up the dust, and vows to wipe out Japanese slaves regardless of his own life...
He looked at the still verdant Gele Mountain in winter, took a deep breath of the damp and chilly air in the forest, and made sure that his mood was very calm before he set foot on the road ahead.
------------------------------
Note 1: "Love in a Fallen City" is one of Zhang Ailing's masterpieces. It tells the story of Bai Liusu, a lady from an old-fashioned big family who has been excluded, who meets Fan Liuyuan, a flamboyant and wealthy bachelor. She takes herself as a bet and goes to Hong Kong to try to win Fan Liuyuan The story of love and the legal status of marriage.In the story, Bai Liusu seemed to be about to fail. When Fan Liuyuan was about to leave Hong Kong, Hong Kong was attacked by the Japanese army. Fan turned back and married Bai Gongjing through life and death. (Actually, I personally don't like the "love stories" written by typical "female writers" like Zhang, but Love in Allure is indeed an excellent one in all aspects...)
Note 2: Wang Zhaoming died of illness on November 1944, 11 in Nagoya Imperial University Hospital, Japan.After his death, he was buried in Meihua Mountain in the southwest of Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, the tomb was blown up by the National Government.
Note 3: The "Absolute Defense Circle" is an important area that must be secured by Japan on the defensive in order to defend its homeland and continue the war in the late stage of the Pacific War. However, this setting did not effectively contain the U.S. military in the late stage of the war.
Note 4: The movement of educated youth to join the army was initiated by the Nationalist Government in the late period of the Anti-Japanese War and hosted by the Three Youth League.In particular, the movement encouraged young students to join the army to supplement the gaps in the Indian Army and the Expeditionary Force. From the mobilization in September 1944 to the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, nearly 9 people were recruited.
Note 5: Lilia Litvyak, a Soviet female pilot, played 168 times and shot down 12 enemy planes alone. He died in the line of duty on August 1943, 8, at the age of 1. His remains were discovered in 22, and he was posthumously named a "Venus Hero" in 1979.
Note 6: "Song of the Intellectual Youth Joining the Army", the authors of the lyrics and music are unknown, and it was originally composed of the First Army of the Chinese Army in India.
You'll Also Like
-
Pokemon, a genius scientist who traveled from one piece
Chapter 263 17 hours ago -
Mortal Alchemy
Chapter 383 17 hours ago -
The evil witch BOSS just wants to develop in a low profile
Chapter 119 17 hours ago -
Elf, a genius scientist who traveled from one piece
Chapter 262 22 hours ago -
Lingxu, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman
Chapter 2269 22 hours ago -
Wasteland Development Diary
Chapter 448 22 hours ago -
In the Apocalypse, Hoarding Supplies with the System's Hundredfold Critical Hits
Chapter 157 1 days ago -
On the day of the genocide, the parents of the Supreme Divine Dynasty came to
Chapter 536 1 days ago -
Sherlock Holmes at Hogwarts
Chapter 111 1 days ago -
After deciding to give up, I became popular
Chapter 169 1 days ago