探乡记(1)——李班长，茅厕在哪？

Keep reading, bonus is there (一直看下去，有福利)

 

Hometown Visit (1) - Sergeant Li, where's the washroom?

 

Gradually, a girl's face turned clearer in front of my eyes.

“You come round? Oh, so great!” The girl spoke in excitement.

“Very good. So now we leave him to you.”

I turned to look. A ranked officer stood up from beside and walked away to join a dozen of soldiers passing by.

“What happened?” I still felt very dizzy.

“You lost consciousness when a shell exploded nearby. Fortunately, you didn't get wounded badly. A shrapnel hit your helmet. You were lucky. It came along a tangent line and hit the tangent point at the top of your helmet. Had it hit the middle of the helmet, your neck could have been broken.”

“Who told you that?”

“Sergeant Li, the leader of your squad. The medic said you might have lost part of your memory for a short while.”

“Who is that officer just now?”

“That's Captain Lei Xiong, machine gun company.”

“Where am I?”

“Four Banks Warehouse.” The girl replied.

“And who are you?”

“I'm Yang Huimin, girl scout. I just crossed Soochow Creek and came here to deliver a national flag to Colonel Xie and you guys.”

“Colonel Xie?”

“Lieutenant Colonel Xie Jinyuan.” The girl helped me to sit up and lean against the wall. “Do you need water?”

“I, …”

“It's better to drink some. Here.” Yang Huimin unlidded a water bottle and passed to me.

“Thanks.” I returned it to her after drinking. “Much better now. You come here alone?”

“Yes.”

“Just for delivering a national flag?”

“It's important, isn't it? Well, I see all those Japan's Sun Flags around here every day and also a few Union Jacks dot on the other bank of Soochow Creek whereas there's no single national flag of China, I feel sad and furious. It's our land, it's the land of China. Is it right to any Chinese that the gangster's flags and invader's flags are everywhere and no ours is seen?”

“You are darn right. Thank you so much! Appreciated! You are hero, a heroine.”

“No, I just did what I believe is right.”

Facing a heroine, how was I supposed to hide myself in the corner while I hadn't got seriously injured? I struggled to stand up.

“Are you all right?” She helped to hold my arm.

“Yes, I'm totally fine. A young girl like you even can be this courageous. One day, I will …”

“You will catch Matsui Iwane or even Katsuki Kiyoshi for us?”

“Who?”

“Never mind. I was joking. Here.” She collected a helmet from beside, put it on my head and buckled it. “Ha! A soldier again.”

“Thanks. Uh, where's my …”

“Here. All your gears are here.” She walked to a pile of stuffs a few yards beside on the ground and picked up a rifle and an infantry pack first.

I walked fast towards her to collect the gun and then put the pack on my back.

“Your bayonet, grenades, bullet clips, shovel, and, what is this? Sun glasses? Where did you get this?”

“I don't know. It's mine?” I took a look outside. “Wait. Why is it so quiet now?”

“Attack stopped. Guess those Japanese really need to take a break as you guys have already repelled six attacks. It's awesome! Well done! All Shanghai citizens are excited!” The girl smiled while still studying the glasses.

“The job you've done is extraordinary. It's so heroic, so patriotic, so amazing!”

“Oh don't mention it too much. Actually, Mr. Cao Juren also offered a helping hand in it.”

“Who? Cao Juren?”

“Yes, that newspaper reporter.”

“I know him. I think he is my relative, well, indirect relative. I'm hailing from Shaanxi while he is from Shanghai or Zhejiang.”

“Oh yah?”

“Yah, he's a relative to my relative's relative.”

The girl laughed.

“No, no, I'm not lying. Serious.”

The girl was still laughing. “Then every one is every one's relative after all.”

“Where are we? I mean, where exactly are we in the warehouse?”

“Third floor. We are facing north. Colonel Xie has talked to Captain Lei about blocking all the openings on the ground floor around midnight except keeping the south exit open. Oh, Major Yang wounded too.”

“Who?”

“You really lost part of your memory. Major Yang Ruifu, 1st Battalion, 524th Regiment. And Corporal Chen Shusheng sacrificed when he carried a dozen of grenades and pulled the strings after rushing into a group of Japs trying to blow the corner of this building.”

“Chen Shusheng?” I was greatly touched at the words. “What a hero! His blood is not shed for nothing, but for our nation's independence and freedom. His death is heavier than Mount Tai. He will be put into our Valhalla after the war and will be memorized by us, by our sons, grandsons, great grandsons, and on and on.”

We lowered our heads, praying in silence for the martyr's soul resting in peace.

“Is he a Nationalist or a Communist?” I lifted up my head.

“Nationalist, Communist, or neither this nor that, does it matter?”

“No, I'm just asking. Where's Sergeant Li and my squad?”

“They are downstairs, on the ground floor. I saw them there when Colonel Xie asked Captain Lei to show me around.”

“All right, I want to go back to join them now.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“I come with you.”

“No, you stay here.”

“Look, now you are not as familiar as I am with this warehouse. I just walk you through there. You want to see the national flag? It's also there, downstairs. Colonel Xie says we will put it above the roofing. Right now, he is in the meeting with captains and lieutenants. I'm not sure if injured Major Yang is in the meeting or not. I also heard Colonel Xie ask people to find certain string and a very long flag pole. So, before that, if you still want to take a close look at the flag. Come with me.”

“All right, all right.”

Fully armed, I came downstairs with Yang Huimin and nodded to the soldiers we came across. Each pair of eyes gleamed with bravery, constancy, and fortitude.

The openings of the ground floor were not fully blocked yet, but preparation work was well ongoing. The air was permeated with mixed smells of sulphur and certain scorched material. Outside the warehouse flames were still burning at some places and many things couldn't be seen clearly as they were covered under heavy black fume.

“There, that's Sergeant Li, the one with a white scarf around his neck. He said it's just a slight scratch. And the other two are Wang Wenchuan and Wan Lianqing.” Yang Huimin pointed at the three soldiers smoking cigarette behind the somewhat damaged fortifications outside the warehouse.

“You can report to Sergeant Li after his smoking. But now, come, let me show you.” She pulled me aside and nodded to a national flag placed on a big table.

“See? People already put it on this pole. We can use it when we launch attack and charge. But Colonel Xie says we need a very long pole and we hoist the national flag atop the building so that the people of Shanghai can see our flag from afar. What do you think?”

“That's a great idea.” I replied in joy, feeling the national flag of Republic of China after I used a corner of my uniform to wipe my fingers clean enough. “I will be present at the flag-raising ceremony and salute to the flag when everything is made ready.”

“Me too.” The girl's eyes turned damp. “We will fight until the day of victory.”

“We will.”

“And Captain Lei says …”

“Sssh … Did you hear?”  I gestured to Yang Huimin to turn down and asked in a very low voice.

“What is it?” She murmured. “Just Sergeant Li and his guys chatting. Nothing else.”

“No, that's not what I'm asking. I heard something else. Wait here. Let me take a look outside.” I unslung my rifle and walked on light steps towards the opening where Sergeant Li and the other two were standing nearby. They were still smoking and chatting in a low voice and didn't notice me coming outside.

I looked around, but couldn't get a clear view because of heavy smokes all around. Then I heard certain noise again, from the left side. It was clearer and closer. I rubbed my eyes. In vagueness, I saw some shadows moving over. The reinforcement should come from south or east if any, but not from north or west.

“My Confucius' mother!” I shouted out at my loudest voice, “Japs! From left!”

The nearest Japanese soldier jumped out of darkness and rushed towards me. He was too close for me to take aim. When I pulled the trigger, nothing happened! A bayonet was thrusting towards my chin. I dodged aside by instinct in split-second, but lost the balance and fell on the ground. When I looked up, Sergeant Li had already been grappling with that Jap.

“Attack incoming! Straight ahead!” Someone was shouting almost at the same time of the roars of machine guns and rifles and the explosions of grenades.

I didn't know how to re-load the gun. I was so nervous that I wanted to pee. Both Sergeant Li and the Jap rolled down to the ground, but Sergeant Li was under the Jap.

Yang Huimin was seen rush out and wave the flag in the air. But she hadn't told me where I could find the washroom. I wanted to pee, I wanted to pee. I couldn't hold it any more. I couldn't hold it, I couldn't…

“Excuse me, Sergeant Li! Where's the washroom?”

 

Notes:

01. Sergeant Li, where's the washroom?: 李班长，茅厕在哪儿？

02. Captain Lei Xiong, machine gun company: 机枪连连长雷雄

03. Four Banks Warehouse: 四行仓库

04. Yang Huimin: 杨惠敏，女英雄

05. Soochow Creek: 苏州河

06. Lieutenant Colonel Xie Jinyuan: 谢晋元副团长，抗日英烈

07. Matsui Iwane: 松井石根

08. Katsuki Kiyoshi: 香月清司

09. Cao Juren: 曹聚仁

10. Major Yang Ruifu: 杨瑞符营长，抗日英烈

11. Coporal Chen Shusheng: 陈树生副班长，抗日英烈

12. Valhalla: 英烈祠

13. Wang Wenchuan: 王文川，524团战士

14. Wan Lianqing: 万连青，524团战士

15. “My Confucius' mother!” I shouted out at my loudest voice, “Japs! From left!”: “孔妈妈呀！”我扯到最大嗓门喊——“鬼子！左边！”