Fifteen: The team of volunteers

The old housekeeper said: "Third aunt, the people in Zhang's Mansion are all good. Never greedy for life or afraid of death. There will be no seeds. Trust us.

"In the past few days, we have been scheming, and fate has tied us together. In the future, we will face the enemy with life and death. When the Japanese army came, we swore that we would rather die than be traitors. ”

They said loudly together: "I'd rather die than be a traitor!" ”

The old housekeeper said: "Third aunt, we follow you, in the face of the brutal Japanese army, we will protect you with our lives, and we believe that you will take us through the difficulties." ”

Wang Mingming said, "Okay." I trust you. In the face of the enemy's bayonets, we will share life and death together. Don't go out if you don't have something, and you must tell the old housekeeper when you go out.

"Let's disperse."

After breakfast, Wang Mingming felt very tired, so she took the medicine and lay down to rest for a while. She couldn't rest assured that she couldn't leave this house, she asked Liu's mother to call the old housekeeper, and she asked, "How is the situation in the secret room?" ”

The old housekeeper said, "Third aunt, you have only been lying down for a while and you have gotten up." The doctor told you to get some rest. I've got the secret room in place, don't worry. ”

Wang Mingming and the old housekeeper came to the secret room, which had two secret doors, and it was very dark inside. The old butler lit the candle, and she saw that the small secret room had been divided into two, and that the men and women lived separately. It's all throughout.

There was a stove and a water tank in the corner, and charcoal was piled up on the wall, as well as a few jars of pickles and a sack of grain. A square table with cutlery sits along. There is also a deck of mahjong tiles.

Wang Mingming said: "Old housekeeper, you have to make the bed as soon as possible, it's cold, and the bed is thicker." Prepare some flatbread and pancakes. You can also stock up on cooked salted duck and cooked salted goods.

"When the time comes, it's not a day or two to live here, and it's not peaceful outside for a day and you don't go out for a day."

The old butler said, "I remember." I've made arrangements for who will move in. It's all the people who live in this compound.

"When the Japanese army comes during the day, we move in during the day, and if they come at night, we move in at night. Third aunt, look at it. ”

Wang Mingming said: "You have to tell them to keep their mouths shut, whoever says it wants my life is a traitor, and I will not let him die well."

"Also, let's make a fire and roast it now, it's too damp."

The old housekeeper said, "I'll do it as instructed by Aunt An." The third aunt is going to Yanziji, whether it should be arranged first. ”

Wang Mingming said: "I want to go to Chongqing." I'm going to leave in the next two days. ”

The old housekeeper said: "The third aunt wants to go to Chongqing too much, I have thought about this matter, and there is no call from there, which means that it is still on the way." It's been so many days, and it's not easy to walk on the road.

"I called twice and didn't get through. I will contact again. In a day or two, your health will be better, no matter whether you can get in touch or not, I will arrange for Da Chen and Liu's mother to escort you.

"I take care of their home, and there will be no problem. You can rest assured. I'll arrange for you to go to Yanziji to visit your parents first. ”

Wang Mingming said: "Don't worry, Xizi called my father when he left, saying that I had already gone to Chongqing." My father also took care of the boat and prepared to go. After so long, they may have left early.

"Besides, the Japanese planes bomb indiscriminately every day, and there is no guarantee of safety on the road. Mother-in-law and they just left, there are many and complicated things here, and they must be implemented in the same way.

The old housekeeper said, "That's what the third aunt said. Regarding the matter of going to Yanziji, I took care of the car and listened to the arrangement of the third aunt. ”

Wang Mingming said: "You can send someone to buy a ticket for tomorrow or the day after tomorrow." That's the big deal. The old butler said, "I will send for it." ”

The old housekeeper who came out of the secret room said, "Third aunt, I told Da Chen to buy a ferry ticket." I'll take someone to seal the door of the foreign company, what else do you command? ”

Wang Mingming said: "Seal the door? I always feel that it is unlucky to close the door, and if the foreign company is open, Nanjing people will not enter casually.

"The door is sealed, and the Japanese army is coming, and a seal can't stop them from breaking inside. I think it's better to look at it.

"It turned out that the old man Li who slept in the shop, I heard that he was a guard next to the general when he was young. He was too old to leave Nanjing, because he went home because the store was closed.

"I see that you brought him to the store, he is an old man who knows the rules of the house, understands the situation in the house, and has a martial arts foundation, so he is the right person. He's not going to quit. ”

The old housekeeper said: "Old man Li's house is at the foot of Yuhuatai Mountain outside the city, and there is an old wife at home, no children, I think it's okay." So I sent and called him. ”

Wang Mingming said: "He has only one wife at home, which is quite pitiful. You can ask the old couple to move in and take care of each other. ”

"They live in the store, they guard it day and night, and they can have a gang inside. Wages can be a little higher. ”

The old housekeeper said: "The third aunt's method is good, I will do it according to the third aunt's instructions, and I will send someone to call him."

"I've heard that Yuhuatai is about to turn into a battlefield. The people there are trying to figure out how to move towards the city. This situation will come to the old couple. ”

Wang Mingming said: "People who live outside the city tell them to move to the backyard of the trading house. There is no charge for the room. Be safer in the city. You go get busy. ”

She watched the old housekeeper slowly go to the backyard, sighed and said, "I feel very tired without doing anything, and it makes sense for my mother-in-law to ask my eldest sister to manage this family in the past." ”

Wang Mingming returned to the house, because there was a charcoal fire, and it was very warm in the room. She sat down and roasted the fire for a while. She couldn't sit still, so she might as well go to the street and buy something.

She wants to buy a coat, and she can use it in Chongqing. I heard it's colder over there than here. Things over there are much more expensive than here.

When she went out, the porter said: "The third aunt is too out, Da Chen went to buy a ferry ticket, I'll follow you, you are not in good health, and besides, it is very dangerous outside." Hello when you encounter something.

"The old grandson of the gardener went to Yuhuatai to invite Old Man Li. I'm going to call Liu's mother to come and see the gate. ”

Wang Mingming said, "No. The porter said, "Why don't you ask Mother Liu to follow." She will serve you. Wang Mingming was unhappy and said, "Okay, no one wants it." You go and hail a rickshaw. ”

The porter hurried to call a taxi.

There are no pedestrians on the road anymore, and there are sentries and police on duty at the intersection of the main street. Some of the soldiers were sharpening their guns and sharpening their knives in the newly constructed barricades.

Several veterans gathered together to smoke cigarettes and chat. Men carry boxes of bullets and some supplies into the barricades. They had a lot of fun.

A team of volunteers marched under the leadership of a young female captain, the captain was of medium stature, and walked in front of the team with strong arms, she looked like a young female teacher.

Wang Mingming suddenly thought of her homeroom teacher and Lotus classmates, and the last time she saw them was when they joined the army and said goodbye to the school.

The impression they left on Wang Mingming was that they were extremely majestic soldiers with their chests upright and saluting. Where are their troops, will they be defending Nanjing?

Wang Mingming thought of them, and naturally thought of the yellow cat and the classmates, and remembered the July Seven Incident, and she and her classmates marched arm in arm on the street.

The lotus flowers whistled, and they shouted: "Jinling daughter, anti-Japanese pioneer." She remembered the solemn faces of her classmates who shared the same hatred.

Where are the classmates now, are they all in exile! She couldn't help but feel sad.

Volunteers are in a row of four, they are walking with their arms in neat steps, and next to the team is a squad leader on duty, who shouts for a while: "One, two, one." A moment of whistling: "Doodoo." ”

They are like an army under review. The empty avenues come alive because of their presence.

The front half of the line is made up of students in school uniforms, and the second half is made up of young workers in overalls. They are both men and women, all of them are full of energy.

Wang Mingming was wondering where they were going.

There was a tea station on the side of the road, which was run by a couple of old men and women who had stayed to look at the house. A sign reads crookedly: "Please eat boiling water to defend Nanjing." Gratis. ”

The captain waved his hand, and the squad leader on duty made a long whistle, and the team disbanded. Volunteers used to drink a large bowl of each. A few volunteers brought their own water bottles and got together to drink and chat.