Nine: Mother-in-law's prayer

The mother-in-law knew very well that it was unlucky to ask the old housekeeper to guard this house. Once Nanjing falls, it will be difficult for Nanjing people living under the iron hoof to save their lives.

The mother-in-law believes that it will be either three or five years or ten or eight years, and there will be a day when she will come back. This big house has to be left to be managed by reliable people.

This person is to be loyal to the state and will not defect at any time. Have the courage to deal with devils. You have to have the ability to keep yourself alive.

There are people in the house who want to stay. These people were loyal to Zhang's house. In the face of the horror of the devil's burning and killing, he will treat death as home, and he is a reliable person.

But the house was handed over to them, and the mother-in-law was not at ease.

First, some of them are brave and unscrupulous, they only know how to fight ruthlessly, and they don't know how to use wisdom to deal with devils. That is, they can't deal with devils.

Second, some of them can't hold back in the face of bloody storms. In case they betrayed and became traitors. How can the mother-in-law be worthy of Zhang's mansion and how can she explain to the country.

The mother-in-law's man left two people to protect Zhang's mansion at the last moment of his life. One was the captain of the guard, who had been wounded in the war, and had died after the recurrence of his old wounds.

There is also a horse pawn, Old Man Li, who has martial arts and is loyal to Zhangfu. Just kill him, he will not defect and surrender.

Although his health is not good, there is no problem in asking him to kill devils hard. But he doesn't have the ability to lead and organize, and he can't deal with devils.

The only old man in the house is the old housekeeper. He is an old subordinate of the mother-in-law man. Good health is a reliable candidate. He's a little older, and he also has a big yard to see.

The mother-in-law chose the old housekeeper. The mother-in-law said to herself: "After the fall of Nanjing, he can deal with devils and lead the people who have not left Zhangfu to tide over the difficulties."

"Whether he can survive to the victory of the Anti-Japanese War depends on his creation."

She confessed to him: "Your funds have been arranged. Now you take the four kings in the family and the guys who can't leave, and collect all the calligraphy, paintings, and antiques that can't be taken away.

"These things had to be packed into boxes and put in the cellar, and then the doors were sealed with bricks and filled with soil. Those things can't fall into the hands of the Japanese. When the victory comes, those things will see the light of day again.

"I want you to take someone to collect it because you know that you have to put it away, and you can leave it out and put it outside.

"You have to protect this property, but I don't want you to protect it with your life. Remember, those things aren't worth your life.

"You never do things wrong, fast and well. I appreciate it. There's a secret room in this courtyard, I'll take you there later.

"You clean up the place, prepare food, the Japanese are coming, these jackals are going to kill, you take the people who stay behind and hide in it. Wait until it's calm outside before coming out. ”

The old housekeeper said gratefully: "The old ancestor is really thoughtful, thank you the old ancestor." I've lived here all my life, and I didn't know there was a secret room. The ancestor is really a man of God. ”

The mother-in-law said, "I took your eldest son and his family away." You also have a son and a daughter, they have become a family and make a living in other companies, and you are willing to ask them to come with me, and I will take them.

"If you don't want to go with me, stay with you."

The old butler said, "I listen to my ancestors." It is best if the ancestors are willing to take them away. On the road, it is good to serve the ancestors. When I got there, I also listened to the arrangement of my ancestors. ”

The mother-in-law said, "Okay, I'll take it all." Send them back and tell them to hurry up and get ready, and they will leave tomorrow. To be honest, I'm going to hire people over there. Use the people I brought over. ”

"I've seen the situation over there. We can't do that much business over there now. In times of war, people's food is the first need.

"Whether we will do food business after we go there will be a decision, and I will decide after I get there, and I am afraid that there will be insufficient manpower."

The old housekeeper said, "Thank you for the care of your ancestors. Thank you, ancestors. ”

The mother-in-law said, "Anyone who is unwilling to leave, tell them to report to you, and if you want to go home, you can pay them to arrange for them to go back, and if you stay, you should take them with you, and you can go as busy." ”

When the mother-in-law saw that the old housekeeper had gone out, she came to the door to see the situation in the courtyard, some of them were nervous because they were going into exile, and some of them were excited to see that this was a way to live.

An old mother walked briskly in front of her mother-in-law, and she suddenly stopped and bowed to her mother-in-law and said, "Thank you, ancestor, you are our wise master, leading us to the bright road."

"You took us away from the fighting, away from the butcher's knives of the devils. Our restless hearts were calmed. You are a saint. We praise you. ”

The mother-in-law breathed a sigh of relief and said, "You are really good at talking." Don't thank me, it was the Eighth Route Army Office that polished my eyes and showed me the way.

Tell the people around you to remember them, and thank them if you want to. They are saints. He is a person who deserves praise. Go get busy. ”

The bookkeeper hurriedly ran and said, "Ancestor, you want to take me to escape, this is a great thing, my wife and I are willing to follow you into exile."

"But both of my children are married. I don't feel at ease if they stay in Nanjing. My family has lived in Nanjing for generations, and I have no relatives in other places, ancestors, you can take my whole family with you. ”

The mother-in-law said, "Good, good. You go and tell everyone who is willing to bring their families with me and tell them to sign up quickly, I will bring them all, I don't want to see them become slaves of the country. ”

The bookkeeper said, "Ancestor, you are really our great savior. I'm going to arrange for them to go. Thank you, ancestors. ”

The mother-in-law looked at the panicked and busy people in the yard, she raised her head and sighed, stretched out her hands to the sky, and she looked at the blue sky for a long time. It seems to see through the sky.

After a long time she closed her eyes and cried out in a hoarse voice: "O God of great mercy, O my Almighty Savior! Save your faithful believers.

"My great country is being invaded by foreign armies. My compatriots are being slaughtered by robbers. The Japanese army was wrapped in bloody rain like monsters and slaughtered Nanjing.

"In order to escape the war, I had to live with my family at this age. Along the way, there were thousands of miles of bombing by enemy planes and harassment by spies.

"I can't have a problem with my people on the road, I can't get lost with someone. O God Almighty, bless us on our journey. Amen. ”

The mother-in-law said that the old tears were flying. The sparse white hair on the temples turned white in an instant. The cold wind lifted her cloak, and she stood there like a candle in the wind.

The war had crushed her body, and she had suddenly aged a lot. Wrinkles crept up on her smooth face, and her straight waist bent over.

But the war did not prevail against her heart. She believed that the War of Resistance would be won. She is making her last struggle, taking those who are willing to go with her in the direction of survival.

Wang Mingming has never seen the tears of her mother-in-law, this optimistic old man can't bear it no matter how strong she is when the country is ruined.

She didn't come forward to comfort her mother-in-law, she stood still and didn't move. She believes that her mother-in-law is not a soft bone and she can withstand it.

The mother-in-law called out to her, and she hurriedly answered. The mother-in-law said, "Little San, go and prepare, you can leave quickly when the car arrives."

Remember, when you see your parents, rejoice in telling them that they are safe. Reassure them. We should persuade them to leave Nanjing as soon as possible.

"You have to leave them a safe and happy smile, and they will always be at ease. You must rush back today. Don't miss tomorrow's ship. ”

Her mother-in-law arranged for her to say goodbye to her family, and her tears almost rolled down. The mother-in-law thought of everything when she decided to go into exile.

From the moment she decided to go, she suddenly realized that to go was to leave her homeland, to leave the place where she was born and raised. She couldn't help but feel a sour feeling in her heart.

She didn't know that she would be able to come back in the Year of the Monkey. She didn't expect that there would be a day of life and death with her parents. Holding back her grief, she said, "Thank you, mother-in-law." I'll go and I'll come back. ”

She said that she couldn't control her sorrow anymore, and tears rolled down her eyes involuntarily. She hurried back into the house to get her things and come out, the car had already arrived.