What they said was true, but I couldn't help but shudder when I heard it. I think that if I hadn't joined the ambulance corps, I would never have known the cruelty of war, and I would never have known the meaning of "it is better to die than to live".

I didn't want to irritate Wei February's nerves, which were already on the verge of collapse, so I avoided talking about the war and just talked to her about inconsequential things. I knew she didn't want to talk about her family, so I promised to let my father pick her up from the hospital in a few days. There was a shortage of soldiers outside, and the French Concession was not much worse than usual because of the foreign soldiers with loaded guns, and it couldn't be better here. Moreover, there was still a faction of singing and dancing in the concession, eating and dancing, and it was not affected by the war at all. When her injuries are better, she can also watch the new film of the southern beauty Chen Yunshang together. The story of a generation of heroine Hua Mulan was put on the big screen for the first time, and just thinking about it made me feel enthusiastic.

Wei February's joy when he heard me say, and he cooperated to squeeze out a smile. It's just that this smile really doesn't mean the slightest joy, and some are only bitter. The next time I saw her laughing was the day Japan announced its surrender, and after seven or eight years, the cheerful girl in the past had already changed beyond recognition. Of course, that's all for later.

Since August 13, Shanghai, the bustling metropolis of the Far East, has been plunged into the quagmire of war. Endless explosions and billowing smoke enveloped the city. During the day, the cannon rumbled, the propellers of the planes made a loud noise, and it was difficult for two people to hear what the other was saying even when they were facing each other.

When planes fly by, people instinctively put on wet blankets and hide under tables, although most people know in their hearts that there is a limit to the effectiveness of this level of protection. If you're lucky enough to drop a bomb on the roof, congratulations, you're on the road to bliss. Even if they dodge the shelling, the danger is still everywhere. The dilapidated houses in Huajie could not withstand the impact of the aftermath of the shells, and large swaths of masonry soon rolled down the walls, and even more damaged, with a "boom", completely shattered into powder. As for the wooden houses and straw huts, they are completely unstoppable. As long as there is an open fire in the vicinity that is not extinguished in time, these buildings quickly become a source of fire, enveloping everything around them in the blazing fire.

The earth was shaking, the mountains and rivers were roaring, and the whole of Shanghai was devastated under the iron hooves of the Japanese invaders. A large number of people began to appear in the streets, some of them wearing shabby, hard-to-cover clothes, some of them neatly dressed, as if they had been from a good family, but they had lost their houses and property during the war, and although they were able to survive, they were all the same as vegetables. They are the poor people whose homes have been destroyed and who are homeless.

Although the Nationalist Government later set up several shelters to accommodate the displaced people, the relief food they received in line every day was simply not enough to meet the needs of the family. Even the most inhospitable people recognized the essence of war by this time.

While I was working day and night in the ambulance team, there was also a huge change in my family. First of all, my father received a notice from Shangfeng that if the situation in Shanghai continued to deteriorate, all the archival materials would have to be shipped out of Shanghai in advance, and they must not fall into the hands of the Japanese. As for my father, I also hope that he will be ready for everything, and if the government needs it, he will withdraw to Chongqing with other officials. The eldest brother also brought back a piece of news that was difficult for the family to accept. Because of his excellent foreign language skills (his English and Japanese skills have reached a proficient level), he also rushed to Lushan, the summer capital, immediately. As for which department he will serve next and under whose hands he will work under, he will not make arrangements until he arrives in Lushan.

I think my mother must have been the one in the worst mood. Originally, in troubled times, I hoped that the family would be reunited and safely together, but I didn't expect that a good family would be torn apart at this time. She managed to talk to me, but there was a long silence on the other end of the phone.

I expressed my position in loud words: "If you and your father decide to go to Chongqing, I will accompany you." ”

Unexpectedly, my mother's thoughts were very different from mine: "But your grandfather and grandparents are in Shanghai, and I can't leave them alone." ”

Now I was really stunned: "You want to stay? How many people cry and shout that they want to go to Chongqing, but they can't come. It's a big rear, and it's much safer than Shanghai. I was so excited that my voice was raised several degrees, so that the people around me stopped and looked curiously. I had no choice but to change my posture, turn my body towards the corner, and deliberately lower my volume: "In this way, our family is really in the world, and we will never be able to get together again." ”

The mother was silent for a while, and then said in an almost flattering tone: "Actually, I have thought about it for a long time, and I still hope to stay in Shanghai." In this way, whether it is your father or your eldest brother and second brother, they can always easily find us when they want to come back. ”

I think maybe it's because of this war, maybe it's because I've witnessed too much life and death, so I have a strong resonance for this kind of mother's feelings. I held the earpiece, and the joints of my fingers were white because of the force, and I told her in a not loud but firm tone, "As long as you decide, I will definitely be by your side." ”

The mother didn't answer, and a low sob came from the earpiece. I wondered if I was experiencing auditory hallucinations, how could I hear the sobs clearly in such a noisy background? It was with great sadness that I told her about Wei February's current situation, and the situation of this always strong friend is not optimistic. And repeatedly emphasized that I hope that she and her father can come on the day Wei is discharged from the hospital in February.

Sure enough, my mother grieved again, and in this kind of troubled world, it is inevitable that people will be swayed by feelings of sadness and self-pity. Like me, she is also very worried about Wei February's psychological state, and I don't know how she will face her future life after being hit so hard? In the end, she categorically said that she would definitely help Wei February regain her optimism and cheerfulness.

The Japanese repeatedly stressed on the radio and in the newspapers that they would be able to conquer the whole of China in just one month, and that it would only take a week or even a few days to conquer Shanghai, which made the already nervous mood even more panicked.