The cool, clear waters of the Yongding River flowed gently. Huaiyu ran over to wash her face and then dipped her feet in, enjoying the cool sensation. Plus, it allowed her to escape the awkward silence that Liang Dandan had been arguing about. She said he would lie to her—how could there be such a misunderstanding?
Dan Dan kicked him, splashing water all over his face. Huai Yu glanced at her, not wanting to be outdone, and retaliated.
After playing for a while, Dandan suddenly said:
"Brother Huaiyu, will you steal some dates for me to eat again this Mid-Autumn Festival?"
He'd forgotten everything, but she remembered. Huaiyu said irritably:
"Okay, okay, okay!"
"Pinky promise!"
Dandan extended her finger, her dark yet clear eyes staring directly at Huaiyu, innocent and untouched by worldly concerns. She only wanted him to keep his promise—a promise of a few dates—but she took it very seriously. To reassure her, Huaiyu hooked his finger with hers. Dandan playfully tugged at his shoulder, causing a sharp pain that didn't fully heal. Before he could recover, Dandan seemed to understand: "Haha, I told you not to stubbornly resist!"
She added, "You men are all the same, dishonest, they won't even cry out in pain, they can't last long. The 'Cut Cake Bro' is the same—wait, I haven't seen him for two days, have you seen him?"
"No. Usually, he's the one who looks for me. I don't know where to look for him. The whole of Beiping is his 'home'—the market stalls, the altars at the local temples, and the public stoves in front of restaurants... I rarely see him at his sister's place in the alley."
“His ‘home’ is bigger than yours, and he talks more than you. You can’t even say ten sentences to me, but he’ll pour them out in baskets.”
"His voice is better than mine."
"What does it mean to be poor if you can't speak properly? — It's a matter of the tongue." Dandan laughed: "He has two tongues!"
“You too,” Huaiyu said.
The two left the Yongding River, entered the Shuiding Gate, walked onto Yongdingmen Street, and headed north. Before they knew it, they had arrived at Qianmen.
The Qianmen Moon City had three gates, leading directly to the Qianmen Arrow Tower. Beijing had nine arrow towers. Each tower's "arrow holes" (or "cannon holes"), when counted vertically, had one hole on the double eaves and three holes below. However, when counted horizontally, the number differed; the other eight towers had twelve holes, while the Qianmen Arrow Tower had thirteen. Why was there an extra hole? The long-time residents of Beijing never understood the reason.
It's better to avoid trouble.
They strolled leisurely for another half day.
Summer of 1932, Beiping (Beijing). 2
Suddenly, another group of people appeared ahead, marching with great momentum. They were described as "imposing" because they were a densely packed crowd. Before anyone could even see them, a cacophony of voices rose from afar, startling the ordinary people. Before they could even understand what was happening, they hurriedly glanced around, and as the group drew nearer, they quickly sought a safe place to hide, only sticking their heads out a crack—and at the slightest sign of trouble, they retreated back inside. "The first bird to stick its head out gets shot"—who doesn't understand this principle? It's been said for thousands of years.
Huaiyu pulled Dandan aside to watch.
They were all students. University students, no less. Handsome and upright, they strode confidently. There were women among them too. Every single one of them radiated unabashed enthusiasm and passion, a resolute determination.
Everyone stood aside, facing the surging crowd.
At the head of the procession, a banner stretched across the front read: "Drive the Japanese devils out of Northeast China!" Behind them, various small flags and paper banners waved, all proclaiming: "Oppose the policy of non-resistance!", "Send troops to resist Japan!", "Boycott Japanese goods!", "Oppose the one-way street policy!", "Give us back China!"...
A massive wave of people surged in, their shouts echoing through the air. From the mouths of these college students, still sheltered from the cold, came a roar of anger that the ignorant masses could not comprehend.
What are they shouting?
"They said the Japanese devils are attacking us." Huaiyu only had a vague understanding of the situation.
"How come none of us knew?" Dandan asked curiously.
"I've heard about it, but who am I supposed to ask?" The young man from Tianqiao was clearly ignorant of state affairs.
"Tang Huaiyu!" someone shouted from the crowd.
Huaiyu was startled, unable to hear clearly, and guessed it was her imagination.
Amidst the bustling crowd, a young man emerged. He was a young man with a few soft hairs on his lip, rosy cheeks, a straight nose, and eyes brimming with fighting spirit.
Huaiyu stared intently at the student with the large head. Ah! It turned out to be He Tieshan.
"He Tie, do you recognize him? He Tieshan, the one you fought with in school when you were kids!"
Huaiyu remembered. They had gotten into a fight because this man had carved a center line on the long table they shared with a knife. Back then, he looked down on Huaiyu and threatened him, "Don't cross the line!" Huaiyu wasn't afraid: "Hmph! Nobody crosses the line!"
Who crossed the line later? ...Anyway, after a bout of fistfights, the winner was decided. Huaiyu remembered. Both of them had grown up. He Tieshan, only a few years older than her, was already in his early twenties. His family had some influence, so he had easily become a university student; as for her, she was still a naive newcomer. Really, who won?
But He Tieshan was no longer the naive and domineering man he once was; he no longer held onto the grudges of his youth. He was now full of vigor, living a busy and meaningful life, reading and learning to read, understanding the principles of family and country, and now participating in anti-Japanese rallies and demonstrations.
Because of his relatively well-off family background and extensive knowledge, he has truly changed. —The only thing that remains unchanged is perhaps this one unwavering conviction:
"Don't cross the line!"
He would attack anyone who "crossed the line".
He Tieshan handed Huaiyu a stack of mimeographed leaflets and said, “Tang Huaiyu, please distribute these for us. Please support us and call on the people of the whole country to resist Japan and fight against aggression. Do you understand? Now, the three northeastern provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang, two million square kilometers of territory and thirty million compatriots have fallen into enemy hands. Soon, they will occupy China…” He spoke quickly and fluently, as he had already preached this message a thousand times over. Huaiyu listened, stunned.
He Tieshan finished his presentation in one breath, waved, and dashed back into the group, disappearing from sight. — Faced with national and personal vendettas, personal grudges were unknowingly wiped clean.
Dandan, still full of excitement, pressed each of Xing Xiaoshuang for answers:
"You want to fight him? Who would win?"
"Who else do you think there is?" Huaiyu asked.
"Hmph, it was that big guy who won!" Dandan deliberately argued, "Look, he's the one who ran over to call you."
“The loser always remembers things more clearly than the winner,” Huaiyu said.
"I don't believe it!"
Women love to be unreasonable. You say east, she insists on going west. I don't know what's so funny about it. Huaiyu just lowered his head and glanced at the propaganda leaflet. He felt that this was not his ability at all, how ridiculous. "Calling on the people of the whole country to resist Japan," what does "calling on" mean? How many "people of the whole country" are there? How to "fly Japan"? How to take the first step? Huaiyu frowned, his thick, cold eyebrows furrowing together.