Chapter 198 - 139: The Most Beloved People of Those Years
At this time, the Zhou Family was well-off and living quite comfortably.
As Zhou Yan walked, it was as if he’d missed a step. His vision suddenly went black.
When the scene cleared, a line of scarlet text appeared on the rammed earth wall:
August 16, 1937, Night, 7:21 PM
"You’re just a butcher, what are you going to fight the Japanese with? You’ve never even touched a gun! You... If you go, how are we supposed to survive, a mother and her children all alone?" A woman’s sobs came from inside the room.
Zhou Yan shifted his gaze from the wall to see a tear-streaked Zhang Shufen pounding on Zhou Yi’s chest.
Zhou Yi wore the same short tunic, a bundle slung over his back. The simple, honest look he’d had just days before was gone, replaced by a firm and resolute expression.
"Shufen, the Japanese devils are invading our land, killing our people, and raping our women. If I don’t go, they’ll reach Jiazhou sooner or later. Who will protect you and the boys then?" With a resolute look, Zhou Yi held her shoulders and spoke softly.
"I’ve exchanged all our silver dollars and Gold Yuan Certificates for Gold, and it’s hidden in a secret compartment at the foot of the bed. Keep it safe, and don’t let anyone else know. Wang Yu said to buy Gold in times of chaos. I’m afraid things are going to be unstable for a long time. With two children, you have to take good care of yourself."
"I’ve already spoken to a few of my cousins and asked them to look after you and the boys. Don’t worry. As long as a single man of the Zhou Family is left alive, no one will dare to bully you."
Zhang Shufen’s tears began to subside. She threw herself into Zhou Yi’s arms, clinging to him tightly, as if trying to melt into his very being, afraid that he would vanish the moment she let go.
Zhou Yi gently stroked her back. A tear slid from the corner of his own eye, and he silently wiped it away.
"Don’t worry, I have to come back to build houses for our two little rascals and see them get married," Zhou Yi whispered in her ear. "Once the devils are beaten, I’ll be back."
"Mm-hmm," Zhang Shufen managed, her voice thick and heavy.
Watching from the side, Zhou Yan slowly clenched his fists. A wave of somber heroism washed over him.
At that very moment, this same scene was playing out in countless homes all across China.
This was his grandfather. They were connected by blood, which made the sight all the more stirring.
"Zhou." A knock sounded at the door.
"Coming!" Zhou Yi answered. He released Zhang Shufen, walked to the bedside to look at his two sleeping sons, then resolutely turned, opened the door, and stepped out.
"Yi!" Zhang Shufen chased after him with a pair of cloth shoes, stuffing them into his hands. Her eyes were red as she said, "Take these for the road."
"Alright," Zhou Yi said, taking them with a smile.
At the door stood the fourth young master of the Wang Family, dressed in a coarse cloth tunic with two rifles slung over his shoulder. He stepped forward and said with a smile, "Zhang, don’t you worry. Zhou and I are heading to Rongcheng first. I have an uncle on my mother’s side who’s a deputy battalion commander in the 20th Army. We’ll go find him, and I’ll teach Zhou how to shoot."
"Wang Yu, you have a perfectly good life as a young master of the Wang Family. Why do you have to enlist? Aren’t you supposed to be getting married next year? If you go, what will your fiancée do?" Zhang Shufen asked, looking at Wang Yu with a bewildered expression.
"Our nation is in peril, our lands are shattered. How can I think of home and family at a time like this? I must offer my life to my country. Saving it comes first!" Wang Yu’s smile faded. He stood ramrod straight, his eyes filled with grim determination.
Hearing this, Zhou Yi also straightened his back and clenched his fists.
Zhou Yan’s mouth hung slightly open as he stared at Wang Yu, deeply shaken. ’Even a wealthy young master is fearlessly throwing himself into the fight to save the country in this time of crisis.’
Zhang Shufen bit her lip as fresh tears welled in her eyes.
Wang Yu picked up a food box from his feet and handed it to Zhang Shufen, his tone softening. "Zhang, I had to climb the wall to sneak out tonight, so I was in a rush. Could you do me a favor and go to Jiazhou tomorrow? I need you to deliver a pound of braised beef to Miss Qiu at the Qiu Mansion.
"There’s a letter for her in here, too. Please be sure to give the box and the letter together to the gatekeeper. Just give them my name; they’ll know what it’s about."
"The Qiu Mansion? Which Qiu Mansion?" Zhang Shufen asked quickly.
Zhou Yan subconsciously took a step forward. ’The Qiu Mansion? Miss Qiu!’
"It’s at the end of East Main Street, the first house directly across from Yingchun Gate. The Qiu Mansion. You’ll find it if you just ask." As he spoke, Wang Yu took out ten silver dollars and offered them to Zhang Shufen. "Zhang, in the future, whenever you go to Jiazhou City, if it’s convenient, please bring a portion of your braised beef to the Qiu Mansion. She just loves your braised beef."
"Alright." Zhang Shufen accepted the silver dollars and nodded. "I’ll make sure it gets there."
’I knew it!’ Zhou Yan couldn’t help but clap. ’So it really is that Qiu Family. Mrs. Qiu must be the young Miss Qiu right now, about twenty years old. Perhaps Wang Yu never returned, and this letter, this braised beef, became a lifelong, unresolved sorrow for her.’
"Zhou, let’s go!" Wang Yu tossed a rifle to Zhou Yi and turned to walk out of the courtyard.
Zhou Yi gave Zhang Shufen one last look before resolutely striding to catch up.
Zhang Shufen stumbled to the courtyard gate and watched them drive away in the horse-drawn carriage. Through her sobs, she couldn’t help but cry out, "Zhou Yi! I’ll wait for you to come back!"
The figure driving the carriage wavered for a moment, then fiercely cracked the whip.
Zhang Shufen watched the carriage until it disappeared at the edge of the village. A long time passed before she finally closed the courtyard gate. Her legs went weak, and she slid down against the door, slumping to the ground. She hugged her knees and began to sob quietly.
Zhou Yan stood nearby and instinctively reached out to comfort her, but his hand passed right through her.
’Right... She was only a twenty-eight-year-old woman, after all. With two children to raise and an era of chaos beginning, her husband had left Sichuan to serve the nation. How terrified she must have felt in that moment.’
’It’s okay. He’ll come back,’ Zhou Yan thought, but she couldn’t hear him.
「The scene shifted again.」
The flatbed cart stopped on East Main Street, across from Yingchun Gate. With red, swollen eyes, Zhang Shufen told her two children not to move from the cart. She opened the food box beside her and looked at the beautiful Blue and White Porcelain Bowl and the letter inside.