Chapter Seventeen

  This book is quite good-looking, it's a wonderful book. If you have any opinions, leave a comment.

  At dawn, the dense fog enveloped the lush Chinese scholar trees along the North River, and the old capital's morning was still shrouded in a hazy mist. At this time, Lu Jia-chuan, who had temporarily slept in the third dormitory of Beida, had already gotten out of bed. He had spent half the night sleeping with Xu Ning on a small iron bed in the second-floor dorm room. Early in the morning, he got up, while Xu Ning was still fast asleep. As he combed his disheveled hair with his hands, he quietly pushed open the door. The door opened, and the fresh air rushed in, making him stand on tiptoe to take a deep breath. Although tired, although his eyes were covered with fine blood vessels due to lack of sleep, his face was full of vitality and youthful joy, just like this refreshing morning. He stood alone in the empty corridor, looking very leisurely, but his eyes kept piercing through the fog, observing the surroundings below and outside the wall. Under the cruel white terror, he had developed a high level of vigilance. Especially in recent days, some party organs were destroyed, and another batch of comrades was arrested - since Chiang Kai-shek sent the Third Battalion of Constabulary and his loyal dog, Jiang Xiaoxian, to Beiping, the revolutionary organizations in Beiping have been repeatedly destroyed, and the situation is severe. Therefore, every revolutionary comrade had to raise their vigilance at all times.

  He silently observed for a while, didn't see anything, and was about to turn around and walk into the house when a small car rushed towards the entrance of Beida San Yuan like lightning. It stopped at the entrance. In no time, several suspicious figures in plain clothes and suits appeared in the yard... Lu Jiaxiang saw this and didn't look any further. At this critical moment, he took advantage of the pillar's cover to quickly rush back into the house, hurriedly waking up Xu Ning: "Xu Ning, get up! The bastards are here to catch people. Hurry up and pack! I'll go somewhere else!"

  "Where are you going? You can't escape!" Xun Ning blocked him with her arm.

  "No! They haven't noticed you yet... I can't stay in this house. If I get caught, please tell Xu Hui quickly." With that, he darted out of the room without even letting Xun Ning grab his arm.

  The entire student dormitory of Peking University's three institutes was boiling like a pot of rolling water.

  A large group of gendarmes carrying boxes and guns rushed into the house where Lu Jia-chuan usually lived - Wu Da-gang's house, but found no one. They then split up and ran to the students' rooms, rummaging through them wildly. Three gendarmes followed a plainclothes agent and burst into Xu Ning's room, where Xu Ning was still fast asleep with his head covered.

  "Mother's, still sleeping, get up!" A thin hand grasped Ning's throat.

  Xu Ning woke up with a start from her dream and stared blankly at the constables standing in front of her bed.

  "Is there a Lu - not from your school, who ran into your room?"

  Xu Ning's heart sank. Lu Jia-chuan had not been caught yet. Ha! Clever kid, where did you hide? He was delighted in his heart, but his mouth muttered incoherently: "Huh, what are you saying? Someone ran into my house? Ah, then you look for him! Come, I'll help you find him." He jumped up and really looked around.

  The gendarmes rummaged around in a flurry. The small room, upstairs and downstairs, couldn't hide anyone, so the door slammed shut and they swarmed out again like a hive of bees.

  The upstairs and downstairs were in an uproar. The thud of heavy boots and the loud shouting and throwing of things resounded together, stirring up this normally quiet and solemn institution so that everyone was alarmed and frightened.

  On the second floor, at a corner, there was a small house with a sign that read "Labor Room". The door was slightly ajar, and it seemed as though no one was inside. A young constable walked by, glanced carefully at the wooden sign on the wall of the small house, then kicked open the door and went in. The windows were closed, and the room was dark, with a foul smell wafting out to greet him. The constable took a step back, and with some effort pushed the door wide open. On the wooden bed lay an old man, his head turned inward, wearing a small hat, with a white handkerchief covering his forehead, and thick quilts covering his body, groaning in pain as if suffering from some acute infectious disease. The constable scrunched up his face, spat out a mouthful of saliva, as if avoiding the plague, then kicked the door shut again with his foot, turned around and walked away.

  From 6:00 in the morning to 10:00, almost all the floors of the three institutes of Peking University were searched, but the "Communist-annihilating" experts from the Garrison Command and the KMT Municipal Party Committee still couldn't find Lu Jiacun. In the end, they took away a few students before leaving in disappointment.

  The door of the second floor duty room was half open, and the constables walked back and forth several times, but Lu Jia-chuan lay quietly on Old Wang's bed for four hours.

  The classmates' angry curses were transmitted to Old Wang's hut, and Lu Jia-chuan knew that the constables and detectives had left. He turned over and jumped out of bed, just about to remove his hat and scarf, when fellow worker Old Wang rushed into the room. He was taken aback by the strange sight of a young man wearing his gray coat and small hat. When he realized it was Lu Jia-chuan, the student who often came here, he immediately understood everything.

  The old man grabbed his arm and said repeatedly: "What a close call! What a close call! The third battalion of the constabulary is here, they're going to catch you today too!"

  "Maybe, if they didn't arrest so many ordinary people, would they be able to get rich?" Lu Jiachuan said as he took off the old man's clothes and helped him tidy up his bed, sweep away dust, and open the window. Old Wang stood there holding a water jug, staring at him in a daze. What a tense and serious moment it was! But this young student still smiled warmly at him and calmly helped him clean up the room. The old man was deeply moved.

  This veteran worker had seen all sorts of people, but he hadn't met many young people like Lu Jiachuan. He forgot what he was supposed to do and leaned against Lu Jiachuan's side, muttering: "Ah! Ah! What kind of National Government is this? They claim to be Sun Yat-sen's disciples, but they're worse than bandits! I've seen it all with my own eyes - as soon as someone mentions saving the country or resisting Japan, or reads some 'red' books, they become more anxious than if their ancestors' graves were being dug up!

  "What Communist Party? What Red Party? What troublemaking in schools? They pin all these labels on people's heads. Think about it, human heads are made of flesh and blood - who can withstand this? I've lost count of how many good young men have been taken away from me.

  "I'm an old man, I don't want to see this anymore," he sighed. "Alas! Lu Jiachuan, what kind of world is this?" The old man spoke with spittle flying from his mouth, but then suddenly changed his tone: "You must be busy, I won't keep talking nonsense. I really like you young people - I have several friends who are students, just like you, but they've all been arrested... Ah, I won't say any more, you're busy.

  "Don't go yet, wait a minute! Let me go outside and take a look first, in case there are any informers lurking around. You wait here for now!"

  Old Wang carried a large water jug and quietly walked out.

  Lu Jia-chuan sat in Old Wang's hut for a while, and when the old man came back, he told him that there were indeed some detective-like people lurking around the entrance, so he had to stay behind until 7 pm. He then changed into a handsome suit at a classmate's place, swaggered his body, whistled, like a playboy, and took advantage of the chaos at dusk to walk out of the North Big Three Institute's gate.

  Lu Jia-chuan was the son of a village primary school teacher in Leting County, Hebei Province. Due to Comrade Li Dazhao's activities and influence in that area, he approached the revolution at a very young age. Later, he came to Beiping to attend middle school and often went to Comrade Li Dazhao's home, so his theoretical knowledge, ideological understanding, and fighting spirit all grew up under Comrade Li Dazhao's patient cultivation. During his middle school years, he was already engaged in revolutionary activities in school, and after being admitted to Beida, he immediately became one of the responsible persons of the Beida Party. Later, after Beida returned from a demonstration in the south, the enemy noticed him, searched for him, and he was transferred by the party to lead some large and middle schools' revolutionary activities in Dongcheng District, Beiping.

  In the summer of 1933, the organization of the North Ping Party was severely damaged, and the few remaining comrades were in a state of extreme white terror, drifting with the wind and rain, always on the verge of being captured. Therefore, Lu Jiachuan did not have a fixed address. One day he slept at Chaoyang University for half the night, and the next day he might be at Furen University. He was clever and resourceful, and possessed the unwavering loyalty and bravery of a Communist Party member, so under the enemy's tight pursuit, he often managed to escape danger time and again.

  After leaving the Third Hospital of Peking University, the sky had already darkened, and the crowds on the streets of the old capital were surging like boiling water. He hurried eastward through the throngs towards the location of the district committee meeting. As he walked, he naturally glanced back with a careless air, but not seeing anyone following him, he quickened his pace. When he passed by a pancake stall, he suddenly realized that his stomach was very hungry, and he remembered that he hadn't eaten all day, so he smiled wryly and patted his pocket, only to find two yuan left on him, which he still needed for the next two days' meals. So when he passed another small pancake stall, he bought three small pancakes and stuffed them into his pocket. His stomach growled with hunger, but looking at his neat suit, he shook his head and endured it again.

  He walked into a small alley inside the East Peace Gate and stopped in front of a small gate with peeling paint. He looked at a small brick on the threshold that was tightly attached to the door frame, and a faint smile floated across his face before he took out a few roasted flatbreads and swallowed them.

  As he walked into the south house in the inner courtyard, he raised his hat and shook his head, shouting: "Hey, Sanque is waiting for me?" For a moment, he looked like a prodigal son.

  A frail and thin comrade in her thirties or forties, seeing him arrive, first stood up and tightly grasped his hand, gazing at him with a faint voice: "Comrade, you're late. We thought something had happened to you!"

  "Liu Dajie, I don't know how," he said, looking at his sister and then scanning the eight immortals table with the mahjong tiles laid out. The other three people sitting at the table - a young woman and two men - all looked at him with smiling faces nodding in agreement. The young woman was very young, dressed in luxurious clothes, she stood up to let him sit in her seat, nodded and smiled before walking away.

  A burst of rustling sounds passed by, and he looked at the other three comrades and said softly: "Nothing - let's begin."

  The district committee secretary was a 25 or 26-year-old comrade named Dai Yu, who wore glasses and had a pair of golden fish-like bulging eyes, the same person who first spoke at the March 18 rally.

  "He solemnly declared: 'The meeting is now in session.'"

  They first discussed how to commemorate International Labor Day on May 1st. Before this topic was fully discussed, Dai Yu suddenly looked at Lu Jia-chuan with a stern expression and said: "Comrade Feng Sen's mistakes are getting more and more serious. Today I propose that we discuss this issue. The ruling crisis of the Nationalist Party is becoming increasingly severe, and the revolution is approaching day by day. We should prepare for large-scale actions - arming the masses, organizing strikes, expanding propaganda about our party's victories, and absorbing new members. Instead, we are only talking theory with some petty-bourgeois intellectuals... These middle-of-the-road elements are extremely unreliable, extremely wavering, and a reserve army of the bourgeoisie!" He took off his glasses and slammed his fist on the table, making a loud noise. "This won't do! Feng Sen's rightist opportunism has developed to a serious degree. I also heard that he is even spreading communist propaganda to a reactionary university student's wife - Lin Daojing, isn't it? - I strongly disagree with Comrade Feng Sen's methods."

  Liu Dajie lowered her head, not looking at anyone, the few mahjong tiles in her hand making a monotonous faint grinding sound. The other slightly chubby yellow-faced comrade Wu Fang was also silent. Lu Jia-chuan stared intently at Dai Yu, his soft eyes never leaving hers. He listened quietly to Dai Yu's words, and only when she stopped speaking for a moment did his face turn serious and cold.

  "Comrade Dai Yu," he said slowly, "your speech seems to me to be a bit too left-leaning. Isn't this a kind of leftist closed-doorism? This is just like Chen Duxiu's rightist opportunism and will also lead to the failure of the revolution! It will also alienate us from the masses! The masses are demanding resistance against Japan, so our party should first pay attention to the demands of the masses..." His face twitched slightly, a deep pain causing his complexion to turn pale, his voice becoming even more subdued. "As for carrying out propaganda among intellectuals, this is the task assigned to me by the Party. Comrade Mao Zedong said in 'Analysis of the Classes in Chinese Society' that we must first clarify who are our friends and who are our enemies. He said that the petty bourgeoisie is our closest friend; even the left wing of the middle class may be our friend... Remember, Comrade Dai Yu, neither you nor I come from a working-class background!"

  About Lin Daojing, he did not make any defense because he thought it was meaningless.

  "What?" Dai Yu's yellow face turned red, "This is an opportunistic theory! Can the middle class all be our friends? That's too terrible!" He took a breath, his eyeballs quickly turning behind his glasses, and again spoke out against Lu Jiaquan's meticulous and patient educational work among intellectuals. He talked endlessly, as if he had forgotten that they were in the harsh environment of the White Zone, and forgot to cherish time and solve problems.

  Lu Jia-chuan finally couldn't bear it anymore, he pushed the card away, stood up suddenly and shouted softly: "Comrade Dai Yu, please stop for a moment! Can I talk about some opinions?" He swung his hand forcefully and sat back down, trying to calm his voice. "I agree with some of your opinions, the party's task of absorbing new members is something we should resolutely carry out. However, given the current situation, how can we absorb so many at once? Since the arrival of the 3rd Garrison Brigade, the white terror has become more and more severe day by day, Chiang Kai-shek has trained a large number of special agents with the help of German, Italian and French fascists to attack us. Now people are in a state of panic, and almost all peripheral organizations have been destroyed; what's left is unstable emotions, making it difficult to develop further. At this time, I think the party should be more cautious according to the situation, try to preserve some strength, and not expose itself excessively. But on the 'March 18' memorial day, we lost many comrades again."

  "No, Comrade Feng Sen," Dai Yu interrupted Lu Jia-chuan again, "the tense situation is temporary, but the victorious trend is inspiring every revolutionary to forge ahead bravely... Can we afford to stagnate because of fear of sacrifice?"

  "Comrade Dai Yu, stop for a moment! Let me say a couple of words." Liu Dajie couldn't hold back any longer: her pale face with fine wrinkles was flushed red with excitement, and she slightly gasped for breath as she interrupted Dai Yu's words. "Comrade, don't just quote dogma. Feng Sen's views are worth considering." She pushed the mahjong tiles towards Dai Yu and Wu Fang, who were sitting motionless, and spoke firmly to Dai Yu, "I basically agree with Feng Sen's opinion. Comrade Dai Yu only quotes dogma and doesn't quite understand the actual situation. For a long time, I've had the same misgivings as Feng Sen, for a long time we've both felt that... our party's leadership has overcome the 'Left' opportunistic line of blind action and adventurism, but is the current line still not quite appropriate? The people are eager to resist Japan and save the nation, but the slogans we put forward are often too high, often making it impossible for the broad masses to accept, except for a small number of active elements. So I've been thinking..." At this point, her voice dropped to an inaudible level. She seemed to have many more words to say, but didn't say them.

  The four of them were silent. Even Dai Yu, who was easily agitated, didn't make a sound. The only noise came from the intermittent shuffling of mahjong tiles. Later, Liu Dajie looked at the three men and said in a low voice, "Dai Yu, let's talk about your opposition to that girl who is close to Feng Sen. I know her, and I understand her situation a bit. She's an active member who struggled in the old society and yearned for the party's rescue. We should help her and cultivate her. I think what Feng Sen did was right."

  "It depends on the situation." Another male comrade, Wu Fang, who rarely spoke, said, "Since that woman with the surname Lin is willing to marry a reactionary university student, her thoughts are clearly problematic. In any case, our party's class line is important. Therefore, I also want to warn Feng Sen, when getting close to petty-bourgeois intellectuals, you must be especially vigilant, we are better to lean left than right."

  "That's right, don't lean left or right!" Dai Yu hastily interjected.

  Lu Jia-chuan fiddled with the mahjong tiles, calmly shaking his head: "Ning zuo wu you? No, I think it shouldn't be put that way. Marxism must be combined with China's specific situation in order to smoothly develop the party's undertaking. Of course, comrades' opinions should be taken seriously. If there are no other important matters, I propose we discuss the 'May 1st' commemoration issue."

  "Right, let's discuss the May Day celebration!" Wu Fang said with bright eyes, "As for whether it's leftist or rightist, at present, we few people can't come to any conclusion. Anyway, as party members, we'll just try our best to carry out the decisions of the higher-level party."

  The woman in gorgeous attire walked in, glanced at the four of them and said softly: "Nothing, you all carry on." Then she left again.

  Dai Yu seemed to have a lot more to say, but he restrained himself: "Alright, let's save this topic for next time."

  The meeting shifted to commemorating "May Day". According to Dai Yu's opinion, the Party, Communist Youth League and Socialist League, Leftist League and other red mass organizations must mobilize all their members to hold a large-scale demonstration. Lu Jiachuan thought for a moment, looked up at Dai Yu and said: "A few days ago, Comrade Li Dazhao's funeral procession [In April 1933, the Beijing underground party had held a funeral procession for Comrade Li Dazhao who had been martyred for six years - original note], we were arrested again Many comrades. Now, the situation is very serious, and on this 'May Day', the enemy will undoubtedly be more heavily guarded. I hope you and the Municipal Committee will reflect carefully, and it's likely...

  "What a white terror concept!" Before Lu Jiachuan finished speaking, Dai Yu suddenly took off his glasses and frowned, "Feng Sen, do you want to slack off? ... This is the sacred task given to us by the party, any doubt about this task is a shameful wavering!" He wiped the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief, then pushed the mahjong tiles away, and the other three people followed suit. A burst of tile sounds replaced many words. When the tile sound subsided, Lu Jiachuan's pale face turned red. He looked at Dai Yu's golden fish eyes and slowly said: "Comrade Dai Yu, everything is not a problem! The organization decides what work I do, and I will not haggle over prices. But you should allow me to express some of my own views. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe I'm completely incorrect, but you should calmly look at whether I'm that kind of timid and cowardly person...". He lowered his head and couldn't continue speaking.

  "We'll just follow the municipal party committee's arrangements and resolutely carry them out, no matter how many people we can mobilize." As soon as Wu Fang finished speaking, Liu Dajie showed a worried expression and said: "Mobilizing people is correct, but after mobilization, they are sent to prison, this is still a problem!"

  Silence, a silent debate continued in the fervent eyes of the people. Finally, Dai Yu calmed down and said: "Alright, if you, Feng Sen, don't oppose large-scale demonstrations, then on May Day, we'll mobilize the red masses to gather at Tianqiao. Specific actions will be notified to you by someone in due course."

  It will disperse when it reaches here.

  A few people stood up to leave, and the fashionably dressed female comrade looked out at the gate, didn't see any suspicious people, walked in and smiled warmly at several comrades. Dai Yu and Wu Fang left first; followed by Liu Dajie accompanying Lu Jia-chuan also walking towards the door. They silently walked into the doorway, under the faint moonlight, Liu Dajie stopped, grasped Lu Jia-chuan's hand firmly, her voice low and slow: "Little Feng, don't be sad. The Party understands you, we understand you. 'May Day' needs to raise vigilance, but also try to mobilize more masses."

  Lu Jia Chuan lowered his head and remained silent for a while. When he raised his head to look at his older sister, his eyes were slightly red.

  "Sister, dear comrade, thank you!" He grasped her thin fingers tightly, and only such a grasp could express the excitement in his heart. "Sister, don't worry about me. I think that in the lofty ideal of a party member who wishes to contribute everything to the party, it includes not considering personal honor or loss. This is nothing... Well, goodbye!"

  Liu Dajie leaned against the crumbling gate, watching Lu Jiaxiang's strong and steady footsteps disappear into the dimly lit corner of the street. She then softly closed the gate. In a voice that only she could hear, she muttered to herself: "Little Feng - good comrade! But why didn't Dai Yu open his eyes and take another look?..."