Chapter 2: A Difficult Decision

  Xing Zhu followed her parents to Yan's house and saw Miss Yan's photo, which was very beautiful, she told her second brother privately.

  Xing Zhu is the youngest at home, 7 years younger than his second brother, and the relationship between the two is the closest.

  When I was a kid, my second brother was my sister's idol. No matter what she didn't understand or couldn't do, as long as she asked her second brother, there were no answers that couldn't be obtained. The reason is simple: Qiao Xiangwen liked to read books and think actively.

  Of course, when it comes to the cleverness of Qiao's second son, none of the neighbors nearby have anything but praise. I remember that when he was very young, he learned to use an abacus from Mr. Zhang, and with practice, he became more skilled than his teacher. Later, when customers came to buy things and handed over large bills, he would quickly calculate the change owed, while Mr. Zhang was still busy calculating on the abacus. Years later, as a Red Special Agent on the secret battlefield, Qiao Weiwu's quick thinking and meticulous planning allowed him to survive against all odds. Looking back, he still silently thanked this period of his life for making his reactions more agile and his thinking more rigorous.

  Xiao Xiangwen likes to take his little sister to the small river behind their house to play, where they catch fish, shrimp and crabs. He uses a small net he made himself, with a bamboo pole on top, and once he's got them in his sights, his quick hands and sharp eyes help him reap a big harvest. Every time, Xiao Xiangwen would carry a big bag full of their catch to give to the neighbors.

  Also by the river, Second Brother talked about his life ideals, and the outside world he learned from books and newspapers, and also talked about the poverty of Chenjia Village and the wealth of Qiao's family.

  In their young hearts, they really didn't understand why their own home had so many rooms, was so tall and beautiful, while their neighbors' homes were empty and bare. They also didn't understand why their own family had so many servants and workers, who had parents and children of their own but could only return home after a long time and with the permission of their parents.

  Why is there such a huge gap between people who are essentially the same?

  Later, second brother went to a distant school, and sister only acted spoiled in front of second brother during holidays.

  Every time before the holiday, Qiao Wen would go shopping around the provincial city to buy some small gifts for his beloved little sister. Then, like a magic trick, he would tease her until she hugged his neck happily. What he liked most was gently patting his sister's head. This habit remained unchanged until Xing Zhu fled from his brother's armored division, until he became the Minister of Social Affairs, Deputy Director of the Military Control Commission, and Public Security Bureau Chief, and until she became the Student Affairs Director at Linjiang University. Those who knew about it would say that they had a deep sibling relationship, while those who didn't know thought they were flirting with each other.

  This time back, Qiao gave Wen a gift for his sister, a very foreign small scarf, pure white, with a few small red flowers.

  Never thought, hadn't even had time to give, yet encountered this scene before my eyes.

  "My own marriage is my own decision, the country's difficulties are pressing down on us, I neither have the heart to start a family nor will I live under the same roof with an unfeeling stranger." Xiang Wen steeled herself and fixed her gaze firmly on her father.

  "Nonsense! I didn't even know your mother until we got married, what's wrong with that? Our family business is thriving, and everyone envies us!" Old Man Qiao said in a low voice, but still very sternly.

  Watching his father's gradually increasing white hair, he heard his originally furious father suddenly change his tone, with a questioning, no, even a slightly hesitant expression, lowering his voice.

  Wen Wen quietly reminded herself that her father was a stubborn and self-willed person, and being able to speak in such a tone was already an unprecedented concession.

  "Dad, mom, I'm not qualified to comment on you two. You gave birth to me and I thank you for letting me see the colorful world. However, times are changing and society is progressing. In your time, men all wore queues and women were confined at home and didn't go out. Now, if a man still wears a queue, he'll definitely be considered crazy."

  Seeing his father's furrowed brow and twisted mouth about to open, Wen rushed to speak first:

  "Now the Japanese have occupied the three northeastern provinces, and northern China is in a state of emergency. The Japanese devils are stretching their claws towards our Shandong, Jinan, Lusnan, including our Chenjiacun. At any moment, the devils may appear, and the country is in danger. How can your sons have the heart to get married?"

  For a moment, the living room was silent.

  Seeing his son continue to defy him and thinking of the Yan family's constant care for his business, San Ye's anger surged up again.

  Mrs. Chiao saw her son speaking eloquently, what he said was not entirely unreasonable, but as soon as she saw her husband's iron face, she couldn't help but sigh softly.

  Far away, a cicada's cry suddenly rang out, the fragrance of hawthorn fruit wafted in thickly through the gate and windows.

  "No matter how eloquently you speak, this marriage cannot be regretted. I'll give you one night to think about it!"

  This unprecedented confrontation between father and son was temporarily ended with a ruthless remark from Old Man Qiao.

  This conversation was also the most intense confrontation between Qiao's father and son since they were born. Compared to the fact that they didn't see each other for over a decade later, every word, every gaze, even became distant yet familiar in their deep nostalgia afterwards.

  This night also became the turning point of Qiao Wen's life.

  An unyielding and steadfast revolutionary, an outstanding commander who has traversed the secret battle lines, a high-ranking cadre of the Party, and a university student, the son of a landlord who inherited his father's business - how far apart are these two?

  A conversation, a sleepless night, is it enough?

  The oil lamp lit up, and the spacious room, due to a gentle breeze blowing through, felt quite cool and refreshing.

  I flipped through a book I brought back with me, but couldn't calm down at all.

  The father agreed to the marriage, and his own refusal would make the usually proud father lose face in Chenjia Village, throughout the county. As a rural squire or as the host of the annual temple fair, Father was a well-deserved celebrity in Chenjia Village, Lunan, with a strong personality and a love for dignity being his greatest characteristics.

  But if I agree to this marriage, won't my social ideals, my democratic and scientific pursuits become a laughing stock for others?

  Moreover, what the other person looks like, how knowledgeable they are, I don't know at all. Living a life with such an unfeeling stranger for a lifetime, where is the joy in that? Not to mention happiness! This is something I absolutely cannot accept!

  But the wedding is imminent, what should I do?

  This autumn night in 1937 was destined to be unforgettable for Qiao Wen.

  Many years later, whether on the intelligence defense front line or in the first-line troops, whether in Shandong, Northeast China or in Linjiang, South China, after intense work, I often think of that autumn night in southern Lu.

  There was another unforgettable night, in the Northeast, in that small town, Wenjing poured out her eight years of hard work and emotions to him, the shock and excitement at that time can still be recalled with closed eyes.

  The road is walked out, and people are forced out.

  Lying in bed, wide awake, tossing and turning with thoughts, but still unable to find the answer. So I got out of bed, perked up my ears, and listened; the whole house was quiet.

  Gently pulled open the door latch.

  The bed is cool under the wutong tree in the moonlight, and the moon is bright where the wutong leaves are sparse.

  The uneven trees in front of the village are shrouded in night fog, gradually dimming at this moment, dazed and confused. The cool night and the cool dew drops are equally refreshing.

  When the moonlight is reflected in the pool, the insects start to make noise, and the sound of their calls is like the clear water of a stream, flowing freely through the night, from the south of the village to the yellow soil ridge in the east. Such sounds had accompanied him through good times, like a lullaby, making Weiwu's dreams sweet and fragrant. But at this moment, they made him feel inexplicably annoyed.

  Before me this quiet night is like a big sack, holding the mysterious origin, today and destination of humanity.

  Wen looked up at the night sky and walked slowly.

  At school, apart from regular lessons, Wen read a lot of progressive books, foreign and domestic, Pushkin, Ostrovsky, Dostoevsky, Gorky, Lu Xun, Guo Moruo's poetry, he basically repeated them all.

  Of course, I still like Ba Jin's "Torrents" trilogy the most.

  With the protagonist in sorrow and tears, excitement and despair, even to the point of reciting many passages from memory. The guardians of orthodoxy, represented by Gao Lao Tai Ye and Ke Ming, clung to traditional teachings and family rules, suppressing all new things, even at the cost of sacrificing young people, causing them immense pain: Mei's melancholy death, Rui Ju's tragic fate, Ming Feng's lake-jumping tragedy, and Wan Er's forced marriage, all made Xiang Wen feel suffocated, intolerable. However, representing social progress and new life, Jue Hui, under the impetus of Xin Si Chao, bravely raised the banner of democracy, resolutely opposing his elder brother Jue Xin's "philosophy of compromise" and "non-resistance". His faith was simple: he did not care about, fear or compromise with the old forces. He loudly shouted out that plain truth: "This family is beyond salvation!"

  July, that anti-Japanese demonstration finally gave Xiang Wen a sense of purpose.

  It was the second day after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident broke out.

  At midnight, a classmate on the upper bunk quietly revealed to him that several schools in Jinan would hold an anti-Japanese demonstration the next day. Because the school authorities were opposed to it, they could only sneak out and reassemble to join the procession.

  "Are you going, Wenwen?" Gaofei asked.

  "Go!" He was very concise. The Japanese invaders have bullied the people too much, and the government has passively resisted. How far is this country from destruction?

  "Alright, there's strength in numbers. Let's split up and go our separate ways when the time is right, but don't let the teacher know." Gaofei cautioned in a low voice.

  The next day, when they arrived at the Yonghe Square, there were already thousands of people gathered there, with representatives from various schools in Jinan.

  Many people gathered around, pointing and whispering to each other. More people were worried about the students, and the national police would definitely come soon to stop the suppression.

  A teacher-like person led the way and guided everyone to line up in an orderly manner.

  The parade has begun.

  Stop internal strife and unite against Japan!

  Oppose North Korea's Specialization!

  Oppose the Hebei-Chahar Political Council!

  Down with imperialism!

  Slogans shouted with passion, everyone waved their fists, expressing strong patriotic enthusiasm.

  From Bao Quan Road to Xi Shan Road, just as I was about to arrive at the Provincial Government Building, something happened.

  More than a hundred fully armed soldiers blocked the road ahead.

  The Kuomintang mayor of Jinan learned that students were holding an anti-Japanese demonstration and parade, hastily calling in a large number of troops to blockade the roads, both due to the personal prestige of the Japanese and at the request of the Nanjing government.

  The two sides confronted each other.

  In the heat of anger, one of the students picked up a stone and quietly threw it over. One soldier's head was bleeding, and the rest of the students followed suit, picking up branches and stones on the spot and throwing them at the soldiers who were holding real guns.

  With a loud crack, facing the charging students, someone in the tense soldier squad fired.

  One of the students fell down first.

  After a brief moment of astonishment, the procession suddenly became fearless and everyone indignantly rushed towards the soldiers' camp.

  It was originally just a warning shot, but unexpectedly someone lost their life. Looking at this scene again, if they really opened fire, who would dare to take responsibility in the future?

  The commander immediately ordered the soldiers to make way.

  This battle greatly boosted the morale of the students. Classmates shouted slogans and bravely broke through the encirclement.

  The procession continued to set off. Classmates shouted slogans and distributed anti-Japanese leaflets, and some classmates even gave impromptu speeches in crowded areas.

  When the team arrived at Beida Street, they saw the "Dongyangbao" pharmacy, with a very eye-catching advertisement on the door. Everyone was excited and rushed to the store, smashing it violently. In an instant, the storefront was destroyed, and the signboard was torn to pieces. The owner of the pharmacy was so frightened that he ran away from the back door.

  The parade was a great success and the injured student had just been hit on the arm.

  Looking up at the sky, the stars twinkling far away, thinking of that parade, Wen's heart suddenly accelerated its beating.

  For some reason, smelling the strong fruit fragrance and looking at the bright stars, some names suddenly flashed through my mind: General Liu Bocheng with one eye, Chen Geng, the master of axe, Red Army Eagle **, and Monk General Xu Shiyou.

  They all heard from their Chinese teacher in class, the Red Army, Zhu Mao, Ruijin Soviet, Shanghai Special Branch, crossing Snow Mountain, passing through Grassland...

  Every time I listen and think about it, Wen's blood is boiling with enthusiasm.

  In this unbearable deep night, a thought suddenly emerged and could no longer be suppressed.

  The gunfire of the Xinhai Revolution has faded away for so many years, and the Awakened Ones have already plunged into the torrent of the New Democratic Revolution. Liu Bocheng and others are fighting bloody battles for Bolshevik ideals. The iron hooves of the Japanese invaders have trampled over the bodies of our Northeastern compatriots, pressing on towards Shandong and Henan. How many families have been torn apart, how many women have been ravished, how many children have become orphans, and how many national treasures have been plundered?

  But what about myself?

  He quietly came to Xing Zhu's room, and the little girl had already fallen asleep.

  He lovingly looked at his sister and put a small scarf beside her pillow.

  At this moment, his mood was in extreme conflict. Staying at home meant that he had to obey his parents' arrangements and marry the Yan family's young lady whom he had never met before, thus missing out on revolution and social ideals.

  Leaving, I met the passion and ideals in my heart, but it also means that from now on, I will take a rebellious and bumpy road, away from Chenjia Village, parents, especially the lovely younger sister who is sleeping soundly in front of me, separated by thousands of miles.

  Decisions are painful, and the process of making a choice is even more painful and tangled.

  What kind of choice was made on this autumn night in 1937 that changed the course of Er Ye's life, causing father and son to be separated like heaven and earth, and siblings unable to see each other? How would the beautiful and sentimental Yan Miss finally meet her fiancé designated by her parents?

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