Chapter 25: Entering San Cha River for the First Time

  Sanhe Ancient Town, due to the Yaksa War, Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty personally led the expedition and stayed here for a short time, leaving his name. It was built in the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, with a growing population, merchants gathering, and gradually prospering, becoming a large town. The First Songhua River, Lalin River, and Second Songhua River run through the territory, with strange mountains and rivers, beautiful scenery, prosperous commerce, and convenient land and water transportation, making it an intermediate point between Changchun and Harbin, two provincial capitals. Downstream, you can reach Jilin Shipyard (now Jilin City, Jilin Province), Harbin, Heilongjiang, and the Pacific Ocean. It is one of the gathering places for Manchu people in Guandong and also one of the places where Manchu people in Guanwai rose to prosperity.

  Upon arriving at the city gate, several carts were stopped and it turned out that they had to pay an entrance tax. It's said that there is also a tax for leaving the city, three cents per person. Don't underestimate these three cents, as many people enter and exit every day, making it a considerable income. Damn, what a great way to collect wealth!

  The city gate was blocked by barbed wire, and the gun ports in the artillery tower next to it were like the eyes of a hungry wolf, staring at the crowd with a gloomy gaze. It was as if they were waiting for an opportunity to strike, making everyone feel like they were facing a great enemy. The defenses were extremely tight.

  At that time, the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army had not yet risen in this area, and there were no rumors of any anti-Japanese activities nearby. You could say that the Japanese devils were being overly cautious, either because they were afraid or because they had a guilty conscience.

  There were eight guards at the city gate: four Japanese soldiers and four puppet troops (Chinese who served in the Manchukuo army). This was my first time observing the little devils up close. They were short and stumpy, with legs that were like those of a dwarf, and their proportions were all wrong. But despite this, they acted as if they were superior, holding their heads high, looking down their noses, standing stiffly, and exuding an air of arrogance and conquest.

  A waxen-faced soldier in front was searching people, holding onto a young woman in her early twenties and wouldn't let go. His sly hands kept touching the girl's chest and buttocks, while shouting "Are you hiding any contraband?" The girl was both embarrassed and scared, her face bright red, tears almost falling from her eyes. You were about to strip her naked, yet still asking if she had anything? Isn't this intentional?

  Finally, he grabbed the girl's plump chest a few times, then nodded and let her go, walking towards us to search one by one. Damn, what kind of rules are these? When it was my turn, I raised my hands, seeing his thin neck stretching out in front of me. With just a slight movement, I could have easily broken his neck, like killing a small chicken. Remembering his earlier ugly behavior, this scoundrel and traitor wasn't worth sparing. The killing intent emanating from my body made him stiffen up instantly, as if he had been rapidly frozen.

  He quickly looked up at me, seeing the icy glare in my eyes, and took two steps back, rubbing his eyes in disbelief. I suppressed my anger, restoring my usual rural boy's foolish and numb expression. This little brat shook his head, probably thinking it was just an illusion. However, he clearly lost interest in me, kicking my buttocks with one leg. "Country bumpkin, why aren't you staying at home? What are you doing running around here? This isn't a place for you to come. Don't get yourself killed by a car, scram!"

  Bastard, you're dead for sure! How dare you kick this noble buttock of mine? You don't know that this is an untouchable tiger's buttock? And you even kicked it? There will be a time for me to settle the score with you. The old villager who came with me had his two liang of warming liquor and a bag of tobacco leaves confiscated by this little brat as contraband. We were all indignant, but finally entered the city.

  A few fellow villagers warmly invited me to walk together, but I declined, saying I had important business to attend to and couldn't drag them into trouble. After bidding farewell to the old villagers, I walked alone on the streets of Sanjiao River.

  In this era, the three-forked river was still very prosperous, with four or five thousand households and thirty or forty thousand people. This was also a big place in southern Manchuria at that time. The long main street had shops lining both sides, mostly selling Japanese goods. From time to time, the sound of guessing fists and singing small tunes came from the wine buildings on the street, and occasionally a team of Japanese soldiers carrying ointment flags walked by with their heads held high, their hard hooves trampling the snowy ground "clattering" loudly, like a group of untrained wild donkeys rushing into someone else's garden, trampling at will. The cries of small vendors on the street rose and fell, and people came and went without end, in a false prosperity. Who knows how many shameful things and wounds were hidden under this beautiful outer garment? There were also drunken Japanese rascals hugging women who dressed up like prostitutes, swaggering by, occasionally bursting into reckless laughter. Damn it! Do they really think this is their paradise? Their home?

  As I walked further, most of what I saw were Japanese-owned trading companies and corporations. It seems this is a commercial district for the Japanese. There are also many brothels, including some run by Japanese people. The Japanese prostitutes, with thick white powder on their faces, leaned against the doors to solicit customers. What a scene!

  First time here, unfamiliar with the geography and people, and not grasping the situation, I first scout out the terrain and plan my next move. The Japanese garrison headquarters, barracks, hospital, docks along the river, warehouses, etc., all have been thoroughly checked out. These places are indeed heavily guarded by the devils, with machine guns at the entrances, iron wire mesh, and large wolf dogs, strict checks on entry and exit. After wandering around the city for a while, I still haven't found the Guo family's mansion. Turning a street corner, I see an old man selling roasted sweet potatoes on the street, with a big stove set up, steaming hot, my stomach is a bit hungry, so I take a bite, this roasted sweet potato is also a local specialty. I ask the old man, "Grandpa, do you know how to get to the Guo family's mansion?" The old man looks like he's seen a ghost, takes two steps back, and stares at me with a frightened expression, not saying a word. I think it's strange, "What's wrong, Grandpa?" The old man looks around nervously, sees no one, and asks in a low voice, "Young man, what are you going to that place for?" I smile, "Grandpa, I'm just delivering a letter, our village head has a letter for the Guo family elder, first time here, don't know how to get there, so I asked you." The old man clearly lets out a sigh of relief, "Young man, you don't know, this family is not good people, they eat people's food but don't lift a finger to help, a whole nest of wolves who devour people without spitting out bones. In the vicinity of Sanjiao River, I don't know how many families have been ruined by these father and son, we all curse them behind their backs, hoping they'll come to no good end, but until now, they're still living well, what kind of world is this? Good people die young, bad people live for a thousand years. And now they've even colluded with the Japanese devils, it's unbearable." The old man shakes his head and sighs, with a look of helplessness on his face. Chatting with the old man, I learn that there's a Japanese garrison battalion in this city, as well as a regiment of national soldiers, and police, not weak forces at all. Following the direction the old man pointed out, I head towards the Guo family's mansion. Before leaving, the kind-hearted old man repeatedly warns me, "After delivering the letter, hurry up and leave, that's a wolf's den, don't argue back if they scold you, we can't afford to suffer losses in front of them." Thank you, old man! My fellow countrymen are as simple and kind as the red sorghum on the black earth.

  As the sky darkened, I turned a few streets and arrived at a place near the river. Suddenly, the lights in front of me shone brightly, and my eyes took some time to adjust after coming from the darkness. What a huge courtyard! The tall and dark gate was tightly closed, with a sign above it that read "Guo's Residence". How fitting - it would be better called a dog den or wolf lair. Several electric lamps illuminated the empty space in front of the gate, and the surrounding walls were over 3 meters high, topped with barbed wire. Two stone lions sat at the entrance, their teeth bared and claws outstretched. The four corners had tall watchtowers, where armed guards occasionally appeared, and searchlights swept back and forth like ghostly eyes. It was truly heavily guarded, just like a prison. This family didn't seem to feel suffocated at all. I carefully walked around the perimeter of the courtyard, which was about 4 or 5 kilometers long. What a grand layout! The Guo family's residence was completely isolated from its neighbors, with the closest one being tens of meters away. I don't know if it was intentional on the part of the Guo family or if the neighbors didn't want to be near them. Anyway, it was desolate and isolated. I chose a few easy-to-enter places and secretly memorized them. Today's task is done, and it's getting late. First, find a place to stay, fill my stomach, and come back tomorrow night. Hmph! Guo San, let your dog life live for one more day!

  Leaving the Gou family's large courtyard, I walked along the main street to find an inn to stay in. As I passed by a restaurant, I heard a commotion inside and saw two burly men pushing and shoving each other, and they pushed a small child out onto the street. What kind of world is this? Two adults bullying a child, it's outrageous! I quickly walked over and helped him up. He was a 13 or 14-year-old boy, wearing tattered clothes, with a messy head and a dirty face. His thin face had a pair of bright black eyes that shone with unyielding hatred and cold light, and he had a fierce and mature air about him that didn't match his age. He looked at me once, then spat fiercely towards the restaurant door, not saying a word. He busied himself picking up scattered cigarettes on the snowy ground, and I helped him pick them up.

  After finishing collecting, he opened his mouth and spoke Mandarin with a strange accent, very unfluently. His name was Bater, from the Khorchin grasslands, an ethnic Mongolian who had been an orphan since childhood. He used to herd sheep for a lord, but after a fierce snowstorm scattered the flock, he feared being killed by the lord if he returned, so he escaped and ended up in Sanjiao River two years ago. Luckily, a kind-hearted Han couple with no children took him in, allowing him to live a stable life. However, the old couple passed away last year, leaving him an orphan once more. Fortunately, they left behind two dilapidated grass houses, so he didn't have to sleep under the stars. Alas! Another poor guy, this pitiful little brother hadn't eaten yet, so I wanted to buy him food. Seeing this, he pulled me to a stall selling cornmeal pancakes and bought a big package of them. Strange, isn't this kid counting on me for his meals for the whole week?

  The food was delicious, and he pulled my hand, stuttering and asking me to go to his home. I agreed, thinking it would be fine since I had nothing else to do. We walked for a while in the dark until we arrived at two dilapidated grass houses. There was a faint light coming from inside, and as we entered the courtyard, four or five small children ran out of the house, all with yellowish complexions and thin faces. They surrounded Bater and shouted excitedly. I followed him into the house, where there was a stove on the ground with an iron pot cooking something that smelled delicious. The children were busy filling their mouths with buns. I asked Bater what was going on, and he told me that after his parents passed away, he had taken in these five orphaned children, the youngest of whom was only ten years old. He had no choice but to support them by selling cigarettes on the street, while the children went out every day to scavenge for leftover food and trash just to barely make ends meet. Today, they had gone to a restaurant to sell cigarettes but were kicked out by the boss, who claimed that his sister's husband was a police chief and didn't care about justice. Seeing this scene, my nose began to ache, and I quickly took out all the money I had on me and gave it to Bater, who refused at first but eventually accepted. He was so moved that he wanted to become "anda" (sworn brothers) with me. We knelt down in the middle of the room, announced our names, and made a vow to each other. From then on, we were "Autumn Anda" and "Bater Anda". We hugged each other tightly for a while before I said goodbye to them. Bater insisted on sending me off, but I firmly refused. He repeatedly asked me to come visit them often, and I promised him that I would. On my way back, I couldn't calm down my emotions. The Mongolian brother I met today was completely different from my current companions. They were walking on completely different paths. From a psychological perspective, none of my companions could compare to Bater, who had experienced so much hardship at such a young age. Listening to him talk about his experiences wandering the streets and struggling between life and death was like listening to someone else's story - he showed no emotional fluctuations whatsoever. I was amazed by this good seed, like an unpolished jade or an unsheathed sword. With time and some polishing, he would definitely become a powerful ally, making our enemies tremble with fear! This was an unexpected gain!

  As I walked, I became worried. All the money on me was given to Bateru. Tang Shao is now penniless and broke. What to do? Can't just starve and sleep on the streets, right? Ah, there's a Japanese-owned store up ahead. The storefront isn't small either. Go in and swindle some money? This doesn't go against the code of the jianghu, taking money from Japanese people is justified, no psychological burden at all. Alright, let's do it! Today, I'll be a noble thief, and the expenses for my activities in Sanhe River these few days will be provided by those little Japanese devils. Just thinking about making the Japanese suffer makes me happy from the bottom of my heart!

  Looked around and saw no one, took a deep breath, and climbed over the wall. This wall wasn't as high as Gou's house, and it didn't take much effort. Stuck to the shadows, I looked into the store. The lights were on inside, and a row of employees in uniform stood at attention. A Japanese man in his 40s with a short and stout build, wearing a kimono, was scolding them nonstop, occasionally slapping their ears. His insults grew more vicious by the minute. These employees were Chinese, but not one dared to resist or even talk back. Poor and infuriating compatriots! This little devil's spittle flew everywhere as he cursed. My Japanese wasn't learned in vain, it seemed. The man was scolding the employees for not doing a good job that day, saying their sales weren't as good as those of the neighboring Sanpaku store. He berated the Chinese employees in the store, calling them lazy and useless, pigs, idiots, inferior nation, and other unbearable insults that poured out of his ugly mouth like diarrhea. Damn this little Japanese devil! I regret learning your language now. Not understanding would be better; it would save me from choking with rage. I'm so angry I could punch him in the face for spewing such filth! You'll never forget how teeth feel, you bastard! This is infuriating!

  This shorty probably cursed enough, took two deep breaths, ordered his partners to stand up, and estimated that this matter was not over yet. He held a square iron box in his hand and walked towards the backyard. What did he take? It looked like he was holding a treasure! Was it today's business earnings? Definitely! Otherwise, he wouldn't hold it as precious as his own father, haha! It's really "treading on broken iron shoes without finding a place" - all the effort paid off! I was worried about where to find the money, and this shorty delivered it himself. What a coincidence! I quietly followed him from behind, saw him enter a luxurious room in the backyard, and soon came out again. He returned to the front yard, and immediately, the sound of wolf-like curses rose from the front yard! Good! You're venting your anger, I'll go get the money - this is called "two birds with one stone". Thanks for the cooperation, nice collaboration! I tried pushing the door, it wasn't locked - unexpectedly, this guy was too careless? I slipped in quietly, and the room was brightly lit. Hmm! A Japanese woman wearing a kimono sat on the sofa with her back to me, and the money box was placed on the cabinet in front of her. Another unexpected surprise - there's someone in the house, and it's a Japanese woman... what to do?

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