War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 1827: Enemies That Can't Be Killed
On the roadside outside the city, the continuous rainfall had made the road much muddier. The car driven by Zhang Taichuan and the mule cart of the firewood-collecting team, which was only carrying fodder bags, were all parked on the side of the road, patiently waiting for the opera troupe that was still being inspected behind them.

Compared to Zhang Taichuan and Zhao Jingrong who were chatting happily in the passenger seat, Hirano Aoi who was sitting in the back seat was extremely nervous and looked back frequently.

She was worried that Zhang Zhengqi would be caught. She even thought that if Zhang Zhengqi was caught, not only would he be sent to prison, but her brother might also be sent to prison.

Will I be sent to prison by then? Hirano Aoi became more and more anxious.

"What is Miss Hirano worried about?" asked Wei Ran, who was also sitting in the back seat.

"No, it's nothing."

Hirano Aoi quickly answered, but before she could say anything, Wei Ran had already opened the car door and said, "I have nothing to do anyway, why don't you let me take some photos for everyone?"

“That’s a good suggestion.”

Zhang Taichuan was the first to respond, and he and Zhao Jingrong opened the car door at the same time.

Seeing this, Hirano Aoi immediately opened the car door and said, "Use my camera to take pictures."

"Alright"

Wei Ran did not refuse. He took the other party's Leica camera and asked the three of them to stand in the front of the car. With the car, the grain-collecting team members behind them, and even the opera troupe being interrogated in the distance as the background, he took a solo photo of each of them, and then took a group photo of them.

"Mr. Wei, he."

Hirano Aoi whispered as she took the camera, "Will he be discovered?"

Wei Ran and Zhang Taichuan looked at each other, then just smiled and did not answer each other's question.

Hirano Aoi sighed helplessly when she heard this. She knew clearly that these people were still on guard against her. She also knew that this was an unavoidable situation.

"Captain Yan, why does this brother look so unfamiliar?"

At this time, Zhao Jingrong also walked to the end of the firewood collection team, found Captain Yan who was escorting the car, and noticed the guest sitting in the same car with him.

"Captain Jin, this is my cousin. I brought him out to see the world." Captain Yan said with a nod.

"cousin?"

Zhao Jingrong deliberately looked at the "cousin" until Captain Yan's forehead was covered with cold sweat. Then he patted his shoulder affectionately and said, "We are all family. If you are willing to stay in the grain collection team, follow Old Yan in the future."

"Thank you Captain Jin for your support," the guest responded with his head down, and Captain Yan also breathed a sigh of relief.

After a while, the troupe's mule carts also came out one after another. Seeing this, Zhao Jingrong immediately gave the order to set off.

"I want to get on the theater troupe's car," Hirano Aoi said, "I want to."

"Since Miss Hirano wants to ride a mule cart, Ryunosuke, why don't you accompany her?" Zhang Taichuan said.

"no problem"

Wei Ran agreed straightforwardly and asked in a serious manner, "Which car?"

"The third car," Zhang Taichuan answered seriously, "the box at the bottom."

"Ms. Hirano, come with me," Wei Ran said as he helped the other party carry the locked box.

"thanks, thanks!"

Hirano Aoi thanked him hurriedly, covering the camera hanging around her neck, and followed Wei Ran's footsteps to the end of the opera troupe's motorcade.

Following Zhang Taichuan's instructions, Hirano Aoi found the third car and climbed up a little clumsily.

There was no one sitting in the car, only four locked theater boxes.

"Mr. Qi, are you okay?" Hirano Aoi asked in a low voice after getting in the car.

Unfortunately, there was no response from the box.

"Is he suffocating?" Hirano Aoi asked Wei Ran worriedly in a low voice, "He needs to breathe, he needs air, this box."

"There are ventilation holes under this box."

Wei Ran, who had also climbed into the car and sat down, responded randomly, then patted the suitcase he was helping to carry, "What's in this?"

"drug"

Hirano Aoi answered, and then she actually took out a key from the leather protective case containing the camera and handed it to Wei Ran.

Taking the key, Wei Ran opened the padlock on the suitcase and then opened the lid.

This box, which was only slightly larger than the microwave ovens of later generations, was filled with various medicines. In addition, there were also several sets of surgical instruments and some gauze.

He even suspected that Aoi Hirano, who was sitting opposite him, had packed all the useful items in her clinic into this extremely heavy box.

"What are you taking these for?" Wei Ran asked as he closed the box again.

“I want to do something”

Hirano Aoi took the key from Wei Ran and put it back into the protective cover of the camera. "I spent the whole night thinking about the questions you left for me."

"Do you have an answer?" Wei Ran asked without comment.

"no"

Hirano Aoi sighed and shook her head, "I can't think of an answer. I might commit suicide. If I were to encounter all this, I don't know if I would have the courage to survive.

So I started thinking about what I could do. I didn’t know how many people my brother had killed, but since he had killed so many people, I should go and save people.

I will use all my abilities and everything I have to save people, without any conditions, just to save people. If you want to seek revenge on my brother, go ahead, it won't affect my continued efforts to save people."

Hearing this, Wei Ran was silent for a long time. Finally, he sighed and said thank you in his native language with difficulty.

“I can understand this.”

Hirano Aoi smiled, and her bright smile was particularly dazzling to Yu Weiran. "Before I came to Shanghai, the first Chinese word I learned was thank you."

"What about the second sentence?"

"sorry"

"What about the third sentence?"

"There is no third sentence. I gave up. It's too difficult."

Hirano Aoi said awkwardly, but then she added, "But I will continue to learn Chinese in the future. This is also part of what I can do."

"whatever"

Wei Ran shifted his gaze. He would rather this naive girl harbored hatred. He would rather the other party's box contained spy equipment such as tape recorders and radios. He would rather this girl was a bad person.

Unfortunately, his wishes were dashed time and time again, which made him increasingly unsure of how to get along with the other party, and that word of thanks was the limit of what he could give back to the other party at this time.

At this moment, all this became a test for Wei Ran's own heart, which was something he had never expected.

He had experienced so many wars. In so many wars, he had fought against invaders more than once on the war-torn land of China, killed enemies more than once, and even killed his own compatriots.

But this time, he encountered an enemy that he had no way of killing. Especially the bright smile on Hirano Aoi's face, as well as the firmness and increasingly clear conviction in her smile, even made him subconsciously look away.

It turns out that the inner torment of Konon at that time was so painful
Wei Ran sighed heavily, put the box full of sincerity on the cart, then jumped off the cart under the puzzled gaze of Hirano Aoi, walked quickly to the cart in front where Captain Yan was riding and jumped on it.

After a brief moment of confusion, Hirano Aoi smiled even brighter, then bent down, gently stroked the bottom box with her hand, and whispered in Japanese, "Mr. Qi, I will save many people, many, many people, I swear."

"Mr. Wei, why don't you sit in the car? This cart is not comfortable." Captain Yan said a little nervously.

"Ms. Hirano is prone to motion sickness, and she has never ridden in a mule cart before." Wei Ran said helplessly, "Someone must accompany her."

"How about I help you?"

"You are good at flattering yourself."

Wei Ran pretended to be disgusted and said, "Can you delay if something happens?"

"You're right, you're right." Captain Yan nodded in agreement and tore open a pack of cigarettes and gave one to Wei Ran in a flattering manner.

Before he could help Wei Ran light it, a member of the grain collection team ran over and said, "Captain Yan, Captain Jin wants you to go to the car and has something to tell you."

"Now?" Captain Yan's match, which he had just taken out, could not be lit and broke into two pieces due to his trembling.

"Just go if I tell you to go. What are you afraid of?" Wei Ran asked to himself, "Could it be that you, an old man, have hidden some treasure in the car?"

"No, no way!"

Captain Yan said quickly, "I'm not afraid that my muddy feet will mess up the car."

"Go explain this to Captain Jin."

Wei Ran took the match from the other person, lit his cigarette and said, "Maybe Captain Jin has something good to say to you?"

"Yes, yes, I'll go right away, you sit down."

Captain Yan said, and opened a wooden box at his feet, "There are tea and fried peanuts in here."

After saying that, Captain Yan glanced inconspicuously at his "cousin" who was also sitting on the cart and driving it, then jumped down and ran to the front of the team, looking back every three steps.

"How is he?" the visitor asked in a low voice.

"Still alive," Wei Ran replied in a low voice.

"That's good," the guest whispered, his tone full of guilt and gratitude.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Wei Ran asked after a moment of silence, "Anything is fine."

"nothing"

The guest shook his head. "You...you have done enough. I am sorry for what you have done."

"No, it's nothing."

Wei Ran paused and was about to say something, but the convoy slowly stopped - there was a check ahead.

This might be the reason why Captain Yan was called over. He was obviously very familiar with the puppet soldiers in charge of the investigation. No one knew what this man said with a thumbs up and an arrogant look on his face, but these puppet soldiers immediately let him go, and even nodded and saluted towards the female artists.

Soon, the firewood-collecting team and the opera troupe's convoy passed smoothly, and everyone in the convoy secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

With Captain Yan's diligent mediation, the convoy drove along the muddy dirt road, passing through one intersection after another guarded by puppet troops, and finally stopped smoothly in the open space in front of the Ji family's old house.

"Captain Yan, please come in with me."

As Zhao Jingrong opened the car door, he called out to Captain Yan to follow him into the house and went straight to a side courtyard.

Captain Yan had already run away more than once or twice, so he knew clearly that he was being taken to see the goods and needed to bring them back to the city. He had no complaints about this, and had no intention of deducting anything from the money. After all, those antique calligraphy and paintings that looked expensive were all worth a certain amount.

Rather than taking the risk of stealing Captain Jin and Taijun's things, the extra goods in his cart are equally valuable and there is definitely no shortage of buyers.

While Captain Yan was daydreaming, the hundred or so members of the grain-collecting team were carrying sacks of fodder and walking towards another side yard as if they were familiar with the route, while the members of the opera troupe were also busy unloading the truck.

"Ms. Hirano, it's time for them to unload the truck." Wei Ran reminded.

“I want to see his.”

"stop looking"

Wei Ran said as he walked towards the car, "Manager Qi is not in the box."

"What? Not here?"

Hirano Aoi widened her eyes, and then she saw that the trunk of the car not far away, closest to the door, had been opened, and Zhang Zhengqi, who was lying inside, had been carried out by Zhang Taichuan and placed on a stretcher waiting nearby.

After a moment of reaction, Hirano Aoi clumsily jumped off the mule cart, carrying the heavy box and caught up with Wei Ran, saying with great dissatisfaction, "You are lying."

"I didn't lie to you"

Wei Ran lit a cigarette and said, "I told you to ride in the sedan, but you insisted on riding in the cart."

"I"

Hirano Aoi took a deep breath and said, "I'll check his wound immediately."

"Come with me"

Wei Ran, who had been adjusting his mood along the way, said without turning his head, and took Hirano Aoi, who was carrying a suitcase in her hand, and followed the stretcher into the gate, walked into the backyard along the corridor, and finally came to the room where Liuzi had recuperated.

After Wei Ran carried Zhang Zhengqi to the bed, Hirano Aoi immediately began to check his wound.

Fortunately, although Zhang Zhengqi has not woken up yet, the condition of his wound is still good, at least there is no sign of inflammation.

After carefully changing the dressings on the two wounds, Hirano Aoi said, "Please accept the medicines in the medicine box. In addition, if there are any injured patients here, I can immediately provide free medical treatment. If you are worried that I will remember the appearance of the injured and patients, you can put masks on them."

"you"

“It’s all I can do”

Hirano Aoi said, "I don't need your gratitude or favor, I just want to avoid nightmares at night."

"I'll ask"

Wei Ran said this, and finally glanced at Zhang Zhengqi lying on the bed, turned and walked out of the room, then met Liuzi who was waiting outside.

"Brother Wei, the young master..."

"I'm counting on you to take care of me." Wei Ran patted the other person's shoulder.

"What's going on with that Japanese woman?" Liuzi asked, suppressing his anger.

"Let my uncle explain to you." Wei Ran chose to escape. He had not yet convinced himself, and he never admitted that he was a magnanimous person.

“Nothing to explain”

Zhang Taichuan walked into the main hall at this time and said, "Let's unite all the forces that can be united to resist the invasion of Faxusi. Miss Hirano is willing to help us, so she is the force that can be united."

"But."

“She didn’t do those things.”

Zhang Taichuan couldn't help but clench his fists when he said this. He also wanted to take revenge by wiping out the entire family.

After taking a few deep breaths, Liuzi nodded and said, "I understand."

"Go and get busy. Today is your apprenticeship banquet." Zhang Taichuan smiled. "If my father knew that you have achieved so much now, he would definitely drink a few more glasses."

After saying this, Zhang Taichuan fell silent, and Liuzi's eyes turned red.

"Okay, don't talk about this."

Zhang Taichuan rubbed his face vigorously, "Liu Zi, go and prepare to become my disciple. Wei Ran, please work hard, there are many injured people here who need your help."

"Ms. Hirano just said she is also willing to help."

Wei Ran said, "She took the initiative to say that if you are worried that she will remember the appearance of the injured, you can put a hood on the injured person."

"she?"

Zhang Taichuan hesitated, but soon he made a decision and said in Japanese, "Ms. Hirano, please come with us."

As soon as he finished speaking, Hirano Aoi came out carrying the box, "Thank you, thank you for giving me this opportunity. I..."

"Let's go together"

Zhang Taichuan, whose eyes were still a little red, showed a warm smile, and took the heavy box from the other person's hand with both hands. He took the two of them out of the Ji family's old house through the back door, and then crossed a nearby alley and walked into a courtyard that looked inconspicuous, but had neighbors on the left and right and behind it.

At this time, there were already quite a few wounded and sick people waiting in the yard. Some of them had gunshot wounds that had not yet been treated and were already red, swollen and inflamed. Some had sallow or pale faces. Others had already started to tremble, convulse, or even fainted.

But in this small courtyard full of injured people, the only medical workers were a doctor who looked to be in his 50s or 60s, and a young girl with a Red Cross armband on her arm.

"We brought so many medicines here before, but we only got this much."

“All those medicines were sent to the front line.”

Zhang Taichuan, who brought them here, said, "Besides, there is no Western medicine here, and those medicines will not be used even if we keep them."

“Why don’t you let me?”

"It's more important to keep an eye on Old Ghost than to let you come here," Zhang Taichuan said, "We don't have the energy to train another person and have him gain Old Ghost's trust."

“Has there never been a hygienist here?”

While Wei Ran was talking, he had already followed Zhang Taichuan into the main room which served as the operating room. Fortunately, the room was quiet enough, with clean white cloth coverings hanging around and above the room, and there were also two kerosene lamps.

"Yes, Dr. Liu died in battle more than a month ago." said the girl with the Red Cross armband, "But he saved many people."

At this point, the girl looked at Zhang Taichuan and said, "Second Uncle, are these two doctors here to support us?"

“They are not”

Zhang Taichuan shook his head and was about to say something when the guest walked in led by Ji's housekeeper.

“He is the Western doctor sent here.”

Zhang Taichuan introduced, "His surname is Zhang, Li Zao Zhang. You'll get to know him better later. Doctor Zhang, I took the initiative to bring Miss Hirano here. Please give her some trust."

"Ms. Hirano? Is she a devil?"

Before the young girl with the cuffs finished her words, all the wounded in the yard who were able to stand struggled to stand up and picked up the various weapons at hand.

There were bricks, washboards, half of a coarse porcelain bowl that had just been broken, a pair of scissors, and even a homemade pistol for single use.

"Put down your guns." The person who came in and issued the order was Mr. Ji, who looked much older.

"But."

"I guarantee with my life that she won't harm anyone. She is here to help us," said Mr. Ji.

"Will you help us fight the Japanese?" asked a young soldier whose arm was broken and whose stinking wound was tied with a rope.

"She is here to treat our injuries and illnesses. Once we are well, we can pick up our guns and go back to the battlefield."

Wei Ran spoke up at this time, "If you are not afraid of the devil's bayonets, why should you be afraid of a nuclear woman holding a scalpel? Or are you afraid?"

"Let her show me."

An old man in his forties stood up with the help of the wall and said, "My wife, my son was killed by the Japanese, and the wound on my leg was also caused by the Japanese stabbing with a bayonet.

If she has bad intentions and is going to kill me, it would be worth it if I could use my life to help you guys find her out."

"Brother Sun, you see it clearly," Mr. Ji clasped his fists in gratitude.

"We are all thanks to our second uncle for giving us guns and medicine."

The old man Sun, whose leg was injured, said, "All these things we use to fight the Japanese were obtained by our second uncle and his young men from the Japanese despite the insults and humiliation of being stabbed in the back. We can't let them down, we have to have a conscience."

"Ms. Hirano, please come with me to treat this old gentleman's injuries." Wei Ran said.

"it is good"

Hirano Aoi nodded, then bowed and sincerely said the only two words of Chinese she knew, "Thank you, I'm sorry."

"Why do they all call you second uncle?" Wei Ran asked, changing the subject.

"Second uncle, second uncle is me, I am second uncle."

Zhang Taichuan showed an honest smile, "This is just a code name. There are many second uncles. I am the second uncle. If I die, you will be the second uncle."

"If you can't die, I won't be your second uncle."

As Wei Ran spoke, he had already turned around and said while doing the preoperative preparations, "Doctor Zhang, let us do the surgery, how about you do the rest?"

"Row"

Doctor Zhang, who didn't even have time to take off his puppet soldier's clothes, nodded and agreed to Wei Ran's work assignment.

At the same time, Captain Yan had already led the firewood-collecting team to hide the various cultural relics and calligraphy and paintings that they were responsible for transporting in various places on the mule cart that was filled with firewood and rice. They couldn't wait to drive the mule cart back.

As for lunch, how can it be as delicious as real money?

"Captain, where is your cousin? Shouldn't we wait for him?" Wang Gui, a little beggar who had become Captain Yan's confidant, asked deliberately.

"He went to contact the buyer. Yes, he went to contact the buyer."

Captain Yan found an absolutely reasonable excuse, then changed the subject and asked, "Everyone, get the goods ready."

"Don't worry"

The members of the firewood-collecting team responded in unison, and then pulled out a box gun that was almost blatantly mounted from their arms, or took out a bag of bullets or even a grenade.

After walking about two or three miles, Captain Yan saw a wheelbarrow with four bamboo baskets tied to it on the side of the road. He immediately breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Just throw them in there."

Upon hearing this, the firewood-collecting team did not stop at all. Instead, when they passed by the wheelbarrow, they casually threw the box guns, bullets, or grenades in their hands into the baskets tied to the cart.

Soon after, the grain-collecting team was obscured by the fields. A few figures emerged from the fields, some carrying baskets on their backs, some holding wheelbarrows, and disappeared into the green tent in the blink of an eye.