War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 1893 Can’t go back
"Snapped!"

Just as the whip cracked against his body for the second time, Wei Ran finally saw everything around him clearly.

At this moment, he was kneeling on the edge of the dock. It was pitch black but brightly lit, so he had no idea whether it was night or before dawn.

At his feet lay an ammunition box covered in yellow mud, and in the distance were boats of various sizes. Further still, the rumble of cannons, explosions, and even the roar of airplanes could be heard.

Beside him, an officer who looked to be in his thirties was holding a leather whip. Clearly, this was the same guy who had just lashed him twice.

"And you're still staring with those two eyes wide open? I'll kill you!"

"Sir, sir, calm down, this is just a waiter from the kitchen."

Just then, Cheng Guanyin's voice came from behind, and Wei Ran also stood up quickly, carrying the wooden box that looked like it contained grenades.

"Hurry up! What are you daydreaming about! This is the last batch. Once we're done loading, we'll go home!"

Cheng Guanyin scolded Wei Ran, while also giving him a meaningful look.

"Sorry, sorry! I didn't step properly just now."

Wei Ran quickly apologized, hoisted the box of grenades onto his shoulder, and followed Cheng Guanyin toward a boat not far away, while also observing the other party.

Cheng Guanyin was dressed as a cook, wearing a canvas apron around his waist, with a large knife slung over his shoulder and an ammunition box on his shoulder as well, which seemed to contain grenades.

In addition, there were numerous cuts on his arms and the calves exposed by his rolled-up trouser legs.

"What are you doing here?" Cheng Guanyin asked in a low voice after he had moved away from the officer.

"Aren't you here too?"

Wei Ran countered with a question, his gaze already fixed on the various boats, large and small, moored at the dock. For some reason, seeing these boats made him feel inexplicably uneasy.

“I have important business to attend to,” Cheng Guanyin replied.

"What's the matter?"

Faced with Wei Ran's question, Cheng Guanyin remained silent for a moment before saying, "I need to find a way to go to Taiwan with them."

"What were you doing there?" Wei Ran asked instinctively. "And what's wrong with you now?"

"After the Japanese surrendered in 45, I stopped fighting. Since then, I've been busy searching for my brother Bingquan and the whereabouts of my wife and children," Cheng Guanyin said with a sigh, slowing his pace slightly.

"Did you find it?" Wei Ran asked subconsciously.

"Have you found it yet?"

Cheng Guanyin sighed, “Last winter, I went back to the Xiangjiang River and found a stone with the character ‘呈’ carved on it where my grandfather used to row his boat.”

"Your brother?!"

Wei Ran was taken aback. He clearly remembered that before Bai Guang, he had told Cheng Bingquan that he hoped the other party could come home to visit more often.

"I don't know, I don't know."

Cheng Guanyin led Wei Ran onto a cargo ship, and as they walked into the cabin, he continued, "For almost a year, I have been searching for their whereabouts."

"Any leads?" Wei Ran asked.

"no"

Cheng Guanyin shook his head with a sigh, "I was thinking that if he had survived, he might still be in one of the remaining regiments of the 18th Army."

I heard that several of the regiments were assigned to that old bastard Tang Enbo's army and came to Xiamen.

I followed them all the way here, using the name Chen Shun to sneak into the kitchen, hoping to run into an old acquaintance.

And you? What are you doing here? Have you been fighting these past few years? No, wait, how come…?

"civilian husband"

Having already guessed where this was and even when it happened, Wei Ran patted the box on his shoulder. "I also escaped after the Japanese surrendered. I was originally selling pancakes at the dock, but now I've been conscripted."

"Let's find a chance to escape later. You shouldn't have gone in."

"All laborers and able-bodied men, put down your ammunition boxes and head into the cargo hold!" Just then, a soldier guarding the hatch said.

"Sir, I'm from the mess hall."

Cheng Guanyin quickly pointed at Wei Ran and said, "Let me borrow this. There are still some dishes that haven't been brought up yet."

"Go!"

The soldier readily allowed them to pass, but before Cheng Guanyin could lead him out of the cabin, the ship suddenly started moving!
"Oh no, let's get out of here!"

Cheng Guanyin's heart sank and he hurriedly urged, but before Wei Ran, who had no intention of leaving, could take a step, the cabin door he had just entered through was closed.

"Ugh!"

Cheng Guanyin sighed, "Come with me, we'll find another chance to jump into the sea tonight."

"What happened to your injuries?" Wei Ran asked, changing the subject as they walked.

"After escaping from Hengyang back then..."

Cheng Guanyin found a spot with a window where he could see outside and stopped. He fumbled for a pack of cigarettes and gave one to Wei Ran. Then he took out a match and lit their cigarettes before continuing, "We were separated and left. I was sent to a farmer's house to be raised."

However, the areas burned by the Japanese poison gas bombs were soaked in river water and also contaminated with corpse fluid, causing them to rot completely.

The family that saved me found a herbalist, and it was thanks to him that I survived. He used a knife to cut out the rotten flesh from my body.

By the time I finally managed to pull myself out of bed and walk on my own, the Japanese had all surrendered. What about you? How come…?

It was just luck.

Wei Ran evaded the question with a sigh, "What are your plans next?"

"I need to know at least whether my brother is alive or dead."

Cheng Guanyin stared blankly at the dark sea outside the window. "I went back to Hengyang City and found my father-in-law's neighbor. His youngest son, the only survivor, said that my wife didn't escape back then. She was rescuing the wounded in the north of the city. Later, the Japanese attacked and used a lot of poison gas. She... I guess... my wife and my son Huaiqian... Sigh!"

"Why are you still carrying that big sword?" Wei Ran asked, diverting his attention.

"Thanks to this big sword"

Cheng Guanyin said with a smile, "I told the officer who whipped you that I had fought the Japanese, and I even showed him this big knife. Only then did he agree to let me into the kitchen and take me away."

"if."

Wei Ran paused, then turned to look around, "Aren't you afraid you won't come back?"

"Not afraid"

Cheng Guanyin said nonchalantly, "How many years can that tiny place hold out? At most, it will surrender in five years."

"Well, I hope so."

Wei Ran sighed. If it weren't for the dragging down of the Tide Moss War, it might not have taken five years. But this kind of thing is a game of geopolitics, so there's no "what if".

"What if... what if we can't find it?" Wei Ran couldn't help but ask a new question.

Where did the writing on that stone come from?

After asking a question, Cheng Guanyin looked back at the strait outside the window and said, "I have to know where I died."

"Ugh"

Wei Ran sighed again. At this moment, the turbulent strait outside the window was just the beginning of homesickness for everyone on the ship.

Before the two could say anything, a group of soldiers followed the officer who had whipped Wei Ran into the cabin.

"Why is there a 'civilian' here? It's you again?"

The officer pointed his whip at Wei Ran and ordered, "Take him to the cabin!"

At this point, the officer pointed his riding whip at Cheng Guanyin, "If it weren't for your contributions in the fight against the Japanese, you would have been locked up in solitary confinement with me!"

"The sir is right, the sir is right."

Cheng Guanyin quickly expressed his gratitude, "Sir, I was just thinking of getting him to give you some special treatment as an apology."

"What special treatment are you giving me? Don't try to sabotage me at a time like this, you old bastard!"

After speaking, the officer led his soldiers into the cabin, and Wei Ran was also escorted into the cargo hold by a soldier and locked up with the other conscripted laborers.

It's quite dark here, you could even say you can't see your hand in front of your face, and the air quality isn't great either. Of course, the atmosphere isn't great either.

Unfortunately, although the conscripted laborers were packed inside, they all spoke the local Xiamen dialect, so Wei Ran could only understand a few words.

Of course, more than what the laborers were saying, he was actually worried that the boat might be overloaded.

Wait! Overloaded?
Wei Ran couldn't help but shudder. He finally understood where his anxiety before boarding the ship came from!
We have to get out, we absolutely have to get out!
Wei Ran, who was not far from the hatch, subconsciously turned around and tried to pull the iron door, only to find that it had been locked from the outside with a special iron chain!

Almost simultaneously, even the lights outside the cabin door went out, and blackout measures were implemented.

He tried tugging at the door again, and the soldiers guarding outside immediately slammed their rifle butts against the iron door. "Quiet! Touch the door again and we'll break it!"

After the reprimand, the cabin fell silent for a moment. Wei Ran, who was touching the door, sighed. The chains outside were too tight. Although there was a gap that allowed his hand to squeeze through, he couldn't reach the lock at all, so there was no way he could pry the door open.

It was only at this moment that he belatedly realized the full malice of his living father.

In the previous scene, he got the wire cutters but only used them as a crowbar. Now, when he clearly needed the wire cutters, his father refused to give them to him!
As for the Mauser bayonets that can be used this time
Wei Ran shook his head again. The outer chains were too thick; this bayonet couldn't break them in a short time.

I'll fuck your grandpa!
Wei Ran cursed under his breath and struggled to squeeze into the cargo hold in the dark, prying open the cargo box with his bayonet.

After some searching, Wei Ran sighed helplessly. What was inside was a Maxim rifle and a water tank. But there was only the weapon; there was no ammunition. And a weapon without ammunition is really no better than an axe.

At that moment, whether it was because they had already left the dock or because the sea conditions were too bad, the ship began to rock violently, causing the many laborers in the cabin to sway and scream in alarm. In the absence of lighting, an unavoidable stampede occurred.

Wei Ran did not waste this opportunity. Every time the ship rocked violently, he would forcefully pull on the locked hatch, trying to break the metal door handle or damage the door hinge.

But this was of no use. In fact, because of the constant noise, the soldiers outside cursed and used iron bars to completely jam the hatch shut!
Done
Wei Ran's unease grew stronger; he was now almost certain that something was definitely going to happen to this ship!

After an unknown amount of time in the darkness, the sound of cannons and explosions suddenly came from outside.

This noise, unlike that of a marine engine, immediately plunged the people in the lower cabins into a panicked silence.

But this silence was quickly replaced by panicked conversations and even pleas. At the same time, Wei Ran shook and pounded on the hatch even more vigorously, even kicking it with his foot. But even so, even though his feet were aching and numb from kicking, the other iron bars outside the door did not slip, and no one reprimanded him for his violent pounding.

But at this moment, in this incredibly stuffy and dark lower cabin, even the air had become much thinner.

Give me the gas mask package now!
Wei Ran felt increasingly helpless about that living father's malice. If the ship sank later, the oxygen cylinder in that gas mask pack could save his life!
Left with no other option, Wei Ran took out his PPK pistol, groped around in the dark to remove the magazine, and felt around for a moment. His heart sank – the magazine was empty. He tried pulling back the slide and feeling around for a moment; the chamber was empty too!
Then what the hell are you doing here?!

Wei Ran gritted his teeth and put away his pistol. He then squatted down at the hinge of the door and began to pry it open with his bayonet, hoping to break the door apart.

However, his futile attempts yielded no results, and the violent and sudden impact nearly caused him to stab his own arm.

"We're clinging to the reef! The hull is breaking through the water!"

Just as Wei Ran realized something was wrong and hurriedly put away his bayonet, a panicked shout came from deep inside the cabin. He could barely understand it, but he could guess that it was someone who was always eating in bars.

After that shout, the panic intensified in the lower cabin. The laborers who had been hiding in the distance listening to Wei Ran's "madness" immediately rushed over, pounding on the cabin door with all their might, pleading or cursing as they shouted.

At this moment, Wei Ran gave up the pointless banging on the door and instead began to take deep breaths amidst the rushing water.

He can't persuade the people around him now; he can only try to save himself, and he must survive.

Because his return mission isn't even complete yet, if he drowns here, he might really die.

In the midst of this panic, the ship began to tilt noticeably, and Wei Ran could even hear the sound of waves crashing inside the cabin.

Will this guy even survive?
No, there is still a chance!
Wei Ran shuddered, forcefully pushed away the people around him, left the almost collapsed staircase, and followed his memory in the dark towards the wooden box he had just pried open.

In just a short while, the wooden box was already submerged in water.

Fortunately, there was no water in the box.

First, Wei Ran picked up the water tank that came with the Maxim gun from the box and shook it. Seeing that there was no water inside, he continued to take deep breaths while unscrewing the water tank.

At this point, there was no hope of squeezing back to the cabin door; the stairs were already crowded with panicked laborers.

Hastily tying a cloth belt around his waist through the handle of the water tank, Wei Ran held the water pipe in his mouth while simultaneously taking out his bayonet again and prying open box after box, trying to find a box containing grenades, or even bullets.

But as he pried open each box, all he saw were weapons. Clearly, the soldiers on them were prepared and were obviously on guard against the laborers who were supposed to be taken away.

In just that short time, the water in the lower cabins had risen to chest height, leaving them with very little air and space.

After checking the water tank inlet at his waist to make sure there were no leaks, Wei Ran continued to take deep breaths through his nose to maximize his lung capacity, while also trying to lower his heart rate to reduce oxygen consumption.

As his breathing grew longer and longer, the seawater surging in from the ground almost completely filled the lower deck, and all the laborers were also submerged in the seawater—the knocking finally stopped.

But at that moment, everyone soaking in the water heard the sound of the iron bar outside the door being pulled away, followed by the sound of chopping.

Someone is coming to rescue them!
In that instant, the laborers, still holding their breath, rushed toward the door.

At this moment, Wei Ran still hid a little further away, and he didn't even dare to share the water pipe he was holding in his mouth.

It wasn't that he was selfish; he was just perfectly aware that it would cause a fight, and in the end, no one would survive, and it would also waste the very little air in the water tank.

As he waited in his heart, the sound of water splashing in the lower levels gradually faded away, but the chopping sounds outside the door continued.

When the endurance of suppressing his breathing reached its limit, Wei Ran, pinching his nose, finally sucked hard on the water pipe in his mouth, while also gently unscrewing the water inlet with one hand to let seawater rush into the tank and send the little air inside into his mouth through the water pipe.

After taking a deep, greedy breath, Wei Ran slowly swam toward the hatch, which wasn't far away. At the same time, he heard the sound of the hatch opening and the suction of water gushing out.

Drawn by the suction, he swam out and saw a man holding a flashlight and an anti-Japanese broadsword.

It really is Cheng Guanyin!

Wei Ran quickly swam over, and the other party soon spotted him and pointed the flashlight at him, then at the bottom deck.

Waving at the other party, Wei Ran sucked out the last breath of air from the water tank, then used his bayonet to cut the cloth belt and abandoned the water tank that was almost full of water. He then pulled Cheng Guanyin and began to float to the surface.

Finally, the two of them surfaced one after the other.

"under."

That's all.

Wei Ran gasped for breath and waved his hands, "They're all dead."

"Get up, get up quickly!"

Cheng Guanyin forcefully pulled Wei Ran to his feet, shouting, "The ship is sinking, let's go!"

"Which ship is this?" Wei Ran asked as he pulled up his pants and ran up with the other person.

"I don't know, I don't know what his name is."

As Cheng Guanyin slung his broadsword behind his back, he hurriedly responded and dragged Wei Ran onto the already tilting deck.

"Jump!"

Cheng Guanyin didn't pause at all; he simply gripped the flashlight in his hand and jumped down with Wei Ran.

"Pfft!"

As the two fell into the water and then resurfaced one after the other, Cheng Guanyin turned on his flashlight again and swam away with Wei Ran.

"You! Throw the flashlight away!"

Before the officer who had once whipped Wei Ran could even begin to snatch the item, Wei Ran had already slit his throat with his bayonet and taken the lifebuoy he was holding.

Almost at the same moment Wei Ran slit his throat, Cheng Guanyin also turned off his flashlight.

Immediately afterwards, the two began to search the body of the officer, who was not quite dead, in the darkness.

"There's a gun!" Cheng Guanyin said in a low voice.

"Keep it, I don't need it."

As Wei Ran spoke, he cut off the officer's outer garment and then easily found two cloth pockets sewn onto the inside of his shirt under his armpits—containing gold bars.

"You're wearing this shirt; there are gold bars inside."

Wei Ran said in a low voice, already shoving the shirt into Cheng Guanyin's hands, while he himself took off his cumbersome tattered trousers.

"No, you need to too."

"I am a conscripted laborer, and even if I survive, I will definitely be searched."

Wei Ran found a plausible excuse and handed the lifebuoy to Cheng Guanyin, then tied the rope of the lifebuoy to Cheng Guanyin's belt without saying a word.

"Hurry up and swim, you might not even survive."

Wei Ran urged them one last time. It was too dark by then, and the only thing they could point to was the bow of the ship behind them, which was about to sink completely into the sea.

"Save lives first"

Cheng Guanyin did not leave. He didn't even want to throw away the big knife on his back. Instead, he grabbed the lifebuoy and swam in the direction of the sound.

As expected, soon after, several thugs surrounded them and stole the lifebuoy and flashlight.

These people naturally scoffed at the broadsword Cheng Guanyin was carrying, but Cheng Guanyin did not draw the captured pistol and fire. Instead, he simply sighed apologetically at Wei Ran.

"fine"

Wei Ran said in a low voice, "Just make sure you put on your shirt and don't lose it. Can you even swim?"

Cheng Guanyin's answer, "I grew up on the banks of the Xiang River," was full of confidence.

"I also grew up by the water."

Wei Ran then asked, "Baiyangdian, do you know Baiyangdian?"

"Where is that?"

As Cheng Guanyin swam, he asked, his tone unusually cheerful, "I haven't swum in a long time."

"We have guerrillas from Hebei Province," Wei Ran said.

"Oh—! I know! The Wild Goose Brigade is from your area?" Cheng Guanyin said with a sudden realization.

"You've heard of this?"

Wei Ran asked curiously. Although they had fallen into the water, it was a rare opportunity to chat.

"Back when I escaped from Hengyang, I was rescued by the guerrillas."

Cheng Guanyin's voice was much softer. "I heard them mention it back then, and they even invited me to join the guerrillas and fight the Japanese after I recovered from my injuries."

Before my injuries had fully healed, the Japanese surrendered.

I didn't want to cause trouble between brothers, and I was afraid of running into the people who saved me on the battlefield, and I was also afraid of encountering my younger brother Bingquan, so I ran away.

At this point, Cheng Guanyin smiled and said, "Do you still remember Mr. Zhang from Shau Kei Wan?"

“I remember, of course I remember,” Wei Ran replied.

I went back there last year.

Cheng Guanyin swam even more enthusiastically, "The old man is still alive. He took in an apprentice to support him in his old age. It is said that he was rescued from a pile of corpses."

"What about Hengyang?"

After a moment of silence, Wei Ran asked, "Have you ever been back to Hengyang?"

"I've been back, how could I not have?"

Cheng Guanyin sighed, "After the Japanese surrendered, I was almost fully recovered. The first place I went was Hengyang. Back then, you could still smell the stench of corpses there."

"you"

"That's all."

Cheng Guanyin shook his head and sighed, "Everything is gone. We didn't find the people who saved us, and we didn't find the bodies of my wife Yanzhi and my son Huaiqian either. We can't go back, we can't go back."

"yes."

Wei Ran turned his head to look in the direction of the mainland. At this time, the mainland was far from what it was in later years, where thousands of lights would be lit up every night.

But as Cheng Guanyin just murmured, there's no going back, for anyone.