War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 1958 Drama

At 10:14 a.m., Shanghai's first 28-star café opened to a chorus of The Internationale in various languages.

“I said before that there are many people here who can sing the Internationale.”

Before leaving, Wei Ran said with satisfaction that thanks to the previous news reports, there were especially many people who came to support them today.

"There will be more and more in the future."

Sui Sui expressed her opinion with considerable regret, "If you ask me, the International Brigades were also confused back then. Why waste time going to Spain? It would have been so much better to come to China."

If they had come back then, maybe one of the seedlings would still be alive today.

"yes."

Wei Ran smiled, then added a hopeless "maybe" to his mind.

He didn't think Sui Sui's ideas were naive or idealistic. She might have an innate talent for business, but she didn't know much about history, even though her father was a history professor.

Therefore, she would naturally apply her own standards to the situation and use the perspective of later generations to measure the regrets of the predecessors.

But at that time...
Wei Ran sighed inwardly. Not only would falling behind mean being beaten, but even if you were beaten, you wouldn't receive much sympathy.

"Should we go to Tianjin next?" Seeing that Wei Ran seemed a bit sentimental, Sui Sui took out the lotus pendant from her collar and shook it.

"Yes, it's time to go to Tianjin, time to see a great show."

Wei Ran smiled and perked up, also taking out the koi pendant hanging around his neck from his collar.

After waving goodbye to the busy twin shop owners and Yu Yanlin's descendants, Wei Ran and the others left the coffee shop and got into the car heading to the airport.

"Where are you going next?" Wei Ran asked Xia Shushi.

"Go and film"

Xia Shushi yawned and said, "Thanks to you, the documentary currently being filmed features Li Yizhong and his girlfriend telling the stories of the veterans on camera, while I will be narrating the historical background."

"Where's Qiqi? What are you in charge of?" Sui Sui asked her best friend sitting behind her curiously.

"Production assistant, or nominal producer?"

As Qin Qi spoke, she also yawned, "This is much harder than being a teacher."

"Where is that beast? What is he busy with?" Wei Ran quickly changed the subject.

"He's been busy with something ever since he came back from your place; it's like he's vanished into thin air."

Xia Shushi yawned as he explained, "Zhong Zhen is much more relaxed; he's been keeping an eye on that Japanese cartoonist lately."

"How's his comic coming along?"

Sui Sui pretended not to see Qin Qi's resentful look and changed the subject.

Xia Shushi, oblivious to his girlfriend's eye roll, enthusiastically introduced the progress, "Updates have already begun, and it's basically faithful to historical truth."

Moreover, the cartoonist did indeed introduce his family background from the beginning, and unsurprisingly, his reputation among the Japanese was already ruined; quite a few Japanese soldiers even clamored to assassinate him.

"I remember there was a girl next to him?" Sui Sui thought for a moment, "The milk-kneading girl?"

"That Japanese girl was also implicated."

Seeing that Wei Ran and Sui Sui, these two shrewd people, were not taking the bait when she talked about how hard the filming was, Qin Qi reluctantly joined the conversation, "Now her parents have lost their jobs because of her. They were only picked up by Zhong Zhen last week, and she just started working at the entertainment company you invested in a couple of days ago."

"How's the reaction?" Wei Ran asked. "I'm referring to his comic."

"It caused a great stir both domestically and in Southeast Asia."

Xia Shushi handed his phone to Wei Ran as he spoke, "And it attracted a lot of attention, especially since he updates those historical photos along with every update."

"The Japanese devils are probably getting desperate."

Wei Ran looked at the data displayed on his phone screen. This data was not the number of clicks, but rather the number of cyberattacks the website had suffered.

"Because of his comics, according to what the Second Prince heard from his aunt, the Seven-Colored Elephant's server was almost breached several times."

Xia Shushi took the phone that Wei Ran handed back. "Later, some Chinese and foreign hackers spontaneously began to attack the servers of many Japanese companies as retaliation, which was almost like fighting a cyber war against Japan."

"It's really lively."

Wei Ran clicked his tongue; he refused to admit that he had anything to do with this matter.

"Thanks to all this trouble..."

Qin Qi also joked, "My second brother said that some Japanese companies are now practically glued to this cartoonist's updates."

"They like watching it too?" Sui Sui, who was usually very clever, asked a silly question.

"Love, I absolutely love it."

Qin Qi snorted, "As soon as there's an update here, those companies' servers automatically disconnect from the internet. They really love it."

Upon hearing this, Wei Ran and Sui Sui exchanged a glance, both of them unable to suppress their smiles.

Back at the airport amidst the chatter about the cartoonist, Wei Ran, Sui Sui, and the Kajenka sisters hurriedly boarded a flight to Tianjin.

Later that evening, Xia Shushi and Qin Qi also boarded a flight and left Shanghai.

At 4:30 pm on Labor Day, Wei Ran and Sui Sui, along with the Kajianka sisters, arrived at Mengjiafen Village in a car driven by Aunt Fu, who had come to pick them up from the airport.

At this time, a sufficiently professional stage had been set up in the village's threshing ground.

As Wei Ran specifically instructed, the stage was positioned so that it faced the direction where Tao Canhua and the others lay buried in the distant wheat field.

Around this threshing ground, there were many food and drink stalls and agricultural product stalls, and with people coming from all directions along the way, it was even more lively than a temple fair.

"Senior brothers, you've finally arrived!"

Chen Luoxiang pushed Sui Xin, who was sitting in a wheelchair, to greet them.

“Thank you for your hard work”

Wei Ran patted his junior brother on the shoulder, "How's it going?"

"Do not worry"

Sui Xin replied confidently, "Several elderly gentlemen are watching over us, so there won't be any mistakes."

"when it start?"

As Sui Sui pressed for answers, her stomach began to rumble in protest.

Aside from morning coffee to perk them up and a small amount of pasta, they only had a few simple bites on the plane.

"Half an hour left"

Chen Luoxiang took out his phone and glanced at the time. "We still have time. Let's go get something to eat first."

No one objected to this suggestion, and there was no need to go far at all. On an open space not far from the stage, the Zhao family had already set up a complete pancake stall and several tables and chairs that were wiped exceptionally clean.

"Find a seat yourself!"

When Grandpa Zhao saw that it was Wei Ran and the others coming, he quickly and warmly greeted them.

"Do you need my help?" Wei Ran asked with a smile.

"Eat first, we'll talk after we're full."

As Grandpa Zhao spoke, he had a young man who looked to be in his early twenties bring them a tray of sesame seed cakes with fillings.

"This grand show will run for three days straight!"

Chen Luoxiang explained, "Master Zhao's family also set up their pancake stall for three consecutive days, and they were offering free food and drinks."

"So spacious?"

As Wei Ran spoke, he picked up two sesame seed cakes with sausage filling and handed one of them to Sui Sui.

"My grandfather said he'd been waiting for this show for a long time."

The young man who brought them several bowls of salted tofu soup said, "He said that the opera troupe will be performing in the village for a few days, and we will provide them with food and drink for those days. Even our village secretary has specially arranged for the villagers to help out."

"Moreover, because the news was released in advance, people from several surrounding villages came to join in the fun, and it seems that quite a few amateur opera enthusiasts came specifically from the city," Sui Xin explained.

"This will be a real test for the opera troupe."

Wei Ran glanced at the stage not far away, then paused, noticing a girl who looked somewhat familiar.

This girl, who looked to be no more than 20 years old, was wearing baggy overalls, huge glasses, and a baseball cap.

At this moment, she was sitting on a chair facing the stage, holding a sesame seed cake with sausage in her hand, leaning on the shoulder of the young man next to her, and eating it in big bites.

Because of the angle, Wei Ran could even clearly see that the girl was wearing a beautiful and familiar longevity lock around her neck.

You've come to watch the opera too!
Wei Ran breathed a satisfied sigh of relief, and before the young girl could turn her head to look in their direction, he hurriedly lowered his head and slurped up a large mouthful of the salty and fragrant tofu soup.

"Who did you see?"

While asking curiously, Sui Sui also looked in the direction Wei Ran had just been looking. In that instant, the girl also looked away and leaned back into the arms of the young man beside her.

"They're watching the opera," Wei Ran said with a smile. "I thought the Second Prince was over there."

He really did come this morning.

Chen Luoxiang, who was sitting at the same table, changed the subject, "But she only chatted with Sister Wanqiu for a few words before leaving, as if she had something urgent to attend to."

"Never mind him, let's eat." Wei Ran picked up the sesame seed cake again and changed the subject.

Before they could finish eating, the musicians on one side of the stage not far away began to play.

A moment later, Wanqiu took the stage to announce the program, and the area below the stage fell silent.

As the melody changed, the actors took to the stage one after another, keeping time with the drumbeats.

"This is our nameless theater troupe."

Sui Sui, her mouth covered in sesame seeds, said proudly, even though she didn't really understand these traditional dramas at all.

"yes"

Wei Ran glanced at the stage and absentmindedly responded, then said, "Master Zhao, pack me a few sesame seed cakes, I'm going to check on Grandpa Tao."

"Row!"

Master Zhao, who had already joined the troupe, readily agreed to Wei Ran's request. He put a plate of sesame seed cakes with vegetables, a pot of soy milk, a bottle of liquor, and a plate of chopped sausage into the basket.

"I have lived a long and secluded life in Nanyang, until my lord invited me out three times."

As the song began on stage, Wei Ran, carrying a basket in one hand and holding Sui Sui's hand in the other, strode towards the wheat field outside the village.

When he returned to the large willow tree that had grown out of the cracked millstones, several plates of sesame cakes, sausages, and liquor had already been laid out on the millstones, with burnt paper money scattered around the edges.

"Is Grandpa Tao buried here?" Sui Sui asked, visiting the site for the first time.

"Yes, he's buried right here, with his friends."

As Wei Ran spoke, he placed the food and drinks from the basket onto the millstone one by one, and then poured an extra large bowl of white wine.

"You've never told me the story of him and that little villa."

Sui Sui sat down cross-legged, mimicking Wei Ran's posture, and said.

"I"

Wei Ran opened his mouth, then shook his head. "I don't know, I don't know his story."

"Are there things our great scholars can't find?" Sui Sui asked with a beaming smile as the lyrics were still clearly audible.

"I'm not omnipotent."

As Wei Ran spoke, he took out a cigarette case from his pocket, pulled out two cigarettes, put gold and tortoiseshell mouthpieces on them respectively, lit them, and placed them on the millstone.

Was that the girl you were peeking at just now?

"Hmm," Wei Ran nodded before Sui Sui could finish speaking.

"Then I won't ask."

Sui Sui immediately changed the subject, "Let's have the Canhua Class perform here every May Day and National Day from now on."

"You're the boss of the opera troupe, you're in charge." Wei Ran's seemingly casual tone concealed a gratitude that only Sui Sui could perceive.

“Then it’s settled,” Sui Sui made the decision easily.

Gently embracing the quirky girl, Wei Ran lit a cigarette, held it between his fingers, and sat down by the millstone, quietly listening to the distant opera singing from the stage.

After a long, long time, the three cigarettes had long since burned out, and from the brightly lit stage in the distance, the familiar phrase, "This letter came at the perfect time, Heaven is helping Huang Zhong to achieve his goal," could be heard.

"Let's go back, let's go back too."

Wei Ran flicked away the long-burnt cigarette butt, put away the two cigarette holders that carried too many memories, gently patted the cracked millstone, and helped Sui Sui, who had been quietly leaning against his arms, to stand up.

"Standing at the camp gate to relay the order, all lads, young and old, listen attentively:"
The first drumbeat signaled the start of the battle; the second drumbeat signaled the tightening of battle robes.

With three drumbeats, the sword is drawn; with four drumbeats, the soldiers are engaged.

Those who step forward will be rewarded, while those who retreat will inevitably suffer a cut.

The generals and their lord returned to camp.

As the lyrics became clearer, Wei Ran and Sui Sui returned to their stall by the stage, and the Dingjun Mountain performance came to an end.

"We should go."

Wei Ran returned the basket to Master Zhao, and then said to Chen Luoxiang and Sui Xin, who had been sitting there, "I'll leave this to you."

"So soon?" Sui Xin asked in surprise.

"We've been quite busy lately," Sui Sui said apologetically.

Just as the four of them, accompanied by Chen Luoxiang and others, got into the car driven by Aunt Fu and set off for the airport.

Just as Wanqiu was once again taking the stage to enthusiastically announce the program, a cute girl wearing glasses that almost covered half her face also led a young man to the willow tree.

"This should be it."

The girl breathed a slight sigh of relief when she saw the offerings placed on the millstone.

"DouDou, where is this?" the young man who followed us asked curiously.

My family's ancestral home

The girl, called "DouDou," opened her backpack and took out a slightly worn copy of "The Call to Arms," ​​which she then opened to the screen.

"Grandma asked me to bring this."

As DouDou spoke, she carefully opened the book "The Cry," picked up a brightly colored and exceptionally beautiful feather from one of the pages, and carefully inserted it into the crack of the millstone.

"Grandma asked me to tell you that she is too old and her legs are not strong enough, so it is inconvenient for her to come and see you."

Dou Dou knelt down earnestly, took the lighter her boyfriend handed her, lit three incense sticks, and inserted them into the gap of the millstone. "She also said that she would be back soon, and they would be back soon too, so you can rest assured."

"Them? DouDou, who are you talking about?" the young man next to him asked curiously.

"Shut up! Kneel down and kowtow!"

After the girl finished speaking, she pulled her boyfriend down to kneel down and obediently kowtowed. With an apologetic tone, she said, "It's not very convenient for us to come here once, so we don't know when the next time will be. We hope you don't mind."

Also, I heard the scene at Dingjun Mountain on behalf of my grandmother, and I recorded it. We'll show it to her when we get back in a few days.

After kowtowing a few more times, the girl stood up, tiptoed, broke off a willow branch, tucked it into the book, and led her boyfriend back the way they had come.

As the spring breeze blew, a willow leaf twirled and fell gently onto the colorful, beautiful feathers lying in the crevice of the millstone.

It was like old friends sharing their long-lost feelings.

"This girl is probably it."

In the dilapidated temple not far from the cemetery, Old Master Zhao sighed silently, wiped his eyes, and finally pushed open the half-closed door, walking along the path through the fields to the other end of the village.

On the same day, two other troupes from the Nameless Theatre Company also began their premieres in two theaters they had rented in advance in Shanghai and Fengtian, respectively.

On the same day, He Shaonian, who were far away in Zhaohe, also began their first performance after being acquired and reorganized.

That same night, Wei Ran and Sui Sui also took the Kajianka sisters back to their home in Cangzhou, which they hadn't visited in a long time, for a short rest.

When should we visit the set?

Sui Sui slumped onto the living room sofa, the one she had personally overseen the renovation of years ago, and asked, then pointed to the large carrying pole and anti-Japanese war sword that served as the background wall, "We rarely have the chance to come here. If you ask me, we should just move these to a smaller place."

"Just leave it here."

Wei Ran said expectantly, "Maybe one day, the owner of that little villa will come back. We can't do something like usurping someone else's place."

"Really?" Sui Sui immediately became interested.

"guess"

"whispering sound!"

Sui Sui, who had been sitting upright just a second ago, slumped back down. "Tomorrow, let's go to Feiyan'an tomorrow, check out the situation there, and then we need to hurry back."

"So urgent?" Wei Ran asked knowingly.

"I have a ton of things to do over there."

Sui Sui was clearly not good at lying. She turned her back to Wei Ran and said, "After we get back, you'll have to come to St. Petersburg with me. There's an interview waiting for us there."

"Fine"

Wei Ran smiled, pretending not to know the other person's surprise, "I'll do whatever you say."