War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 1991 It's good that they're still alive
Inside the thatched hut, Wei Ran's worries and Dong Weixin's concerns about Zhao Shouxian grew heavier as the sun outside the window gradually slanted westward.

Fortunately, before the setting sun was blocked by the distant mountain peaks, Wang Bingchu and Zhao Shouxian entered the courtyard one after the other.

"It's good that you're still alive," Dong Weixin breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

"Yes, it's good that you're still alive." Wei Ran also breathed a sigh of relief.

In the short time it took to exchange just a few words, Wang Bingchu and Zhao Shouxian went into the thatched hut one after the other.

Where's Lao Feng?

Before Wang Bingchu could even stand properly, he picked up the water ladle from the water vat lid and began to drink like a madman.

"He returned the prepared betrothal gifts around noon and then left."

Dong Weixin pointed to the string of earrings hanging there, "Shouxian, where have you been all day?"

"They've been sent to the front lines for emergency rescue."

As Zhao Shouxian spoke, he took the water ladle handed to him by Wang Bingchu, scooped up a ladle of water, and began to drink it down.

"What's the situation at the front now?" Dong Weixin asked instinctively.

"Ugh!"

Wang Bingchu shook his head. "The Japanese have used planes, artillery, and tanks. Our positions have been reduced by several layers. I heard they even used poison gas during the day."

"And it seems the Japanese reinforcements have arrived."

Zhao Shouxian put down the water ladle, burped, and said, "We're almost out of soldiers on this side."

"You two are going to trouble yourselves, send me to the front lines instead."

Dong Weixin said, "I've been lying here for half a month, but I've recovered and can hold a gun again."

"Just fooling around"

As Wang Bingchu spoke, he took out a string of earrings from his pocket and hung them on the partition wall next to the stove. "Now that his betrothal gifts are paid, the dowry I prepared for Yimo is also complete."

Shouxian, you should leave tonight.

"What did you say?" Zhao Shouxian, who was taking things out, was stunned.

"This night, take these two cripples with you and take them to a hospital in the rear."

As Wang Bingchu was speaking, Feng Huotou walked in from outside, seemingly carrying some food in his hand.

I'm not leaving.

Zhao Shouxian, his face flushed, pulled a string of ears from his pocket. "I've stabbed several Japanese devils to death today!"
I'm not leaving! I have to stay and fight the Japanese! I have to save up myself!

"Snapped!"

Before Zhao Shouxian could finish speaking, Feng Huotou, who had been bending down to walk in, smacked him on the back of the head. "You're not staying here! Take your betrothal gifts and dowry, and get out of here with these two good-for-nothings!"

As he spoke, he looked at Wei Ran and Dong Weixin on the kang (a heated brick bed), "Brother Dong, what you said before, your brother Wang and I have thought about it ourselves."

What you said makes sense, but we're not leaving. We failed to hold Xifengkou in 1933 and escaped with our lives.

A few months ago, I failed to defend Wanping City and fled again.

So your brother Wang and I aren't leaving. How can we possibly escape anymore? This time, we're going to die here.

"I'm not leaving either!"

Zhao Shouxian stubbornly said, "My parents died at Xifengkou, and my Uncle Wen died in Wanping City."

"I'm not leaving; I'm staying. I have to earn my own dowry."

"You're making my ass! You're making my ass!" Feng said, raising his hand to slap the other man again.

"Cook Feng"

Wei Ran stopped him at this moment, saying, "I've been calling you 'chef,' but I haven't had a proper taste of your cooking yet."

Let's see what we can make and have a drink together later.

Upon hearing this, Chef Feng paused for a moment, then nodded, "Okay, I'll see what I have and make something."

"While it's still light outside, while everyone is still alive."

Wei Ran paused for a moment and then continued, "Let's take a picture, a group photo."

“We should take some pictures,” Wang Bingchu said, rubbing his face. “I’ll shave properly.”

"Do you still have your camera?" Dong Weixin asked.

"Shouxian, do you still have your camera?" Wei Ran asked.

"Yes, I am."

Zhao Shouxian nodded, then quickly walked to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), reached into the pile of bedding, and pulled out the Icanta camera that had brought Wei Ran to this time and space.

"Let's go outside and take a picture."

As Dong Weixin spoke, he moved toward the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).

With the help of Feng Huotou and Wang Bingchu, Wei Ran and Dong Weixin, who had difficulty walking, slowly walked out of the thatched hut and into the courtyard.

It was only at this moment that Wei Ran saw what was happening outside.

"Where is that?"

Wei Ran raised his hand and pointed to a building in the distance outside the courtyard, asking in a daze.

"Juyong Pass, that's Juyong Pass."

While adjusting the camera, Zhao Shouxian said, "You two were seriously injured back then. After being rescued at the position in Nankou, you were sent here to recuperate."

"You're running back and forth?"

Wei Ran, with the help of Chef Feng, sat down with difficulty on a long bench and asked.

It's only about ten miles away.

As Wang Bingchu helped Dong Weixin sit down, he explained, "His main job is to uphold the constitution. He is skilled in medicine and is specifically responsible for bringing seriously wounded soldiers here."

"The number of injured has been increasing these past two days."

"And I heard that the Japanese have started to stretch their battle lines, but I'm afraid we don't have any soldiers to send up," said the cook with a worried expression.

Let's take a picture!

Wei Ran sighed, "Let's take pictures before it gets dark."

"I'll take your picture."

As Zhao Shouxian spoke, he raised his old camera, which used 116 film, and pressed the shutter, pointing at Wei Ran and Dong Weixin sitting on the bench, as well as Feng Huotou and Wang Bingchu standing behind them, with Juyongguan Pass in the distance outside the wall as the background.

"Let me take a picture of you too."

Wei Ran stood up with difficulty and suggested, "It's been a long time since I took a picture, my hands are itching to take one."

"Okay! But we can only take four more photos of this roll."

As Zhao Shouxian spoke, he handed the camera to Wei Ran, who was limping over.

I took a group photo of them with Juyongguan Pass in the distance as the background.

"You all rest here, I'll prepare the meal right away."

Before the cook finished speaking, Feng had already strode into the main room.

Before long, Wang Bingchu brought out an eight-immortal table, while Zhao Shouxian brought out three long benches.

When the father and son boiled a pot of water, brewed some coarse tea, and brought it up, Chef Feng also brought up several dishes.

A plate of slightly chilled cornbread, a plate of cold bok choy salad seasoned only with coarse salt, and a dish of fried peanuts with little oil.

Of course, there was also the gourd of wine left by Wen Laoga, and five small wine cups.

"bring it on"

As he spoke, Feng, the cook, uncorked the wine gourd and poured a glass of wine for everyone, including Zhao Shouxian.

In just this one round, the wine gourd, which was never full to begin with, was emptied.

"After we drive the Japanese devils away..."

"I'll put on a nice feast then," said Chef Feng. "We really need to have a good drink!"

Wang Bingchu raised his glass, clinked it with everyone's, and said, "Let's choose the day when Shouxian and my niece Yimo get married."

The day the Japanese devils are driven away, that's the day they'll get married.

"You all need to be there then," Zhao Shouxian said earnestly, holding his wine glass.

"Yes, they're definitely all there."

Wei Ran was the first to respond, "Anyone who doesn't come is a puppy, we have to pinky swear."

"Yes, we still need to pinky swear."

Suddenly, Zhao Shouxian, tears streaming down his face, wiped his eyes and downed the wine in his glass in one gulp—he was clearly still a child who couldn't drink alcohol.

"Eat, eat everything."

After drinking the wine in his glass, Chef Feng picked up his chopsticks and warmly greeted everyone.

Although the meal wasn't lavish, the five people sitting around it all ate with great relish, especially Chef Feng and Wang Bingchu, who had even finalized the wedding menu in advance.

Using his clothes as cover, Wei Ran took out a portable flask from the metal notebook, shook it gently, then unscrewed the cap and poured a glass for everyone, including Zhao Shouxian.

"Brother Wei, you still have some secret stashes?" Chef Feng teased, holding his wine glass.

"Moisten your throat"

As Wei Ran poured the wine, he said, "After this drink, have you thought about your plans?"

"Let Shouxian lead you."

"Let him go find Yimo himself."

Dong Weixin, holding his wine glass, said, "If you intend to die here, then I haven't even been able to defend Nanyuan. I..."

"I have no intention of leaving."

Zhao Shouxian said, “There’s no one left at the front. Not to mention Nankou, there are hardly any soldiers left at Juyongguan. I still have my arms and legs, and I can still pick up a gun. I even killed Japanese soldiers in Wanping City.”

At this point, Zhao Shouxian raised his glass. "Uncles and elders, Yimo told me to prioritize resisting the Japanese and protecting the country. Even if I go back alive now, it will only make her look down on me for no reason."

So I can't run away. After this drink, don't treat me like a child anymore; I have to fight the Japanese.

"Then let's fight."

Chef Feng clinked his cup with Zhao Shouxian's and said, "Let's fight together, cheers!"

"Dry!"

The others agreed, raised their glasses, clinked them together, and then drank them all in one gulp.

"It's about time."

After putting down his cup, Feng looked up at the sky and said, "Let's go, we should go pick up the wounded too."

"You two take good care of your injuries."

Wang Bingchu then stood up and said, "Let's go."

"Come back alive"

Dong Weixin watched as Zhao Shouxian got up and walked out of the courtyard. He himself stood up, limping, and hopped along on one leg, repeatedly telling Zhao, "Come back alive! All three of you have to come back alive! We have to drink together!"

At Dong Weixin's shout, Wei Ran behind him also took out his Rolleiflex twin-lens reflex camera from his metal notebook and quickly pressed the shutter to take a picture of their backs.

By the time he put away his camera, Zhao Shouxian and the other two had already boarded a cart used to transport the wounded and headed headed towards the battlefield without hesitation.

What can we do?

Dong Weixin hopped back on one leg, sat down at the table, and asked.

"There's nothing we can do."

Wei Ran shook his head and handed the camera that Zhao Shouxian had placed on the table to the other person, saying, "Hold this for him."

"Are we just going to wait like this?" Dong Weixin asked, still unwilling to give up.

"Let's just wait like this."

Wei Ran sighed. The two of them were crippled, and unless the Japanese invaded the courtyard, there was nothing they could do.

"Ugh!"

Dong Weixin sighed and picked up the camera, stuffing it into his pocket.

Neither he nor Wei Ran returned to their room after that. They simply sat quietly at the square table, waiting for the sun to completely set and for the stars to gradually appear.

As night fell over Juyongguan, the site of the battle, the sounds of fighting in the distance became clearer, and the Japanese flares that were launched into the sky from time to time would briefly illuminate the night sky at the edge of the field of vision.

After an unknown amount of time, the sounds of carriages and shouts came from outside the courtyard, and they could see the long line of torches moving through the courtyard wall, which was more than a meter high.

Without prior arrangement, Wei Ran and Dong Weixin stood up, supporting themselves on the table. They each grabbed a long bench to use as a crutch and slowly made their way to the courtyard gate.

At this moment, on the street outside the courtyard, laborers were hurriedly carrying the wounded on door panels or pulling them on carts.

"pat"

Wei Ran and Dong Weixin placed the long benches they were using as crutches at the doorway one after the other, and then sat down with difficulty, leaning on the doorposts.

"Brother Wei, can we hold off the Japanese?" Dong Weixin asked.

"We can stop them," Wei Ran answered instinctively.

"There's almost no one left here."

Dong Weixin pointed worriedly at the crowd, "Look, those carrying the stretchers are all elderly people and women. The able-bodied men have probably already gone to the front lines. How can this stop them?"

"Can be blocked"

Wei Ran took a deep breath. "If we can't hold Nankou, we'll retreat. If we can't hold it for a hundred miles, we'll retreat another hundred miles and keep holding it."

"Just keep retreating and blocking like this?"

Dong Weixin said disappointedly, "This is a complete disaster."

"Retreat to the edge of the world, and fight to the edge of the world. The farther away from the Japanese homeland, the higher the cost for them to mobilize troops. Although the space occupied in between is larger, we can still carry out guerrilla warfare behind enemy lines."

"As long as they bloom everywhere, we can wear them down!" Wei Ran said almost subconsciously.

He did indeed have his memories of the article sealed whenever he tried to memorize it, but he was, after all, an experienced veteran, and his tactical skills were enough for him to come up with some strategic methods on his own.

Upon hearing this, Dong Weixin couldn't help but shudder. "Then how many people would die?"

"a lot of."

After a long silence, Wei Ran answered in a hoarse voice, "Many people will die, many innocent civilians, many soldiers, and many old people, women, and children."

“Shouxian and Yimo are still children,” Dong Weixin sighed.

"But if we don't fight like this, then..."

"It will lead to the destruction of the nation and the extinction of the race!"

"yes"

Wei Ran took a hard breath, "But if we don't fight, if we don't resist, our country will perish and our race will be wiped out."

"Then let's fight."

Dong Weixin also took a deep breath, "Even if we have to retreat to the edge of the sky to stop the Japanese, we have to fight, and fight back step by step from the edge of the sky."

"We can definitely fight back."

Wei Ran sighed, "This process was just as cruel and full of sacrifices."

Then, the two fell silent, waiting for Zhao Shouxian and the other two to return alive, or at least to come back.

Gradually, more and more wounded were brought back, and the night sky was filled with screams and wails from near and far.

Just as Wei Ran and Dong Weixin's worries were growing stronger, Zhao Shouxian drove a mule cart, carrying the wounded, and hurriedly came from a distance. He waved to the two people at the door and ran away without slowing down at all.

Fortunately, at least he is still alive at this moment, and that's good enough.

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