The War of Resistance Against Japan: Starting with a Calm View of Life and Death

"This is my brother, Wang Suozhu. He fled with me during the famine." Zhou Jindong quickly pulled Wang Quan aside.

Wang Quan lowered his head and whispered, "Boss..."

The puppet soldier didn't ask any more questions, and held out his hand: "Certificate of Good Citizenship!"

Zhou Jindong and Wang Quan quickly took out the two pieces of paper from their pockets and handed them over with both hands.

The puppet soldier took it and squinted at it in the light for a long time.

The document was made with considerable care.

"Wang Baogen... Wang Suozhu..." The puppet soldier read the names aloud, then looked up at the two men's faces, as if trying to compare them.

Zhou Jindong and Wang Quan already had smeared ash on their faces, and they deliberately rubbed some mud on their faces from the road, making them look filthy.

"Alright, go in. There are many rules in the city, so don't wander around. If you can't find your uncle before dark, get out of the city quickly. There's a curfew tonight, and if you get caught, you'll be in jail!" The puppet soldier threw the ID back to Zhou Jindong and waved his hand impatiently.

"Hey, hey, thank you, boss, thank you, boss!" Zhou Jindong thanked him repeatedly, pulling Wang Quan along as they quickly passed through the city gate.

As soon as you enter the city gate, a cacophony of noise hits you.

The street was narrow, with low shops on both sides selling cloth, oil, sundries, and snacks. It was somewhat lively, but most pedestrians walked in a hurry with gloomy faces. Occasionally, a fake policeman on a bicycle or two or three Japanese soldiers with guns would patrol by, and the noise on the street would immediately subside.

Zhou Jindong and Wang Quan walked close to the wall, trying their best not to attract attention.

They followed Wang Yuan's instructions and headed west of the city.

The tea stall under the old locust tree at the crossroads was the first meeting point.

Shuoxian County is not a large town, but it still took us about 15 minutes to find the fork in the road.

Sure enough, there was an old locust tree at the intersection with gnarled branches, its leaves yet to sprout, completely bare.

Under the tree stood a simple shed with two peeling square tables and several benches. An old man with gray hair was slowly wiping the tables with a rag.

In one corner of the shed, there was a small stove with a large, dark copper kettle sitting on it, wisps of white steam rising from its spout.

Zhou Jindong glanced at Wang Quan, and the two walked to the tea stall and sat down at a table near the outside.

"Shopkeeper, I'd like a bowl of hot tea," Zhou Jindong said in a low voice.

The old man looked up, glanced at them, but didn't respond immediately; he continued wiping the table.

Zhou Jindong paused for a moment, then added, "Add two slices of ginger to ward off the cold."

The old man paused in wiping the table, slowly turned around, picked up a rough porcelain bowl, poured half a bowl of steaming tea from the copper kettle, and then pinched out two slices of dried ginger from a small jar next to him and threw them into the bowl.

He carried the bowl, limped to the table, and placed it in front of Zhou Jindong. The bottom of the bowl touched the table, making a slight clinking sound.

"It's freezing cold outside, and the ginger tea is quite spicy. Can you handle it, sir?" the old man asked.

Zhou Jindong picked up the bowl, blew on the steam, looked at the ginger slices floating in the bowl, and said in a low voice, "I have a fire in my heart, and I need something spicy to calm it down."

The old man slightly raised his eyelids, glanced at Zhou Jindong, then quickly lowered them again, turned around and slowly walked back to the stove, picked up a rag and continued wiping the table that had already been wiped many times.

After a few breaths, he spoke as if to himself, or perhaps to the fire, "Ma Youtian... the night watchman on West Street? I think he lives... at the very end of Yangweiba Hutong, the house with the crooked jujube tree in front of the door. I haven't seen him come out to keep watch for several days; perhaps he's sick."

Zhou Jindong didn't ask any more questions and sipped his ginger tea slowly.

The tea was bitter, and the ginger smell was pungent, but after drinking it, a warm sensation spread from my throat all the way to my stomach.

Wang Quan also asked for a bowl of water and drank it slowly.

The two sat at the tea stall for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, and paid for the tea—two copper coins.

The old man accepted the money without saying a word, but simply wiped the spot where Zhou Jindong had just placed the bowl twice with a rag.

After leaving the tea stall, Zhou Jindong and Wang Quan headed west on the street, following the directions given by the old man.

West Street is more remote, and the houses are more dilapidated.

As they walked, they kept an eye on the alley entrances and house numbers on both sides.

West Street was quieter than the main street. The road surface was a bumpy dirt road, and there were mostly low mud-brick houses on both sides. Many of them did not even have courtyard walls, but were only surrounded by tree branches or dilapidated fences.

The alleyway was narrow at the entrance and even darker inside.

Zhou Jindong and Wang Quan slowed their pace, casually glancing at the courtyards on either side as they walked.

They first needed to find the "Fuyuan" general store where the traitor Liu Shunfa was hiding, but what was more important at the moment was to make contact with Lao Meng and obtain more accurate information, especially the traitor's appearance, activity patterns, and the defense situation around the general store.

The lame old Meng hinted that the night watchman Ma Youtian was the contact point, saying that he was "sick and hadn't seen him for several days." This was more like a confirmation of the meeting and a signal, meaning that the next step of information was in Yangweiba Hutong.

The two walked around the alley twice and found the crooked jujube tree.

The tree bark was rough, and its bare branches stretched towards the gray sky. Beneath the tree was a low, earthen-walled courtyard with two crooked earthen houses, their wooden doors ajar.

Zhou Jindong stepped forward, but instead of immediately pushing the door open, he listened intently.

There was little movement inside, only the faint sound of wind blowing through the torn window paper. He raised his hand and knocked three times on the door with his knuckles, paused, and then knocked twice more.

A moment later, several suppressed coughs came from inside, followed by an aged voice: "Who is it?"

Zhou Jindong lowered his voice: "He's from Ningwu, looking for Uncle Ma to help him out."

There was a moment of silence inside, then the wooden door creaked open a crack, revealing a cloudy eye peeking out before quickly closing again.

The latch was pulled, and a hunched old man opened the door.

He was wearing a black, tattered cotton-padded coat covered in patches, one hand resting on the door frame, his face hidden in the shadows, making it impossible to see his features clearly, but he appeared very thin and looked unwell.

The old man didn't let them in immediately, but asked in a hoarse voice, "What's the matter?"

"I heard that Uncle Ma is knowledgeable about the rules of houses and shops in the city. I'd like to ask about the 'Fuyuan' shop on West Street and find a way to make a living," Zhou Jindong replied, following the pre-arranged plan with Wang Yuan, while keeping a close eye on the old man's reaction.

The old man coughed twice more and stepped aside: "Come in, it's windy outside."

The two slipped inside, and the old man quickly closed the door and bolted it shut.

The room was dark, with only a small window letting in a bit of light. It was barely possible to make out that it was an extremely simple room. A kang (a heated brick bed) took up half of the space, with tattered quilts piled on it. There was a table with a missing leg propped up by stones on the floor. Some firewood and miscellaneous items were piled in the corner. The air smelled of mold and cheap tobacco.

The old man turned around, and his face became clearer: deep wrinkles, droopy eyelids, and a noticeably weak left leg.

He didn't approach, but walked to the table, took out a flint and tinder from under it, and struck it several times before lighting the oil lamp. The dim yellow light dispelled some of the darkness.

"Sit down." The old man pointed to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), then sat down slowly on a wooden stool next to the table. "I am Old Meng. Ma Youtian, the night watchman on West Street, is just a front I use. Few people have actually seen him."

He paused, his gaze sweeping carefully over Zhou Jindong and Wang Quan's faces, lingering particularly on Zhou Jindong's hand gripping the bamboo pole and the chafed areas on his sleeve. "Comrades from Ningwu? Which one is Captain Zhou?"

Zhou Jindong didn't answer directly, but instead asked, "You know me?"

Old Meng shook his head, then nodded: "I don't recognize him. But the higher-ups only instructed that Ningwu might send one or two skilled operatives, led by Captain Zhou. This comrade seems calm and composed; he seems like the leader."

"I am Zhou Jindong, and this is Wang Quan." Zhou Jindong nodded to confirm his identity, then got straight to the point, "Comrade Meng, the situation is urgent. We have received orders to deal with the traitor Liu Shunfa, who is currently hiding in the Fuyuan Grocery Store on West Street. We need to know the specifics."

Upon hearing the name "Liu Shunfa," a complex emotion flashed in Lao Meng's eyes.

He wiped his face and said, "That bastard... betrayed us during the sweep last month. He used to be a clerk in the county, a fairly high-ranking official, and knew a lot of inside information."

When the sweep began, he was terrified, thinking we couldn't hold out. He secretly hooked up with a traitorous translator in the Japanese military police in the city and sold out the locations of several transportation stations and wounded transfer points, the appearance of the people in charge, and even some of their activity patterns.

By the time we realized there was a problem, it was too late; several good comrades...

He paused for a moment before continuing, "He followed the Japanese to Shuoxian County, but instead of returning to the county town with the main force, he hid in the backyard of Fuyuan Grocery Store."

The military police and the puppet police station both knew he was a valuable dog and sent people to protect him secretly, but I wasn't sure exactly how many people, when they would change shifts, or how closely they were watching him.

These Japanese devils and traitors are cunning too. They're afraid we'll eliminate them, so they're keeping a tight rein on things. The front of the general store is open for business as usual, but they rarely let anyone in through the back.

Wang Quan couldn't help but ask, "What about Liu Shunfa himself? What does he look like? How old is he? Does he usually go out?"

"He doesn't come out," Old Meng said with certainty. "At least for the past two weeks, I haven't seen him step out of the backyard of the grocery store."

The owner of the grocery store was surnamed Guo and named Guo Fuyuan. He was a shrewd old man who had done some errands for the Japanese. He wasn't a hardened traitor, but he was still quite slippery.

There was another waiter in the shop, a boy of about fifteen or sixteen. Liu Shunfa lived in the east wing of the back courtyard, and Guo Fuyuan or the waiter would bring him his meals. I did catch a glimpse of him once from afar.

Old Meng frowned as he recalled, "He was of medium height, a little chubby, wearing a gray silk jacket, bald with a shiny forehead, and liked to walk with his hands behind his back. He also wore round glasses on the bridge of his nose."

He looked to be in his forties. The key thing was that on the left side of his face, near his ear, there was a scar about an inch long, which looked like an old wound.

That time, he opened the window in the backyard to let in some fresh air. I happened to be walking through a narrow alley behind the grocery store and glanced at him. He quickly closed the window.

Zhou Jindong silently noted down these characteristics: medium height, slightly overweight, bald, round glasses, scar on the left cheek, and lived in the east wing of the backyard.

"Tell me in detail about the front and back doors of the grocery store, and the surrounding terrain."

Old Meng struggled to his feet and gestured for them to come closer to the table.

He dipped his finger in the remaining water at the bottom of the bowl and drew on the table: "This is West Street, not very straight, it's winding and twisting. Fuyuan Grocery Store is here."

He pointed to the center of the table. "Three storefronts facing the street, not very big, with a tattered wooden sign hanging on them. The street is passable during the day, but quiet at night."

Behind the grocery store was a small courtyard, not very big, with rammed earth walls that weren't very high; an adult could reach the top of the wall by standing on tiptoe.

There were three side rooms in the courtyard. The one at the east end was where Liu Shunfa lived, the middle one was used for storing miscellaneous items, and the one at the west end was the kitchen.

The back wall faces a narrow alley called Cat Alley, which is very dirty and usually deserted, filled with garbage and broken bricks.

After exiting the back door of the grocery store, walk through Cat Alley. Opposite you is a row of low back walls. Climb over them and you'll find a muddy swamp, and beyond that, wasteland.

As for retreating, if you're quick, you could jump over the wall from the backyard into Cat Alley and run from the other end, or simply cross the muddy ditch into the wasteland—both are possible routes, but that depends on how closely the pursuers are closing in.

He then poked at the "front street" location: "The Japanese and puppet troops patrol their area at irregular intervals, sometimes once every hour, sometimes twice every half hour."

After the curfew at night, there were almost no people on the streets except for them, but the night watchman would strike the clapper at regular intervals.

The translator's surname was Jin, and his name was Jin Wanfu. He also lived on West Street, two alleys away from the grocery store. He rarely showed his face and had several plainclothes thugs under his command who often gambled at his house.

If there's any commotion at the grocery store, Jin Wanfu's men can get there in minutes. The Japanese military police are in the east of the city, a bit further away, but if the commotion is too loud, it will take them fifteen minutes to drive over after receiving the report.

Zhou Jindong stared at the simple map on the table, his mind racing.

The situation was more complicated than he had imagined.

Liu Shunfa kept his distance, hiding in his den. He was protected by Guo Fuyuan and his men, with mobile patrols outside and plainclothes officers nearby ready to provide support at any time.

A direct assault won't work; it might alert the enemy and lead to encirclement.

It wouldn't be easy to sneak in and kill them silently, as we don't know the specific defenses inside, nor do we have a clear understanding of the situation outside the walls.

"Do you have a place near the grocery store where you can stay and observe from a distance? Do you have any reliable people there?" Zhou Jindong asked.

Old Meng shook his head with a wry smile: "Looking like this, it's hard for me to go even far. And since I'm a stranger, I'll attract attention if I stare at people for too long. There used to be a rickshaw puller who could help keep watch over a few streets, but last month something happened at home, and he sent his wife and children back to the countryside to avoid trouble. He hasn't come back yet."

I don't have any other people I can use right now.

The Japanese seem to have tightened their checks on people entering and leaving the city these past few days; I guess they're afraid of our retaliation.

There was no inside contact, and a lack of reliable long-term observation points.

Zhou Jindong remained silent for a moment. Wang Quan, standing beside him, also frowned.

"Then we'll have to figure it out ourselves," Zhou Jindong finally said. "Comrade Meng, can we stay here temporarily? We can go out for a walk during the day and come back at night."

Old Meng nodded: "As long as you don't mind how shabby this place is. Try not to go out together during the day, as there are too many people and too many eyes in this alley. Be quiet when you come back at night, because the streets are quiet at night and footsteps carry far."

Zhou Jindong took out some money from his satchel and handed it to Lao Meng: "These next two days, I'll need you to carefully sort out the situation on West Street, especially around Cat Alley, as far as you can think of. Also, draw a map of where that translator Jin Wanfu lives, and where his plainclothes officers often gather."