War Photographer's Notebook

In the early morning of July 7st, sporadic gunshots still sounded from time to time around the Chinese and Japanese concessions in the urban area. If you climbed to the roof, you could see the smoke of gunpowder everywhere.

In this panic, Cao Yaba, who had had breakfast, changed into a clean Chinese tunic suit, and with Tao Canhua, who was also wearing a Chinese tunic suit, drove the devil car sent by Someya Yukio last night and left the Shuqingshu Apartment.

In the co-pilot position of the car, Tao Canhua was familiar with the shooting essentials he learned from Jasmine yesterday over and over again. From time to time, he even raised his gun and pointed it at the electric pole outside the window—until Cao Yaba stepped on the brake, Annoyed, he gave him a big and loud scratch on the back of his head, and then he smiled and turned off the safety of the pistol, and hid it back in the coat hanging on his lap.

When Cao Yaba started driving the car again, Wei Ran, who was hiding in the shadow of the dormer window on the roof of the study, also put away his binoculars, and turned to look into the attic along the dormer window while Jasmine downstairs was not paying attention. glanced.

It's a pity that the inside of the dormer window is covered with a thick layer of yellowed English newspapers. Even if there are individual gaps on the edge to peek inside, all you can see is the heavy curtains.

Without too much delay, Wei Ran stepped on the ladder and shook his head towards Jasmine after going downstairs, followed her down to the first floor, took the Chinese medicine that Yang Ma helped to boil, and then let Jasmine help him to give himself The wounds all over the body were changed.

On the 31st, including Wei Ran, everyone who stayed behind in the book apartment was waiting for the return of Dumb Cao and Tao Canhua and the good news that they might come with them.

In this way, the people on the ground and underground waited from the morning when the sun was just rising until the stars could be seen above their heads. Only then did Mute Cao drive the Devil's car straight into the small courtyard.

"Quick, come and help!"

Tao Canhua pushed open the car door almost at the same time as Yang's mother pushed the door bar to death, and greeted in a low voice hurriedly.

With the help of Jasmine and Wei Ran, who can only use one hand, Tao Canhua helped out a man in a long gown and a top hat and a man wrapped in a blanket from the front and rear compartments. A girl with a student haircut came out wearing a top and a skirt, black leather shoes.

It wasn't over yet, when the trunk was opened, Cao Dumb and Tao Canhua carried out two more thirteen or fourteen-year-old children who were dirty and smelled faintly of blood.

"This is."

"Hush!" Jasmine stopped Tao Canhua's introduction, and whispered, "Send it to the basement."

Hearing this, Tao Canhua quickly stopped talking, helped one of them, and followed the man wrapped in blankets supported by Wei Ran, into the small building where the lights were not turned on at all.

When Mute Cao and Jasmine each held a half-old child and brought in the girl dressed as a schoolgirl, Mama Yang also helped close the door from the outside, and started to clean up the devil's car in the dark.

Pass through the hall on the first floor to enter the storage room, and then walk along the steps to enter the semi-basement with the windows sealed. When the bright fluorescent tubes above the head were lit one after another to replace the dim light in the stairwell, Wei Ran frowned. .

Among the people they brought in at this time was Mr. Feng Maoyun, who was wearing a long gown and was unkempt, and Mr. Feng at this time was particularly embarrassed.

It's only been a few days since I saw him. Not only has he lost a lot of weight, but even his hair, which was originally well-groomed, is extraordinarily messy, with a little gray mixed in it. In addition, the ten fingers of his hands Their heads were all wounded, and some of them even had their fingernails peeled off.

And looking at his dazed appearance, it is obvious that he has also suffered a great mental blow.

Look at the man who was wrapped in a blanket and was almost carried in by Cao Dumb, it turned out to be the Uncle Meng who runs a food stall in Sanwuer.

Compared with Feng Maoyun, his condition is worse. This Uncle Meng is already in a coma state at this time. His two legs, two arms, and even the palms and shoulders all have penetrating wounds left by bayonets, especially on the left thigh. Even a piece of muscle the size of a ham sausage was cut off, and a thick layer of what seemed to be plant ash was sprinkled on it.And on the edges, there are even scorched marks.

As if fearing that everyone would misunderstand, Tao Canhua glanced at Jasmine who had covered her mouth and her eyes were red, and hurriedly explained, "He is still alive. He was tied to a telegraph pole by the devil with wire. Uncle Mute seems to recognize him."

"I'm afraid I can't save him by myself, and there are no medicines or medical equipment." Wei Ran looked straight at Jasmine before Tao Canhua finished speaking.

He knew that this Uncle Meng had saved Jasmine's life, and he also knew that Jasmine wanted to save this Uncle Meng no matter what, but now he, a disabled veterinarian, was probably powerless to do anything.

Jasmine also understood the hint in Wei Ran's words, turned her head and ran upstairs.Seeing this, Wei Ran looked at the two half-grown children who were placed on the stage.

The condition of these two children is not much better than that of Uncle Meng. On their thin arms and legs, there are scars left by being pierced by things and tied up. It's a scar from a cigarette burn!

But without exception, these two children, who are probably less than 30 years old together, are all alive, and all alive like gossamer!

"Mute Uncle found them from a ruined temple in the west of the city, and they were tied to the pillars of the ruined temple at that time." Tao Canhua said through gritted teeth, "There are still a lot of cigarette butts around!"

"Canhua"

Wei Ran coughed, cleared his hoarse throat, forced himself to calm down and said, "You can't help here, you go up now and check whether there is any blood dripping along the way from the car.

If there is, wash it carefully, and then ask Mama Yang to kill two old hens, and try to let the blood of the chickens scatter everywhere.

In addition, ask Mama Yang if there is any rat poison at home. If there is any, mix it with sesame oil and hen's offal and put more in the yard, especially at the entrance of the small courtyard. "

"Hey! I'm going right now!"

Although Tao Canhua didn't know why he did this, he complied very straightforwardly. After frowning, Dumb Cao took a serious look at Wei Ran, and then turned his head to watch Tao Canhua leave the basement.

Until this time, Wei Ran looked at the girl dressed as a student who came down with her.

This girl looked to be in her early twenties. Although she was not very beautiful, she also had the unique temperament of a rich girl.

Seeing Wei Ran looking at her, the girl immediately introduced herself, "I'm Guan Linglu, Guan Bingwen's older sister."

Hearing this, Wei Ran nodded, "Xiaoguan is in pretty good condition, Guan Xiao"

"Just call me Linglu," Guan Bingwen's sister said rather simply.

"Miss Linglu, if you're not in a hurry, how about going to the second floor first?"

Wei Ran glanced at the stage where the wounded were lying on his side, and then at Mr. Feng who was sitting beside the stage in a daze, "By the way, help us to comfort Mr. Feng."

“Also good”

Guan Linglu nodded, helped Mr. Feng, who was in a daze, and walked upstairs. For a while, only Wei Ran, Cao Dumb, and the three seriously injured people were left in the basement.

After waiting for a long time, with a bang, the corner of the stair railing turned 180 degrees, and the big mirror was pushed away from it.

Almost at the front and back, Qiu Shi and Mei Xiang got out of the small door.

"Emergency makes a long story short"

Wei Ran explained bluntly, "The three wounded all need debridement and sutures, and they may also face excessive blood loss. But I can only use one hand now, and I need Andy to help me suture the wound together, and I need enough A lot of medical equipment."

"Uncle Dumb, send them all to the basement." Mei Xiang said without any hesitation, "Andy is already waiting, you don't have to worry about medicines and other supplies."

"I go down first?"

After Wei Ran finished speaking, seeing Mei Xiang nodded, he immediately followed Qiu Shi to the hidden basement, but Mei Xiang actually pushed the frame of the mirror to make way for Wei Ran while Wei Ran entered the small door, and walked along the steps alone went to the ground.

After some busy preparations, Uncle Meng and the two little guys whose names were not known were sent into the hidden underground space.

Immediately afterwards, Cao Dumb put the bed that Wei Ran used to sleep on and the bed that Andy slept on together, first carried the most seriously injured Uncle Meng to this bed, and then carried Guan Bingwen out.

"I'm afraid you will be the main force next," Wei Ran reminded, looking at Andy who was lying on the bed.

Andy, whose legs were broken, nodded and motioned for Qiushi to bring over two hard cowhide medicine boxes and a desk lamp, and asked while putting on gloves, "What should I do?"

"First do anesthesia and debridement, then bandage to stop the bleeding, and then remove the boiled rotten meat and suture. Pay attention to avoiding the aorta and veins."

Wei Ran, who was sitting beside Uncle Meng's bed, said, he also reached out and picked up a pair of hemostats and got ready.

Under his command, Andy, whose legs were broken, became the main force of the operation. After the girl gave Uncle Meng anesthesia and carefully washed away the things that seemed to be plant ash, she followed Wei Ran's instructions. He quickly started the work of debridement and suturing.

"You seem to have a lot of clinical experience?" Wei Ran asked sneakily.

"After every fight between the no-nonsense Qinghong Gang, they always send people to the hospital where Dagmar and I work for treatment."

Andy explained while he was busy, "This is Dagmar and I's deputy. After all, the Germans have already withdrawn and the German Concession is gone. We have to find a way to survive, and we can't always count on it. Mr. Volker's relief, not to mention, I have to pay for my brother's tuition fees for studying abroad."

"Are you paying for your brother to study abroad?" Wei Ran was stunned, he didn't expect Andy to shoulder such a responsibility.

"Actually, there is no effort"

Andy, who was busy working next to Uncle Meng, explained, "I only collected the tuition fee for my brother once, and the rest was lent to me by Meixiang. Both my brother and I owe her thousands of dollars. Let's not talk about this." Alright, what to do next?"

"Here" Wei Ran pointed at Uncle Meng's wound with the hemostat, "sew up here"

Under Wei Ran's command, Andy completed the stitching work step by step.On the ground, Cao Dumb also carried Guan Bingwen, who had a large area of ​​burns on his back, to the second floor where there was no electric light, and let him sit side by side with his sister Guan Linglu, and his teacher Feng Maoyun, on the opposite sofa. Sitting courtesan Mei Xiang was discussing something in a low voice in the dark.