War Photographer's Notebook

“Good workmanship”

At the hair-shaving stall, Wei Ran looked at himself in the mirror held by Cao Dumb and said with satisfaction. He was indeed satisfied. Cao Dumb's shaving skills were indeed good.

"Pack up your picks first."

As he spoke, Wei Ran handed the other party a piece of ocean, "Please help me pay for the shoe shine. The rest will be regarded as a reward. We will find a car to pick you up later."

"Hey!" Cao Mute clenched the silver dollar handed over by Wei Ran and responded with all his strength while suppressing his excitement.

After carefully patting away the hair residue on his body, Wei Ran put on his woolen coat and walked towards the cloth shop.

When he stopped a cigarette vendor and bought two packs of cigarettes and returned to the car, he found that Tao Canhua and Qiushi had already returned and were sitting in the car waiting.

"The mule cart has been found"

Tao Canhua pointed to a cart not far away and sat on the cart with his hands on the handlebars and said, "It took a long time."

"In this case, you two go shopping and go back first."

Wei Ran lit a cigarette and said, "By the way, I'll send the barber back first. What do you think? Isn't this skill good?"

“The cut is really good”

Qiushi followed up with a compliment, then lowered his voice and asked, "Brother Wei, he is really."

"Um"

Wei Ran nodded, but did not talk about Guan Bingwen. He just said, "Give me the car keys. I will go to Taihua Building to sit for a while. You can go back directly after you are done."

"also"

Tao Canhua responded before Qiushi could speak. After handing the car key to Wei Ran, he held Qiushi with one hand, waved the car handle and walked towards the grain and oil store.

After dismissing them, Wei Ran got into the car and sat down. While smoking, he took out the piece of paper Guan Bingwen put in his shoe.

Unfolding it and looking at the plan above, Wei Ran couldn't help but grin. This plan was definitely bold, but it was also creative.

After taking out the food box and putting the paper in it, Wei Ran flicked the cigarette butt away and drove to Taihua Building.

Under the guidance of the waiter, he went up to the second floor and asked for a seat by the window facing the street. Wei Ran casually ordered some food and drinks. While listening to the nonsense of the storyteller on the stage on the first floor, he was distracted and secretly looking out the window. The teahouse diagonally opposite.

This teahouse only has two floors in total, but because of the cold weather, the paper windows on the second floor are all closed tightly, so you can't see what's going on inside at all.

Wei Ran glanced at the first floor of the teahouse while flicking the cigarette ashes. Wei Ran looked away casually. The teahouse was not open, but there were cars next to each other on both sides of the door on the first floor. He had to stop talking. A dozen bikes.

On the side of the door of the teahouse, there was a young guy with [-] cents hair, his sleeves rolled up, guarding a not-so-big briquette stove, and sitting on a small bamboo stool to bask in the sun.

On the briquette stove were not only two pieces of roasted sweet potatoes, but also shelled peanuts.On the small kang table next to the stove, there were also a teapot, a kettle, a large plate of Shawo radish cut into strips, a small dustpan filled with peanuts and a pack of cigarettes.

From time to time, the little gangster guarding the car would politely say hello to acquaintances passing by, or warmly invite acquaintances to have a cup of tea.

Although no one really sat down to ask for tea, the little ruffian didn't care. On the contrary, he seemed to enjoy this boring and relaxing job.

Without further reading, Wei Ran waited until the storyteller downstairs clapped the gavel again, then paid for the refreshments, went downstairs with a cigarette in his mouth, and drove towards the study apartment.

When he drove the car into the yard, he happened to see Tao Canhua and several young men with shaved heads, happily busy carrying half a fan of pork and several bags of white noodles from the mule cart.

"Have you bought everything?" Weiran lowered the window and asked.

"I've bought them all," Tao Canhua responded, "Mother Yang has already made some dough."

Hearing this, Wei Ran smiled, drove the car into the garage, then took out the food box and dug out the note, and then walked through the small door into the lobby on the first floor.

At this time, at the door of the room on this floor that once belonged to Cao Mute and now belongs to the dormitory of the troupe members, some young men were queuing up to get their hair cut. In several bathrooms, there were also young men who had just had their hair cut and were washing their hair.

He glanced at Cao Muba, who was busy cutting the boys' hair in the room, and then looked at Meixiang and Jasmine, who were sitting in the lobby on the first floor not far away, drinking tea.Wei Ran raised his hand towards the other party from a distance and pointed to the stairs leading to the second floor.

Seeing this, Mei Xiang put down her tea cup, followed Wei Ran to the second floor, and then led him to the third floor.

"Uncle Mute has aged so much that I almost didn't recognize him." Mei Xiang sighed in a low voice after leading Wei Ran into the study.

"yes"

Wei Ran sighed. Speaking of which, it was actually less than five years ago, but the mute uncle who was busy cutting his hair looked as if he was more than ten years older.

"What do I want from you?" Mei Xiang asked in a low voice, leaning against the door.

"I met Xiaoguan. At that time, he was setting up a stall next to Uncle Mute to shine shoes."

"Guan Bingwen?" Meixiang immediately widened her eyes and asked in surprise, "He and Linglu are back?"

"Xiao Guan came back first." Wei Ran paused and described in detail what Xiao Guan told him.

After hearing that Guan Linglu had given birth successfully, Meixiang immediately stood up and walked a few steps excitedly, and kept saying, "We have to prepare a decent gift for Linglu and the child."

"Don't worry, there are other things to do."

Wei Ran pulled the other party to sit down, took out the note from his pocket and pushed it to Mei Xiang, "Tomorrow night, Canhua and I have to go over and cooperate with them to clean up a teahouse, where Uncle Guan's former confidant Hu Dacai lives, this traitor Now he is focused on capturing our radio station for the Japanese."

With that said, Wei Ran recounted the things about Hu Dacai.

"The deaths of Gouyu and Keqin were also related to him? Linglu was also caused by him?" Meixiang slammed the table hard upon hearing this, lowered her voice and asked, "Can I help?"

"It's enough that you inform Andy of the good news that Ling Lu has given birth as soon as possible. By the way, plan with her what kind of gift to give." Wei Ran reminded with a smile.

"exactly!"

Meixiang finally remembered belatedly, "We really need to inform her of the good news as soon as possible. I'll call her right away."

Watching Mei Xiang run out of the study because of this rare good news, Wei Ran took a deep breath and followed him out of the room.

On the following afternoon, Cao Yuba cut the hair of every young man and girl in the theater troupe, including Tao Canhua and Qiushi. In the end, even Yang Ma, Uncle Meng, and even Jasmine let him have his hair cut. Fan.

Similarly, the boys and girls who had their hair cut off were arranged to start cleaning after washing their hair, or to help cook in the kitchen, busy with various things.

As evening approached, with the youngest one also washing her hair, Jasmine finally gave these troupe members who had been busy all year a holiday and let the mule cart that had been chartered for half a day take them for a walk in Quanyechang. stroll.

At the same time, on the sofa in the basement facing the stage, Cao Duba finally took off the felt hat on his head and sat around the same table with Mei Xiang and Andy.

Forced by the situation, they had not seen each other for several years. Regardless of whether Cao Duba, Mei Xiang or Andy, the excitement of meeting again after a long absence was inevitable, but now that they were really sitting at the same table again, they all fell into silence for a while.

Wiping the corners of his eyes, Andy rolled up his sleeves in a panic, took off a warm bracelet from his wrist and handed it to Cao Mute, "Uncle Mute, pass this bracelet to Xiaoguan and let him sell it. Sending it to his sister is a full-moon gift I prepared in advance for my fellow enemy."

"and this"

Meixiang said, and pushed a small makeup box to Cao Yuba, "I also prepared a gift for Miss Linglu. She has a home now and can't go back. She also has a child, so she must have spent a lot of money. , Uncle Mute, you take these back, so that the mother and son can spend the New Year in peace."

Hearing this, Cao Mute was silent for a moment, and finally took the bracelet handed over by Andy and stuffed it into his arms, and then accepted the heavy jewelry box.

"How are you doing?" Cao Duba picked up the pencil on the table and wrote on a newspaper.

"good"

Mei Xiang sighed, "It's just a pain for Andy and the other sisters. They don't have many opportunities to go out. We can only go out for a while after everyone goes to sleep at night."

"What do we have to suffer from?"

Andy lit a cigarette and took a puff, "It's just that I don't know when this day will end."

"How about we send you away from Jinmen?" Cao Mute wrote his suggestion.

"Need not"

Andy shook his head decisively, "If I wanted to escape, I would have escaped a long time ago. I have finally learned how to send and receive telegrams in the past few months. If I escape now, what is the point of learning that? Uncle Mute, don't worry, I can definitely take over my brother's job, now I can even copy telegrams."

"I have persuaded her several times. If she was willing to leave, she would have left long ago."

Mei Xiang shook her head helplessly, then changed the subject and asked, "How is Mr. Feng's situation?"

"Everything is fine." Cao Duba hesitated for a moment after writing these four words, and then continued, "I can't say anything else."

Hearing this, Mei Xiang and Andy looked at each other, and they also tacitly brought the topic back to the Guan family siblings.

Compared with the two women who were talking to each other, neither Wei Ran nor Tao Canhua, who was sitting next to him, obviously wanted to join the conversation and take up their rare time to meet and chat.

However, Wei Ran set up his camera on an Eight Immortals table right in front of the stage and prepared in advance.As he expected, the conversation between Cao Duba and others did not last long. Qiushi ran down and reminded, "Miss, someone has returned and is helping Yang Ma carry things in the yard."

"It's time for me to go, please be safe." Cao Muteba wrote the last sentence, then balled up the newspaper and put it in his pocket.

“Let’s take a photo”

Wei Ran greeted, "I have set up the camera. When the war is over one day in the future, I will develop the photos."

"Okay, let's take a picture."

Mei Xiang couldn't help but grabbed Cao Mute, and then, Jasmine and Tao Canhua, who were standing on the side, and even Qiu Shi, who ran down, and Andy, who got up after him, stood on the stage surrounded by Cao Mute.

Not daring to waste time, Wei Ran pressed the selfie pick and jumped onto the stage neatly, standing next to Cao Mute.

After hurriedly leaving a group photo, Cao Muba patted Wei Ran and Tao Canhua on the shoulders, then put on his black felt hat, ran upstairs quickly, got into the room that once belonged to him, picked up the razor and cut it together After rubbing it on the hard cowhide, he shaved off the last remaining strand of gray hair on Uncle Meng's head with three strokes.

At the same time, Wei Ran also helped the other party and placed the jewelry box that Mei Xiang gave as a gift on the table.

Unhurriedly shaking the scarf he took off Uncle Meng, Cao Mute first threw the newspaper full of words in his pocket into the briquette stove, then sealed the fire door and put the jewelry The box was rolled up in a cloth and stuffed into the wooden box at the other end of the pick.

After finally looking at each other, Mute Cao silently picked up the issue and simply left the room that once belonged to him.

"Happy New Year"

Wei Ran said as the other person passed by him, and at the same time, he stuffed a pile of silver coins into the other person's jacket pocket.

Nodding vigorously, Cao Muba left the hall with his pick, and left the Xuqing Letter Apartment step by step, finally disappearing from everyone's sight.

"I don't know when we will meet next." Mei Xiang, who was hiding behind the window in the foyer, murmured and sighed.

"It won't be long," Wei Ran muttered in his heart, but he didn't dare to open his mouth to give Mei Xiang the slightest hope.

That night, Yang Ma and Uncle Meng stewed a large pot of cabbage, vermicelli and pork slices, which was paired with a table of various meat and vegetable dishes. Everyone also got two white-flour steamed buns each.

Accordingly, Wei Ran also contributed several jars of liquor, and with Mei Xiang's approval, he poured a full glass for each member of the troupe.

Good wine and good food, these young people hiding under Mei Xiang's wings were not only more and more grateful, but also toasted Mei Xiang with the wine Wei Ran poured for them.

It doesn't take much, just one tael of white wine in this glass. After eating and drinking the tael of white wine, each of the girls' faces turned red and showed their drunkenness, and the young men were not that strong.

After sending them back to their rooms to rest early, Wei Ran and others personally helped Yang Ma and Uncle Meng clear the table.Then they each walked into the basement carrying food boxes or a change of clothes.

After gently knocking on the big mirror, Qiushi waited for a moment and then pushed it away. After Andy and the three girls inside each came up with a bag of dirty clothes, they immediately took them upstairs to take a shower and change. clothing.

At the same time, Wei Ran, Tao Canhua, Yang Ma and Jasmine also followed Meixiang into the small door, passed through the cotton curtains and entered the underground printing room.

Compared with the last time he entered this place, Wei Ran discovered that not only the cabinets in the passage were filled with white paper waiting to be used, but also stacks of paper were placed everywhere in the printing room. Various colored papers, or already printed articles.

Without any instructions, the people who came down carefully cleaned the entire printing room, and sprinkled flea-killing powder under the quilts, and then changed the four people to new beddings. , and a refilled thermos with hot water, as well as a cleaned spittoon and urine bucket, etc.

While they were busy here, Andy, who had taken a good bath and changed into clean pajamas, also walked in from the bathroom on the first floor with his wet hair wrapped in a towel.

At this time, the antenna hidden in the fireplace had been pulled out by Qiushi in advance and accurately connected to the radio station that had just been brought along.

Sitting on the sofa by the fireplace, Andy picked up the headphones and put them to his ears, while looking up at the clock not far away.

At this time, there were only 11 minutes left before 9pm, and less than 2 minutes left before the agreed communication time.

Just when Wei Ran came up from the basement carrying a urine bucket and a spittoon, he happened to see Andy pressing the earphones in one hand and holding a pencil in the other under the weak illumination provided by a candle. In the sound, something was recorded quickly.

Without putting down what he was holding at all, Wei Ran walked over curiously, only to find that what was written on the letter was no longer the messy dots and dashes with many errors, but groups of numbers.

Looking at Andy, who was also looking up at him, Wei Ran smiled, carrying a spittoon and a urine bucket, and walked into the bathroom filled with water vapor and the scent of soap.

When he came out again, Andy had finished collecting the reports, and the radio had been re-plugged, and by the fireplace, Qiushi was hiding the soot-covered antenna into the chimney again.

"Sir, do you want to check it out?" Andy looked at Wei Ran with a smile and asked.

"OK"

As Wei Ran spoke, he took the pencil handed to him and wrote a series of random numbers on the paper.

Taking the paper, Andy took out the key that was not connected to the radio at all, stared at the numbers on the paper and started to simulate the transmission.

In less than a minute, Andy stopped tapping the keys, and Wei Ran nodded, "There was no mistake."

Hearing this, the smile on Andy's face became brighter. He put away the keys and carried the small box, and walked into the basement while whispering, "I have been typing the keys and memorizing the codes in my dreams. I just don't know. I will do it next time." When do you need me to take pictures?"

"There will be a chance," Wei Ran responded subconsciously.

"I'd rather not have a chance"

Andy sighed, "My being activated here means that other radio stations are being targeted. I would rather just wait like this forever."

"In the future, when the war is over, you might as well become a telegraph operator." Wei Ran said in a low voice.

"You think I like this?"

Andy rolled his eyes, lit a cigarette for himself and thought to himself, "If I really live to the end of the war, I will open my own pharmacy. I have already thought of the name of the pharmacy."

"What's your name?" Wei Ran asked with a smile.

"Longevity Pharmacy"

Andy sat on the sofa facing the stage with his legs crossed. He opened the food box on the table and took out the still hot food inside and said, "When the time comes, I will ask your cousin to be a nurse for me. You will also have to Go and help me as a doctor."

"Longevity? Why is it called this?"

Wei Ran asked curiously, "As long as you don't disdain my skills, of course I will be happy to serve as cousin Andy's doctor."

"Do you know what my name is?" As Andy spoke, he had already picked up the wine bottle and poured himself a large glass of red wine.

"Not An"

"That's just to look foreign and make it easier to deal with those Germans."

After Andy finished speaking, he took a sip of red wine, then picked up a piece of ribs with his hand and took a bite. Then he laughed to himself and said, "My real name is Tang Yingluo. Yingluo Yingluo, isn't it a longevity lock?"

"This name sounds much better than Andy."

Wei Ran smiled and praised, "This name is not only nice, but according to the standards of later generations, the person with this name can almost be regarded as a proper protagonist."

"It's just a name"

As Andy spoke, he was finally willing to pick up his chopsticks, casually took a bite of food and put it into his mouth, "Are you sure about tomorrow?"

"Have"

Wei Ran nodded. Although Guan Bingwen's plan was a bit risky, the success rate was actually not low.

"Cousin, I want to ask you two things," Andy said seriously, wiping the vegetable soup from the corner of his mouth.

"No problem, just tell me." Wei Ran agreed happily.

Seeing this, Andy smiled, first looked back at the direction of the stairs, and then said, "Find a way to save Xiaoguan's life, and secondly."

As he spoke, Andy unbuttoned the top button of his pajamas, took off a longevity lock from his slender white neck, and then took out a handkerchief from his pocket and tied the longevity lock He wrapped it carefully and handed it to Wei Ran.

"This longevity lock was originally hung around my brother's neck. It is considered a family heirloom in our family. I was not qualified to wear it originally, so my mother gave me such a name. It can be regarded as wearing it. .”

Andy smiled and said, "Give it to Xiaoguan and let him wear it with his own hands. It can be considered as a thought."

"I understand"

Wei Ran reached out and took the longevity lock that still carried the other person's body temperature, put it into his pocket with great care, and said to himself at the same time, "You will open a pharmacy in the future. Just call it Changshou Pharmacy. When the time comes, let my cousin be your nurse and I will sit in court for you."

"Then it's settled." Andy smiled and nodded, but it was obvious that the expression on her face showed that she didn't think this could come true.

"You two are in a hurry, so you ate it secretly?"

At this moment, Mei Xiang also came out of the printing room and looked at Wei Ran and Andy sitting at the table angrily.

Andy fastened the buttons on his collar without leaving a trace. He glanced at the three girls who came down from upstairs at the same time, smiled and said hello, "Come over and sit down, I just stole a piece of ribs. I didn’t even move that big carp.”