Chapter 37

37

Father Shen had not expected Shen Po to speak like this, and he was slightly taken aback.

“Where did you hear that nonsense from, talking such rubbish?”

Shen Po was displeased as well. “What do you mean ‘heard nonsense’? Where in that is nonsense?”

Father Shen still didn’t believe him. “Old Mr. Zhang Yuanji said it, didn’t he?”

Shen Po said, “My granduncle is just like you, convinced the Japanese wouldn’t dare make a move on Shanghai. When someone has been away for three days, you ought to see them with new eyes! I’ve read and heard plenty these days. Why couldn’t I have thought of it myself?”

Madam Shen quickly mediated, “Xiao San^[1], speak properly. Don’t get worked up.”

Shen Po took a deep breath. “Dad, your judgment is right, but right now, from top to bottom, no one is listening to you. The mainstream stance is appeasement. Forget about taking the initiative to fight; if anyone even steps up and shouts that we cannot retreat, they get branded as someone who can’t see the bigger picture. Right now, you’re the one who can’t see the bigger picture!”

Father Shen did not take issue with his disrespectful tone, looking at him. “Did you really think of all this yourself?”

“Did you think I was just loafing around at school? Lately, Zheng Sheng and I have been practically living at the library, and I’ve learned a lot. Besides, I’ve always been smart!” Shen Po was the kind of person who would open a dye shop if given three colors of dye^[2]; he immediately tilted his chin up with a touch of smugness.

In truth, most of these ideas came from his discussions with Wen Yan. Through constant exposure over time, even if quantitative change hadn’t yet become a complete qualitative leap, even Shen Po himself probably hadn’t realized that his eloquence and depth of perspective had already changed drastically compared to before.

After all, he was now someone who had seen the world a hundred years into the future.

But thinking about the date Wen Yan had mentioned, drawing closer by the second like a countdown, Shen Po’s fleeting smugness vanished in an instant.

When the nest is overturned, no egg stays unbroken.

“Mayor Wu thinks everything will be fine once we agree to the four demands, but by my judgment, agreeing to them is only the beginning. The Japanese will take an inch and ask for a foot; they will definitely make a move. If things look bad, close down those factories of yours for now. And Mom, you should go out to play cards less often. Just stay home quietly and read a book!”

Speaking up to this point, Shen Po suddenly remembered something.

【Oh no, today is already the twenty-eighth! Last time, I told Old Chen not to stay in the warehouse at night. He said yes, but he definitely didn’t do it. I have to go check!】

Shen Po still had a sweet and sour rib stuffed in his mouth, but he sprang to his feet.

Madam Shen jumped in surprise.

“I just remembered I have some business at the library. I have to go out for a bit, but I’ll be back soon!”

He casually grabbed two pastries from the table and dashed outside, calling out for the driver.

“Xiao Wu, Xiao Wu, drive me over!”

Father Shen was just about to scold him when he suddenly recalled the opinions Shen Po had just voiced. After thinking it over, he swallowed his words.

Madam Shen watched her son leave with worry, then turned to her husband. “Our son has grown up. He has his own ideas now.”

She wasn’t just saying that. From Shen Po’s words earlier, she could tell that this playboy son, who previously knew only how to eat, drink, and play, truly showed promise now. At the very least, what he said was well-reasoned and grounded in facts, leaving even Father Shen speechless for a moment.

Madam Shen felt both gratified and somewhat anxious.

Father Shen snapped peevishly, “You don’t need to be so quick to defend him. It’s not like I stopped him!”

He picked up a napkin to wipe his mouth. Just as he was about to say he wouldn’t be returning for dinner tonight either, he saw his secretary hurrying in from outside.

“Mr. Shen, they agreed!”

The secretary looked panicked and spoke without context.

Father Shen frowned. “What was agreed to? Speak properly!”

“I just heard the news from a friend as well. Mayor Wu has already delivered a formal written notice to the Japanese side. All four conditions: a public apology, reparations, punishing the instigators, and shutting down anti-Japanese organizations, have been accepted in full!”

Even though he had anticipated this outcome long ago, Father Shen’s heart still sank.

He glanced at the mantel clock.

Exactly two in the afternoon.

With those above insisting on this, what could those below do?

Was life supposed to just stop? He still had his factories, all the people working under him, and his family to support.

Father Shen let out a long breath and decided to set aside these vexing politics. That was for Mayor Wu and the officials to worry about anyway. As for himself, even if he was considered wealthy, what could he possibly do?

No one could change the greater tide; one could only be swept along by it, powerless against the flow.

“Let’s head to the factory,” he told the secretary.

Though he had told his wife and family not to run around outside, he himself could not simply stop working.

Pausing for a moment, Father Shen added another instruction. “Go look into train tickets to Nanjing… no, to Changsha. If there are any, book four tickets while you’re at it. Make it tomorrow.”

The secretary noted it down. He knew the Shen family’s ancestral home was in Hunan, but he was still somewhat surprised.

“Are you heading back to pay respects to the ancestors?”

Father Shen didn’t answer, continuing, “Check if there are any ship tickets to America in the near future as well. If there are, let me know, and I’ll make a decision.”

…

Meanwhile, Shen Po hurried over to the library and found, just as expected, that Old Chen, who had promised to move two days ago, was still living in the small warehouse room.

The library was still closed for repairs. During the day when Shen Po, Zheng Sheng, and the others weren’t around, Old Chen was quite leisurely. He had brought out a book and a chair to read while basking in the sun, with a cup of tea resting on a small stool beside him.

Seeing Shen Po arrive in broad daylight, Old Chen was rather surprised.

“Young Master Shen, what brings you here?”

“Uncle Chen, how many times have I told you? The conditions here are terrible and unsafe. You promised me you’d move out, so why are you still here today?”

Shen Po looked around. Old Chen’s belongings were still neatly in place. It turned out he had just been humoring him!

Old Chen smiled. “Ah, why go through all that trouble? A place to stay is a place to stay. I’m all on my own, and it’s quite nice here!”

He was not an outgoing person. After tragedy struck his family, he had grown even quieter day by day. It was only during this recent period, having spent more time with Shen Po and Zheng Sheng, that he gradually opened up, genuinely coming to treat the two of them like family juniors.

On his way over, Shen Po had already worked out an excuse with Wen Yan.

“My birthday is in a few days, and I’m planning to get a few friends together for a party. I know you don’t like hanging around young people, so I was thinking of inviting just you, Old Yang and his daughter, and Zheng Sheng. We can head over to Jinshan for a few days. You love fishing, right? You can catch a few big ones for us to drink with!”

Uncle Chen shook his head. “Someone has to watch the library. I can’t just leave. It’s fine for you youngsters to mess around, but don’t count me in.”

Shen Po grew anxious. “Don’t say that! I already boasted to my old man that I’d catch a fish weighing six or seven Jin to show off to him. If you don’t come, none of us will even know how to set up the fishing rods. Wouldn’t that make me lose face?”

Wen Yan: 【Not bad, Little Po. You’ve really got your acting down to an art now.】

Shen Po: 【Well, look who it is. Our great mute Wen, silent all day, finally found his voice?】

Wen Yan: 【I was just thinking about something.】

With Uncle Chen still to convince, Shen Po didn’t have time to ask what was on his mind.

Uncle Chen truly loved fishing. Back when he used to return to his hometown, he would go out fishing every day. Years ago, if he hadn’t happened to be out fishing by the water, he never would have survived that catastrophe.

Ever since then, however, he had never touched a fishing rod again.

Not touching it didn’t mean he had lost interest. Shen Po had stirred up his long-dormant hobby, and Old Chen felt an itch in his hands, a hesitant look appearing on his face.

Striking while the iron was hot, Shen Po said, “Then it’s settled! We’ll head out this evening in my car. I’ll go get Zheng Sheng, Old Yang, and the others, and we’ll meet back here at six.”

He had already planned it out: he would have Xiao Wu drive them straight to Jinshan first.

That was where his mother, Madam Shen, had grown up, so there would be a place to stay. The Zhu clan was a prominent local family, and Madam Shen’s brother still lived in Jinshan, running a business as well. Before Madam Shen married, Shen Po’s grandfather had prepared a residence specifically for her to stay in whenever she returned to visit her maiden home. Shen Po had often gone to play at his maternal uncle’s house when he was young, though in recent years he had gone less often, finding it lacked the bustle of the city center.

This time, Shen Po wasn’t going with them right away. He needed to make a trip home to trick his parents into going there as well, at least to get them to stay the night.

【The bombing you mentioned didn’t include Jinshan, right?】 he asked Wen Yan, seeking confirmation once more.

Wen Yan answered helplessly, 【Do you take me for a living history book? I only remember the destruction of the Commercial Press because it caused such a huge sensation. The rest was military combat operations. As for which residential areas were damaged, that would require looking through much more detailed historical records. I’m not a history major, nor do I work in that field.】

Shen Po: 【Whatever. Let’s just get these people over there first. If I were Japanese and wanted to pull off something huge to shock the world, I’d definitely target buildings like the Commercial Press. A tiny place like Jinshan, most people have never even heard of it, so they probably won’t go there. Besides, it’s too late to flee anywhere else. Even if I could run, my old man, Old Chen, Old Yang, and the rest certainly wouldn’t come along.】

Wen Yan said with satisfaction, 【You consider things much more thoroughly now.】

Shen Po: 【Of course! Who do you think I am? I’m just usually too lazy to take things seriously. If I wanted to, the world’s most prestigious universities would be lining up begging me to attend. What was it called again? Har… Harvard, right? Why isn’t it Har-Dao or Har-Christ^[3]?】

Wen Yan: … Barely praised him for a few seconds and his true colors show.

With things said to this point, and Shen Po mentioning that he hadn’t celebrated his birthday in a long time, Old Chen couldn’t bring himself to refuse any longer.

He had no children of his own now. After spending time with them over the past few days, the sudden quiet of the library had indeed left him feeling a bit unaccustomed. Moreover, the New Year was approaching; in two days, it would be the northern Little New Year^[4], and Old Chen couldn’t help longing for a bit of lively warmth in his heart.

Seeing that he had persuaded him, Shen Po went to find Old Yang, his daughter, and Zheng Sheng.

Old Yang was easy to persuade as well. It was just father and daughter depending on each other, spending festivals and holidays together just the two of them. He simply hadn’t wanted to trouble Shen Po, but hearing that Old Chen had already agreed, he consented as well, immediately turning around to discuss with his daughter what gift they should give Shen Po.

As for Zheng Sheng, unexpectedly, convincing him was even easier than convincing Old Chen. When Shen Po went to the Zheng household, Mrs. Zheng happened to be home. Seeing how well-spoken and sensible Shen Po had become, she readily agreed to let Zheng Sheng go out and spend time with him.

Even when Zheng Sheng showed reluctance, Mrs. Zheng scolded him, “You and Shen Po are such close friends. Now that your friend is having a birthday, you can’t even make time to celebrate with him?”

We’re not even that close, we bicker and fight every day, Zheng Sheng thought, but seeing Shen Po looking over, he swallowed his words and nodded. “I understand.”

Although he could only take Zheng Sheng along, Shen Po still truthfully shared what his old man had discussed over lunch, repeatedly urging Mrs. Zheng and her household to be careful, to stay indoors unless necessary, and to hide in the basement if anything happened.

He couldn’t save everyone, nor was Jinshan guaranteed to be completely safe. He could only do his best to warn those around him to stay safe. As for how many would manage to escape harm, that depended on each person’s fortune.

Mrs. Zheng didn’t dismiss his words just because Shen Po was young. On the contrary, seeing how mature and insightful his views were, she nodded repeatedly in agreement and promised that once Zheng Sheng’s father returned, she would explain the situation to him in detail.

“Still, Auntie, don’t worry too much. Jinshan is out in the countryside, so under normal circumstances nothing will happen. We’re just going for a couple of days and will be back soon,” Shen Po added at the end.

Mrs. Zheng smiled and said, “You’ve thought of everything so thoroughly, how could I not feel at ease? Go on, go have fun, and don’t rush back. I happen to have some local specialties that relatives from our hometown brought over. Take some home with you later.”

Having settled everything with Zheng Sheng and the others, Shen Po packed them into Xiao Wu’s car and had Xiao Wu drive them ahead. As for himself, he claimed he had forgotten a gift for his maternal uncle at home and needed to fetch it first before catching a ride in his old man’s car to meet them there.

Shen Po waved goodbye, saw them off, and turned to walk toward the Shen Residence.

Pedestrians wove through the streets in endless streams, coming and going.

Students, laborers, white-collar clerks, foreigners, police officers.

Newspaper delivery boys, rickshaw pullers, cargo porters.

Those clutching briefcases as they hurried into foreign consulates, those strolling along the street smoking cigarettes, and those rushing about all day just to earn a living.

These people brushed past him. Perhaps someone would glance at this young master of obvious privilege, envying his idle ease; perhaps they wouldn’t notice him at all, consumed as they were by racking their brains each day just to survive.

This was Shanghai, hailed as the “Paris of the Orient.” In this era, Westerners held sway over global discourse, and in their eyes, such a title was the highest praise Shanghai could ever receive.

It was also the place where Shen Po had lived all his life. He had long grown accustomed to everything here, where prosperity and backwardness intertwined, and civilization coexisted with savagery.

But now, standing still in the middle of the street, he looked around at the passing pedestrians, lowered his head, and stared at the stone paving beneath his feet.

After today, would these people still be here?

Would the very paving stone he stood upon remain intact?

【Go back. It’s just past three o’clock,】 Wen Yan reminded him. 【If you want to convince your parents, you don’t have much time left.】

Shen Po started walking back, feeling rather dejected.

Wen Yan understood his feelings, but he didn’t know what to say.

If it were possible, he wished history could be changed as well.

Unfortunately, there were no ifs.

Shen Po had already done everything within his power.

When he returned home, Madam Shen indeed had not gone out to play cards. Instead, she had invited her friends over to play at home.

Shen Po: “…”

Sparing a glance amidst the game, Madam Shen said, “You’re back, darling? You didn’t eat much at lunch. If you’re hungry, have Ma He make you a bowl of noodles.”

Shen Po was on the verge of losing his mind. “Didn’t the old man tell you to lay low and stay quiet these past two days?”

Madam Shen replied, “I didn’t go running around outside, did I? But there’s nothing to do at home, so I just called a few friends over to play.”

One of Madam Shen’s card partners chimed in, “That’s right, Little Third, don’t be so nervous! Everything is fine. My husband works at the municipal government too, and he says nothing will happen, so nothing will. Why don’t you join us and help watch your mother’s hand?”

This lady was the wife of the mayor’s secretary.

Another card player chuckled. “Exactly. You young people always get worked up over nothing. Though ten years ago, we were just like that too. Back when we went to mission school, do you all remember? During the May Fourth Movement^[5], we took to the streets as well.”

This one’s husband was supposedly a friend of Father Shen, running a substantial business and known as some sort of industrial tycoon, though Shen Po had not bothered to remember the details.

The wealthy ladies instantly shifted the conversation to reminiscing about their youth, chatting and laughing.

Shen Po was completely speechless.

【What do I do now? The old man went out too. Am I supposed to chase him down at the company and drag him back? He’d chew me out alive.】

Wen Yan also felt helpless: 【Your house has a basement. Even if there’s bombing, hiding down there should be enough, right? At the very least, your dad is on his guard now, so he’ll come back early on his own.】

Shen Po considered it; that seemed to be the only option.

【I’ll go meet up with Old Chen and the others first, so they don’t get tired of waiting and come running back,】 Shen Po said, seeming to recall something. 【When did that incident you mentioned happen? Do you remember the approximate time?】

Wen Yan hesitated. 【It seems… maybe… perhaps tonight, close to midnight? I really can’t remember the exact time, and I don’t want to mislead you.】

Had he known he would stay here this long, he would have memorized this period of history forward and backward no matter what.

Shen Po: 【So that means as long as tonight passes, and tomorrow the Commercial Press is fine, we’ll have changed history and made our own mark, right?】

Wen Yan: 【As long as the fighting isn’t over, nowhere is completely safe. The best course of action is to wait until everything has fully settled before letting them return.】

Shen Po scratched his head. 【I don’t know if I can stall them that long. Old Chen and Old Yang will definitely make a fuss about coming back. I’ll do what I can.】

As he said this, he glanced back at the clock in the house. Its hands had just moved onto the hour.

It was now exactly five o’clock in the afternoon on January twenty-eighth.