Chapter 38

38

At this time, Jinshan still belonged to Jiangsu, though its location remained the same. Traveling there from Shanghai meant taking the Tangmi Line ferry. Two passenger ferries ran on morning and evening schedules, carrying an endless stream of people visiting relatives, meeting friends, and doing business back and forth.

When Shen Po arrived at the ferry crossing, he happened to run into the driver, Xiao Wu, who had just dropped off Old Chen and the others and returned to pick up the car.

Xiao Wu said, “Young Master Zheng and the others have already settled in. Uncle Zhu came in person to receive them, and told me that once you arrive, you should head straight over to find him…”

With that, Xiao Wu craned his neck to look behind him, a look of surprise on his face.

“Didn’t you say the master and madam would be coming along as well?”

Shen Po waved his hand. “The old man and the old lady are stubborn. They said we should just go and have fun on our own. What about you? Why don’t you come with us too?”

Xiao Wu looked hesitant. “It’s already so late. How about I take you over first and then head back?”

Shen Po said, “Going all the way back home at this hour will just be a hassle. Why not come with us to Jinshan for the night and return together tomorrow? There’s hot water and plenty of rooms over there, and you can join us for some fun during the day. Isn’t that way more comfortable than heading home?”

Xiao Wu was still hesitating when Shen Po grabbed his arm, half-dragging and half-coaxing him onto the last ferry.

The Zhu family might not have been much in greater Shanghai, but in Jinshan, they were genuine wealthy gentry.

Hearing that his precious nephew was coming, Uncle Zhu had already waited at the ferry crossing in person to bring them back and ordered the kitchen to prepare Shen Po’s favorite dishes. However, because it was already pitch-black by the time Shen Po arrived, it wasn’t practical to make a huge fuss outside, but Uncle Zhu and his wife still took Shen Po’s hands and showered him with warm inquiries and care.

This filled Shen Po with deep emotion.

In the past, when he had still been young and naive, he had taken his aunt and uncle’s affection for granted without feeling much gratitude. But these past few days had changed him. He had begun learning to be considerate of others’ feelings and naturally understood that Uncle Zhu doted on him purely out of love for his sister, loving the crow on the roof for the house’s sake^[1], as well as his deep affection for his own flesh and blood. Otherwise, there was no reason for the Zhu family to treat him so well.

【I used to think I was on top of the world and that my uncle was supposed to treat me well. Thinking about it now, what in this world is truly taken for granted?】

After sharing his remorseful reflections with Wen Yan, Shen Po brought out the gifts and local specialties he had brought from Shanghai, which naturally delighted his uncle and aunt even more.

Uncle Zhu said, “You came in such a rush this time. I only had time to have the rooms cleaned for you all. Next time, give me a few days’ notice, and your uncle promises to have people bring in mountains of delicacies and fresh seafood to make sure all your friends are taken care of properly!”

Shen Po hastily replied, “I’m all grown up now, Uncle, you don’t need to go to all that trouble for me anymore. Mom is always talking about you two. Whenever you have free time, Uncle, bring Aunt over to visit for a few days, and I’ll be your driver!”

Uncle Zhu beamed from ear to ear, patting Shen Po on the shoulder repeatedly. “Good, good! Our third boy has truly grown up. Going to university really makes a difference!”

Under the warm hospitality of his maternal family, Old Chen and the others were also settled in comfortably.

Everyone agreed to go fishing and have a picnic early tomorrow morning. Uncle Zhu’s two young daughters also clamored to join the group. Aunt Zhu was particularly fond of an outstanding, well-mannered young man like Zheng Sheng, while Uncle Zhu and Old Chen hit it off talking about fishing as if they were old friends who had met too late. The room was lively and cheerful, yet while Shen Po pretended to chat on the surface, anxiety was already churning inside him.

【It’s already past eight. Is that event coming up soon?】

【Do you think the Japanese will discover those dozens of boxes of books we moved from the library? If they surround the dock warehouse then, wouldn’t all our efforts have been for nothing?】

【Jinshan still isn’t safe, is it? After all, it’s so close to Shanghai. Sigh, I should have been more firm and dragged the old man and the others over here too. Xiao Wu’s parents are still at the Shen family home, after all!】

Wen Yan had originally wanted to sit quietly and think for a while, organizing a full recollection of the events to come. But Shen Po’s non-stop rambling prevented him from concentrating, making him feel a little irritable as well.

He tossed a question back to Shen Po: 【Japanese warships are currently on the Huangpu River, and a small detachment of Japanese troops has stationed themselves in the Japanese Concession. If they launch an attack, where do you think they will strike first?】

Shen Po: 【…Let me think. The Japanese Concession is in Hongkou, so will they strike Hongkou first?】

Wen Yan actually couldn’t remember clearly either; he had only said it to stop Shen Po from pestering him.

In a small town, there wasn’t much entertainment, and people were accustomed to turning in early.

As nine o’clock approached, everyone dispersed and returned to their rooms, since they still had to head out early the next morning.

But with heavy thoughts on his mind, Shen Po tossed and turned in bed like a pancake on a griddle, unable to fall asleep.

Wen Yan was also racking his brain, trying to recall the meager bits of knowledge he had long since returned to his history teacher.

As he thought about it, some details actually came back to him.

【Mayor Wu agreed to the Japanese side’s four demands, so the Japanese no longer have a justification to deploy troops. That means they will definitely come up with a new excuse to attack.】

【What excuse?】 Shen Po was barely holding on, his eyelids drooping and fighting to stay open.

Wen Yan: 【Doesn’t the Nationalist Army have troops garrisoned in Zhabei, Shanghai? The Japanese side could fabricate an excuse, demanding that the Nationalist Army immediately withdraw from Zhabei to show good faith.】

Shen Po yawned. 【Military movements aren’t something that can just be ordered on a whim. Even if Wu Tiecheng is spineless, he’d still have to request instructions from Nanjing first. The Shanghai garrison isn’t under his jurisdiction.】

Wen Yan: 【The Japanese side surely knows that too, but if they want to cause trouble, they need an excuse like this.】

Shen Po sat up in a flash, all drowsiness instantly vanishing.

【You mean they plan to attack Zhabei and strike the garrison directly? No way, are they that insane?!】

Wen Yan: 【Only this way can they seize the initiative and catch our side off guard. Once the Nationalist Army is crippled, the entire city of Shanghai will turn into a chaotic pot of porridge, and when that happens…】

Shen Po: 【By then, just like in storybooks, the Japanese can hold Shanghai hostage to awe the world, forcing Nanjing to yield. The whole city of Shanghai might even fall under Japanese control. Using Shanghai as a new base, they can advance or retreat at will, with ports, docks, airfields, and resources. Those Westerners are so used to appeasement, how would they dare say a word?】

Wen Yan nodded gently.

Indeed.

【The Shiliupu Wharf where the books are stored isn’t far from Zhabei!】 Shen Po gasped, but then shook his head. 【No, if the Japanese want to occupy Shanghai, they wouldn’t bomb the wharf. Besides, with Old Du’s capability and connections, since he promised to safeguard those books, it shouldn’t be too big of an issue.】

Even so, though he could be of no help himself, he remained worried and anxious.

The two chatted about this and that for a long time, until Shen Po couldn’t even remember when he fell asleep.

He felt as though he had barely closed his eyes before someone shook him awake.

“Young Master, the master wants you to get up and wash quickly. He said it’s time to head out!” a servant of the Zhu household said.

“Isn’t it still dark outside?” Shen Po rubbed his eyes, rolling over to go back to sleep.

“Young Master, it’s already past the hour of Mao^[2]. Dawn comes late in winter, and the master said they are all dressed and ready, just waiting for you.”

Past the hour of Mao… It was six already?!

Startled, Shen Po bolted upright, giving the servant a fright.

“How has a whole night passed? Did you hear anything last night?”

“Hear what?” the servant asked, confused.

Shen Po said, “Artillery fire? Thunder, or something like that?”

The servant was puzzled. “Young Master, do you mean winter thunder? There was nothing last night. It was quiet all night long. Did you sleep poorly?”

Shen Po: Huh?

He quickly asked Wen Yan, 【Didn’t you say something would happen last night? How has the whole night passed without anything happening?】

Wen Yan: 【Could it be too far away to hear?】

Shen Po thought that was possible, though not very likely. After all, if planes were bombing and flying overhead, there was bound to be some commotion.

Still, Uncle Zhu and the others were waiting outside, so Shen Po couldn’t dilly-dally any longer. He had no choice but to get dressed quickly and head out.

Zheng Sheng had long grown impatient, looking Shen Po up and down as he stood in the doorway.

“Were you putting on makeup or something? Do you need to draw on your eyebrows before you deign to show your face?”

“Even without washing my face, I’m still dashingly handsome!” Shen Po yawned until his eyes watered. Wiping away a tear, he was just about to shoot back a retort when-

Far off in the distance, a sharp, piercing whistle echoed across the sky!

Everyone instinctively looked up.

In the distant sky, where the pale white of dawn was gradually emerging, a small silhouette swept across their field of vision, streaking across the visible horizon.

Faintly, the thunderous roar of explosions seemed to shatter the morning silence.

It felt like an illusion, yet it didn’t.

As if trapped in a dream, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

Old Chen seemed to realize something, his expression instantly darkening.

Zheng Sheng swallowed hard, looking somewhat at a loss.

He had never experienced war and didn’t know what that whistle meant. After all, there were airfields near Nanjing, and he occasionally saw planes flown by the Nationalist pilots, but right now, things didn’t seem so simple.

“Could it be… a plane crash?”

No one answered.

Uncle Zhu’s expression grew suddenly grave.

Though no one said it aloud, they tacitly dropped any mention of going fishing.

Shen Po said, “Let’s head to the wharf! We can see more clearly from there!”

Uncle Zhu stopped him. “No, it’s too dangerous. Let’s head back inside and sit down. I’ll send someone to gather news. We’re not far from Shanghai; word is bound to travel here!”

He herded everyone back into the house like chicks, then sent someone to the ferry to inquire about the situation.

The person sent out did not return all morning.

Everyone waited in the main hall. Uncle Zhu had breakfast prepared and brought over, featuring distinctive Jinshan specialties, but no one had an appetite. Shen Po ate a boiled egg and reached for a steamed bun, but upon seeing Old Chen’s grim face, he lost his appetite completely.

Zheng Sheng spoke up apprehensively, “I want to go home and see.”

Who wouldn’t? Shen Po wanted to as well. He felt that his and Wen Yan’s fears had finally come true, yet the heavy stone in his heart hadn’t settled; instead, it had only grown larger.

If war truly broke out, would things still unfold as Wen Yan had predicted?

Could the Nationalist army really hold off the Japanese offensive?

If not, would all of Shanghai fall?

Which areas would suffer? Would his family be safe?

Could the Commercial Press and the library still be spared?

Would all the efforts they had made actually amount to anything?

Knowing more than the others only made Shen Po all the more anxious.

Wen Yan wanted to comfort him, but didn’t know where to begin; he was just as worried in his own heart.

Returning from the future to the past, foreknowledge often didn’t mean wielding an all-powerful cheat; it meant borrowing trouble.

For the trajectory of history surged forward like the roaring Yellow River. Making even a minor correction was exceedingly difficult, let alone redirecting the course of the river itself. Even if he were to transmigrate into the Generalissimo or some other powerful figure right now, could he really change any of this?

Most likely not.

Everyone’s stance, status, environment, and the interests they represented dictated their reasons for acting. Often, people did not lack the awareness of what was right or wrong, yet they still chose to go against it. People like Shen Po, whose worldview and philosophy of life were not yet fixed and still had room to be shaped and changed, were few and far between.

Seeing that it was almost noon, Zheng Sheng could wait no longer and bolted to his feet.

“No, I have to go back and check. Even if something happens…”

Before he could finish, someone rushed in through the door.

“Master, Master, they’ve attacked! The Japanese have attacked!”

Everyone’s faces paled.

What they feared most had finally become reality.

Zheng Sheng, in particular, could not wrap his head around it: How did the Japanese dare? If they didn’t fear the Nationalist army and weren’t worried about an all-out war with China, were they not even afraid of the international fallout?! The Northeast was one thing, but this was Shanghai – this was Shanghai!

Uncle Zhu’s face was grim. “What happened? Speak clearly!”

The Zhu family servant caught his breath, took a cup of water, and drank it down in one gulp before finally being able to speak in full sentences.

“According to people who came over this morning, fighting broke out around Zhabei and Nanshi. At first, it was gunfire and artillery, but then they even saw airplanes flying overhead…”

“Our planes?!” Zheng Sheng asked impatiently.

The Zhu family servant shook his head.

Their expressions grew completely dim.

“It was their planes, but they didn’t drop anything. They just flew past.”

“Maybe they’re just on reconnaissance,” Zheng Sheng murmured, unclear whether he was analyzing the situation for the others or trying to convince himself. “Perhaps our garrison provoked them first and the Japanese were just retaliating. It’s only a minor skirmish. Shanghai has a unique status, after all; they wouldn’t dare act recklessly. Besides, Wu Tiecheng^[3] and the others have already yielded this much. Could the Japanese still be unsatisfied? Didn’t they say yesterday that they were satisfied? Could the report be wrong?”

“Wake up!” Shen Po wanted nothing more than to slap some sense into him. “Don’t forget the Northeast! Don’t forget how Old Chen made it back! I told you long ago, their ambition knows no bounds. Sooner or later, they were bound to make a move!”

Even though he had spoken with absolute certainty, now that the day had finally arrived, Shen Po felt an unprecedented sense of dread.

What should they do now?

What would happen going forward?

“I need to go back and check,” Zheng Sheng said, looking completely shaken, offering no argument against Shen Po.

“Young Master Zheng, the ferries have been suspended,” the Zhu family servant said.

“Could fighting have broken out over here?” Uncle Zhu asked nervously.

“Not yet, but they’re saying they need to assess the situation before deciding whether to run. Everyone outside is in a panic right now.”

How could they not be?

Ordinary people were living ordinary lives when gunfire suddenly erupted right beside them.

They knew nothing of political rumors or strategic maneuvers; all they knew was that this had struck without warning, catching everyone completely off guard!

Uncle Zhu said to them, “Stay here for now. It isn’t safe to go back right now. Let’s wait and see how things develop later.”

Aside from that, there was nothing else they could do.

Old Chen, on the other hand, was the calmest of them all. He had no family ties to worry about, and he had already escaped death once in Jinan.

To him, a catastrophe that others might encounter only once in a lifetime was something he had lived through before.

“That’s right. As long as the fighting doesn’t spread over here, the ferries will resume service soon. After all, plenty of people are waiting to cross over from the other side.”

Old Chen had predicted correctly. Shortly after noon, news came that the ferries had reopened. Massive crowds fleeing the war with packed bundles surged toward Jinshan to seek refuge with relatives, packing the boats to capacity. People who failed to board wept and screamed, a scene resembling the end of the world.

Meanwhile, Shen Po and his companions were the only ones heading against the tide, going back.

Uncle Zhu was worried and wanted to accompany them back, taking the chance to check on his sister and brother-in-law’s family. But Shen Po stopped him and adamantly refused to let him come along, though Uncle Zhu could not persuade Shen Po to stay either.

“Don’t worry, Uncle, I’m sharp. I’ll go back and check things out first. If our home is damaged, I’ll stay at a hotel in the concession. Worst case, I can use my eldest uncle’s connections to take shelter in a foreign consulate. Fighting or not, the Japanese wouldn’t go as far as bombing consulates and declaring war on the world!”

Shen Po thumped his chest in reassurance, using every argument he could muster to persuade Uncle Zhu to stay behind. The older man stood at the dock, watching them depart.

【From last night until now, whatever was meant to be bombed has probably been hit already. If Old Chen goes back, he should be able to escape disaster, right?】

Watching his uncle’s figure shrink into the distance, Shen Po suddenly realized that the great wheels of history had begun to turn. A wave of melancholy and dread washed over him. Had the library, the place where they had spent days and nights over the past ten or so days, truly been reduced to ruins just like that?

【Old Yang and his daughter live pretty close to the library. They’ll probably be caught up in it too.】

Wen Yan asked him, 【Aren’t you going to check on your home first?】

Shen Po: 【My place is on Wuxing Road. It’s far from there, and it’s inside the concession. If things go wrong over there, nowhere in all of Shanghai will be safe anyway. Let’s make sure Old Yang and his daughter are settled first.】

Through Shen Po’s perspective, Wen Yan saw the surging river, the open sky, and the suppressed anxiety written across the faces of everyone on board.

He thought that compared to when they first met, when Shen Po had loudly and frantically asked how to use a smartphone, Shen Po had grown considerably more mature.

Perhaps it started the night he saw Shen Chong, or perhaps when he realized the splendid Shanghai of his imagination was beginning to crumble. Shen Po had been transforming bit by bit. Now, with crisis upon them, even the usually composed Zheng Sheng could hardly mask his anxiety and felt at a loss, yet Shen Po was able to face it calmly and handle arrangements methodically.

While part of the reason might have been that he had learned from Wen Yan in advance about certain events to come, some people, when faced with an uncontrollable tide of events, would simply give up in despair. Shen Po hadn’t done that at all. Instead, it was as if his potential had been fully unlocked, and his rapid growth over the past few days had surprised even Wen Yan.

He had expected Shen Po to panic and make a huge fuss.

Wen Yan didn’t know what to feel. When they first met, Shen Po had genuinely annoyed him. He had been haughty, putting on the airs of a pampered young master and looking down on everyone and everything. If novelties from a hundred years in the future hadn’t temporarily stunned him, an ordinary guy like Wen Yan would never have been worthy of Shen Po’s attention.

If even Wen Yan, hailing from a century later, had been treated that way, how could the ordinary working-class people of this era have been anything other than worlds apart from Young Master Shen?

Yet now, he was actually considering the safety of Old Yang and his daughter.

Living in troubled times, no one could remain unchanged forever.

They had never felt a boat crossing drag on for so long. When the ferry finally docked at the pier, everyone visibly breathed a collective sigh of relief.

The moment they stepped ashore, Shen Po and the others instantly felt the palpable tension in the air.

The usually lively, bustling scene had devolved into chaos. People hurried about, desperate to squeeze onto a boat. But when the ferry staff announced there was no longer enough time for another round trip today, despair set in. That disappointment quickly turned into protests and angry curses, with shouting filling the entire waiting room.

As for people like Shen Po and his companions, who were rushing back toward downtown Shanghai at a time like this, there were practically none.

Shen Po hadn’t made prior arrangements with Xiao Wu, and it was too far for a rickshaw. Fortunately, the streetcars on this side hadn’t shut down yet. The group boarded one and, after several transfers, finally arrived near Baoshan Road, where the Commercial Press was located.

The original route had been temporarily suspended, and the streetcar would not go any further, forcing everyone to get off and proceed on foot.

By now, step by step, they had traveled from the barely peaceful edge of the city into the heart of the Chinese sector.

Smoke rose within their field of view, punctuated by the distant boom of explosions and the crash of collapsing buildings.

Across the normally open streets, caltrops occasionally blocked the way, along with broken tables and chairs dragged out in last night’s panic. The storefronts that should have been open for business were all shuttered, and the windows of the residences upstairs were closed tight.

Before they left yesterday, the street had still been bustling with the festive atmosphere of the approaching New Year. Red lanterns hung outside some shops, and small colored lights had been specially added to signboards to draw more customers after the holiday.

Now, the lanterns were still there, but coated in a layer of dust. Combined with the bleak streetscape, it felt as though no one had lived here in ages.

Shen Po found it hard to move his feet.

He felt goosebumps erupting all over his body.

In his twenties, this was the first time Shen Po had ever directly confronted the brutal reality of war, crashing down upon him overnight.

He was not alone; Zheng Sheng, Old Yang, and his daughter were no better off.

“I heard people say this isn’t the battlefield. They’re fighting over by North Sichuan Road…”

Old Chen caught up from behind. Far calmer than Shen Po and the others, he had been asking around along the way, steering them clear of potential combat zones.

Hearing this, everyone turned deathly pale.

Because North Sichuan Road was already very close to the Commercial Press and the library.

Old Yang and his daughter’s home was in that area, too.

Shen Po quickly asked, “How is the library?”

Old Chen’s expression was grim. “There was a round of bombing this morning right over by the Commercial Press. The fires aren’t out yet.”

Shen Po’s heart tightened. He realized Wen Yan must have gotten the timing wrong; the bombing had not happened last night, but this morning, just a short while ago. Still, Wen Yan’s information had not been far off. In the end, the Commercial Press had suffered disaster.

The library was not far from the Commercial Press. Since the press had been bombed, the library could hardly have been spared.

Old Yang said in a trembling voice, “I want to go home first to check…”

Before the words had fully left his mouth, a sharp, whistling screech tore in from the distance.

Before Shen Po could react, Wen Yan yelled out first!

【It’s planes, Japanese planes! Take cover, quickly!】

Shen Po was half a beat slow. Realizing that only he could hear Wen Yan’s voice, he hurriedly shouted out as well.

【Planes! Take cover!】

By then, they were already a few seconds behind. Realizing the danger, the group scattered instinctively, scrambling for the nearest shelter.

The plane was already overhead, dropping a bomb before speeding off without a moment’s pause!

The bombing was right on top of them!