I stand at the East city market of Chanda, bargaining with the black market dealer Qi Mazi who mentioned by vet Hao. I still hold the bundle of noodles. A thief, and a profiteering dealer bargain in a low voice, which seems somewhat obscene in any case. Finally, I close the palm extended by Qi Mazi to express my agreement. Qi Mazi takes the money I give him from the sleeve and turns back to an alley to get the medicine.
I wait until a big palm reaches out on my shoulder and pinches it, and I notice that Yi's watch is just on that wrist. I turn around and see Dragon. This guy is still wearing the clothes that really insult military discipline. He doesn't care about my dumbness. Since he can beat me like Li Wula, then I am also just a bug to him.
"You guys gonna cook stewed pork with noodles?"
I'm not sure how to deal with this person that I don't know whether to flatter or alienate, "Aye."
Dragon pulls a piece from my noodles and chews it in his mouth. Yi's watch shines brightly on his sleeveless arm, "You already have noodles and pork."
I give him an answer that doesn't count as an answer: "Hmm, I got it."
"I'm here to stock up. What are you doing here?"
I continue to give him an unanswered answer, "Come and take a look."
Dragon obviously doesn't care if I want him to leave. "You're okay, you're not like an official. As for the Major you are with, I embarrassed him so much." He flaunts his thick arm, "I took his watch."
I have a premonition of bad luck. Even more unlucky is Qi Mazi who comes out of the alley. I notice that he bows to Dragon when he is far away, and then gives me a paper bag containing five pieces of sulfonamide from his sleeve. But Dragon, the damn Northeastern guy, obviously doesn't follow the rules of the Southern border. He grabs the paper bag by my wrist and checks the content inside.
"How much did you spend?"
I extend five fingers, and Dragon immediately extends five fingers too. The Five Finger Mountain is extended to Qi Mazi. He slaps Qi Mazi straight in the face, punches him in the stomach, and finally kicks him in the groin with his leg. Then he searches on Qi Mazi and throws me a whole medicine bottle, accompanied by a leer that I would never believe this devil would do, "Current price. This is reasonable."
He walks away and stocks his ghost-knowing goods. I stuff the medicine bottle into my pocket and quickly leave. Good luck today, I have noodles and sulfa.
Behind the defense work at the alley entrance, the sentry of the shelter stands loosely, with a "nothing to do with me" expression on his face.
Some people are happy, some are worried, some are lucky, and some are hapless. Bula's uprising had already declared victory after taking over the county office and getting forty dollars, but their friendly forces who came to suppress them killed one of them and took all the stolen goods. Outside the shelter now, there is a makeshift door panel with the body of the Private soldier laying on it. He became the most eye-catching one by waving the flag. The flag that he once carried, "I need eat" has now become his shroud, covering several bullet holes on his body. Bula and his rabble are sitting on the ground wailing, not necessarily very sad, mainly to attract attention that doesn't exist. Bula now has a bruised nose and swollen face, and his expression is also more diverse. He is probably one of the most versatile among the people, and he will mourn and is willing to mourn for the Private soldier who was tragically killed by his recklessness.
"When the first seventh came, just straightened up, the Japs came over.
Killing and burning, the suffering inside and outside the home is endless.
When the second seventh came, thought carefully and the tears down…" ※
Bula hums. He is really in a state of mind, constantly playing a few trembling high notes, and even raising his hands to the sky, fingers like half dead and lifeless flame, towards to the sky. Yaoma brings over a lot of scattered vegetables and leaves, and it is easy to know where he had gotten them. The Sichuan man casually kicks the Hunan man's buttocks until the latter raises his tearless face.
Yaoma blames Bula, "fuck it! If you mess with it again, you won't have to eat tonight! How long have you been hungry?"
Bula is starting to feel anxious now, "Two days! I'm starving to death!"
Yaoma reminds him bitterly, "Who's the blame? You've been shouting for two days without doing anything! Come and join us! — Stewed Pork with Cabbage and Rice Noodles!"
Bula suddenly calms down, and calms down to the point where his mouth is about to drool. "What you guys need?"
Yaoma immediately spreads out a portion for him, "Not enough cabbage."
Bula gets up and throws down the mess he had created like a wind, instantly disappearing into the dusk. Vet Hao takes a bowl of stale rice, inserts two incense sticks to it, and squeezes towards the dead body. I walk through this mess with a bundle of noodles under my arm.
※: The seventh day is a traditional period of mourning in China, referring to the seven days after a person's death. Generally, there are a total of seven seventh days, totaling forty-nine days, as the funeral period. The form of the song sung by Bula here is a kind of traditional funeral music in China, meaning to send away people's souls.