Before changing his clothes and going out, Jing Mingchen habitually shouted "I'm leaving."
However, the only answer she got was silence. She turned around to look at the empty house, curled her lips, threw her bag over her shoulder with grievance and anger, pushed open the door and walked out.
The hot air of Wuhan in October hit us in the face, and the streets seemed very crowded. The slogan of "Defending Wuhan" had been shouted for half a year, but the news from the battlefield was all discouraging. Anqing, Madang, and Jiujiang fell one after another, and the chances of winning the defense war became increasingly slim. In August, the various agencies stationed in Wuhan gradually moved to Chongqing. The civilians who had previously firmly believed that Wuhan would never fall finally panicked, and for a time, the crowds swarmed to retreat to the southwest. By October, Wuhan was almost half empty.
The Jing family originally planned to leave in August because the second daughter worked in the government and knew some inside information. However, Jing Mingchen insisted on staying and supporting the nursery. Mrs. and Mr. Jing were reluctant to leave their little girl, so they waited until yesterday to move the family south, leaving Jing Mingchen alone in Wuhan.
Although half of the city was empty, homeless refugees could still be seen everywhere on the streets of Wuhan, and some shops were still open. Jing Mingchen went to a breakfast stall to eat breakfast. The owner was over 60 years old. Jing Mingchen chatted with him while eating: "Why haven't you left yet? The war is about to start."
The boss smiled bitterly: "How can it be so easy to travel? The southwest is a place with high mountains and long rivers. What if I die on the road? I have lived in Wuhan for most of my life. If I die, I will die in Wuhan. I have lived for so long and have seen everything. The emperor, the Taiping Rebellion, the militia, the Duan and Wu people... I am very lucky and I will not die!"
Until Jing Mingchen put down the money and left, the boss was still muttering about the past in Wuhan. Jing Mingchen looked back at his hunched figure and couldn't help but sigh.
When passing by Ba Gong's house, Jing Mingchen couldn't help but stop and stretched her neck to look for a while. She knew that Jiang Gubei lived here. After becoming the head of the Jiang family, he did not return to the Jiang Mansion. Mingyu said that he rented an apartment in Ba Gong's house for a long time.
Has he left Wuhan? Maybe he has.
Wait a minute, who is that person walking out of the gate?
Jing Mingchen stared at him stupidly until the man came closer and waved his five fingers in front of her eyes: "Hey, don't you recognize me?"
Jing Mingchen came back to his senses: "Why haven't you left yet? I thought you had already left."
Jiang Gubei shook his head: "I still have things to do in Wuhan."
So that's it. Jing Mingchen asked curiously, "Is it important?"
Jiang Gubei smiled slightly: "Very important."
Jing Mingchen nodded ignorantly. Jiang Gubei looked at her and couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
He was originally going to leave, and had already bought the boat ticket, and was on the same boat with the Jing family. But before leaving, he suddenly heard Mingyu complaining that there was another big fight at home, and his younger sister made his mother cry. Only then did he know that Jing Mingchen was not leaving with his family.
He couldn't help but smile bitterly, and felt proud in his heart. His little girl really never spared any effort to help others.
He then decided to stay and wait for Jing Mingchen to leave together.
He told Ah Da to give the boat tickets to those who needed them. Ah Da didn't understand: "Sir, Wuhan is in danger. Luoshan has fallen. The Japanese are approaching Xinyang. Wuhan may fight at any time. The sooner you leave, the better. Is it worth it for you to stay for a woman?"
Jiang Gubei looked at the sealed and opened suitcase with a smile in his eyes: "If I can't protect her, my ten years of hard work will be a joke... I know what I am doing, just listen to my instructions."
She is the foundation of his life's career. Without her, even if he has thousands of acres of fertile land and tens of thousands of mansions, it would be nothing but a joke.
In August, my stepmother and "uncle" had already moved to Chongqing with their families. My younger brother Jiang Qianmo also moved to Leshan with his classmates from Wuhan University. Last month, he sent away Mr. and Miss Lin and my sister Gu Nanqiao, and yesterday he sent away A Da.
Now in Wuhan, he is really alone, and Jing Mingchen is the same as him.
He said to Jing Mingchen, "Let's go, I'll take you to the nursery."
However, before they had walked a few steps, a sharp air raid alarm suddenly sounded. The Japanese air force was attacking! The street was in chaos, and everyone rushed to the entrance of the air raid shelter. The ground was in a mess, and the piercing alarm sounded, like hell on earth.
Jiang Gubei pulled Jing Mingchen towards the air-raid shelter. Suddenly, Jing Mingchen missed a step and fell to her knees. Without hesitation, Jiang Gubei picked her up and continued to run towards the air-raid shelter.
The moment they entered the air-raid shelter, a bomb exploded behind them. Jiang Gubei was knocked to the ground by the heat shock, but he still held Jing Mingchen tightly in his arms.
There was a buzzing in her ears and a blur in front of her eyes. After a long time, Jing Mingchen finally regained consciousness. She was pinned down by Jiang Gubei, who was motionless. A horrified thought came to her mind, and she burst into tears. She slapped Jiang Gubei's cheeks with both hands: "Mr. Jiang! Mr. Jiang!"
After a long time, Jiang Gubei finally uttered a heavy nasal sound.
Thank God, he was just knocked unconscious. He opened his eyes and saw Jing Mingchen with tears on his face, and laughed: "You really like to cry."
Jing Mingchen helped him sit down against the wall. The air raid shelter was filled with people, but it was strangely quiet. Only the sound of dripping water could be heard. The dim light illuminated the tortured and solemn faces. Everyone pricked up their ears to listen to the movement in the sky outside. Wuhan has been bombed frequently in the past six months. Many people have developed a pair of ears that can listen to the battle situation. They can distinguish the enemy and our planes from the sound, and even judge the outcome of the battle between the two sides...
After a long time, the sound of fighting gradually faded away, and suddenly someone in the crowd shouted, "We won!"
This cheer ignited the silent air like a fuse, and the air-raid shelter became lively. People shouted "Long live" and ran out of the air-raid shelter. Jing Mingchen and Jiang Gubei supported each other and followed the crowd out. After the fierce battle, the streets of Wuhan were very lively. There were people everywhere on the streets, roofs and trees. Everyone waved their arms and cheered to the sky. Planes circled and inspected over Wuhan, sharing the joy of victory with those who stayed in Wuhan.
For the people of Wuhan who had experienced the hardships of the past six months, this kind of good news was too rare. On the way to the nursery, Jing Mingchen heard people talking: "I said Wuhan would not fall. Our air force is so powerful that the Japanese will definitely not be able to enter Wuhan!"
Listening to these words, Jing Mingchen's heart was filled with a faint sadness, and she remembered what her second sister said before she left.
"It is difficult to defend a city on its own. Wuhan is now under attack from three sides. Retreating is the only way out."
Yes, at this point, who can really believe that Wuhan can be saved? Just like the owner of the breakfast stall, although they know that death is approaching, not everyone has the strength to escape, they can only convince themselves, have to convince themselves.
Jiang Gubei asked her: "When is the last evacuation plan for your nursery?"
Jing Mingchen replied: "It will be soon. The boats have been arranged. Everyone will be evacuated by mid-October at the latest. I will go with the last batch."
As they were talking, they had already reached the entrance of the nursery.
The atmosphere in the nursery today was different from the past. There were crowds of people in front of the door, and everyone was noisy and emotional. Jing Mingchen took Jiang Gubei through the back door and asked as soon as he arrived at the office: "What happened today?"
Her colleague replied, "It's really infuriating. At first, they didn't believe us no matter how hard we tried. Now that Wuhan is about to fall, they are all rushing to the nursery to ask for shelter. The evacuation plan has been made and the ship has been contacted. Mingchen, what do you think we should do? How can we afford to take in more people?"
Jing Mingchen leaned against the window and looked out. There were crowds of people downstairs, all with desperate faces.
She murmured, "Even if we don't accept it, we have to give them an explanation."
My colleague waved his hand and said, "You have to tell me what to do. I don't dare go downstairs to open the door."
Jiang Gubei watched coldly from the side for a long time. When he saw Jing Mingchen turn around and go downstairs, he strode after him.
Jing Mingchen went downstairs and stood on the steps, shouting at the top of her lungs to explain the current situation to the parents who had sent their children there. She told the parents all about the predicament of the nursery and explained why it was unable to accept these children now. However, the more she spoke, the sadder she felt.
Wasn’t the purpose of establishing the orphanage to save children? Why did they just watch these children die?
The desperate parents refused to accept her reasons. Some shouted: "Isn't your nursery supposed to protect children? Why are you turning our children away now that there is a real war?"
This sentence ignited the anger of the crowd. For a moment, the crowd was noisy. Jing Mingchen looked at the crowd at the bottom of the stairs at a loss. Suddenly, Jiang Gubei shouted "Be careful" and held her shoulders to block her. A stone came and hit him on the back. Jing Mingchen heard a muffled groan. She hurriedly asked Jiang Gubei: "How are you?"
He had just been knocked over by the heat of the artillery shells, and I didn't know if his back was injured!
Jiang Gubei shook his head. He protected Jing Mingchen behind him, straightened his back, looked at the crowd and shouted, "Everyone be quiet!" His eyes were stern, and for a moment he actually intimidated the angry crowd. After the crowd fell silent, he said in a deep voice, "I can understand the love of the elders and fellow villagers for their children. But I hope that while you love your own children, you can also think that the young lady you tried to attack just now is also someone else's child. Miss Jing was born in a prominent family. She could have gone to Chongqing with her family to live a life of ease and comfort, and she didn't have to care about the lives of ordinary people. But she went to the war zone to rescue children in distress, and she stayed in Wuhan when the war was about to come, all because she had a passion in her heart. Miss Jing has a compassionate heart, and I hope you can also understand her and the difficulties of the nursery."
After hearing his words, there was silence for a long time until a sob broke the silence: "We also know that it is not easy to live in a nursery, but we have no other choice. If the child does not leave, he will die. We cannot watch the child die..."
For a moment, the crowd burst into tears, and the entire nursery was filled with gloom and sorrow.
Jiang Gubei heard sobbing coming from behind. He turned around and saw Jing Mingchen with his hands hanging down and his head lowered. Tears fell on his chest like pearls that had broken off the string, "plop" and "plop".
His heart was instantly soaked in her tears and became as soft as cotton. He smiled softly with a sigh: "Why do you love to cry so much... Don't worry."
He turned to the crowd and said, "I am Jiang Gubei from Jiang's Industry. If you trust me, please wait here. I will definitely come up with an idea that will satisfy you later."
He held Jing Mingchen's hand and walked back to the office, and went straight to find the director of the nursery who was still in Wuhan.
"Accept all of them?" The person in charge frowned. "Mr. Jiang, you must be joking. It's not that our nursery doesn't want to fulfill its responsibilities, but the conditions are really limited. You also know that the boat tickets are in short supply now, and transporting the existing children has exhausted all the resources of the nursery. If we accept another batch now, how can we send them to Chongqing?"
Jiang Gubei was confident: "I will solve the problem of the ship. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. I don't have a passenger ship, but Jiang still has a batch of supplies stranded in Wuhan, which is expected to depart in early October. If you don't mind, Jiang's cargo ship can take the children to Yichang."
After hearing his words, the whole office was in an uproar.
Jing Mingchen sent Jiang Gubei out. Along the way, she couldn't help looking at Jiang Gubei. Jiang Gubei was confused by her gaze and couldn't help touching his face: "Is there something on my face?"
Jing Mingchen shook his head while holding back his laughter. Jiang Gubei was even more puzzled: "Then why do you always look at me?"
Jing Mingchen burst out laughing: "See if you have three heads and six arms. Mr. Jiang, I think you are amazing. You always seem to be able to solve any problem."
Jiang Gubei smiled faintly: "If I were really so omnipotent, I would send the Japanese back to their hometown."
The atmosphere became heavy again. Seeing Jing Mingchen lowering his eyebrows, Jiang Gubei smiled and said, "It's just a joke. I don't have three heads and six arms. I'm just used to solving problems alone."
How dare I fall down when there is a cliff behind me?
How can I fall down when you are in my arms with a beautiful smile on your face?
The new batch of children added a lot of work to the nursery. In the next half month, Jing Mingchen was very busy with filing, sending ships, and formulating a new evacuation plan.
By mid-October, the nursery's original evacuation plan had been basically completed, with only the last batch of children left, waiting to set off with Chiang's cargo ship.
Jiang Gubei had originally planned to go with the cargo ship, but two days before departure he received an urgent telegram from Yichang stating that Mr. Lin had suddenly fallen ill in Yichang and was in critical condition, with his life in danger, and he needed to rush over to deal with the situation.
Jiang Gubei had no choice but to say goodbye to Jing Mingchen.
Late at night, the two of them walked along the river. In the darkness, the Jianghan Customs was still majestic. The wind in October was very cold. Jiang Gubei took off his coat and put it on Jing Mingchen: "I'm sorry, I can't go with you. Mr. Lin has been very kind to me, and Miss Lin has been ill since childhood and can't take care of things. I must go to Yichang."
Miss Lin... Jing Mingchen's mind suddenly flashed with the words his mother had said before.
Mr. Lin was in danger, and he urgently called Jiang Gubei over, probably to tell him about his last wishes. Miss Lin was a frail orphan, and she was about the same age as Jiang Gubei, and they were both unmarried. She wondered if Mr. Lin would come to Yichang to entrust his orphan to her... She was thinking wildly.
If only she had agreed to Jiang Gubei's proposal, she wouldn't have to worry about all these things now, Jing Mingchen lamented in his heart.
Jiang Gubei set off for Yichang the next day. Five days later, the last group of people in the nursery finally set off on Jiang’s company’s cargo ship.
With a long whistle, the cargo ship sailed away from the river bank. Jing Mingchen and the children leaned on the side of the ship and looked back at Wuhan. The cargo ship was getting farther and farther away, and the Jianghan Customs gradually blurred into a small black dot behind them. Behind them was the Yellow Crane Tower where Li Bai climbed to look far into the distance, the Guqin Terrace where Yu Boya smashed his zither to mourn his friend, the Hanyang tree, the Parrot Island, and her entire youth... A child asked Jing Mingchen timidly: "Mother Jing, can we come back?"
Jing Mingchen suddenly recalled the night they parted. She had asked Jiang Gubei the same question: "Can we come back?"
Jiang Gubei looked at her with a pair of deep black eyes. He did not answer her directly, but recited two lines of poetry.
"Sing and drink in the daytime, and return home with youth as your companion."
In the first year of Guangde reign of Emperor Daizong of Tang Dynasty, Du Fu wrote this poem to quell the Anshi Rebellion. At that time, the poet happened to be in Bashu.
Thinking of Jiang Gubei, Jing Mingchen's chest was filled with a flame. She squatted down and held the children's hands: "Children, Mother Jing will teach you to recite a Tang poem, okay? When we drive the Japanese away, we will recite this poem back to Wuhan!"
"I heard that Jibei was taken back from outside the palace. My clothes were soaked with tears. I saw my wife was worried and unrolled her poetry book with great joy."
"Singing and drinking in the daytime, it is good to return home with youth as your companion. Go through Ba Gorge and Wu Gorge, then go down to Xiangyang and head to Hanyang."
She changed "Luoyang" to "Hanyang", and the children's recitation soon sounded on the river, and the tender voices dispelled the heavy dusk and smoke.
Goodbye, Wuhan.
Wuhan, please wait for me to return.
The ship sailed on the Yangtze River for many days, and at dusk that day, Yichang Wharf finally appeared in sight.
Jing Mingchen dressed the children on the boat one by one and packed their luggage, and then hurriedly took out a small mirror from her bag to look around. There was no washing facilities on the boat, and she was seasick and vomited a lot. After all this journey, she looked like a leaf taken out of a trash can, with tangled hair and sour clothes. Her originally round face became sunken and her complexion became sallow.
This is truly the most miserable time in my life, like a refugee, Jing Mingchen thought sadly.
But now that my country is broken, am I not just a refugee?
But... God bless, please don't let her run into Jiang Gubei in this state! While waiting for the boat to dock, Jing Mingchen kept praying silently in his heart.
However, things did not go as planned. After the ship docked at the pier, Jing Mingchen just walked onto the deck and looked into the distance, and he saw the familiar figure on the long shore.
The rosy glow enveloped the entire dock, and the long river bank was covered with a layer of warm yellow gauze by the setting sun. The whistles were noisy and the voices of people were bustling. People were coming and going on the shore, unloading goods, picking up people, and marching... Half of the exiles from China were gathered on the river bank in Yichang, but she saw Jiang Gubei at a glance.
He stood sideways against the car, looking tired, with a cigarette flickering at the corner of his mouth, reminding her of the light at the corner of his mouth in the darkness in Kaifeng that day. Jing Mingchen's heart, which had been hanging for many days, finally settled down.
She looked at Jiang Gubei for a long time until he finally noticed her and looked at her.
Jing Mingchen nervously tugged at the corner of his clothes that was wrinkled like a vegetable leaf. Just as he was about to smile and raise his arm to greet him, he turned around and got into the car.
The car drove away, leaving behind only a trail of dust, leaving Jing Mingchen staring blankly.
What kind of wind is blowing today?
Jing Mingchen was full of doubts and took the children to the Yichang reception station of the nursery, which was located in a church girls' middle school. After arriving, Jing Mingchen found that the situation was far more serious than she had imagined. She thought that the children who had arrived earlier had been transferred to Chongqing, but some of them were still squeezed in the reception station.
Colleagues at the reception station complained to her, saying that they had not expected that the ships from Yichang would be more difficult to get than those from Wuhan. They went to the Minsheng Company to petition every day, but there were still not enough ships.
After listening to her colleagues complaining for a while, someone came to see her. When Jing Mingchen heard that someone was looking for her, he thought it was Jiang Gubei, and ran out happily, but he didn't expect to see Shen Bei.
It was a pleasure to meet an old friend in a foreign land, but Jing Mingchen felt wronged. She pouted and forced a smile: "Mr. Shen, you are also in Yichang."
Shen Bei saw her little emotion: "What's wrong? Who made our Young Master Jing angry?"
Jing Mingchen changed the subject: "Why are you here?"
Shen Bei was surprised and said, "You are such a heartless person. A few days ago, the radio said that two cargo ships from Wuhan were sunk by Japanese planes on the Yangtze River. I knew you came here on Jiang's cargo ship, and I was so worried that you were on the sunken ship. I came here every day to ask if you had arrived. You even asked me how I got here!"
Jing Mingchen's heart warmed up, and he acted coquettishly to her: "I am so heartless. By the way, didn't the newspaper move in August? Why are you still staying in Yichang? I thought you had gone to Chongqing."
Shen Bei replied: "The newspaper has moved to Chongqing. I stayed in Yichang for my son, who is also in Yichang..."
As they were talking, a tall and handsome young man walked towards them. Shen Bei hurriedly shouted, "Yue'er, let me introduce you. This is Miss Jing Mingchen, whom I often mentioned to you."
She took the young man's hand and introduced him to Jing Mingchen: "This is my son Yue'er, a pilot."
The tall young man blushed and called "Mom" coquettishly, with a tone of complaint. Shen Bei then realized that calling him by his nickname in front of a strange girl was against his taboo, and smiled and took a half step back.
The young man stepped forward and extended his hand to Jing Mingchen: "Hello, my name is Yi Minggong, I graduated from Jianqiao Aviation School, and now I am an Air Force pilot."
Shen Bei added: "Their brigade had just come down from the battlefield in Wuhan and was taking a short break in Yichang."
He just came down from the battlefield in Wuhan! So he must have been there in the fierce battle with the Japanese Air Force that day? Jing Mingchen's eyes lit up: "I just came from Wuhan too. Last month our Air Force fought a great battle in Wuhan. After the battle, the planes flew around the city. It was so impressive!"
Yi Minggong smiled slightly: "I also participated in that air battle. I am honored to have protected such a beautiful lady."
Jing Mingchen's face turned red to his ears. How could she be called a beautiful lady in this state?
Yi Minggong continued, "Tonight our Air Force Brigade is having a party at the hotel. We would like to invite the teachers and children from the nursery to attend. I wonder if Miss Jing would be willing to do us the honor?"
Dance? Jing Mingchen's heart moved.
I wonder if Jiang Gubei will attend?
As night fell, Jing Mingchen dressed up freshly and led the cleaned-up children to the ship hotel where Yi Minggong was. The lobby had been newly decorated. It was simple and low-key during the war, but it also exuded a festive atmosphere.
The soldiers of the Air Force Group were all young and inexperienced. Seeing the young female teachers in the nursery, they all blushed and were at a loss. Fortunately, there were so many children, and the atmosphere finally eased after a while. Jing Mingchen played the piano for accompaniment, and the children sang a chorus of the nursery association's anthem.
After the children's performance, Yi Minggong winked at his comrades, and dozens of handsome young men stood up in unison. Tonight, they all wore air force uniforms. When they stood up, the cleanly starched uniforms made a "swish" sound. A group of young boys stood with their hands behind their backs, standing tall like a poplar forest. Yi Minggong said, "Since the children have performed, our air force brigade will also sing a song for the children as a reward. Miss Jing, can you play the "Anti-Enemy Song"?"
Jing Mingchen understood what he meant. How could she not understand it? When she was studying at Jinling Women's University, the smoke of the September 18th Incident had just dissipated and "Anti-Enemy Song" was widely circulated among progressive students. She had played this song many times at dances.
Yi Minggong nodded, turned around to face his comrades, raised his hand and commanded: "One, two, three, sing!"
The boys sang loudly:

Who are the masters of China's splendid country? Our 400 million compatriots!
The invaders are violent and brutal. Let’s unite and resist them persistently to take revenge!
The family can be destroyed, but the country must be protected! The body can be killed, but the will cannot be broken!

As she played, Jing Mingchen couldn't help tapping her feet. She had heard many people singing this song on many occasions, but had never been as moved as she was this time. Even though some of them had hoarse or even tone-deaf voices, this was a song with blood and power.
When the song ended, Yi Minggong turned around to look at Jing Mingchen and nodded to thank her. Jing Mingchen responded with a bright smile.
After singing two songs, the strange and awkward atmosphere was successfully dispelled. The children sat down to have snacks, while the pilots danced in pairs with the teachers.
Jing Mingchen didn't dance, but continued to play the piano. Yi Minggong stood not far away and watched for a while, then walked towards her: "Miss Jing, can I invite you to dance with me?"
Jing Mingchen raised his face and smiled: "No, I feel a little uncomfortable."
She lied. It was not that she couldn't dance, she was just depressed so she didn't have the energy to dance. She thought Jiang Gubei would also come to the party today, but he didn't.
The feeling of depression was like the water of the Yangtze River, drowning her wave after wave. She didn't want to dance with anyone. Even if Jiang Gubei came to invite her to dance now, she would not dance!
Jing Mingchen was thinking angrily about Jiang Gubei, so his men put in a little more effort, and the waltz music they played was full of anger.
Yi Minggong did not force it. He bowed politely to Jing Mingchen and said, "Sorry for bothering you. I hope I can have the opportunity to dance with you again in the future."
He was so considerate that Jing Mingchen felt embarrassed. She said solemnly: "When the war is won, I will dance with you."
The party ended quickly, and the children were sent back to the reception station after eating until they were full. Only a few people were left at the party, and Yi Minggong teased Jing Mingchen: "If you refuse to dance with me, you won't refuse me to send you home, right?"
Jing Mingchen responded with a shy and embarrassed smile.
To prevent air raids, Yichang was in darkness at night. Yi Minggong and Jing Mingchen walked slowly on the road. While walking, Yi Minggong told Jing Mingchen some interesting stories about the Air Force Brigade. However, Jing Mingchen listened absent-mindedly, as her mind was full of that night in Kaifeng.
That night was as dark as this one.
How she wished that tonight could be like that night, with a tiny fire appearing in the darkness.
However, when the fire really appeared, she was stunned.
She stopped and Yi Minggong followed her line of sight. There was a man leaning against the lamppost in front of them. He was standing tall under his ironed windbreaker, with a faint glow of cigarette at the corner of his mouth. His bright eyes were looking at him and Jing Mingchen.
Jing Mingchen whispered: "That's my friend, thank you for taking me home, goodbye."
Her voice was so small, apologetic and timid, but Yi Minggong seemed to hear some joy in it.
He looked at her back as she jumped like a little sparrow towards the strange man. The man nodded to him slightly, then turned around and walked away with Jing Mingchen.
Jiang Gubei walked very fast, and Jing Mingchen almost had to jog to keep up with him. She sensed a hint of anger in him, and took two quick steps, spread her arms and blocked his way: "What's wrong with you? Who made you angry?"
Jiang Gubei stopped, lowered his head and looked at her with narrowed eyes and pursed lips. How dare you ask? A few days ago, he heard the news that the cargo ship was bombed and sunk. He was worried that she was also on the sunken ship. He had no way of knowing the specific situation, and he was so anxious that he couldn't sleep or eat. He ran to the dock every day and almost used the car as a bedroom. The moment he saw her appear safely at the dock, his tears almost fell. He got into the car and ran away because he was afraid of being seen by her. Who would have thought that when he went back to take a shower, she ran off to dance with another man!
You still have the nerve to ask him who made him angry!
He was really pissed off by her.
Jiang Gubei was angry and said sarcastically, "I thought Miss Jing was really a heroine who worries about the world first, but I didn't expect she danced happily."
Jing Mingchen was so angry that he jumped three feet high: "You are slandering me with your red mouth and white teeth! This is not a dance, it's a party held by the Air Force Brigade for children. I didn't dance with anyone. What right do you have to scold me?"
Jiang Gubei was stunned. Is that so? A smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "I was wrong. I apologize to you."
Jing Mingchen was still angry: "Is an apology so great? Is your apology worth a thousand gold?"
She waved her hand and strode away. She glanced behind her, but she didn't see Jiang Gubei following her. The more she thought about it, the more she felt wronged. She refused Yi Minggong because she didn't want to dance with anyone other than him. Yi Minggong was an air force pilot, an eagle soaring in the blue sky, a hero defending his country, and he had just fought in an air battle in Wuhan. He could be considered her lifesaver. Logically speaking, a hero's request should not be rejected, let alone a small invitation to dance. She refused him and still felt guilty and uneasy. However, Jiang Gubei, the instigator, accused her of indulging in sensual pleasures without any reason!
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She turned around, ran back quickly, and kicked Jiang Gubei on the knee.
She was reluctant to let him go, so she didn't use too much force, but Jiang Gubei groaned and staggered, almost falling to the ground. Jing Mingchen was startled and hurriedly supported him: "How are you? I'm sorry, I didn't mean it..."
Jiang Gubei was sweating profusely from the pain: "It has nothing to do with you. I fell down when I was running for the alarm yesterday and hurt my knee."
Now half of China's population has gathered in Yichang, and Yichang has become a new target for Japanese bombing. Jing Mingchen felt guilty. At this critical moment for the survival of the nation, when so many people were starving and their lives were in danger, she was still here and making such a scene with Jiang Gubei. She was really ignorant of the sufferings of the world.
She supported Jiang Gubei and walked towards the reception station. As they walked, they talked about their experiences in the past few days. Jing Mingchen asked him, "How is Mr. Lin?"
Jiang Gubei was silent for a moment before answering, "Mr. Lin died the day I arrived, so I only had time to hear his last words."
Jing Mingchen uttered a small "Oh" and said nothing more. The question "What about Miss Lin?" was like a hot fireball running around under her tongue. She tried hard to suppress it and not let it come out. Fortunately, the reception station was right in front of her.
Jiang Gubei said "good night" to her and watched her walk into the reception station. He stood there for a while before turning around and leaving.
His steps were slow, not only because of the knee injury, but also because of what was on his mind.
He thought of Mr. Lin.
Mr. Lin had a chronic illness. The journey south was stressful and frightening, and coupled with his old age, he fell ill as soon as he arrived in Yichang. By the time he arrived, the old man was already on his deathbed.
The old man called him here for two reasons: one was business, and the other was to entrust his orphan to him.
He had been working as a clerk in the old man's customs brokerage firm since he was 17 years old. Now he has returned to the Jiang family as the head of the family, and his relationship with the old man has changed from an employment relationship to a cooperative relationship. Last year, he sold the Jiang family's business and invested the cash in the southwest. Mr. Lin also bought shares in his southwest company and is the second largest shareholder after him.
As for entrusting an orphan to someone else… He and Miss Lin Zhiwei had known each other for many years, so it was impossible for him not to notice Mr. Lin’s thoughts. He also knew that Mr. Lin had promoted him over the years, more or less for the sake of recruiting him as a son-in-law for his daughter Zhiwei in the future. Therefore, in the past ten years, he had always worked harder than others, just to bring Mr. Lin money to compensate for the promotion, to dilute the impact of “relying on a woman”. He always treated Zhiwei as a sister, and rarely contacted her privately to avoid suspicion. Last year, he proposed to Jing Mingchen, more or less with the intention of expressing his ambition to Mr. Lin, but who would have thought that it would not work out, and Mr. Lin kept thinking about it until his death.
Mr. Lin had been through a lot in life and had become a very experienced person. He also realized that Jiang Gubei had no romantic feelings for Lin Zhiwei. The conversation he had with Jiang Gubei before his death was actually a negotiation, a negotiation to entrust an orphan to someone else with business as a bargaining chip.
After his death, Zhiwei, as the sole heir to his property, would naturally inherit his shares in the Jiang family company. If Jiang Gubei married Lin Zhiwei, those shares would naturally become his dowry.
"You have great ambitions in the southwest. You raised too much money at the beginning, and your equity is dispersed. If the money is dispersed, the hearts will be divided. If there is any mistake, your position will be difficult to maintain. But if your shares and my shares are combined into one, who can shake you?"
At this point, it can be said that he was almost coercing and inducing. Jiang Gubei knew that what he said was right. The business world was like a battlefield, surrounded by wolves. He was dancing with wolves when he opened a company. Which of those major shareholders was a vegetarian? Not to mention that there was a fire burning in the backyard of the Jiang family.
Emotionally, he should seem to understand an old man's concern for a sick and frail orphan girl.
Logically, he should consider his future and accept the shares that could save him a lot of trouble.
but……
He could only kneel down in front of Mr. Lin's bed and promise: "Gubei will definitely take good care of Miss Zhiwei... and treat her as her own sister for the rest of her life."
Knowing that he had made up his mind, Mr. Lin could only sigh: "I paved a smooth road for you, but you insisted on walking on the narrow bridge."
Jiang Gubei smiled faintly: "It's a pity that what you want to give is not what I want."
He naturally wanted to achieve great success, but he didn't need charity from others, nor would he achieve it by sacrificing Jing Mingchen's life.
Lin Zhiwei was too weak to work, so Jiang Gubei took over the funeral as a filial son. During the war, everything was kept simple, and a temporary mourning hall was set up. Mr. Lin's body was burned to ashes, waiting for the situation to improve in the future before being transported back to his hometown in Qingpu for burial.
Jiang Gubei took the urn to Miss Lin, but was stopped downstairs by Miss Lin's maid. The maid relayed Miss Lin's words: "Please give the master's ashes to me. Our young lady said she will not see you anymore. She also said that she can take care of herself and does not need an irrelevant person to act as her brother."
Jiang Gubei had no choice but to hand the urn to her, smiled bitterly and turned away.
He had completely offended Miss Lin. This Miss Lin not only had the weakness of Miss Lin, but also the determination of Miss Lin.
He and Lin Zhiwei had known each other for eight years, and he never expected that they would break up in this way.
But it's good, from now on, I have no distractions, and the world is suddenly wider. Walking alone in the October night wind in Yichang, thinking of Jing Mingchen, Jiang Gubei couldn't help but smile slightly.
Jing Mingchen was awakened by her colleagues before dawn. She sleepily put clothes and shoes on the children and went straight to Minsheng Company.
They went to petition. Nowadays, there are more people than ships. Minsheng Company is responsible for the transfer task assigned by the government and monopolizes the Yangtze River shipping from Yichang to Chongqing. Every day, countless people come here to petition for ships. When Jing Mingchen and his team arrived, a large number of people had already gathered in front of Minsheng Company.
Jing Mingchen held the children's hands and stood on tiptoe to look forward. Wow, it's so lively, there are even slogans.
She asked her colleagues, “Does a petition work?”
A colleague sighed: "Whether it's useful or not, we can't just sit there and wait for death."
Jing Mingchen had no choice but to raise his fist with her and shout loudly: "Save the child! Save the child!"
Suddenly, he was pushed from behind. Jing Mingchen stumbled and fell to his knees. He looked up and saw a group of rogue soldiers pushing through the crowd. They were dressed in rags and had leggings. The rifles in their hands effectively intimidated the crowd. The petitioning team wisely made way for them. They walked to the ticket window with a swagger, and the leader punched the window hard: "The general needs to buy tickets. Where are your people in charge?"
The staff had been used to these scenes for days and were very calm about it: "Sorry, the supply of tickets is tight at the moment. Please follow the procedures."
The leading soldier spat a mouthful of sticky phlegm onto the window glass, then deftly pulled the safety pin and thrust the barrel of his gun through the window to press against the staff member's forehead, cursing: "I almost lost my life on the battlefield for you, and now you won't even give me a ticket. I'll ask you again, do you have a ticket?"
The staff member calmly pulled away the gun barrel: "It would be useless even if you really shot me to death. A small character like me has no right to deploy ships."
He did not lie. Today, shipping in Yichang is regulated by the government and cannot be influenced by private forces.
The soldier pulled back his gun and shoved the crowd away with his brothers, swearing. Halfway through the journey, he became increasingly unwilling to give up, so he raised his gun and fired a few shots into the air to vent his anger. The gunshots immediately caused chaos in the crowd. Someone screamed, "Japanese planes are coming." The crowd was immediately frightened and ran around like headless flies. In an instant, the entire dock was in chaos.
Jing Mingchen struggled to hold on to the children to prevent them from being separated by the crowd. By the time order at the dock was finally restored to normal, she was already sweating profusely.
Jiang Gubei walked out of Minsheng Company and immediately saw Jing Mingchen sitting cross-legged outside the door holding his child.
She looked like she hadn't slept well, with dark circles under her eyes and messy hair. She nodded her head like a chicken pecking at rice, but her hands were tightly holding the children's hands. Jiang Gubei walked towards her, took off his coat while walking, raised his index finger to the children and said "hush", knelt on one leg on the ground, and gently put the coat on Jing Mingchen's shoulders.
Even though he was careful, Jing Mingchen was still awakened. She suddenly opened her eyes: "Mr. Jiang, it's you."
It was terrible. She had a pair of wet eyes like a deer by the stream, with a little fear, as if she suddenly heard the hunter's gunshot.
The cool breeze by the river dispelled his sleepiness. Looking at the endless stream of boats, Jing Mingchen couldn't help but complain, "I really don't understand. In such a big country, why can't they afford a boat for the children?"
Jiang Gubei shook his head: "That's not what I meant."
He pointed at the dock and then pointed behind him: "Look, now almost half of China's population is crowded in Yichang. It can be said that Yichang is now the hope of China's future. The economy in the southwest is declining, and people need to go to Sichuan, as well as machinery and materials. It is already October, and in a month and a half at most, the lower reaches of the Yangtze River will enter the dry season. By then, shipping will stagnate and even gods will be powerless to save the situation. It is very difficult for Mr. Lu to transport nearly half of China's population to Chongqing in more than 40 days."
Mr. Lu is the boss of Minsheng Company. Jing Mingchen has heard about this gentleman from her father. She said to Jiang Gubei apologetically, "I know Mr. Lu has a hard time. I just can't help but complain. By the way, it sounds like you have a personal relationship with Mr. Lu?"
Jiang Gubei nodded. "I guess so. Ten years ago, I worked as a clerk at a customs brokerage in Shanghai and often had to go to the docks to connect with cargo ships. At that time, Minsheng Company was just established and Mr. Lu had not yet made his fortune. I met him at the dock and I felt that he was extraordinary. Ten years later, it turned out to be true."
Jing Mingchen tilted his head and looked at him. This man's resume was really strange. He was not much older than himself, but he seemed to have experienced several lifetimes. Ten years ago, he thought Mr. Lu was no ordinary person, and he was probably thinking that he had the potential to turn into a dragon.
Jiang Gubei looked at her strangely and touched her chin: "What are you looking at?"
Jing Mingchen smiled and said, "Nothing, I'm just suddenly curious about what you looked like when you were a teenager."
Jiang Gubei chuckled: "I'm afraid it's far from what you think."
Jing Mingchen was curious and was about to ask more questions when Jiang Gubei changed the subject: "Your petitioning like this won't work. I'll teach you a way. Go back to the reception station and bring more children to perform in front of the Minsheng Company. Maybe the cuteness of the children can win them more opportunities."
Jing Mingchen suddenly realized: "Yes, why didn't I think of that? I'll go back and bring the kids here right now!"
She turned around and ran anxiously, but her footing slipped and she almost fell to the ground. Fortunately, Jiang Gubei was quick-witted and stretched out his arms to hold her waist and pull her back. Jing Mingchen crashed into Jiang Gubei's arms, his face against his chest.
She pushed Jiang Gubei away with both hands, said "thank you" in a panic, turned around and ran away like a deer.
Jiang Gubei looked at her back and couldn't help but raise his hand to touch his chest. When Jing Mingchen pushed him away, two soft little hands seemed to scratch his chest, gently, making him feel itchy.
He lowered his eyes and smiled softly.
Jing Mingchen returned to the reception station and discussed with his colleagues. They decided to do as Jiang Gubei suggested and arrange a few programs, taking the children to the Minsheng Company to perform and petition. Maybe they could even raise some money for the conservation association.