Huayu Chunqiu, starting from being adopted by a fairy mother

Chapter 369 Summer Without Sunshine
Su Rou was at the Gulou Clinic. The doctor and patient had already left, and the place was in a mess.

Because of a pregnant woman, Su Rou and several girls had not yet had time to evacuate.

"Auntie, there are only a limited number of evacuation slots, let's hurry up and leave." A young girl said in a panic.

The pregnant woman lay on the bed and said, "Sister-in-law Zhou, you should go now. I'm afraid I can't walk anymore."

Su Rou hesitated for a moment, glanced at her pregnant belly, and gritted her teeth, "Let's go together, I'll take you all with me."

"I'm a burden..." the pregnant woman cried.

"Xiuzhi, put on my coat." Su Rou unbuttoned the cotton-padded coat and wrapped it around the pregnant woman's swollen body. "When the Japanese inspect ships, they specifically pinch women's breasts. This coat is thick, so you can get away with it."

The Japanese were more lenient in their checks on male refugees, but extremely strict, or rather, strict, checks on women.

They also guard against women disguised as men, using their walking posture and the sensitivity of their waist to easily verify a man's identity.

A young girl cried, "Auntie, I'm afraid of bayonets."

"If you're scared, I won't chop you up? Watch closely." Su Rou took off her coat, grabbed a handful of stove ash, smeared it on her neck and face, tore open her skirt, and tightly wrapped it around her chest. "There are a lot of men's clothes in the yard. They didn't have time to pack them up. Everyone, hurry up and change into these."

"Ah Ling, watch this carefully. Men should swing their arms when they walk. Everyone should learn from me..."

“You must remember this Japanese phrase. If you encounter Japanese soldiers, shout it after me: 'Tennouheikabanzai,' make sure your voice is loud and clear…”

Su Rou thought of the Japanese soldiers' inspections, so she not only taught everyone how to walk like a man and reminded them of the details, but also taught them a Japanese phrase.

"Auntie, what does that mean?"

"You don't need to know!"

Su Rou was helping the pregnant woman towards the door when the door was suddenly pushed open.

The girls screamed in fright and huddled behind Su Rou, trembling with fear.

"It's me, Zhou Huaiping." Zhou Huaiping quickly closed the door, relieved that his wife was alright.

Su Rou wasn't happy; instead, her expression changed drastically, and her voice trembled, "Huaiping, where...where is Xiaoting?"

"I've hidden Xiaoting. It's not safe here. Let's leave quickly," Zhou Huaiping said, pulling his wife along.

Su Rou glanced at the pregnant woman, her eyes grave. "Huaiping, it's not safe here, it's not safe in the whole of Nanjing. Where can we go? Give me the long robe, I can disguise myself as a man and sneak out, and I can also protect a few more young girls. You...you protect Xiaoting, you all hide well, and wait for me to come back."

"you……"

"Give me the clothes," Su Rou growled.

Zhou Huaiping took a deep look at his wife and then took off his long gown.

Su Rou took off her tattered clothes, which she didn't know belonged to any patient, and put on her husband's long gown.

"Auntie, you've buttoned your clothes up backwards." A young girl tugged at her long gown.

Su Rou styled her long hair into a man's bun and sneered upon hearing this, "That's the opposite! Back when I played a male role and sang 'Night Flight,' the opera fans all said I was tougher than a real man."

She took a couple of steps, and she really did exude a heroic air.

"Take care of Xiaoting, take care of yourself." She hugged her husband, then opened the door. Her eyes were filled with determination, and she and a few terrified girls quickly disappeared into the chaotic crowd.

Zhou Huaiping felt as if his heart was being torn apart; his lips trembled as if he had a thousand words to say, but they turned into silent tears.

--------

woo woo woo woo……

The mournful sound of the ship's horn echoed across the ferry crossing on the Xiaguan River.

On the iron-gray river surface, ice floes collided, and the rusted hulls of coal-carrying ships were crowded with refugees.

Refugees scrambled onto the pier, all wanting to board this ship.

A foreigner, waving a flag, kept shouting, "Ship! Last one! Women...woman! Children...little! First!"

No one listened. Getting on the ship meant survival, staying meant death. Everyone wanted to get on the ship, everyone wanted to grasp at this glimmer of hope.

That's how cruel life and death can be.

Su Rou, with the pregnant woman and the young girl, was already very close to the ship.

The pregnant woman suddenly collapsed to the ground, clutching her abdomen; her amniotic fluid had ruptured, soaking her trousers.

She gripped Su Rou's wrist tightly, "My child, don't kick anymore, I can't walk anymore. Sister-in-law Zhou, you all get on the boat, don't worry about me."

Su Rou looked down, her pregnant fingernails digging into her muscles. A jasmine-patterned handkerchief, the one she'd sewn for Xiao Ting yesterday, was tied to her wrist; bloodstains stained the white petals.

"Hang in there, little sister. Get on the boat first. It's like having two lives if you're alive," Su Rou encouraged.

A young girl's face changed drastically, her voice trembling, "Auntie... Auntie, he... they..."

Several Japanese sentries walked towards this side.

"Xiuzhi, tuck in your stomach, bend over, and lower your head. Do you all still remember the Japanese I taught you?" Su Rou took a deep breath.

As the Japanese soldiers drew closer, the entire theater held its breath.

The girls nodded, and Su Rou stepped forward, standing at the very front. She whispered, "Keep your head down and yell at me... てんのうへいかばんざい！"

The Japanese soldier kicked Su Rou in the shin and shouted, "Get out of the way, coolie!"

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Su Rou led the girl aside and let the Japanese soldiers pass.

Just when everyone thought they had passed this hurdle, one of the Japanese soldiers suddenly stopped and said, "Wait."

"The labor team? This way!" The Japanese soldier approached Su Rou in Japanese and pressed the tip of his bayonet against her waist.

Su Rou lowered her voice and shouted in Japanese, "Hey! Moving ammunition for the holy war!"

"You, you, and you..." The Japanese soldier pointed at the three men with his bayonet, "Come with us."

"Sister-in-law Zhou..."

"Tell Huaiping to take Xiaoting to Yuhuatai to pick jasmine in the spring."

--------

She couldn't tell Zhou Huaiping anymore. Zhou Huaiping went into hiding all the way, and the audience followed him through a series of thrilling adventures until they finally returned to the teahouse.

The Japanese soldiers were searching the teahouse. Zhou Huaiping, worried that his daughter would be discovered, stepped forward and pretended to be captured, thus luring the Japanese soldiers away.

Zhou Huaiping was a famous storyteller in Nanjing. The Japanese did not kill him for the time being because they had other uses for him.

rustling...

A thin hand held a charcoal pencil, painstakingly drawing lines on the rough wall.

“The character ‘正’ is missing one stroke…” Xiaoting’s voice was very weak. The camera zoomed in on the wall, showing the fourth “正” character.

She relied on traces to record time, as hunger, cold, and fear constantly assailed her.

This is a cellar, dark, cold, damp, and oxygen-deprived. Xiaoting huddled in a corner, with only a faint ray of light coming through the crack.

In the corner were an empty water sack, an empty food bag, a few sweet potatoes, and a few cabbages, all covered with traces of rats gnawing on them.

"Anan, jasmine flower, four counts for breathing..."

"What a beautiful jasmine flower, what a beautiful jasmine flower, even snow cannot surpass its whiteness. I long to pick one and wear it, but I fear others will laugh at me."

In a blur, Xiaoting heard her mother's voice, so bright and sunny.

"On Laba Festival, Mother should cook red bean porridge," Xiaoting murmured, licking the wall with her tongue where water had seeped out.

"Mom, the red bean porridge is sweet." Xiaoting suddenly coughed and spat twice. "You're lying, it tastes like rust..."

"What a beautiful jasmine flower..." The voice was faint, almost inaudible.

clack clack...

The water surface froze, then was broken open.

There were dozens of Japanese soldiers on the shore. They laughed loudly, cursed indiscriminately, and beat people at will.

They ordered the people to strip off their clothes and jump into the water to catch fish. Everyone was shivering from the cold, their lips white, their faces ashen. Despite the threat of bayonets, they endured the cold and pain and jumped in.

One by one, frozen corpses floated to the surface, making the Japanese soldiers even more triumphant. Then, more people were pushed into the water.

A handkerchief embroidered with jasmine flowers floats on the water; the jasmine flowers are blood-red.

Before anyone could see clearly, a Japanese soldier threw a grenade in.

Blood and flesh flew everywhere, water splashed, the water surface was stained red, and the handkerchief was reduced to pieces, scattered and drifting in all directions.

--------

stomping on...

The Japanese soldiers marched in orderly steps, escorting a group of people to Jiangdong Gate.

Zhou Huaiping was among them, staggering and weak, being pushed along by the Japanese soldiers.

His once jet-black hair had turned gray, his fair face was now covered with a beard, and his clothes were tattered; he was nowhere to be seen as the refined gentleman he once was.

A large crowd had gathered on both sides of the road, mostly foreigners, with a few missionaries standing out among the onlookers.

Zhou Huaiping suddenly broke free, rushed into the crowd, grabbed a missionary, and shouted in English, "Save me, save me..."

As he shouted, he quickly shoved the half of the gavel hidden in his bosom into the missionary's hand and instructed in a very low and fast voice, "Dr. Wilson, give this to Dr. Zhang at Gulou Hospital."

Zhou Huaiping's eyes held a plea, but also a heavy responsibility.

Before Dr. Wilson could even speak, Zhou Huaiping was captured by the Japanese soldiers, kicked a few times, cursed a few times, and then continued to be escorted forward.

boom……

A three-stringed instrument was thrown on the ground, and iron shoes walked on the ground, finally stepping on the tuning pegs.

The camera slowly pans up, revealing corpses lying on the ground, more and more, densely packed.

Blood mixed with mud, mud mixed with blood; the former Jiangdong Gate had become a slaughterhouse.

A Japanese general, with one foot on the piano peg, shouted, "Artist, sing 'Sakura,' or else..."

He slapped Zhou Huaiping's cheek with his military knife, his Chinese was broken, and his face was even more stiff.

Zhou Huaiping picked up the sanxian (a three-stringed plucked instrument), saying, "Qinhuai artists only play tunes passed down from their ancestors."

The Japanese soldier smashed Zhou Huaiping's back with the butt of his rifle. He fell to the ground, his white hair stained with blood and his beard covered in mud.

The Japanese general grinned maliciously, stepping on Zhou Huaiping's back, "Don't you love singing 'The Song of the Rear Courtyard'? Then sing your emperor's 'The Song of the Rear Courtyard'!"

They were speaking Japanese, which Zhou Huaiping couldn't understand, but he could recognize the song title.

His face was ashen, and he gritted his teeth, "Fine, I'll sing."

"Hahahaha..." The Japanese general laughed loudly, his pride boundless.

He helped Zhou Huaiping up, brushed off the dust, and then gestured for him to leave, displaying a polite and refined demeanor.

Zhou Huaiping plucked the strings to test the sound, startling crows into flight.

He suddenly slammed his fingers down on the strings, splitting his fingernails, and sang loudly, "My hair stands on end in anger, leaning against the railing..."

Bang...

The string snapped with a resounding clang!

Zhou Huaiping's eyes were bloodshot as he looked up at the sun. "The rain has stopped, I look up!"

boom……

The second string snapped, his hands turned bloody, "He looked up to the sky and roared, his heart filled with fierce passion."

The Japanese general, his politeness still on his face, drew his sword in a rage and slashed at Zhou Huaiping, yelling, "Baka..."

puff……

Blood spurted as the strings snapped, a hoarse voice continued singing, "Thirty years of fame and glory... dust and dirt, eight thousand miles of road..."

Zhou Huaiping collapsed to the ground, lifeless. The Japanese general, still not satisfied, flew into a rage and hacked wildly at his corpse. The sanxian (a three-stringed plucked instrument) was soaked in blood, its broken strings resembling stray strands of hair.

--------

The human tragedy did not stop with Zhou Huaiping's death; it continues.

Scene after scene, play after play, painting after painting...

The broken string drifted in the wind, witnessing all of this, and transformed into two large characters, "Spring Thunder".

Snapped……

The gavel landed on the table, not as if a storyteller was about to begin his sermon, but as if Dr. Zhang from Gulou Hospital was unable to lift such a heavy weight.

It was a basement. Wilson eventually found Dr. Zhang and handed him half of the gavel.

Dr. Zhang is an old friend of Zhou Huaiping's family and is very familiar with this gavel.

He stroked the familiar pattern, and memories of the past surfaced in his mind.

One afternoon, he was having tea with Zhou Huaiping, who was explaining the history of the gavel to him, including its origins during the Qianlong era, its status as a palace artifact, and its generations of inheritance.

He only listened to these things, as Mr. Zhou always did, but the wonder of it remains unforgettable to this day.

He showed this amazing scene to Wilson again under the kerosene lamp.

He gently turned the gavel, and the inside of the gavel was cleverly hollowed out, revealing a small note hidden inside.

Dr. Zhang picked up the tweezers and removed the paper strip.

White paper, red words, written in blood: "Japanese 16th Division, 33rd Regiment..."

Dr. Zhang unfolded the note; there was more text on the back: "No. 33 Shanghai Road, Joint Command Post."

In addition, the back features a jasmine flower and the words "Jasmine fades, new buds hide, but the string never dies" written in tiny characters.

“Oh my God! He drew a jasmine in the palm of God’s hand,” Wilson exclaimed.

In the cellar, a ray of dawn pierced the darkness through the cracks.

Xiaoting pulled out some cotton wadding from her torn cotton-padded jacket and stuffed it into her mouth. She nibbled at the moss on the wall and skillfully licked away the water stains.

Her hand holding the charcoal pencil trembled as she struggled to draw a line, and another day began.

"What a beautiful jasmine flower, what a beautiful jasmine flower, none of the flowers and plants in the garden can compare to it. I want to pick one to wear, but I'm afraid it won't sprout next year."

My mother's singing voice echoed in my ears, and her image appeared before my eyes.

Xiaoting's voice was very soft, almost inaudible, "Fragrant...beautiful...full of branches..."

The sound of light footsteps came, but it was very loud in the cellar.

Xiaoting's dazed expression suddenly vanished, followed by a beam of light piercing through her, obscuring her vision as the cellar cover was lifted.

Dr. Zhang lay prone at the cellar entrance, his hand outstretched, tears welling in his eyes.

Wilson crouched down beside her, his voice choked with emotion, "Little Jasmine, you're safe now."

Xiaoting tucked the charcoal pencil into her hair bun, hesitant and wary. "Dad said I can only go out when the flowers bloom."

“Look! New buds are sprouting.” Wilson pointed to the cellar wall, where a crooked jasmine flower was drawn, along with nine tally marks and one unfinished tally mark.

"What a beautiful jasmine flower..." Xiaoting murmured, her childlike voice suddenly becoming loud and clear.

As the song played, the wall plaster crumbled and fell, charcoal drawings blossomed, and jasmine flowers were placed in a vase in a solemn hall.

As the song played, a red leaf on the musical score buried in the courtyard sprouted and grew into a towering tree.

As the song played, the cellar exploded, and the teahouse was transformed into a memorial hall. Young people, men, and women listened to history unfold.

--------

boom……

The gavel struck; this was a courtroom, and in the center stood an elderly man with white hair.

The crooked lines of the characters "正" were rearranged, and a line of text appeared at the bottom of the screen: "Forty-eight years later, 1985, International Criminal Court of the Far East."

"Witness, please state your connection to evidence number 1147." The judge, a foreign judge, spoke in English.

The white-haired old woman raised her jujube wood gavel and said, "I am Zhou Xiaoting from Zhou's Teahouse on the banks of the Qinhuai River in Nanjing."

She unscrewed the wooden block, revealing a slip of paper: "These numbers, the 33rd Regiment of the 16th Division of the Japanese Army, have been etched into my bones for forty-eight years. I have never dared to forget them, could not forget them, and will never forget them."

She tapped the gavel three times.

"One bang! A tribute to my father, Zhou Huaiping, whose bow broke at Jiangdong Gate!"

"Two shots! A tribute to my mother, Su Rou, who died in Xiaguan!"

Three resounding cries! A sacrifice to the 300,000 souls of Jinling!

The Japanese defense lawyer interrupted, "The wooden block alone cannot prove the atrocities committed by the troops; it may have been after the war..."

Zhou Xiaoting pulled out half a page of the yellowed musical score, "Look at the blood-written note on the back, winter of Showa 12, No. 33 Shanghai Road."

She looked at the judge, "Please summon the files from cellar number 7 of Gulou Hospital. That night, I was curled up in the cellar and heard the Japanese soldiers say..."

The cellar reappeared on the screen, the sound of iron boots was deafening, and her memory returned to more than forty years ago.

Xiaoting suddenly spoke in a hoarse, Kansai-style Japanese accent, “The 33rd Regiment’s credit goes to the Colonel! Cut off a hundred heads, and you’ll get a liter of sake!”

Dead!

The gavel fell to the ground like a thunderclap.

--------

The memorial hall was visited by teachers and students, and there was also a choral performance.

A boy touched the display case and said, "Teacher, look, there are white flowers blooming on this piece of black wood."

The teacher pointed to the gavel, "That's not a flower. Seventy years ago, a grandfather carved jasmine marks with his fingernails."

The camera zooms in for a close-up, with a caption that reads, "Donated by Zhou Xiaoting, daughter of Zhou Huaiping and Su Rou, in 2004."

"Everyone sing, 'What a beautiful jasmine flower...'"

"What a beautiful jasmine flower, what a beautiful jasmine flower, fragrant and beautiful, the branches are full of blossoms, so fragrant and white, everyone praises it, let me pick you and give you to someone else..."

The children's choir sang, echoing throughout the memorial hall.

An elderly man with white hair stroked the glass display case and gently sang along to the rhythm.

"Dad, Mom, today I'm singing 'Jasmine Flower' without needing to breathe."

In the reflection of the glass, the shadow of the young Su Rou appears as she ties a red ribbon around the head of the white-haired old woman.

The red ribbon fluttered in the wind, transforming into two large, fiery red characters: "Summer".

clap clap clap...

As the cinema lights came on, a familiar voice sang "Jasmine Flower," but it was no longer a children's choir, but a professional singer.

"This film is dedicated to the more than 300,000 compatriots who were killed..."

As the credits rolled, the audience lingered, waiting until the end before being astonished. What happened? There was nothing more?

It's gone, it's over, but why did you show up in the summer?
"Autumn cicadas, winter snow, spring thunder, what about summer? What comes after summer? Liu Jing ate them all!" an audience member shouted.

"What Liu Jing? It's clearly Liu Rijing."

“Summer has no sun, and there’s nothing more.” someone responded.

"No cicadas in autumn, no snow in winter, no thunder in spring, no sun in summer..." the assistant murmured.

Looking at her boss's back, she suddenly felt that he was very tall and imposing.

Looking at the distance between the two, it suddenly seemed ridiculous; this attempt to avoid suspicion was a bit excessive.

The romantic relationship between the two main characters has been exposed, and countless people are watching them closely.

After the press conference, Sister Li disappeared without a trace, and reporters had no chance to interview her.

Liu Yifei lives a secluded life, almost as if she has left the world behind, and refuses any interviews.

Therefore, everyone's attention can only be focused on the male lead.

Today is the fifth day of the movie's release. On the day of the premiere, the assistant was supposed to take the boss to see the movie, but after leaving the film set, a large number of paparazzi were staking out the area.

Plans can't keep up with changes, so I had to give up watching the movie.

The second day was even crazier, with paparazzi sneaking into the film set only to be caught by the production crew.

From that day on, the entire film crew was placed under martial law, and everyone had to clock in and out.

Tomorrow, the assistant is going back to the set of "The Myth," and the boss is keeping his promise and treating the assistant to a movie.

The shop owner didn't buy two tickets, but three, and he also brought a light bulb with him.

Now, to avoid suspicion, he left her behind and walked ahead shoulder to shoulder with Hu Ge.

As for why the light bulb is Hugo, there's actually a story behind that.

The boss didn't want to bring her alone, as it would be easy for paparazzi or enthusiastic viewers to spot her, so he needed to bring a cover.

Liu Shishi said, "My mom and I are going shopping tonight, so I can't go."

Tang Yan said, "We don't have any scandals right now, so don't create any because of this."

Tong Liya said, "I have to memorize the script at night, so I don't have time."

Yang Mi was the most decisive: she wouldn't go!
Hu Ge plays Li Xiaoyao in "Chinese Paladin 3," serving as a link between the series and "Chinese Paladin 1." Li Xiaoyao's role isn't large, and he just started filming today. Wrapping up in one day—it couldn't have been faster!

Liu Jing suggested going to the movies to celebrate, and Hu Ge immediately became wary. What was this grown man up thinking, inviting me to a movie? I've played a couple with Liu Yifei, and with Yang Mi, and now I'm playing a couple with Bai Bing. Is he trying to get revenge on me?

Heaven and earth bear witness: during filming, I was extremely proper and polite, not daring to glance at anyone even slightly. Outside of filming, there was absolutely no private contact between us.

Once he realized what was going on, he was even less willing to go. It was obvious they wanted him to be a third wheel and a scapegoat. If others found out, they would definitely suspect his relationship with Bai Bing first, especially since they were filming "The Myth".

In the end, Hu Ge agreed, and Liu Jing asked him to repay the debt of gratitude.

At the wrap party for "The Sacred Flame" last year, Liu Jing originally wanted to invite Hu Ge to play Zhang Wuji in the TV series.

Old Hu wanted to change his career path, especially to the big screen. So he asked Liu Jing, "You're going to make an art film about the Holocaust, could you give me a role?"

Even a minor supporting role is fine, preferably a serious one, not the kind that's all smiles and laughter.

Liu Jing agreed and gave the role of Dr. Zhang to Hu Ge, which was incredibly thoughtful.

He also cast Gao Yuanyuan as the older version of Xiaoting, and many people didn't even recognize her.

Almost all the artists from Spring and Autumn are in it, many of them without even a single line. The pregnant woman is played by Li Xiaoran, and Liu Jing felt that her face looked the most bitter.

Liu Jing used this to blackmail Hu Ge: "I granted your request, but you won't even go to a movie with me. Isn't that a bit unfair?"
What else can Hu Ge say? He's just a third wheel, a scapegoat, it doesn't matter. Tonight's movie is on me.

After watching the movie, Hu Ge was so angry that his nose was crooked, and he almost got disfigured again.

Dr. Zhang had a lot of lines during filming, but the director cut them all.

This was Lao Hu's first time watching the show, and he was questioning the director, "Damn it, I want a composed character, not a mute who doesn't have a single line in the whole series."

“Old Hu, you don’t understand. Silence speaks louder than words. Don’t you think Dr. Zhang’s character is outstanding?” Liu Jing said earnestly, patting Old Hu’s shoulder. “Old Hu who doesn’t speak, cough cough, Dr. Zhang is a good doctor.”

Old Hu initially thought it made perfect sense, but after hearing the next sentence, he realized something was wrong—it was a direct attack on him.

He sighed softly, "There's no sun in summer. There's a reason why the Japanese are targeting you like this."

"I'm not taking the blame for this. The summer episode was supposed to be an Easter egg, but the relevant departments censored it so that only the name remained."

Old Hu looked shocked. "What the hell did you film? Don't you have any idea?"
P.S.: What a coincidence, "Nanjing Photo Studio" was released at this time; I had no idea about this movie before.

It's almost the end of the month! My monthly pass is about to expire, please give me your monthly passes...

(End of this chapter)