Chapter 16: Luo Guyun helps refugees fight against the Japanese occupation, and a misunderstanding leads to a rift between the couple
Yi Han called and said that the central government would hold a representative conference after the autumn, urging them to go to Nanjing as soon as possible. After the affairs in Pingyang City were dealt with, the team was ready to set off. Yi Shui took a group of people and supplies by land. Worried about the hardship of riding a car for more than ten hours a day, Luo Guyun took Xiao Xiangyue by boat. The cabin was spacious, and in addition to a large bed, it also had a study and kitchen. The chef of the Luo Mansion was also with them, taking good care of the food along the way. With Sun Mu around, there was no need to worry about Yue'er getting seasick. In addition, the script that the eldest brother gave to Xiao Xiangyue was still missing a few of the most critical interludes, and they had to submit them in Shanghai. If they took a boat, they would have time to write songs and compose music. The best thing was that once the cabin door was closed, the two of them could be intimate at any time. Luo Guyun was very satisfied with his arrangements.
The boat sailed for four or five days, and everything went smoothly. Xiao Xiangyue was in good spirits every day. In addition to composing music, when there was no wind, she would sit at the bow of the boat and chat with everyone, playing the piano and the flute, which was very pleasant.
The river widened as we went further, and a few dozen miles ahead was Hanchang, an important city on the Yangtze River. When we set out, we had agreed to meet here with Yishui.
It was a calm afternoon. Everyone sat on the deck, drinking tea and chatting. Xiao Xiangyue sipped the black tea specially prepared for him while listening to Li Erhu's vivid description of the war against the Japanese in North China.
Black tea warms the stomach, and Sun Mu believed Yue'er could drink it regularly. Luo Guyun then had someone procure a batch of high-quality black tea from India, sometimes adding ginger slices and wolfberries, sometimes brown sugar and American ginseng, and brewed it for him to drink.
Xiao Xiangyue listened with gusto, asking questions non-stop, full of interest. Everyone was chatting happily when Ah Feng, with his sharp eyes, suddenly pointed at a pile of black things floating on the river surface and asked, "What is that?" Everyone looked closely and saw that it was a corpse, face up, slightly whitened from being soaked, and looking extremely hideous.
Luo Guyun was originally half-lying on the side, half-closing his eyes and listening to people talking. At this moment, he jumped up and hugged Xiao Xiangyue, covering his head with his chest. It was the first time in Xiao Xiangyue's life that he saw a corpse, and it was such a horrible situation. His first reaction was to get into his arms. Looking back, he saw that everyone was calm, pointing and talking about the corpse. No one was afraid or frightened. He felt a little embarrassed and looked around to see that no one was paying attention. He quickly pushed Luo Guyun away. He was so cute to see that he was trying to be calm and not to show weakness. Luo Guyun couldn't help but feel hot in his lower abdomen again, and said softly: "The wind is strong on the river, let's go back to the cabin." Xiao Xiangyue glanced at him and answered seriously: "Where is the wind?"
Everyone continued to drink tea and chat. Unexpectedly, within an hour, they saw dozens of corpses floating by, some even three or four close together. Sun Mu frowned, his expression suddenly changing. He said to Luo Guyun, "Quickly take Yue'er back to the cabin! Everyone, cover your mouths and noses and stay as far away from the corpses as possible."
As soon as the hatch closed, Xiao Xiangyue hung around his neck and took the initiative to move her lips. Luo Guyun had been holding back for a while, and how could he resist such a teasing? He called out passionately, "Yue'er!" They rolled onto the big bed together, and after two or three hours, the sex stopped. Xiao Xiangyue panted, buried her head in her arms, and whispered, "Brother Yun always protects Yue'er like the apple of his eye... Yue'er understands..."
Luo Guoyun then realized that his actions today were due to what happened on the deck. He couldn't help but sigh at Yue'er's thoughtfulness. Holding his face, he said seriously, "You don't need to explain, Yue'er. I understand everything. I understand your self-esteem and your pride. Your arms are Yue'er's safest and warmest harbor. As long as Yue'er needs me, I will always be there."
Xiao Xiangyue likes to compose music in the dead of night. Sometimes he would get up in the middle of the night when he thinks of a melody. He would be so excited about writing that he couldn't fall asleep for a long time. Although Luo Guyun felt sorry for his lack of sleep, he knew his dedication and passion for music, so he didn't interfere much, but just read and wrote beside him to keep him company. If he couldn't fall asleep in bed, he had a way to deal with it, either sing a little song or make love, and then fall asleep naturally after being exhausted. Last night, Luo Guyun saw that he couldn't sleep, so he hugged him and tossed and turned in various positions. The ointment made by Sun Mu was really useful, and they both enjoyed it. Originally, he wanted to make people go to bed early because they were tired, but they indulged in pleasure and stayed up until almost dawn.
After all the pleasures day and night, Xiao Xiangyue finally couldn't bear it anymore and fell into a deep sleep, exhausted.
As the boat approached the shore, Sun Mu said, "Looking at the situation, it seems there's a plague on the shore. We need to take good care of Yue'er."
Yishui had already sent a car to the dock to pick them up. Upon seeing Luo Guyun and his group, he hurriedly said, "According to reports, a plague has broken out in Hanlin City, a hundred miles away. A large number of refugees are crowding the Hanchang City Gate. We can only enter the city from the west." Seeing everyone covering their mouths and noses with cotton cloth, Luo Guyun wrapped Xiao Xiangyue tightly in his arms. He was surprised and asked, "You... already knew? What happened to Yue'er? Has she contracted the disease?"
Sun Mu said, "We saw the corpse floating on the river, so we took precautions. Yue'er just fell asleep and is fine." Yi Shui felt relieved and said, "Yue'er is weak and the plague is fierce. You must be careful to protect yourself." Luo Guyun saw that Yi Shui took the initiative to care about Xiao Xiangyue, and his attitude was very different from before. It was obvious that he had accepted the matter between the two of them, and he felt very relieved.
Hanchang is an important city in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River with prosperous streets and a large population.
As they boarded the bus, Yi Shui said, "Mayor Zhang was supposed to come personally to greet the Commander-in-Chief, but there are students demonstrating in the city and there have been clashes with the military and police, and the mayor is busy dealing with the situation. Let's stay at the mansion first and meet again later."
The city was in a state of panic. Military police led the way, and the convoy moved slowly. A guard arrived to report that a group of students, chanting slogans, had blocked the convoy, demanding that the commander-in-chief disembark and speak with the students. Luo Guoyun was puzzled. He had just arrived in Hanchang, so how could the students be so well-informed? He disembarked and, under the protection of the guards, approached the student group.
Hundreds of students lined the streets, chanting, "We firmly demand the city gates be opened! Rescue the people!" The crowd erupted in anger. Leading the group was a girl, about seventeen or eighteen, with short hair and a student uniform of a white jacket and blue skirt. Luo Guoyun felt she looked familiar, and was wondering where he'd seen her before. The girl exclaimed in delight, "Brother Luo, it's you!" She ran out of the group and stood before him, ecstatic.
Luo Guoyun also recognized the girl in front of him. It was Zhang Jianmei, whom he met in Yishun County that year. He asked in surprise, "Why is Jianmei here?"
Zhang Jianmei said anxiously, "I heard Daddy say that Commander-in-Chief Luo had entered the city, so I guessed it was you. Daddy is so reckless and refuses to help the people. Brother Luo needs to teach him a lesson."
Zhang Jianmei is still as lively and clever as she was when she was a child.
Luo Guyun was confused: "What are you doing?"
Jianmei explained, "Dad became the mayor of Hanchang two years ago. I followed him to Hanchang and studied at the Women's Normal School. These are all my classmates. We students marched to demand that the city gates be opened and our compatriots outside the city be rescued. But Dad ordered the gates to be closed tightly, not letting anyone in. Watching civilians die tragically outside the city, Dad is such a heartless official!" After saying this, he looked around and said, "Where's Yue'er? Did Yue'er come with you?"
Xiao Xiangyue had just fallen asleep in the car. The streets were in chaos, and Luo Guyun didn't want him to get out. Just as he was about to speak, he had already walked over, escorted by Heizhu and Afeng. Luo Guyun took his hand and said with a smile, "Yue'er, are you awake? Look who this is?" Xiao Xiangyue had just woken up and was a little confused. He rubbed his eyes, looked at the girl, and then looked at Luo Guyun in confusion. He was only ten years old when he met Zhang Jianmei. Jianmei was twelve at the time, and now she is eighteen. She has changed a lot since she grew up, and it is a little hard to recognize her.
Zhang Jianmei excitedly said, "Yue'er... I'm Jianmei!" Xiao Xiangyue exclaimed in surprise, "Jianmei... we meet again!"
Luo Guyun and Xiao Xiangyue, one handsome and suave, the other elegant and graceful, stood out in the crowd. The female students stopped chanting slogans and looked over, whispering among themselves.
A car drove up, and a middle-aged man jumped out. Wiping his sweat, he trotted over to Luo Guoyun and excitedly shook his hands. "Luo... Commander-in-Chief Luo! I'm late to greet you. Please forgive me, General! ... Mr. Luo, how are you?" The man was Zhang Tingyun, the former magistrate of Yishun County and current mayor of Hanchang City. Mayor Zhang said, "Let's not stand on the street. Let's go to the hotel and sit down and talk."
A plague broke out in Hanlin City, a hundred miles away, and many people fled to Hanchang with their families, hoping to find refuge in the city. Mayor Zhang, fearing the plague would spread to Hanchang, ordered the city gates closed, forcing no one inside. Students and some residents, unable to bear the pain of seeing civilians die outside, organized a protest, demanding the gates be opened and the people rescued.
Luo Guyun pondered and said, "Brother Sun, you are the most authoritative person on the epidemic. What do you think?"
Sun Mu nodded and said, "The mayor's approach is correct. The epidemic situation is unclear, and rashly letting people in would also threaten the people in the city. The students' feelings are understandable. I suggest setting up a refugee camp outside the city, organizing volunteers, and providing medical assistance. First, we should minimize the death toll and find out the cause of the disease before making any plans."
Mayor Zhang said happily, "This is a great idea! I'll go announce it to the students marching. Anyone willing to volunteer can sign up to help the people outside the city and do something meaningful. These students are simple-minded, full of enthusiasm but no sense of responsibility, and they always cause trouble. This is a good opportunity to give them something to do."
Sun Mu added, "Volunteers going outside the city must also take precautions. Where is the hospital in the city? We need to make some potions, and everyone entering and leaving must be strictly disinfected."
Outside the city, rows of makeshift tents were erected. Sun Mu organized doctors from Hanchang City to separate the refugees outside the city by severity or mild symptoms. Those without symptoms worked alongside volunteers to distribute medicine and care for the sick. Mayor Zhang also urgently allocated a batch of rice, which, combined with grain, oil, rice, and flour donated by some city residents, was used to set up porridge tents, providing regular meals. Finally, order was restored.
At the municipal government office, Mayor Zhang presided over a meeting to discuss epidemic countermeasures. Luo Guoyun, along with Sun Mu and Yi Shui, also made a special appearance.
Mayor Zhang apologized, "Commander-in-Chief Luo was passing through here. Not only did I fail to entertain him properly, but I actually caused you trouble. I'm truly ashamed of your help."
Luo Guyun said, "Mayor Zhang is dedicated to the people, and I admire him. If I can help him, it would be my duty."
Sun Mu said, "Judging from the patients' symptoms, they generally have high fevers, with occasional delirium and mania, symptoms of encephalitis due to febrile diseases. This may be related to the hot weather and water pollution. This epidemic is transmitted through food and contact. Yesterday, I used Baihu Cangzhu Decoction, and several seriously ill patients have improved. The effect is confirmed. However, this prescription requires a large amount of raw gypsum. I've learned that the city's pharmacies and several hospitals don't have much gypsum in stock, and it's not produced locally, so it needs to be shipped in from other places."
Luo Guoyun said, "That's easy. I'll write a handwritten order and order all the pharmacies and hospitals in the surrounding cities and counties to collect gypsum. But the journey back and forth will take time. I wonder if we can afford the delay."
Sun Mu said: "The current reserves can last until the day after tomorrow."
Mayor Zhang burst into tears of gratitude: "This is a huge relief! I'll immediately arrange for personnel and vehicles, and we'll be leaving immediately!"
Luo Guyun added: "Let Adjutant Li take my orders and accompany your people..."
Heizhu rushed over, not caring that he was in a meeting. He ran to Luo Guyun and whispered a few words. His face suddenly changed.
Sun Mu asked nervously, "What happened?"
"Yue'er and Jianmei went to the refugee camp together." Luo Guyun had stood up.
Zhang Jianmei and Xiao Xiangyue reunited after a long separation and had endless topics to talk about. She took him around the city and even visited the Women's Normal School.
Xiao Xiangyue had never been to a formal school, and the elementary school that taught music in Luling County consisted of only a few bungalows. Seeing a formal higher education institution for the first time was a novelty, and she was filled with envy. Luo Guoyun sent Heizhu and Afeng to accompany her, and specifically instructed them not to go to the refugee camp. Xiao Xiangyue was about the same age as these students, and saw that everyone was volunteering at the refugee camp. Qin Xiao had also been assisting Sun Mu these days, and had been living and eating in the refugee camp almost all the time. He was also the type who didn't want to be left behind, and he felt that Luo Guoyun was worrying too much. If others could go, why couldn't he?
Heizhu and Afeng couldn't stop him, so one of them followed him while the other hurried to report the news.
The refugee camp was a chaotic mess of tents and people everywhere. Luo Guyun and Sun Mu arrived with a team of guards, but couldn't find Xiao Xiangyue for a while, so they had to go looking for her separately.
Luo Guyun was terribly anxious, remembering the time he'd searched for Yue'er in Red Light Alley. He wanted to turn the refugee camp upside down. After searching for an incense stick of time, he saw a familiar girl striding forward. "Jianmei, where's Yue'er?" Jianmei nodded and said, "Here, she's distributing potions over there."
Men, women, young and old lined up in a long queue. Xiao Xiangyue and several students stood in front of the large bucket, holding wooden spoons and carefully adding medicine to everyone's bowls.
Luo Guyun refused to let him stay in this messy, smelly place for even a second. He quickly stepped forward and pulled him away. Xiao Xiangyue struggled, her face flushing as she explained, "Brother Yun, we're distributing potions..." Seeing he still refused to leave, Luo Guyun, without further ado, scooped him up and carried him off. Xiao Xiangyue kicked her legs, "Brother Sun would definitely agree to my coming..." She glanced up at Sun Mu, whose face was as black as the bottom of a pot, and immediately fell silent. Obediently, she let him carry her as they left the refugee camp.
Luo Guyun had repeatedly warned Xiao Xiangyue not to go to the refugee camp, and although she disagreed, she had agreed. She felt guilty for not keeping her word. She remained silent, carefully observing his expression, as obedient as a cat with its fur smoothed. Luo Guyun had been furious, blaming him for not cherishing her. Seeing him like this, her anger subsided. To show her anger and teach him a lesson, she kept a stern face.
Xiao Xiangyue was a sensitive and delicate person. When she broke free from Luo Guoyun on the deck that day, she was afraid he would take it personally, so she took the initiative to apologize. Seeing him truly angry today, her heart sank little by little, and she felt uneasy and at a loss as to what to do.
Feeling the person in his arms stiffen, Luo Guyun thought to himself, "Oh no!" He remembered the intestinal spasm that year. He'd threatened him with a few words, and he'd already nearly cried. He'd lost his temper today, and he wondered how frightened he'd be... He began to regret saying he understood his pride that day, but then he'd forcibly taken him away in front of everyone, acting so rudely and overbearingly, without a care for his dignity. Yue'er should be the one to be angry... But with Xiao Xiangyue's personality, even if she'd been wronged, she'd only blame herself, not others.
Seeing the anxious look on the person in his arms, Luo Guyun couldn't help but feel a pang of anxiety, thinking about how to redeem what had happened today. The two of them were each arguing in silence all the way.
Back at the hotel, Xiao Xiangyue mustered up the courage to speak first. She looked at him timidly and whispered, "Brother Yun, don't be angry with Yue'er... Yue'er was wrong. She shouldn't have gone to the refugee camp alone."
Seeing that he was clearly wronged, yet he was still cautiously watching his expression, Luo Guyun felt even more uncomfortable. He embraced him and said in a hoarse voice, "I'm sorry... Brother was a little impatient today and hurt Yue'er's feelings..."
Xiao Xiangyue had been feeling anxious all the way, thinking about how to calm Brother Yun down. But now that he had taken the initiative to apologize, her eyes were red.
Luo Guyun was distressed and annoyed, and was just about to comfort him when Sun Mu knocked on the door. Xiao Xiangyue had gone to the refugee camp today, and Sun Mu was worried about him, fearing he might have caught the disease, so he came to check his pulse.
When I entered the room, I found the atmosphere was not right. One of them had red eyes and leaned listlessly on the sofa, while the other one was dejected and looked depressed. I said with a smile: "What's wrong with Yue'er? Who bullied her?"
Xiao Xiangyue said without hesitation: "Brother Yun didn't bully Yue'er..."
Sun Mu laughed: "Did I say that Gu Yun bullied you? Look at you, you are protecting him like this. I am a little jealous!"
Xiao Xiangyue's face flushed, and she felt even more embarrassed. Luo Guyun's heart was filled with sweetness, and he quickly defended him: "I was too concerned today and was a little reckless and impatient, causing Yue'er to suffer."
Sun Mu was even more amused: "Are you two acting like you're being polite to each other?" Then he said seriously: "Why is Yue'er still wearing this? This virus is contagious through contact. You should have showered and disinfected your whole body when you got back."
Luo Guyun also became nervous: "This...Brother, is Yue'er okay?"
Sun Mu frowned and said, "It's hard to say! I heard today that Yue'er went to the refugee camp, and I was worried. Yue'er is weak to begin with, and her resistance is worse than that of ordinary people, so we must not be careless..." He grabbed Xiao Xiangyue's hand and concentrated on taking her pulse.
Luo Guyun also came over, touched his forehead, and carefully examined his face: "Yue'er, you must not get sick. I still have an important task to give you!"
Xiao Xiangyue asked curiously, "What important mission?"
Luo Guoyun said, "This virus is contagious through contact. Mayor Zhang personally composed a jingle for epidemic prevention, and the school teachers also wrote some songs to teach everyone how to wash hands properly, change clothes frequently, and eat carefully. We discussed it at the meeting and gave it to Yue'er to compose. Let everyone sing it, it will definitely play a good role in epidemic prevention."
"Really?" Xiao Xiangyue's eyes lit up.
"Of course it's true! Everyone can do the job of distributing medicine on site. But how many people can be informed about how to prevent the epidemic with Yue'er's song? How many lives can be saved!" Seeing that his mood had improved, Luo Guyun was happy and his tone became much more relaxed.
After taking her pulse, Sun Mu pondered, "The pulse seems stable. But the virus has an incubation period, so we must be on guard. I've made some Atractylodes lancea soup, and I'm having Yue'er take it over the next few days. If she doesn't have a fever within three days, she should be fine. Let's take a mugwort bath tonight to sterilize and disinfect."
Steam was thick. Luo Guyun scooped water one spoonful at a time and slowly poured it over Xiao Xiangyue's shoulders. One hand followed the flowing water and slid across his smooth skin inch by inch, as if treating a treasure, carefully. The hot steam made Yue'er's face slightly red, and his eyes seemed to be shining with water. Luo Guyun put his arms around him from behind, resting his head on his neck, and said softly: "Yue'er, are you still aggrieved? If you are, hit your brother..." Xiao Xiangyue did not answer, but hugged him back, half-knelt, and entangled their necks, kissing, biting and licking. Luo Guyun's breathing became heavier, and he also stepped into the wooden tub, splashing water everywhere. The bathroom was filled with fragrant and charming panting and moaning. Both of them wanted to rub each other into their bodies, lingering and lingering for several rounds.
For the next few days, Luo Guyun was constantly worried, waking up several times each night to feel for Xiao Xiangyue to see if she had a fever. Three days passed, and finally everything was back to normal, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Xiao Xiangyue's anti-epidemic song was easy to learn and sing, and it quickly became popular among the people. With the arrival of gypsum and sufficient supplies of medicine, the epidemic was largely under control. After this delay, Luo Guoyun planned to bid farewell to Mayor Zhang and continue his journey to Shanghai.
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