Chapter Twenty-Five: Bloodstained Lone Blade
After Cheng Qing was taken away by Qiao Yuan, life returned to normal.
Lin Tang went to the factory and shopping mall every day, becoming increasingly diligent.
Those were rainy days in Jiangcheng.
Lin Tang held up an old oil-paper umbrella, the red paint on the ribs faded to only mottled marks, like a crumpled flower. The morning breeze, carrying damp air, made the hem of her moon-white cheongsam sway slightly.
Old Mrs. Wang, who sells tea at the alley entrance, was chatting with Aunt Li, who sells vegetables, about the local gossip in Jiangcheng. "Did you hear about what happened yesterday? Someone on East Street used a kitchen knife to chop up a Japanese ronin! The ronin's arm was almost chopped off, and now Japanese soldiers and the Crescent Moon Gang are searching everywhere!"
Aunt Li spat, "Serves them right! Those scoundrels harass women and rob them every day; they'll get their comeuppance sooner or later!"
Lin Tang paused, lowered the umbrella, and covered half of her face.
These days, the Japanese ronin are causing a lot of trouble. They and the Green Gang are making life miserable for the people.
As soon as the factory's iron gate was pushed open, Old Zhang, the gatekeeper, came over, rubbing his frozen red hands and saying, "Young Madam, you've arrived? There are Japanese soldiers checking the gate today, so I told the workers to come half an hour later to avoid trouble."
Lin Tang nodded and handed him a handful of copper coins: "Buy everyone a cup of hot tea, it's getting chilly."
The haystacks in the backyard were piled high, and the old locust tree next to it had just sprouted new buds, which were covered with raindrops.
"Don't shout," the man said in a hoarse voice. "I'm not a bad person."
Lin Tang has always had a compassionate heart. When she saw Qiao Yuan covered in blood back then, even though she was just a weak and vulnerable female student, she was not afraid to lend a helping hand. Now, she has more resources and abilities to help others than she did back then.
Aju was the most clever female worker in the factory. Hearing the sound, she immediately ran over. When she saw the man, she covered her mouth in fright: "Miss Lin, who is this?"
Lin Tang was surprised to find that there were other people in the factory. She panicked for a moment, but quickly calmed down.
"Help him to his room first." Lin Tang squatted down, checked his pulse, which was still strong. "Aju, take..."
My medicine kit is here.
Seeing that the man was covered in blood and of unknown origin, Aju hesitated and whispered in Lin Tang's ear, "Master, things haven't been peaceful on the streets lately. They say some revolutionaries have infiltrated. You...you should be careful."
Lin Tang's eyes darkened slightly, but she quickly responded, "We're all Chinese, why are you talking about being careful? I'll help him inside, you go get the first-aid kit. Be careful not to disturb anyone else."
Lin Tang watched as Aju ran away, then bent down to help the man up. Fortunately, although he was badly injured, he was still conscious and could barely walk a few steps on his own.
"Akiku, come and lend a hand."
The dormitory was very basic, containing only a bed and a table with a broken alarm clock on it. Lin Tang asked the man to sit down, opened the first-aid kit, and took out alcohol swabs and gauze. The man lifted his shirt, revealing a long, grotesque wound on his waist.
Lin Tang helped him lean against the couch, wrung out a hot towel, and wiped the blood off his face.
When Aju came in, Lin Tang handed her the towel again, and then opened the medicine box and took out scissors.
Lin Tang used scissors to cut open the cloth covering the man's wound, pinched the wound on the young man's shoulder blade, and saw a deep knife wound that exposed the bone, still oozing blood, with the surrounding cloth sticky and dark brown.
She poured some disinfectant onto the cotton ball.
"Bear with it." Lin Tang pressed down on his arm.
The moment the disinfectant touched the wound, the man's muscles tensed up, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
Lin Tang's hands were steady as she gently wiped the wound along the edges with a cotton ball.
The man was very strong and could still joke: "Miss Lin's hands are as steady as an old doctor in a clinic, not like a pampered young mistress."
Lin Tang looked up and saw that although his brows were furrowed, there was a hint of teasing in his eyes, so she relaxed her lips and said, "I've helped deliver foals in the stables before." She changed to a cotton ball soaked in medicine. "If it hurts, just say so. Don't force yourself."
"How could that be?" The man straightened his back. "We've withstood enemy bullets, why would we be afraid of a little disinfectant?" Before he finished speaking, the cotton ball touched his wound, and he couldn't help but gasp. Cold sweat rolled down his temples.
Lin Tang paused, her fingertips gently pressing on his arm, subconsciously probing, "What's your name? I can't keep calling you 'hello' all the time."
“Chen Mo,” the man answered crisply, “Chen as in ‘ear east,’ and Mo as in ‘silence.’”
"Chen Mo," Lin Tang repeated, her fingertips tracing the bruises around his wound, "How did you get hurt?"
Lin Tang paused, remembering what Granny Wang at the alley entrance had said that morning: "Someone has killed a Japanese ronin." So it was him.
She looked up, her gaze as clear as the sky after the rain: "Are you... a Communist?"
Chen Mo paused for a moment, then laughed out loud: "Miss Lin is quite direct." He pulled out a crumpled little notebook from his pocket, the cover of which was printed with the faded "Communist Manifesto." "That's right, I am a courier for the underground Communist Party in Jiangcheng. I came here specifically to see you."
"Looking for me?" Lin Tang put down the cotton ball, her fingertips stained with blood, and wiped them on the edge of the table. Hearing his question, she was taken aback. "Why are you looking for me?"
Chen Mo said, "We know that you have been fighting for workers' wages and secretly delivering medicine to the guerrillas in the suburbs all these years. Ms. Lin, you are a conscientious Chinese, and we need comrades like you."
Just as Lin Tang was about to speak, a jumble of footsteps suddenly came from outside the window, along with the shouts of Japanese soldiers: "Stand at attention! Check your identification!"
Her expression changed, and she immediately turned to Chen Mo and said, "Lie back in bed, cover yourself with the blanket, and don't make a sound no matter who comes!" Then she said to Aju, who was standing at the door, "Go check the front yard and make sure they don't come into the back yard!"
Aju, clutching the gauze, her face pale, nodded and ran out.
When Ah Chen saw her, he paused for a moment, then lowered his eyes, his voice tinged with embarrassment: "Miss Lin... Husband."
Lin Tang composed herself and walked over: "Achen, what's wrong?"
Ah Chen glanced at the Japanese soldier beside him and lowered his voice: "Yesterday, a ronin was attacked. The Japanese soldiers suspect it was the Communists and want to search all the factories in Jiangcheng. I came along because I'm afraid they'll rummage through your things."
Lin Tang nodded, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Aju standing behind the crowd, clutching gauze, her eyes filled with panic.
Ah Chen followed her gaze, frowned, and suddenly raised his voice: "I'm familiar with Miss Lin's factory. They're all legitimate workers. There's no need to investigate, right?"
The leading Japanese soldier glared at them and said in broken Chinese, "No! Check them all!"
Ah Chen pulled out a bag of "Hademen" cigarettes from his pocket, handed it over, and said with a smile, "Sir, this factory belongs to Mr. Qiao. Mr. Qiao has a good working relationship with the Imperial Army. Could you please do me a favor?"
Seeing this, Lin Tang also tactfully had someone find some silver dollars to send to the "officer," her waist very supple and her face full of smiles.
The Japanese soldier took the cigarette, weighed the silver dollar in his hand, a satisfied look on his face, and waved his hand: "Let's go!"
As the crowd dispersed, Lin Tang breathed a sigh of relief and looked at A Chen: "A Chen, thanks to you."
Ah Chen scratched his head, his fingers brushing behind his ear. "It's my duty, Brother Qiao... Mr. Qiao asked me to look after you." He paused, then added, "Mr. Qiao hasn't been having an easy time lately either..."
Lin Tang lowered her eyes and sighed. She was only trying to set up a factory, and this was the situation. How could Qiao Yuan possibly fare any better with all his other businesses? Ultimately, giving up is easy, but simply surviving is the hardest. But what could she say at that moment? She could only say, "Achen, Mr. Qiao and I are divorced."
Ah Chen sighed, "Madam, I know you and Master Qiao are not of the same ilk, but Master Qiao only has you in his heart."
Even though an insurmountable chasm had already formed between them, Lin Tang knew more about Qiao Yuan's feelings for her than ever before. But what did it matter? In the end, they both had things they cared about more, and neither of them would compromise for the other.
Lin Tang looked up and saw Aju standing in the distance, still clutching the gauze in her hand. She then said to Achen, "I have something to do, so I'll be going now."
Ah Chen then said, "Madam, please take care."
She returned to her dorm room, where Chen Mo was leaning against the headboard. When he saw her come in, he smiled and asked, "Are you alright?"
Lin Tang nodded, walked to the table, and poured a glass of warm water.
Chen Mo took the cup, took a sip, and suddenly said, "Miss Lin, I came to see you today to talk about Qiao Yuan of the Crescent Moon Gang."
Lin Tang was taken aback and looked up at him in surprise.
“Miss Lin, I know you used to be his wife, but you are also a victim of misfortune, forced into marriage by him through various means,” Chen Mo said firmly. “Now that you have divorced him and taken the initiative to sever ties, it shows that you have seen through his corrupt and decadent nature as a product of the old era. But now he is betraying national interests and colluding with the Japanese, which is something our ‘Anti-Traitor Group’ cannot stand for! I sincerely invite you to join us and work together to eliminate this cancer in Jiangcheng!”
With a "clang," the tray in Lin Tang's hands fell to the ground.
For a moment, he regretted saving this person and even wanted to smash the tray on his head.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
