A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

Chapter 1167 Traitors Come to the Door

"You must be careful," Gui'er said again, reluctantly.

"I understand. No matter what noise you hear, don't come out. Go back." Wu Mingqiang supported her shoulders and helped her slowly back to the stairs, then closed the cover.

The kerosene lamp in the basement burned dimly. Gui'er, Dingxiang, and Zhu Zhiming sat in silence, with only the sound of dripping water on the wall tugging at their nerves. Gui'er pressed her ear to the floor, listening to the sounds outside, but apart from the occasional sound of military boots, there was nothing else.

The three of them remained silent and waited quietly.

They didn't return until late into the night, and Gui'er and Dingxiang were not in the mood to rest.

"Why isn't he back yet, even at this hour?" Dingxiang rubbed her numb, frozen hands, her voice trembling with tears. "Could it be that he was..."

"Don't talk nonsense," Zhu Zhiming said in a deep voice, but his own face was also turning pale. He had strained his back while moving the body yesterday and was wincing in pain. "Qiang Ge and Acheng are quick-witted, they'll be fine."

"Miss, perhaps they were delayed on the road. It's getting late, let's rest." Dingxiang, as usual, made the bed for Gui'er.

Gui'er didn't want others to see her worry, so she lay down and closed her eyes, but she really couldn't sleep. She stayed up all night, listening intently to the sounds outside.

Just as dawn was breaking, the sounds of Japanese soldiers shouting and yelling came from outside. Zhu Zhiming suddenly stood up: "Oh no, they're starting to gather people for hard labor. If we don't go to assemble now, they'll come knocking on our door. I'll go find them!"

"No," Gui'er stopped him. "If you go out now, you'll run into the military police and the Japanese, which would be like walking into a trap. Judging from the sound, there are Japanese soldiers everywhere outside."

Zhu Zhiming clenched his fist and slammed it heavily against the wall, the dull thud echoing in the basement.

Just as the three of them were extremely anxious, fearing that the Japanese would come looking for them, a soft sound finally came from the stairwell. The cover was slowly pushed open, and Wu Mingqiang and Acheng appeared there. Both of them were covered in dust and had sunken eyes, as if they had stayed up all night.

"You're finally back!" Dingxiang rushed over, both surprised and delighted to see them carrying a bulging cloth bag.

Wu Mingqiang collapsed to the ground, drinking half a ladle of water before he recovered: "I almost didn't make it back."

Acheng dumped the cloth bag on the ground, and an old watch, a copper hairpin, a cracked jade bracelet, and several pairs of blackened silver earrings rolled all over the place. "The pawnshop was ransacked, the counter was smashed, and the legs of the tables and chairs were split off for firewood. Fortunately, the cellar was well hidden, and the Japanese didn't find it."

“We had just finished packing our things when we heard the sound of leather shoes outside,” Wu Mingqiang wiped his face. “It was a Japanese patrol with two wolfhounds, sniffing around the door. We quickly crawled back into the cellar, barely daring to breathe, and heard the wolfhounds barking wildly upstairs. The Japanese soldiers were stabbing the wall with their bayonets, just a stone slab away from us.”

He paused, his voice still trembling: "Now we couldn't get out. We squatted there all night until the Japanese left at dawn before we dared to come out. Several shops next door had been occupied, with signs saying 'Requisitioned by the Imperial Army' hanging at the door. A traitor recognized us and almost called for help, but A-Cheng knocked him unconscious in the alley with a club."

Looking at the dusty items, Gui'er suddenly felt a lump in her throat. These things, once insignificant in the pawnshop, had now become life-saving bargaining chips. Dingxiang silently picked up the cracked jade bracelet and wiped it with the corner of her clothes: "We can exchange it for some food."

The light from the kerosene lamp fell on everyone's faces, reflecting the exhaustion in their eyes, but also a hint of relief at surviving a disaster. Wu Mingqiang gathered the items together and wrapped them in a cloth: "I'll go to the black market later. The grain we can get from these things should last until next month. Now, let's each pick something to bribe the captain of the inspection team and see if that works. I was originally thinking of using silver dollars and US dollars, but those would arouse suspicion and make them think we're still rich. So I think it's more appropriate to use these old, slightly valuable, but not very good items."

Gui'er nodded and said, "Brother Wu is the most thoughtful. You can choose. Dingxiang, please light the kerosene lamp brighter."

Wu Mingqiang chose a silver locket of decent quality, Acheng picked out a silver enamel bracelet, and Zhu Zhiming picked up a carved silver hairpin. The three of them wrapped the items in cloth and tucked them into their pockets. They changed into the old gray cloth clothes they had worn the day before while doing hard labor, their collars and cuffs stained, making them look like a group of down-on-their-luck men.

"We're leaving, so don't come out." Wu Mingqiang took one last look at the stairwell, then turned around and went out with Acheng and Zhu Zhiming, pushing open the partition of the lower room. The door hinges creaked open, sounding particularly jarring in the silence.

In an instant, only Gui'er and Dingxiang remained in the basement. The flame of the kerosene lamp flickered, casting a pale light on their faces. "Miss, will they be alright?" Dingxiang clutched the hem of her clothes, her knuckles white. Gui'er didn't speak, but pressed her ear to the floor, listening to the footsteps outside gradually fade into the distance.

After an unknown amount of time, the sound of a door opening suddenly came from upstairs, followed by chaotic footsteps and voices—it wasn't Wu Mingqiang and the others! Gui'er quickly covered Dingxiang's mouth, and the two of them crouched down and hid behind the screen, their hearts pounding.

"Hey, you three lads, you're usually dressed in rags, I didn't expect you to have some skills. I already promised to let you off the hook, but you didn't even invite me in for a chat. I just came by myself. What? Not welcome?"

“Captain, what are you saying? It’s an honor for us to have you visit our humble abode. Please come up to the living room and have a seat.” Wu Mingqiang’s voice rang out.

It was that police captain, Liu Mingkun! Realizing this, Gui'er froze, then heard Wu Mingqiang say with a forced smile, "Captain, you're joking. We don't have anything special, just some meager belongings to make a living. We're very grateful for your kind offer."

"Enough with the nonsense," the captain said impatiently, kicking the stair railing. "I don't think this house is cheap. Search upstairs!"

Footsteps rushed upstairs, followed by the sounds of rummaging through drawers and cabinets from the second floor: the crisp sound of shattering porcelain, the dull thud of breaking wooden planks, and the clanging of clashing metal, all striking Gui'er's heart like hammer blows. Dingxiang trembled with fear, gripping Gui'er's arm tightly, her nails almost digging into her flesh.

Gui'er held her breath and, together with Dingxiang, strained her ears to hear more clearly. She heard the captain cursing, "Damn it, what a bunch of cheap junk! All they have?"

Wu Mingqiang's voice followed closely, laced with obsequiousness: "Captain, you're too kind to look at us like this. As you can see, we're practically destitute. Buying this house cost me all my savings. We just bought it recently; the previous owner said he was going to Southeast Asia and sold it to me cheaply. It's just been renovated. My two younger sisters are still in the shantytown and haven't moved here yet. We'll need your help when we do..."