"Tuanzhao, Ishikawa is waiting for you to go to the banquet at Siyi Hall. We can't sleep anymore."
Exhausted from several days of marching, Master Chen fell asleep as soon as he lay down. It was already 11 a.m. when he opened his eyes again.
He did not stay at the airport outside the city to rest, but stayed at the Weiyuan of the big wood merchant Qian Linfu.
Because the airport is just an overgrown flat land with no infrastructure at all. The reason why the Japanese army divided its troops and built two three-story bunkers with walls 1.2 meters thick was entirely to ensure that it could be used as an alternate landing site. After all, the climate conditions in the south of the Yangtze River are complex, and planes may land one day. If no soldiers are left behind, and several big holes are dug by the anti-Japanese elements, the consequences will be disastrous.
So for Murakami, it is not a bad thing for the "corpse collection team" to be stationed at the airport. Not only can it keep an eye on the airport for him, but it can also draw out the Matsuo team originally stationed here to maintain law and order in other places.
Young Master Chen stood up and took the toothpaste and toothbrush from Chen Changfu, "Brothers, have you made arrangements?"
"Everything has been arranged," the old master in military uniform said with a smile: "The wooden house is just enough. If it weren't for Zhang Lu's camp, the brothers could live in a more spacious place."
Facts have proved that it is completely necessary to send Old Master and A Biao to lead a company to attack the front station.
If they hadn't built three rows of simple wooden houses on the north side of the runway, and put up two barbed wire fences stretching for nearly 13 kilometers around the airport and the wooden houses, the more than 2,000 officers and soldiers of the "corpse collection group" would not only have no place, but even no place at all. Don't dare to live. After all, the "security" here is really bad. You can only feel safe in the city or in a bunker, otherwise don't expect to have a good night's sleep.
"You can rest assured that you can eat and drink. The prices here are much lower than in Shanghai. Indica rice is only 24 yuan per stone, so you can eat it freely. You can also buy live pigs, live chickens and live ducks. They are adding extra meals at the moment. Woolen cloth."
The price now does not mean it will be the same price tomorrow. Young Master Chen put down the toothbrush and said, "I have food in my hand and don't panic. Since it is cheap, I should hoard more. This matter is very important. Remember to talk to Director Li and Chen later." Say it to the director."
"Okay, I'll tell them later."
"Ji Zujun, are you ready? I've called you several times to urge you. It's not good to be late for our first meeting."
Ishikawa changed from his previous image of a spy in suits and ties. He walked in wearing a straight military uniform, carrying a tortoise box on his back, and holding a samurai sword upside down in his hand. Seeing his happy expression, Young Master Chen couldn't help but smile and asked: "Old classmate, are you going to be promoted again? Looking at your smile, there is only a slit left for your eyes."
"I am indeed very happy today, but it is not a promotion," Ishikawa sat down and said with great joy, "Jizu-kun, do you still remember what we were doing two years ago?"
"What to do?"
"Think again, think carefully."
Young Master Chen racked his brains and thought for a long time before he laughed and said: "It turns out that today is your birthday. Time flies so fast. Two years have passed in the blink of an eye. I remember that you just wore You put on a military uniform and invited a bunch of us classmates to celebrate your birthday. In the end, the wine was drunk, the food was eaten, and the geisha was hired, but you asked me, the bastard, to pay the bill for you. "
"It's really embarrassing to think about it," Ishikawa stood up and bowed slightly, saying apologetically: "Jizu-kun, if you hadn't generously donated money at that time, I really don't know how it would have ended."
His family conditions are very average. Lao Ishikawa opened a photo studio in Hongkou. Not only did he have to maintain the family's livelihood, but he also had to send his brothers and sisters to school, so he took advantage of Master Chen. Thinking of all the past events, Master Chen suddenly realized that he did have some friendship with the person in front of him. If in the future when "the traditional friendship between the people of China and Japan develops healthily", he might actually become friends.
"Let's not talk about those old sesame seeds and rotten millet. Whether Yamazaki-kun and Xiaolin-kun are ready or not, it is more important to go to the banquet."
"Ready, waiting for you outside."
For a long time to come, Chen Liang will continue to do his business, so his identity cannot be exposed. Today, only five people, Master Chen, Old Master, Ishikawa, Yamazaki and Xiaolin, are attending the banquet.
After walking out of the room, Young Master Chen saw the surrounding scenery clearly.
Although this private garden, which is very characteristic of Jiangnan gardens, occupies a small area, its layout is winding, deep and fascinating. There are pools, pavilions, lake rocks and rockeries, camphor, osmanthus, podocarpus, ancient cypress and other precious flowers and plants dotted among them, making it look elegant and quiet.
The pool under the fish pavilion is surrounded by rocks on three sides and is shaped like a deep stream. The bank of the pool is cut by irregular yellow stones, with steep weirs and small underground rivers, bays, secluded islands and strange promontories. When the water flows through the Chuihong Bridge, the wave surface suddenly shrinks into a narrow waterway The main buildings are all on a central axis, from north to south.Cuixuan, Siyi Hall and Leyu Pavilion are connected by a winding and undulating corridor.
Seeing that Young Master Chen slowed down, the old master introduced: "The group is seated, the guard row is in the front, Director Xie and Miss Zheng live in Didicixuan, and they are talking to Madam at the moment."
Before he could speak, Ishikawa took over the conversation: "Ji Zujun, although this place is not as good as the Chen Mansion, it has a different atmosphere. How do you feel? If you don't like it, I'll tell the captain and I'll change it for you." residence."
¡°This is not Shanghai. The outside is heavily guarded. It¡¯s not like the Chen Mansion on Columbia Road where life is always in danger. What's more, now that you are "married", you should look like you are married. If you continue to live in a military camp like before, it will definitely make people suspicious.
Young Master Chen nodded towards the oncoming Yamazaki and Xiaolin, and said nonchalantly: "It's good, let's stay here."
County Magistrate Tang Zhuoran held the reception banquet at the Continental Hotel beside Hualong Lane.
Along the way, there were very few pedestrians on the street, and the shops on both sides were closed. The ruins left behind by the Japanese occupation can be seen everywhere, making it extremely desolate. It is no longer the Changzhou city that it used to be, with its wooden shops lined up in rows, businessmen, managers of wooden shops, and Baotou, big and small, everywhere.
"Welcome, welcome, warm welcome! I, Tang Zhuoran, warmly welcome Captain Chen to visit our county."
As soon as everyone got out of the car, they saw a man in his fifties who looked like a country squire running over. He grabbed his top hat and nodded and bowed to Ishikawa, Yamazaki and Xiaolin, and then said hello to Mr. Chen who was beside the old master.
With a smile on his face and a face that couldn't be more hypocritical, Master Chen looked at the county government officials behind him and suddenly remembered a jingle he heard when he traveled to Changzhou in later generations - Hualong Alley , Wulonganli, Continental Hotel, the situation is changing.
"The mayor of Laotang County personally greeted him, and Chen was flattered."
"No matter where it is, this is what it should be."
Tang Zhuoran shook his head, acting like a master, "Come let me introduce to Captain Chen. This is Director Tang Renjie Tang of the County Police Department, Director Tang Binghuitang of the Self-Police Corps, Director Li Weisheng of the Finance Bureau, and Director Li of the Education Bureau. Director Wang, and Secretary Dong Jian¡¯an.¡±
Young Master Chen was about to greet them one by one when a short but very strong Japanese Army major came out, accompanied by a military police lieutenant. Ishikawa quickly introduced: "Your Excellency, Captain Chen Jizu, Commander Chen Jizu has arrived. These two are Commander Chen's advisors, former Imperial Army Captain Yamazaki-kun and former Imperial Army Lieutenant Kobayashi-kun."
What was inconceivable to Tang Zhuoran and other local cowards was that the usually arrogant Major Murakami actually gave Master Chen a standard military salute, and then bowed slightly, "Captain Chen, the 11th Imperial Army Combat Team Murakami, Commander of the 49th Brigade Brigade, sincerely welcomes you and your subordinates to the headquarters defense area and hopes that we can have a pleasant cooperation in the future.¡±
Young Master Chen raised his hand in return and said in fluent Japanese: "Chen Jizu, the leader of the Chenduqiao Airport Security Corps, sincerely thanks the commander for all the conveniences he has given, and sincerely hopes to receive the continued support and help from the commander in the future. ¡±
If Hirono, the operational staff officer of the brigade and regiment headquarters, had not come in the morning, Murakami would definitely add "guidance" to the "support" and "help" that Young Master Chen hopes to receive. However, the situation is stronger than the people. Their backers are getting harder and harder, and even the newly established China Expeditionary Force has moved out. He, a small captain, really does not have the qualifications and confidence to "guidance".
"Commander Chen, Gendarmerie Morita, nice to see you."
"The brigade is attached to Pingye. Welcome to Commander Chen."
The Japanese are really amazing at employing people. The huge Wujin County is handed over to a major and a military police lieutenant, and Hirano is only a deputy. There are not many officers in either the brigade or the military police. I don¡¯t know what will happen to the army after they fail. Will it be a mess?
After greetings, everyone took their seats.
Murakami, Morita, Hirano, Mr. Chen, Lao Fuzi, Ishikawa, Yamazaki, and Kobayashi were at the same table, accompanied by the county magistrate Tang Zhuoran. The county police chief, education director, vigilante group leader, county secretary, chamber of commerce president and translator are all at the same table, and they are responsible for themselves.
The county magistrate Tang Zhuoran showed his friendship as a landlord and kept urging people to drink and eat. "Captain Chen, please try this catfish. It is one of the three treasures of the Yangtze River. The pink stone head of Su Dongpo, the great poet of the Northern Song Dynasty, is still boneless." "The snow-white puffer fish is not good for people," which means that the catfish is delicious and tasty. "
Still a cultured traitor, Young Master Chen cursed secretly and pointed at another dish with his chopsticks, "Mr. Tang, what is this dish?"
Seeing that Murakami and Morita were listening with gusto, Tang Zhuoran got even more excited and said with joy: "Pork braised pork, this is our famous dish in Changzhou. In the pastIn the twelfth lunar month, people in Changwu began to be busy killing pigs and making rice wine. The dregs of the rice wine could only be used to feed pigs or discarded, except for part of the soju.
I don¡¯t know who came up with the idea of ??simmering wine lees with pork. Maybe he had a whim, maybe he was used to thrifting and couldn¡¯t bear to throw away the wine lees, maybe he accidentally poured the wine lees into the pot together with the cooking wine when roasting meat In short, after such a simmering, a delicious dish with a fragrant aroma was cooked, and the braised pork was born and became famous far and wide. "
Murakami took a piece and stuffed it into his mouth. After chewing it, he nodded repeatedly, "Chinese food is just like the imperial tea ceremony. It is indeed profound and profound. Chen Sang, it tastes good. You can have a piece too."
"Yes, yes, it's delicious," Tang Zhuoran sat down, "There was a cannery in the east gate earlier that specialized in canned pork belly and sold it to northern Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui. The sales volume was quite large. But Compared to freshly made food, the taste is still not as good. ¡±
"It's okay for the Japanese to want guns and cannons, but they can't even ask for cans, right?" Young Master Chen's eyes lit up, and he wanted to ask the cannery why he didn't do it, but he swallowed his words again and said nonchalantly: "Your Excellency, Commander of the Army, Mr. Morita, I'm new to this headquarters. In order to avoid some unpleasant things, No need to bother, I would like to find a suitable time to visit you two again to have an in-depth discussion on cooperation matters.¡±
"It is indeed necessary," Murakami put down his chopsticks and said with deep understanding: "Just tomorrow morning, Morita-kun and I will be waiting for your arrival at the brigade headquarters."
Tang Zhuoran realized that if he didn't speak again, he would be excluded, so he quickly took over the conversation, "Your Excellency, Captain, it is an honor for this county that Captain Chen is stationed at Chendu Bridge, but there are thousands more officers and soldiers all of a sudden. People entering and leaving the city will inevitably cause various misunderstandings. In my opinion, the county government must not sit idly by and ignore it"
You really take yourself seriously!
Seeing the bored expression on the captain's face, Morita turned around and glared at him, "Tang Sang, if necessary, Captain Chen will naturally go to the county government to find you. Tomorrow we will talk about military affairs, so you and your subordinates don't need to participate. ¡±