"Platoon leader, platoon leader, give him the letter quickly!" Hou Kanshan said anxiously.
Several other people who originally had a bad relationship with Hou Kanshan also gathered around, their eyes full of curiosity.
Shang Zhen, who was confused, stood in the middle. He didn't understand what was going on.
"Where is the letter? Let me use it as cigarette paper!" Wang Laomao said loudly.
"Ah?" Those people were dumbfounded at the same time.
Hou Kanshan really had no place to get cigarettes for Wang Laomao, so Wang Laomao could only smoke dry tobacco.
The so-called dry tobacco refers to tobacco leaves produced locally in Northeast China that are dried, crushed, and then rolled into thin trumpet shapes with paper.
The so-called cigarettes refer to cigarettes produced by tobacco factories and packaged by machines, which contain tobacco.
The dry tobacco is very strong, and you will feel an extra sour and refreshing feeling when you smoke it.
For ordinary people nowadays, smoking paper cigarettes is a luxury, and most people use pipes.
Because of this, it is possible that Wang Laomao used the letter as cigarette paper to roll up his cigarette.
"What letter?" Shang Zhen was still confused.
"You don't know? You really don't know?" Qian Chuan'er also spoke excitedly.
Logically speaking, Qian Chuan'er and the others would not follow what Hou Kanshan advocated, but today's incident really aroused their curiosity, so they actually "went along" with Hou Kanshan.
"What don't I know?" Shang Zhen asked.
"Those students, those female students are gone." Qian Chuan'er stared at Shang Zhen and pointed out those female students in particular.
"Oh." Shang Zhen responded to show that he understood.
"You, you--" Qian Chuan'er pointed at Shang Zhen in surprise, not knowing what to say.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Shang Zhen became curious when he saw the expressions on those people's faces as if they were looking at a white swan that suddenly appeared from a flock of chickens.
"Do you have something going on with that girl with a round face?" Qian Chuaner asked curiously.
"What's the matter?" Shang Zhen was still confused.
The so-called small round face refers to Li Yajuan.
What could possibly happen between him and that Li Yajuan? Shang Zhen disagreed.
Staying here to fight is their job as soldiers. Those students, whether male or female, are all scholars. Even if they go to the interior, they will continue their studies. So why should they stay here? If they should leave, they can leave. It would be strange if they stayed!
"Is there really nothing wrong?" Chen Hanwen asked in disbelief.
"What do you mean?" Shang Zhen was still confused.
Seeing his companions' eagerness, Shang Zhen even began to reminisce.
There is nothing wrong between me and those students!
That was when those girls wanted to relieve themselves on the way here, so I stood guard for them from a distance.
But I was just standing guard, I couldn't do such a thing as looking back and taking a peek.
Shang Zhen is not stupid. He knows that he must not say such words. If he says them, even if nothing happens, it will be said that something is wrong!
Seeing that Shang Zhen's expression did not seem fake, the four of them had no choice but to look at Wang Laomao again.
"Here, here, scholar, please read it!" At this time, Wang Laomao took out a folded letter paper from his pocket and threw it out.
How is the letter paper folded? It is folded into a small strip, and then bent back like a knot in a rope, which looks thoughtful and unique.
"I told you that the platoon leader shouldn't smoke paper cigarettes!" Hou Kanshan complimented Wang Laomao without knowing the right time.
Seeing that the letter paper was finally taken out by Wang Laomao, the four people except Shang Zhen hurriedly surrounded him. Hou Kanshan even blocked Shang Zhen on purpose. From his look, it was obvious that he was afraid that Shang Zhen would also grab the letter paper.
Shang Zhen still didn't feel anything about this. Only then did he have time to put down the gun in his hand. At the same time, he was grinning. He had trained himself for a whole day, and the amount was really not small. Now there was no place on his body that didn't hurt.
At this time, Chen Hanwen began to open the letter.
"Don't worry, there are more words outside!" Qian Chuaner said.
Yes, there are words on the outside of the folded, curved piece of paper.
Then they listened to Chen Hanwen read: "A letter from Brother Shang Zhen himself."
This sentence is easy to understand, no one can not understand it.
But how could they possibly let Shang Zhen read the letter himself?
They had to know the contents of the letter. The reason they waited until now to read it was because Wang Laomao was old and mature enough to keep the letter.
"Look, I told you there was something shameful going on. Otherwise, why would he let him open it himself and not let us see it!" Hou Kanshan started to talk again.
Hou Kanshan's words were unpleasant, but everyone in the room was naturally familiar with Hou Kanshan's style, so no one paid any attention to him.
Chen Hanwen glanced at Shang Zhen, and when he saw that Shang Zhen had no other reaction, he opened the letter and read aloud: "I am grateful for meeting you. There are endless mountains and rivers ahead, when will we meet again?
The Japanese invaders have invaded and occupied three provinces. You kill the enemy in battle, and I pray for your safety.
Respectfully submitted by your younger sister Li Yajuan.
November 7, 1931.
The room fell silent. The reader had finished reading, and the listener had naturally finished listening as well.
"Read it again!" After a moment, Erhanzi, who had never been involved in these things, spoke up.
"No!" Chen Hanwen said, spreading his hands and showing the letter paper.
"Ah? This is too short! It's gone already?" Erhanzi was surprised.
This piece of letter paper is quite large, but who would have thought of writing those few words on it.
"It's nothing. Shang Zhen saved their lives, and he left a letter before saying goodbye!" Qian Chuan'er suddenly realized.
"I don't believe it. There might be some secret code or something in it!" Hou Kanshan started to grab the piece of letter paper.
Shang Zhen, who now knew the whole story, said, "This piece of paper is for the platoon leader to smoke with. If you break it, you will be held responsible!"
Shang Zhen's words worked, so Hou Kanshan, who had already grabbed the letter paper, looked at Wang Laomao.
Wang Laomao, who was leaning on the kang, just stretched out his hand. Although Hou Kanshan was reluctant, he finally handed over the letter.
"Stop yelling!" Wang Laomao said, "Ma Gan'er has saved these students twice. What's so strange about leaving a letter for them after they left without seeing them?
After all, our Ma Gan'er was a hero who saved the beauty, so leaving a letter behind, even his appearance is normal!"
This was the platoon leader's words, and he also defined the matter. Naturally, the other people didn't say anything.
"Ma Gan'er, take your letter!" Wang Laomao raised his hand and the piece of paper flew out lightly.
Hou Kanshan, who was standing under the kang, wanted to reach out but didn't dare, so the letter was finally picked up by Shang Zhen.
Only then did Shang Zhen, the person involved, have the opportunity to take a closer look at the letter.
He took a quick glance and saw that the content of the letter was no different from what Chen Hanwen had read.
As for the handwriting, it can't be said to be elegant, but it is very slender, just like his nickname "maganer".
"Platoon leader, aren't you going to keep it for smoking?" Shang Zhenyan asked Wang Laomao while holding the piece of paper.
"I don't need your thing. It makes me angry just by looking at it!" Wang Laomao answered casually.
The so-called (yào) fire refers to the fact that some of the tobacco paper used to roll dry tobacco burns too easily. The tobacco leaves inside are fine, but the tobacco paper is almost burned out. It is naturally unpleasant to use such paper to roll a trumpet to smoke.
Shang Zhen then folded the paper again, put it in his pocket, said "I'm going to eat" and slipped out of the house.
And in the room behind him, Hou Kanshan, still furious about this, angrily asked, "A hero saves a beautiful woman, so he pledges his love to her? Platoon Leader, I remember your...wasn't it you who saved her back then?"
"Hmm?" Wang Laomao narrowed his eyes and cursed, "You son of a bitch, how dare you even make fun of me? Come on! Pin him to the ground and beat him up!"
"Ah?" Hou Kanshan was dumbfounded. "Platoon leader, please let me go. I was just talking nonsense!"
Of course Hou Kanshan knew this. He remembered that Wang Laomao had a widow lover near Beidaying. This time, he just asked Wang Laomao casually because he felt unfair because he saw that the female student had a special liking for Shang Zhen.
But he didn't think about it. He could make fun of Shang Zhen however he wanted, but could he offend Wang Laomao?
The four men next to him pounced on them like wolves and tigers under the order of Wang Laomao, and then Hou Kanshan's roar like killing a monkey was heard in the house.
Note: "搁了" means to stir in Northeastern dialect.
