troubled times reckless

The long-term lack of food and the alcohol flowing in his blood gave Yue Weiren a splitting headache.Mottled raindrops fell from the sky. He was sitting in a dilapidated corner, wearing a ragged uniform of an officer whose original color could not be seen, a scruffy beard, and dirt and mud all over his face.

Sitting on the street with such a desolate figure, no one would throw even a dollar into his hat that fell on the ground.

He didn't think he was begging, he just sat here, drinking the hard-earned and small wine, watching the desolation of the world.

The national calamity has long passed, and earlier he claimed to be the savior, but now he is trapped in a catastrophe, and he will never come back.

The rain was falling in the sky, like the tears in his heart, and the hideous bloody wound...

He used to think that life can be given up and reputation can be damaged, but achievements must be completed; he tried his best to realize the principles he thought were correct, but he didn't get any commendable results...

He pointed the dirty mouth of the wine pot at his own lips again - what other choice does Yue Weiren have besides getting drunk and dreaming of death?

Yes, drunk and dreaming.

Yue Weiren is now the kind of person he hated and despised most in the past.

The drizzle turned into a downpour, and the dirty wine bag was still tightly packed in his hands. Unfortunately, the wine was about to run out, but he had no money to buy any more.

Standing up with dragging steps, trying to hide from the rain.There was a bridge opening ahead, and he shrank into it and sat down.The rain was so heavy that an invisible curtain was formed in this crowded and peaceful city, and no one would notice this ruined soldier who was curled up on the street corner, wearing a dilapidated military uniform and abandoned by the times.

Yue Weiren's body was already drenched, even though his cloth shoes were covered with dirty water flowing on the ground.

In the wet and cold wind blowing towards his face, Yue Weiren sighed out a breath of hot air, but the hot air quickly dissipated, and the last trace of barren temperature did not know where to go.

My heart is as empty as if a hole has been dug, and now I can't think of any righteousness of family and country in my mind, only paleness, emptiness, and loneliness.

In the past, he boasted that he had lofty ambitions and clear thinking, and he never knew what confusion and imitation were; now, perhaps he always laughed at the retribution of the confused and wandering in his heart, but fate finally made him feel this kind of discomfort.

Not a sharp pain, but just numbness.

numbness.

The heavy rain was still falling, and he hadn't eaten a few meals. Hunger and cold swept his whole body.

Are you going to die?

To end this meaningless life?

Do not……

He can't die.

Because he didn't even have the strength to despair.

At this moment, I saw a short, middle-aged man holding an umbrella walking towards the bridge hole.

Yue Weiren raised his face, and saw that the middle-aged man's hair was already gray, but he had a chubby baby face, with slight fine lines at the corners of his eyes; and the skin on his cheeks was smooth and smooth like that of a teenager.

The visitor stared at him with an umbrella, as if curious.

The middle-aged man was wearing a gray long gown, and he looked like the master of a rich family.They were not kind, but a pair of pitch-black eyes revealed a childishness and innocence that belied their age.

Crazy?

Or mentally handicapped?

In this day and age, survival is not easy, who cares about others?

Even friends are like this, let alone a stranger like myself...

Yue Weiren judged with his still brain...

"I saw you just now, are you drunk?" the middle-aged man asked with concern, his voice was kind.

"The drainage system here is very bad, and the bridge will flood. You should go home quickly." The man held an umbrella and persuaded him kindly.

Yue Weiren should not.

"Did you not have the fare to go home?" With that said, the man took out his change and put it in front of Yue Weiren.

It's dollars.

Hong Kong Island in [-], the most valuable currency.

Heh, I have used my feet to walk all over the mountains and rivers, how could I not be able to walk down a small Hong Kong Island?But why does this person want to spread his kindness indiscriminately?I don't need his sympathy yet...

Yue Weiren stood up unsteadily, and shuffled into the pouring rain.The middle-aged man trotted to keep up, held up an umbrella for Yue Weiren, and said cautiously: "Are you okay? I see that you smell of alcohol, are you drunk?"

He glared at the man, and the middle-aged man flinched slightly.

In fact, Yue Weiren didn't live far away, but he didn't want to go back; the middle-aged man stubbornly followed him all the way, as if he was afraid that he would get caught in the rain, and provided him with a shade.

"My son is about the same age as you, and he is also an officer who retired from the mainland."

"So seeing you, I feel very kind."

"But he has his own business now, and he doesn't like to talk to me." The middle-aged man kept talking, and Yue Weiren walked forward without saying a word.

When we got to the place, it was a small iron shed next to a small garbage recycling station.

Yue Weiren pushed the door open, and the door creaked.

He leans against the door.

I said earlier that I don't want to come back.

I saw that the corners of the dark room were covered with all kinds of rags and rubbish, and there was a stench.Yue Weiren walked into the rags and rubbish silently, paved a place with his feet, and sat down.

The bottom of the buttocks seemed to be caught by something hard. Yue Weiren took it out and saw that it was a White Tiger Medal, turned it over, and the words 'Hengyang Great Victory First Class Merit' were written on the back...

Yue Weiren wiped the stain on it with his dirty cuff, and the golden emblem shone brightly; Yue Weiren threw it into the rusty magnetic cup at hand, only to hear the jingle sound...

Yue Weiren laughed when he heard the voice, unscrewed the mouth of the wine bag again, and poured the spirits into it.

The brilliance and splendor of the metal were reflected in the spreading wine smell, and the once gold and iron horse was wrapped in the crystal liquid. Yue Weiren stared at the wine glass, as if recalling the glorious past again, almost wanting to get drunk in his own dreams.

The middle-aged man stood at the door and poked his head in: "Can I come in?"

Yue Weiren was awakened by the middle-aged man's voice, and he nodded numbly.

Yue Weiren didn't know why he opened his mouth, and he didn't know if he was asking this man who had followed him home for no reason, or if he was asking about himself who had long since lost his mind and had nothing to worry about.

"Why... our army lost almost all casualties in the battle in northern Burma... but the Chinese... still say that we are just surviving and losing cities and lands?"

"Why... the Battle of Hengyang hit the Japanese army hard, and even the Tojo cabinet was struggling to cope with it and collapsed, but some people still say that we are passive in resisting Japan?"

"Someone slandered us! Slandered the heroic spirits who died fighting the Japanese!"

The middle-aged man's deer-like eyes stared at Yue Weiren without blinking, without saying a word.

Yue Weiren poured the strong wine in the magnetic cup in one gulp, the medal landed on his lips, and was kissed by his split lips.

Under the influence of alcohol, Yue Weiren put down his wine glass with a bang, and shouted uncontrollably, "Why..."

Why do I have nothing now?

Why was the battle I participated in being said to be useless?

Why is it once so brilliant, but now it is so embarrassing?

Yue Weiren held his head in his rough hands and messed up the ends of his hair...

"Also...why...why is Xiaoxi a Communist Party?!"

Recalling that the army he commanded was wiped out by the Communist army in the last confrontation, only because a traitor betrayed him.

After finally breaking out by luck, Yue Weiren, who learned the truth, could no longer forgive himself...

Heart-piercing pain...

At that time, he couldn't even imagine...

The cadre who came to persuade him to surrender in a military jeep turned out to be his wife who was supposed to be avoiding the war in her hometown...

The one I love the most, the one I respect the most, the one who is willing to break up with the family because of her——a lifelong companion.

That's when...

Yue Weiren destroyed his belief...

The building built in a lifetime collapsed, and the dreams that were once shattered...

He was betrayed by the person he trusted the most...

With a walking corpse, Yue Weiren escaped.

But what awaited him was a harsher fact.

This party-state, which he devoted himself to and shed his blood, wanted to judge him for his sin of colluding with the Communist Party.

The Communist Party also classified him as a diehard; in the liberated areas, his reward notice was posted.

Yue Weiren didn't understand.

In the red zone, he had to cover up,

In the white area, he did not dare to show his true colors.

The country is big, but there is no place for him.

The eyes of the common people were colored red, seeing him like a soldier, like an enemy.

Oh, the country to which he had given his life.

He loves the country, but unfortunately, the country doesn't love him.

He regrets it.

It would be great if... he could die in northern Burma.

It would be great if... he could die in the Hengyang defense battle.

It would be great if... he could die on the battlefield against the Japanese invaders before the negotiations in Chongqing.

In that way, he died so great that he would no longer have to endure the humiliation of life.

Unfortunately, there are no assumptions in life, and there are no ifs in fate.

The former hero has now become a drowning dog, Yue Weiren dare not even let himself see the broad daylight.

When he arrived in the white area, he wanted to find another plan and find someone to manage it so that he could return to the army.

It's a pity that at that time, the army was defeated and the army was in turmoil. He didn't even get a boat ticket to Taiwan.

He fell all the way and spent all his money before he came to Hong Kong.

He has no friends, and Liang Hao, the only one who can be regarded as a "buddy", also separated the two places because of tactical defense as early as July [-]th, so there is little news.He stayed in Hunan to fight against Japan, while Liang Hao withdrew to Chongqing with his elite armored troops.

I traveled to northern Burma again, and met Liang Hao once. At that time, he was leading an army to attack the Japanese Fortress No. [-], and suffered heavy casualties.

On the hasty side, the war is urgent, and it is impossible to recall the old days——

The memories of the past almost overwhelmed Yue Weiren. He suddenly rushed over and grabbed the shoulder of the middle-aged man standing in the room who was at a loss: "Tell me...why?! Why is this all?!"

The middle-aged man frowned, and a boyish expression appeared on his face. He bit his lip and opened his dark eyes: "Um... I don't know..."

Yue Weiren saw his own reflection in the clear pupils staring at him...

Dirty and spoiled.

Embarrassed and humble.

Where are the shadows of former soldiers?

What is the purpose of this person... approaching me...?Relying on his drunkenness, Yue Weiren thought hard...

Is it another spy of the Communist Party?But he has long since lost his usefulness?What else did they send them to stare at him for?

It was the same scene when Xiaoxi met him for the first time.At that time, Xiaoxi held an umbrella and looked at him quietly in the rain.

This rainy season always seems to be able to stir up the softness and romance in the deepest part of Yue Weiren's heart.

He will always remember the person who held up an umbrella for him.

He fell in love with her at first sight.

From then on, falling in love with her is beyond redemption.

Their union is a new type of marriage advocated by the revolution.

They were a match made in heaven.

But now, everything is turned upside down.

He, Yue Weiren, apart from his battle-hardened skin, now has nothing left. He is shameless and earns a living.

"Who sent you here?" Yue Weiren said hoarsely.

"Well, no one sent me, I saw you under the bridge..."

"I ask you, who sent you here?!" Yue Weiren raised his voice.

Back then, when Xiaoxi came to persuade him to surrender, he said: "I love you, and I didn't combine with you for the mission. You know, party discipline forbids lesbians to surrender their bodies in order to perform the mission."

"roll!"

At that time, Yue Weiren's eyes were red, and he pointed at the duplicitous woman, roaring angrily.

Today, the scene of deja vu reappears.

The man standing in front of him also held an umbrella for him in the rain, but he looked ridiculous and pitiful...

"No... no one... I... I saw you under the bridge..." the middle-aged man repeated submissively.

"...You...you go..." Yue Weiren stared at the middle-aged man for a while, and finally said in a hoarse voice.

"Hmm...that...you don't seem to be in good condition. Have you eaten? Can I treat you to dinner?" The middle-aged man did not follow Yue Weiren's advice to leave, but made a suggestion instead.

Yue Weiren felt disgusted, he frowned: "...why?"

"Well, I want to talk to people. My wife died of illness while fleeing. My son has his own affairs and always ignores me. My grandson wants to learn and say I'm a fool, so don't talk to me." Middle-aged man There was a grievance-like expression on his face.

"Just chat with me." The middle-aged man looked at Yue Weiren expectantly.

Yue Weiren stared at the man in front of him.I saw the man looking at himself with deer-like eyes.

Yue Weiren suddenly found it funny.

It turns out...that's what happened! !

What were you guessing just now?

is not it……

Hehe, now, even Yue Weiren has degenerated like this!

How dare someone make such a request to him! !

It turned out that this cowardly man followed him all the way to show his favor because he took a fancy to his body...

Really...

Yue Weiren looked at the man coldly; in this world, there will never be a shortage of bedbugs.

"Chat?" Yue Weiren sneered, "On the bed?"

The man flinched: "It's okay to talk on the bed..."

"Get out!" Yue Weiren kicked the man's ankle, pointed at the door and said angrily.

"Well, I...I want to chat with you."

"Talking fart!"

"But...it's been a long time since anyone talked to me..."

"Are you that cheap?"

"That... I... I will give you money!"

"Give me money?" Yue Weiren narrowed his eyes.

"En." Seeing Yue Weiren's response, the middle-aged man nodded hastily.

Yue Weiren grabbed the man by the back collar and pressed him onto his stinking iron bed, with an anger that even Yue Weiren didn't know where it came from.

The man looked at him in surprise: "You...what are you doing?!"

The man's hair was scattered on the bed, struggling uselessly with his hands and feet.Yue Weiren's iron-like arms were restrained, and he remained motionless.

In the quilt that was turned messily by struggling, the man peeped at his face tremblingly.

"What are you going to do?" The middle-aged man asked innocently.

Yue Weiren raised his fist and hit the iron bed with one blow.

The man held his breath, and an expression of extreme horror appeared on his face...

Yue Weiren felt the pleasure of playing with other people's expectations, and a sneer appeared from the corner of his mouth: "Say it again! Say it again! His grandma, if you dare to say one more word, I will kill you!"

"Woooo...I don't dare anymore!!" The man almost cried out.

"You don't need to pay, just keep the cigarettes." Yue Weiren frowned, turned over and let go of the man's restraint.

The man climbed up tremblingly, barely daring to look at him, with the sparkling water in his eyes, and got off the bed clumsily.

Seeing that the man was in a daze, as if he was not ready to fulfill his request... Yue Weiren simply reached into the middle-aged man's purse, took out a cigarette and a lighter from the disheveled middle-aged man, lit it, and put one in his mouth.

The middle-aged man was stiff all over.

Just when he thought the middle-aged man would leave silently, the iron gate outside suddenly rang.

"Father——are you in there?" A young man shouted from outside the door.

"Woo...Jing Yu!" The middle-aged man limped towards the door.

In the shape of the open door, a man in his thirties stood there.

Years passed, but it still couldn't hide the man's handsome and upright appearance, his one-in-a-million figure.

"father!"

The middle-aged man who was looking for him just now threw himself into the man's arms: "Jing Yu! Huh..."

Yue Weiren opened his mouth, and the smoke fell to the ground unknowingly: "Liang...Liang Hao?!"

The man looked at himself in the dark for a while, then stuffed the middle-aged man into the car, turned around and said in surprise, "Yue...is it Brother Yue?"

Heh, Brother Yue, how many years have I not heard of this name?

"Why do you live here? Why don't you say hello to me when you come to Hong Kong?"

"It's a long story... I didn't know you were also on Hong Kong Island..."

"Hey, Brother Yue, Luo Wu and I are now starting a company to resell things, you..." The young man looked Yue Weiren up and down, "Oh...you...knowing that you are like this, why don't you come to my place to be a warehouse manager , it’s better than if you spend your time here!”

Sitting in the car driven by the handsome man, Yue Weiren was more than half sober.

The military uniform soaked in black oil on his body was in stark contrast to the clean and fragrant robes worn by the young man.

Yue Weiren felt that his filth was against the clean inner wall of the car, making him look out of place, and then this feeling of out of place turned into shyness...

But the handsome friend didn't seem to be aware of his shyness, just blindly immersed in the surprise of this sudden encounter.

"It's a blessing to meet Brother Yue here."

Yue Weiren laughed at himself.

The friend's name is Liang Hao, who was once his friend.

Unexpectedly, living here, the first person I met, the one who said to help me, was actually him!

In the past, even though they were close friends and even close friends, Yue Weiren always felt in his heart that he was more than 01:30 points higher than this person, whether it was in terms of ideological realm or manners.

Their friendship was built on Yue Weiren's huge psychological advantage.

But now...

Things are tricking people.

Liang Hao took Yue Weiren to dinner first, and the middle-aged man was sent back to the mansion by Liang Hao.

Satiated with food and drink, leaning on the back seat of the car, Yue Weiren spoke first: "I haven't seen you for many years..."

"Yes." Liang Hao responded.

"Everyone is dead, scattered...I don't know where they are now." Yue Weiren smiled wryly, suddenly feeling a sense of depression.

"En." Liang Hao didn't answer directly, as if he didn't care about the whereabouts of his colleagues.

"By the way, do you still have any news about Wang Quan?" Yue Weiren asked.

When Liang Hao heard this, a cold light flashed in his eyes, but it disappeared quickly, and he started his voice softly, without a trace of ups and downs in his voice: "During the negotiations in Chongqing, he was with the delegation and met once."

"Not dead?"

"Later it was said that he voted for the Communist Party."

"Voting for the Communist Party again... How did you feel at that time?" Yue Weiren thought of his wife, and couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness for Liang Hao.

"At that time, I wanted to kill him." Liang Hao said flatly.

"You and Wang Quan... used to be that one..." Yue Weiren said slowly.

"Which one?" Liang Hao raised his eyebrows.

"Just like you are with Luo Wu now."

Liang Hao was silent for a while: "How do you know?"

"It's been so many years, I still can't see it?" Yue Weiren sighed, "I didn't understand it before, but later you and Luo Wu became friends with great fanfare. Don't I think about the old things? I'm different from you...I'm sad, I don't want to see her anymore, even now I see women, no matter what kind of woman... I can't... Heh... It's ridiculous to say."

"Meng Lianggu, I have an armored brigade to fight him." Liang Hao stated quietly.

Yue Weiren raised his eyebrows.

"Later, I personally mobilized artillery fire to flatten the high ground where he was. It is said that his body was blown into several pieces."

"It's really cruel."

"If you can't get what you like, isn't the best way to destroy it?" Liang Hao looked at the road ahead, his face hidden in the darkness, and he couldn't see clearly.

"Have you spoken to him?"

"During the confrontation, I shouted."

"What are you shouting for?"

"I said, Wang, I can't kill you!"

"How did he say?"

"He didn't say a word, just fired a cannon. My headquarters collapsed, but I didn't die..."

After getting out of the car, Liang Hao took Yue Weiren into the mansion, which was a three-story western-style building located in Repulse Bay.

As soon as he entered the door, he saw a thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy jumping up from the sofa: "Second Dad, why did you come back?"

Liang Hao pushed Yue Weiren in front of the boy: "Uncle, this is Dad's good friend."

"Hello, uncle."

Liang Hao took Yue Weiren upstairs again: "Brother, I went out to find our father, who do you think I met?"

Luo Wu still had a scholarly and elegant appearance. He was sitting quietly on a chair, reading a book with a pair of glasses, and nodded politely and gracefully to Yue Weiren.The light shines through the glass tube in a hazy yellow color, adding a layer of brilliance to the upright face.

Yue Weiren couldn't help thinking, Liang Hao has a good eye, this Luo Wu is much more pleasing to the eye than Wang Quan.

Liang Haodao patted Yue Weiren on the shoulder: "You can sleep in the guest room today. It happens that my father's room is next to him. He washed up and went to bed when he came back. I have to go to the dock again. If you are fine, help me take care of him. He doesn't like it. Servant, he will yell as soon as the old lady goes."

Yue Weiren was taken aback.

After greeting Luo Wu, Liang Hao led Yue Weiren to a room on the second floor and opened the door: "Father, didn't you always say that I don't have time to accompany you, now let my brother live in the room next to you, you It's okay to talk."

"Hmm...Jing Yu! I don't want him!" The middle-aged man threw a pillow with his blushing face suppressed.

Liang Hao closed the door from the outside, leaned closer to Yue Weiren and lowered his voice: "My father has some mental problems, and it has become more and more serious in the past few years. Money. Fortunately, you provided him with a shelter from the rain, otherwise he would get sick again. Don’t take what he said to heart.”

At this time, Luo Wu walked out of the room with lights on the third floor, first asked the boy who was reading in the living room to go back to sleep, and then went downstairs and said: "Jingyu, it's late today, let's catch up on the past and wait until tomorrow. Hot water will help you Put it away and come take a bath."

Liang Hao patted Yue Weiren on the shoulder, looked up at Luo Wu: "I have to go to the pier."

"What are you going to do? It's so late. What can't be left to do tomorrow?"

Liang Hao blinked at Yue Weiren: "A spring night is worth a thousand dollars, so I'll go first. You have a bathroom in your bedroom, so you can do whatever you want, just like your own home."

Yue Weiren stood in the corridor, watching Liang Hao disappear into Luo Wu's room, the door was closed, and there was no last ray of light.

Turning around and going back to his room, Yue Weiren couldn't help thinking, Liang Hao really changed...

The youth who used to be impetuous and arrogant are now more and more responsible.

And himself, it turned out that he was not so useless.

Perhaps, life has just begun.