Chapter 2: Seeking Refuge

"Child, Germany has already suffered enough from the Treaty of Versailles; how could they possibly want to experience that again? This is merely a vile persecution directed at our entire Jewish nation. They wish to strip us of our wealth to compensate for the suffering they endured under the Treaty of Versailles. Rest assured, child, this will soon pass, and by then, you will still be welcome to stay at our home; you have not yet graduated."

Dear Qin Tianwu, how have you been lately? It seems that things are not well. Your situation is unsafe, and I am very worried. Please come quickly. I am in Warsaw, at this address: XXXX. Hurry! I am waiting for you, and please be careful on your way.

Poland, Poland, Blitzkrieg, World War II, concentration camps... Qin Tian lay weakly on the table, murmuring to herself as she gazed at the letter paper and money on the table

Tian, come with us. I am also uneasy leaving you here. The Polish government is quite friendly towards the Jews, so you need not worry

Overnight, Germany's attitude towards the Jews became exceedingly harsh, especially in the political center of Berlin. They refused to allow Jews to enter stores to make purchases and also refrained from shopping at Jewish-owned establishments. There were rampant intrusions into Jewish homes and shops, resulting in vandalism. Formerly friendly neighbors began to regard them with hostility. The Roth family, caught off guard by this situation, found their food supplies insufficient, and despite Mrs. Roth's meticulous budgeting, it was not sustainable for long

In the past two days, she has been staying at the Rhodes' home and had completely forgotten about school until a girl, who seemed to be her classmate, informed her that classes were temporarily suspended because many people had gone to participate in the selection for the Youth Party's paramilitary group. From the excited expression on her face, it was as if they were going to take a civil service examination

It may not be as good as now, full of thorns and excitement, still having to struggle for survival

Now that I am leaving Germany, where is safe? The United States? Too far! The Arctic? Too cold! Even the Antarctic is not very peaceful

The Jewish youth are scheduled to leave the day after tomorrow. By the time Lina departs, and with the situation regarding Tu Shu and Qin Tian, she truly has no face to remain any longer. Moreover, there has been no news from Mr. Rod, and she has even fewer connections than Mrs. Rod, leaving her at a loss as to how to seek help. In other words, she has only one day left to consider her options; otherwise, she will have no choice but to follow Lina to Poland and endure the ravages of war.

The place she is going to may not be absolutely safe, may not be very stable, but it must not be so dangerous!

As night fell, Qin Tian had no clues whatsoever; at that moment, a letter determined her destination

Serenity...

After Lina silently nodded, Lady Rod looked at Qin Tian and said, "What about you, my child? You should also know that you cannot stay here for long."

Amitabha

Is she a genius? Was this girl a genius before? Isn't it quite unfair that I took her? Qin Tian truly feels sorry for the former Qin Tian; she is a typical science idiot, even the simplest physics problems can confuse her.

Ah! That's wonderful! Hurry up and pack your things! We are leaving tomorrow! Lina was just about to cheer and ran out to find her mother.

She did not know what the man looked like, could not imagine his circumstances, nor could she fathom the hardships a foreign student must endure to save so much money in such a small country. However, the few words from this distant brother in his letter carried a deep sense of familial affection, making her suddenly realize how cold this room was, and that deep down, she had always longed for a support in this extremely lonely world

Madam Rod must wait for Mr. Rod, but Lina is still young. The Jews in Berlin have secretly formed an alliance, and the first priority is to send the children to safety. The expulsion of Jews in Germany has become severe, and one of the immediate adverse effects of Kristallnacht is that it has provoked anger from other countries. For several days, even the newspapers have reported that various countries are announcing the severance of diplomatic relations with Germany, while Hitler has stated in broadcasts that they do not care.

Hey, hey, hey, I haven't made up my mind yet! Qin Tian stretched out one hand in vain, only watching Lina's figure as she ran out.

Amen

Qin Tian stated that this issue is very serious

The silence between the mother and daughter does not mean that Qin Tian is unaware; she has no reason to stay any longer, nor does she wish to remain.

The three individuals pressed their palms together in front of their chests and bowed their heads, listening to Aunt Rod's words: "Thank God for granting us such delicious food. May there be less suffering in the world and may truth, goodness, and beauty endure forever. Amen"

Moreover, her own documents indeed prove that she is still a university student, enrolled in the Technical University of Berlin, majoring in the terrifying field of nuclear physics

Initially, Lina was extremely reluctant. Recently, she had been tormented by numerous setbacks, becoming even more emaciated. Each day, she felt listless, and her longing for her father and dependence on her mother made her incredibly fragile. Lady Rod had no choice but to persuade her earnestly every day, and she swore countless times to God that she would immediately go to Poland to reunite with Lina, only then did Lina reluctantly agree

Due to the severance of diplomatic relations by numerous countries, many places have even halted train services, and flights are nothing more than a distant hope. The nearest government capable of sheltering Jews from Berlin is Poland.

Lina blinked her big eyes: "Not yet. I was thinking about it, but one day when you received a letter from your brother and saw his name, you just stopped thinking about it... Actually, Alexander Eric is quite good. Why are you so resistant?"

Poland, this tragic place, the first stop where World War II began, the first spark ignited by Germany to start the war

She is almost at her wit's end; in this vast world, there is no place for her to belong. She possesses an identification document that only states her date of birth, the school she attended, and her temporary address. It seems that she is not a local of Berlin (obviously). So, does she have any relatives? Where are they?

"Alas, dinner is almost cold, hurry and eat," said Mrs. Rod, "let us pray first"

It is clear that anti-Semitism has become a widespread ideological trend in Germany. As a student living with the Jewish couple, the Roths, Qin Tian is evidently no longer suited to stay there. Not to mention the potential risks of being implicated, the male head of the household is currently missing. Mrs. Roth is out every day, searching for her husband alongside many other Jewish women who have lost their spouses, while also having to return to care for two young girls. Qin Tian feels uncomfortable about the situation.

Thus, Qin Tian held the letter in confusion, cursing in his heart that Qin Eric was truly a big fool, while his sister was a genius, and he, the brother, was completely out of touch. By the way! There is a question.

It is said that this is the most exasperating thing for Qin Tian. Every day, the media repeatedly broadcasts Hitler's speeches. He is indeed passionate and inspiring, but from the perspective of the Jewish people, it is distressing no matter how one listens to it. Moreover, even if one turns off the radio and the loudspeakers on the street, every time Hitler finishes a speech, the frenzied German populace performs that world-famous salute and shouts "Long live".

Due to the fear of revealing her true self, Qin Tian seldom spoke. At times, she would reflect on her past, but the memories were elusive. Her parents divorced when she was very young, and she was raised by her grandmother. After her grandmother passed away, she found herself with nothing to cling to. Coupled with her indifferent personality, she spent her time in the dormitory in solitude, finding amusement in her own company. It felt as though her life was shrouded in a fog, obscuring her view of both her surroundings and her past and future.

It seems that the stack of money is in Polish currency, the zloty, and surprisingly, there is even a document mixed in, proving that Qin Tian has all the legal procedures to enter Poland. As for what the procedures for the investigation and the books are... The document does not specify, and I wonder if it is the case in this era that as long as the proof is passed, a stamp is sufficient, or perhaps there are so many such proofs that they are too lazy to write down the details

"You said... you would never acknowledge having such a brother," Lina pouted, her big eyes sparkling again. "Is it a letter from your brother? What does he say?"

Lina, what is my name

Do you know that I have an older brother? Why didn't you tell me back then? The elder sister really thought she was all alone in the world, isolated and independent

Qin Tian's mind was in disarray, and without thinking, he said: "He is in Warsaw, asking me to go."

The envelope is written in German, from someone named Erik Alexander Qin... Qin Tian silently felt dizzy for a while, Qin Erik Alexander... This is really frustrating, a sense of various oddities

Lina does not know, and Mrs. Rod does not know; it seems the answer lies with the abducted Mr. Rod

"Cough, Aunt Rod, do you think Poland is suitable? Given the current situation, war might break out again, and Poland may not be safe either." Qin Tian tried to express her thoughts as delicately as possible, but unexpectedly, her words evoked a sense of sadness in Mrs. Rod.

Qin Tian is quite certain that Mr. Rod is being held in a certain concentration camp. It seems that a large portion of those imprisoned have died, while a small number have been released, but they must leave Germany as soon as possible. Regardless of whether the male head of the Rod family returns, leaving Germany is imperative.

"Tian! I have your letter!" Lina ran in and handed her a thick white envelope.

Upon opening the letter, there was a thick stack of money, followed by a thin sheet of letter paper. Finally, it was in Chinese. The handwriting was vigorous and grand; although it was written with a fountain pen, one could still faintly discern the essence of brush strokes. This truly ignited the desire of the calligraphy enthusiast Qin Tian to have it framed.

That evening, Mrs. Rod requested Lina to pack her luggage in preparation to go to Poland with other young Jews

Ha! Qin Tian exclaimed loudly, suddenly sitting up straight, his eyes fixed intently on the ceiling. "Poland? Ha! War? Ha! What is that? What is that?"

Indeed. Not only have I not graduated, but I also feel I haven't lived enough. Qin Tian did not want to continue debating this issue. Before World War II, the whole world did not believe that Germany would initiate war again, so let them see clearly. "I will consider it, thank you, Aunt Rod."

Although it is embarrassing, Qin Tian has no choice but to shamelessly continue to stay with the Luode family. Clearly, they are truly good people, as they have not driven her away despite her awkward situation. Sometimes she thinks it might be better to just return to China, but regardless of how she would go back, there is at least a gap to exploit in the ongoing conflict here. Returning would mean facing a nationwide resistance... What if she accidentally fell victim to the Japanese invaders? Wouldn't that be devastating?

Let's eat

Hehe

She should indeed leave; following these Jews is certainly the most convenient and secure option. However, God knows how unsafe that destination is!

Little did they know that half a month later, Qin Tian still had not figured out her next place to stay, while Lina had to leave.

She found it very strange that she clearly looked only sixteen or seventeen years old, so how could she possibly be an international student? What kind of studies could she be pursuing?

What I mean is, did I give myself a German name

The money was wrinkled, each bill carefully pressed flat, yet the traces of being pinched countless times were still visible. In total, there were over one thousand zlotys, with denominations of all kinds. As Qin Tian looked at them, she could absurdly imagine an Eastern man under dim light, taking out the bills one by one, meticulously flattening them, stacking them into a pile, then placing them into an envelope. He would then take a fountain pen, his long and strong hand writing in a bold script, carefully reviewing it before sealing it in the envelope. She could absurdly imagine an Eastern man under dim light, taking out the bills one by one, meticulously flattening them, stacking them into a pile, then placing them into an envelope. He would then take a fountain pen, his long and strong hand writing in a bold script, carefully reviewing it before sealing it in the envelope

Qin Tian felt an impulse to cry