The second entry, Chongqing, November 1940.

With the increasing habit of bombing, the military and civilians in Chongqing have explored many ways to use the geographical and weather advantages of the mountainous foggy city to evade bombing, effectively reducing casualties. However, the Japanese also changed their tactics accordingly, not bombing every time. They often sent out planes for intimidation, flying over Chongqing to reconnoiter the terrain, disturb the military and civilians, and numb their vigilance, making it difficult to distinguish between true and false air raid warnings.

What are you afraid of? If these bastards dare to provoke me, watch me slaughter them! Shen Lin turned around, with long eyebrows and thick eyelashes, almond-shaped eyes and thin lips, her distinct features complementing the rare and dazzling wild beauty of a woman.

Companions laughed and begged for mercy, "Yes, yes, you're right. I won't argue with you."

Hello. He spoke Chinese with a hint of Cantonese accent, gracefully reaching out his hand to her, "I am Ralph Quine, a British journalist, not an American soldier."

Shen Lin heard her companions shouting her name in panic, but before she could run over, a group of porters carrying goods stumbled and rushed past her. The supervisor behind them urged them on, "Hurry, hurry, don't drop anything!"

Drizzling... He was helpless, "Now that your father is gone, I have to treat you as my own daughter. I am responsible for everything you say and do. Do you understand?"

Candy is a rarity for middle-class families in normal times, and a beggar child naturally has never seen it. He looked blankly at the milk candy without any reaction. Shen Lin peeled off the candy wrapper and handed it to the child's mouth. Tempted by the sweet and rich milk flavor, the little beggar hesitated and licked it, immediately widening his eyes, snatching the candy and stuffing it into his mouth, swallowing it whole without even chewing.

Shen Lin took out two pieces of milk candy from his pocket and handed them to the child.

Shen Lin is observant and noticed that his expression turned pale. He recalled the last time when Shu Yi's wife, Yan Yi, returned from Hong Kong and hesitated to mention it to his mother. He had a slight suspicion in his heart, but he dared not think too much.

You are too trusting. How can you casually follow someone with an unknown background? The man known as Uncle Xue turned his face, his handsome face showing few signs of aging, and his true age was not discernible. Only those deep eyes seemed to be able to see through people's hearts. The slightly raised corners of his eyes and the thin lips were clearly accompanied by a heroic smile, but the flying eyebrows had an indescribable murderous intent.

As soon as the words fell, the air raid alarm sounded, and the piercing wailing sound pierced through the sky.

I don't know yet. Originally, I was supposed to go back first. On the way, I heard an air raid warning. I thought it was time for you to finish school, so I came over to see if I could pick you up on the way. He frowned slightly, "You, this girl, are too careless with strangers. Just now, that foreigner's background was unclear, and you ran off with him so recklessly!" He glanced at the wound on her foot, unable to scold her any further, and took out a clean handkerchief for her. "It's just a superficial injury. Go back and let Aunt Shu bandage it for you. Wrap it with this handkerchief for now."

Shen Lin was taken aback, a complex expression suddenly flashed in his eyes, with both surprise and hesitation, and an unmistakable sense of disappointment. "Is that so, Gao Yanfei is here too..."

Uncle Xue, don't hurt him!

Shen Lin frowned, "Alright, alright. Who doesn't know that Uncle Xue, you are an aviation expert? You can distinguish it, but we ordinary people can't. Keep your theories about aircraft mechanics and discuss them with Gao Yanfei. I'm not interested. Nowadays, there are bombings every day. Just hearing the word 'aircraft' gives me a headache... Oh, by the way, don't keep talking to my mom about the aircraft manufacturing factory. You know, she gets sad when she hears about it."

He still had a calm expression between his eyebrows, "No need, these planes are not here for bombing, they are only for reconnaissance."

Wait a moment.However, Shen Lin suddenly seemed to remember something, shook off his companion's hand, turned around and ran towards the beggar child.

Let's go for a joy ride! Two open-top jeeps zoomed past, with drunken American military officers on board, holding up bottles of alcohol, laughing and shouting. They lewdly whistled at several female students on the roadside, causing the girls to dodge in response.

This is not some great truth," Shen Lin argued seriously, even though he was dragged away by his companions. "Who says that poor people have no dignity? Who says that rich people are always noble?"

Xue Jinming shook his head and sighed, "Neither Yanye nor I are troublemakers. How could he be so mischievous? It seems like the two of you are more like real siblings. You were also uncontrollable when you were young, no one could restrain you."

The blue-gray eyes under the thick eyebrows shine like clear seawater in the sunlight.

Xue Jinming nodded lightly, "I know. She came back this time with Gao Yanfei."

The cheeks were sore from being rubbed by the gravel on the ground. Ralph couldn't move, he only saw that person glance back lightly when getting on the car, just a glance, but it suddenly made him feel nervous and oppressed... The hand gripping his shoulder suddenly loosened, the person behind him let go, and threw him on the roadside, then returned to the car.

He grabbed Shen Lin's hand and said, "Come with me. The market air-raid shelter can't hide so many people. I know the nearest hiding place."

Although the sunshine is warm on the body and the gray mist in the sky has dispersed, such good weather is most likely to attract Japanese planes bombing.

Ralph ignored her and ran across the street with her in his arms, heading towards a British bank.

Of course you can't go. The hardships of the Dian Nan war zone are beyond your imagination. Kunming is the throat to the front-line war zone. The situation is now extremely tense," he said, with a stern face. "Do you think it's a fun place over there?"

"Minyan," he said with a bitter smile when he mentioned the name. "If I could really control her, do you think any father would let his daughter become an intelligence officer? And who knows better than me, Xue Jinming, about the dangers of this profession?"

The female students nodded one after another, recalling the shocking incident last month when a female student was brutally assaulted by a US soldier, causing everyone's face to turn pale. They all blamed the girl named Shen Lin for being too reckless and bold.

You're here again," said the companion with a laugh, "the same old clichés over and over again."

Shen Lin turned to look at him, and saw him slightly pursing his lips, with a determined line at the corner of his mouth, revealing a trace of the passage of time.

The little beggar took a step back, frightened by his brown hair, blue eyes, and high nose, and ran away.

All of a sudden, a shadow covered the sunlight. Shen Lin was startled and looked up to see a tall, brown-haired man standing beside her, whose figure was made even more slender by his khaki overcoat. The faint winter sun enveloped him, and he enveloped her. He smiled and spoke fluent Chinese, "Don't take off your scarf, or you'll catch a cold."

The bustling crowd on the street immediately scattered and fled in all directions, each heading towards a hidden place.

A group of people rushing about immediately caused chaos in the street, scattering Shen Lin's companions in different directions. One strong man ran too fast and couldn't stop, and it looked like he was about to collide with Shen Lin.

Her companions looked at her in astonishment as she took off her gloves and put them on the child, then removed the woolen scarf from around her neck, intending to wrap it around the freezing child...

It's rare to have clear weather in the afternoon, and the temperature is slightly warming up. The modern lady who gets off the car is wearing a padded cotton cheongsam, and her slender legs are wrapped in glass silk stockings, faintly visible, showing no fear of the cold. The newspaper-selling boy on the street, with a red face from the cold, runs past and catches up with the slowly driving car to sell newspapers. He loudly shouts the latest battle situation ahead while occasionally looking up at the sky.

Shen Lin stuck out her tongue, and when she heard him mention Aunt Yan, she blurted out, "Yan... Aunt..." She paused, unable to change this awkward address after so many years. She had been used to calling her Shun, Shu, Yan, or Bei Aunt, and in any case, they were all like sisters to her mother. It didn't matter what she called them. She smiled and changed back to the habitual address, "How is Aunt Yan? Is she still alone in the south?"

Shen Lin shook his head, "I am not sympathizing with him, but helping him. Although he is poor, he still has dignity. He doesn't need sympathy."

The female students were moved by compassion and each threw some coins into the broken bowl.

Despite the heavy clouds of war, the prestigious capital Chongqing, where the powerful gather, remains a scene of tranquility.

Shen Lin lowered his head nervously and said, "I was just talking, you're more nervous than my mother."

He frowned and lifted her up without saying a word.

This expression fell completely into Xue Jinming's eyes, how could the subtle thoughts of the children escape his gaze? However, what could he say? Each generation has its own destiny. In the blink of an eye, more than ten years have passed, the old friends have either left or grown old, and the once young boys and girls have grown up. Just as he wanted to change the subject and find a happier topic for her, she brightly said to him, "The pedestrian still doesn't know that you're back. When she sees you later, she might get so excited that she does somersaults."

Only one girl with long hair to her shoulders and a tall and graceful figure angrily rode past the jeep next to her and shouted, "Rubbish!"

Xue Jinming faintly "Hmm" and did not respond.

Ralph's strong arm promptly protected her to his side, avoiding the approaching laborer.

Seeing his pained expression, Shen Lin felt guilty as her words had touched upon his troubles. After a moment of silence, she changed the subject and whispered, "Minyan sent a telegram saying that he will be back in a few days."

Does my mother know that you have returned? Shen Lin broke the silence.

The early winter weather in Chongqing is particularly cold, and the fog and haze over the mountain city persist throughout the day.

Her companion watched the child for a long time, then approached and held her, "Let it go, let's go. There are too many unfortunate people in the world, no matter how much sympathy you have, you can't take care of them all."

So pitiful.

Ralph heard the anxious voice of a girl and struggled to lift his head. The door of the black car in front opened, and a slender figure in a smoke-gray windbreaker walked slowly towards them, taking the injured girl.

Mother said that children at this age are the most mischievous, even more so than when I was a child," Shen Lin laughed, "Just the day before yesterday, he even hit a nine-year-old child and didn't allow anyone to go home and complain."

"Uncle Xue!" Shen Lin touched the wound on his leg and complained to the man beside him, "Why did you let them get rough? That British man meant well. He just wanted to take me away from the bombing."

Shen Lin didn't have time to argue with him. Nervously, she looked up at the sky through the car window and saw the gray shadow of a fighter jet passing by in the distance. She quickly grabbed his arm and said, "Uncle Xue, find a place to take cover quickly, the plane is coming!"

Ralph struggled to get up and saw the man in the car turn his face indifferently, with a hint of a smile at the corner of his lips. His cold profile emitted an aura of a punisher. The two black cars disappeared in the sound of urgent air raid sirens.

People who have long been numbed by the daily bombing did not panic too much, but rushed towards the low public air-raid shelter like a tide. Shen Lin was dragged by him, stumbling forward in the crowd, not knowing when her shoes were stepped on and broken glass on the ground cut her toes, causing sharp pain that made her gasp. Ralph looked down and was shocked to see her left foot exposed in the air, blood gushing out, obviously injured. Shen Lin was dragged by him, stumbling forward in the crowd, not knowing when her shoes were stepped on and broken glass on the ground cut her toes, causing sharp pain that made her gasp. Ralph looked down and was shocked to see her left foot exposed in the air, blood gushing out, obviously injured.

So many years have passed, and she still... He hesitated, sighed lightly, turned his face to the car window, so that she couldn't see his expression. Shen Lin also fell silent. The car was silent for a while, only the sound of the wheels rubbing against the gravel road surface.

The cold winter wind carries a chilling coldness that seeps into the bones. Ralph raises his coat collar, friendly smile on his face, "The weather is nice today, hopefully there won't be any bombings."

This is the cunning of the Japanese. However, if you observe carefully, you can distinguish it from the flight trajectory and engine sound of the aircraft. For example... As soon as he said this, he was interrupted by Shen Lin.

The driver also nervously looked back through the rearview mirror when he heard the words, "Hey, should we drive over to the bridge pillar over there and hide for a while?"

Your mother repeatedly reminded you not to approach strangers easily, you must take it to heart. He spoke leisurely. Sitting in the bumpy Mercedes, the overhead was the sharp and piercing air raid alarm, and faintly, the roar of the aircraft engine could be heard. But he didn't feel the slightest nervousness, his expression was calm, and a hint of indifference appeared at the corner of his lips.

Shen Lin! Her companion hurriedly pulled her back and said, "Don't provoke these soldiers. Have you forgotten what happened last month? What if we get into trouble? It's terrifying just to think about it!"

The person next to me remained silent for a long time without responding.

He awkwardly scratched his hair and looked up at her.

What's wrong with barbarians. Shen Lin made a face, before she could finish speaking, she felt her clothes being pulled. She turned around and saw a skinny beggar child, holding a broken pottery bowl in one hand and tightly pulling her coat in the other. The beige coat was already marked with the dirty fingerprints of the child. The little beggar said nothing, just stood on tiptoe, looking at her eagerly. In the November weather, the little beggar was only wearing a tattered jacket, with dark toes peeking out of his worn-out straw shoes.

Thinking of his six-year-old son, Xue Jinming couldn't help but smile.

I can walk by myself. Shen Lin struggled stubbornly.

The car turned onto the winding mountain road and slowly entered the forested mountain path. The fallen leaves on the ground were stirred up by the wheels, fluttering in the air. In the distance, two-story American-style villas with gray bricks and red tiles could be faintly seen. The front door was already in sight.

She shook hands with him generously, smiled, "Thank you for your kindness."

Shen Lin originally had a cold face, but he was amused by the last sentence he added carefully, apparently he heard what she and her female companions were saying.

"Is it fake again?" Shen Lin was taken aback, looking at the plane that was indeed flying away with great anger. "If the Japanese devils want to bomb, then bomb! Always playing these sneaky tricks, making people startled and annoyed. It's truly despicable!"

You have a fearless and savage personality, just like a barbarian. A companion criticized her.

Shen Lin pursed her lips and remained silent. After a while, she asked in a low voice, "But I don't understand, why can Minyan, who is clearly younger than me, work by your side? She is also your daughter, and the work she does is extremely dangerous."

He bent down and took off his thick woolen plaid scarf from around his neck, draped it over the child, and tied a beautiful knot.

Shen Lin took the handkerchief and casually said, "Aunt Shu took a plane to Kunming yesterday. I heard that Uncle Xu went to Kunming to attend some kind of war meeting. I wanted to go with her, but my mother didn't agree..."

Uncle Xue, I'm sorry, Shen Lin knew that he had gone a bit too far with his words, apologetically said, "I didn't mean to complain about you."

Just as he was about to step up the stairs, two black cars with screeching brakes swiftly chased up and stopped in front of the bank, blocking Ralph's way. Two men got out of the car behind, one of them swiftly attacked Ralph, while the other seized Shen Lin. Ralph threw punches, but his opponent was too skilled and well-trained to resist. He was quickly overpowered, with his hands pinned and pressed to the ground.