Chapter 10

The fire grew larger, finally spreading across the entire east wall of the second floor, and began to advance towards the ceiling and rafters.

Four men, naked from the waist down, huddled near the staircase by the west wall. Shirts, pants, hats, leggings, cloth shoes, undergarments, and other items were scattered around them, some held in their hands, fanning the air.

Wang Laokou, who was sitting slightly forward, could no longer bear it and kept moving backward. "Cough, cough, I can't take it anymore. This isn't just heat, cough, cough, why is the smoke so thick? Big guy, you big oaf, stop fanning that pair of pants and go down to get water to put out the fire. Oh, excuse me, excuse me, I need to go down the stairs to catch my breath and cool off."

Zhao Yong leaned comfortably against the wall, the fire roaring on the opposite side, warming the wall and making him feel very comfortable. "Mm, squad leader, why are you so close to the fire? It's just right now, cough, cough, all the cold from last night is coming out, ah, ah, what a relief! Cough, cough."

"Squad leader, should we pour water now or wait a bit longer?"

"Damn, do what you want, I don't care. Cough, cough, I need to catch my breath first. Oh, it's much cooler downstairs."

Seeing that Wang Laokou had gone downstairs without any concern, the big guy couldn't help but ask Hu Yi, who was beside him, "Hu... Brother Hu, what do you think?"

The big guy and Hu Yi looked to be about the same age. He had intended to call Hu Yi by his name, but for some reason, whenever he faced Hu Yi, he felt a step lower, as if he owed him something, and he didn't know why. So, he called him 'Brother' instead.

Hu Yi, while shaking off his already half-dry leggings, looked up at the fire. "It doesn't matter. The squad leader said it's fine even if it burns everything."

Hearing Hu Yi's response, the big guy put down his raised buttocks and sat down steadily, continuing to wave the pair of pants in his hand, occasionally blocking the scorching heat. His face and body were drenched in sweat. If he didn't have something to shield himself, he wouldn't be able to handle it. The clothes hanging around them sizzled and steamed under the intense heat, the steam rising and merging with the black smoke in the ceiling, then drifting out through the broken windows and bullet holes, forming a thick black smoke column that floated over the Victory Port.

The simple-minded boy had searched the area thoroughly and found only twelve sweet potatoes and two eggs in an empty chicken coop, which he guessed had been left behind when the people fled. He put the eggs in his pocket and was considering whether to search elsewhere when he suddenly noticed thick smoke billowing from a small building two alleys away. The fire had already spread over the wall and onto the roof. He panicked and ran back. As he entered the door, he felt a wave of heat and saw a man sitting on the stairs, naked, with a blackened face. Scared, he clutched the bag of sweet potatoes and quickly retreated a few steps, leaning against the door frame, ready to run away at any moment.

"What are you looking at, you little brat? Get in here and dry your wet clothes first."

"Squad leader?"

The simple-minded boy, naked and holding his clothes, climbed up to the second floor. "Wow, it's so hot and smoky. Cough, cough, wouldn't it be more convenient to dry our clothes downstairs by the stove? Cough."

His words woke the three men from their daze. They looked at each other's blackened faces and couldn't help but laugh.

A moment later—

Simple-minded boy: "Brother Hu, why are the sparks falling from above?"

Big guy: "The fire is spreading from the rafters! Of course, they fall from above. Cough, cough. Damn..."

Hu Yi: "Calm down, pass me the water, quickly. Fast!"

Zhao Yong: "Oh my, my hair... Let me go downstairs first."

Wang Laokou: "Fool! Take off the clothes first."

...

The fog cleared, and the entire Victory Port became clear. The long-awaited sunlight began to pierce through the clouds, creating an unreal feeling, as if nothing had happened.

By noon, the gunfire at the dock had finally subsided, gradually returning to silence. This vanguard Japanese unit, consisting of only one company of about 200 men, had advanced without resistance, far ahead of the main force, lightly equipped. They should have stopped at the south bank of the Huangpu River to gather boats, but they assumed the Chinese army was retreating and had no heavy weapons, only a few machine guns and grenade launchers. They crossed the Huangpu River directly, intending to occupy the north bank dock to facilitate the advance of the subsequent forces. However, they didn't expect to encounter the Chinese army head-on. After the 2nd and 3rd battalions reached the riverbank, they launched a pincer attack, quickly controlling the situation and clearing the remaining enemies with minimal losses. Victory Port now belonged entirely to the 638th Regiment.

The twelve sweet potatoes and two eggs were roasted in the ashes on the second floor of the small building. Wang Laokou and Hu Yi each took three sweet potatoes, the others got two each, and the two eggs went to the simple-minded boy.

The second floor of the small building was completely burned out, with blackened, smoldering remains. If not for Hu Yi and the big guy's efforts to extinguish the fire, the first floor would have burned down as well. Hu Yi's motivation for putting out the fire wasn't to protect civilian property or improve living conditions, but to leave a warm, cozy first floor where they could sleep soundly.

It turned out that Hu Yi and the big guy's efforts were worthwhile. The men of the third squad were now well-fed, well-hydrated, and had washed their blackened faces, sleeping soundly on the warm first floor. The warmth and comfort were like a warm kang (a traditional Chinese heated bed), making them feel at home and safe, not wanting to get up. The third squad had shed all their fatigue and exhaustion, lazily turning over, using a dream to temporarily forget the cold, damp Jiangnan outside the walls.

Wang Laokou slept soundly and woke up to find the big guy Zhao Yong and the simple-minded boy still snoring on the ground, while Hu Yi was sitting by the door, cleaning his gun.

"Little Hu, did you sleep well?"

"I slept well, but I woke up a bit early."

After a moment of silence, Wang Laokou asked, "About the private release of deserters, what did you think at the time?"

Hu Yi, without looking up, replied, "What's there to think about? I let them go. When I decided to let them go, I did."

"Although it violates military law, I think what you did was righteous."

Hu Yi stopped his actions, paused, and then said solemnly to Wang Laokou, "Brother Wang, I, Hu Yi, am not afraid of violating military law, but I didn't feel sorry for them. I let them go because I was too lazy to shoot them. Do you believe me?"

Wang Laokou, looking at Hu Yi's serious expression and his deep, calm eyes, didn't know what to say. He couldn't fathom Hu Yi's thoughts but understood the meaning of his words. He replied, "I believe you."

The atmosphere fell silent again. Hu Yi continued to clean his gun, but the brief conversation with Wang Laokou had reopened the floodgates of his memories...