A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

Chapter 1154 Japan Launches an Attack

On the morning of December 8, 1941, Gui'er got up as usual. The streets were in chaos, and she didn't know whether she should go to school.

However, out of habit, she decided to go to the school first. She changed into a tracksuit, put silver coins, legal tender, and gold bars in her purse, and also packed a magician's pistol and a hidden weapon pen just in case.

Upon arriving on the first floor, Dingxiang served the prepared breakfast and asked with concern, "Miss, are you going to school today? The streets are in chaos right now. Even if the Japanese don't invade, I'm afraid I'll be robbed."

Gui'er hesitated for a moment and said, "The school hasn't announced a holiday, so I still have to go back and check on things."

Wu Mingqiang took a sip of tea: "Our shop is closed today. Actually, I packed up the valuables in the shop a few days ago and sent Ah Guang to escort them to Macau. There are still some less valuable items in the shop. I plan to put them in the cellar and seal them up. I will finish dealing with them today and then officially close the shop. According to the information I received, it will be in the next two days. Miss, regardless of whether the school is on holiday or not, we have to leave."

Gui'er thought for a moment and said, "I'll go back to school to see what my classmates are planning. I wonder how Tong Yujun is doing? She's pregnant now."

Wu Mingqiang nodded and said to Acheng, "Acheng, be careful on the road. It's not just about the Japanese anymore. Many people are desperate and can't even afford food. At this time, it's not uncommon for people to rob and kill in the street. I heard from the brothers at the police station that there have been several cases in the past two days. Take your weapons with you."

Acheng nodded solemnly and said, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

After breakfast, Gui'er, feeling uneasy, got into the car and headed to school.

As soon as the car left the villa area, the street was in complete chaos. People hurried by, many carrying suitcases or bundles. Rickshaw drivers were still pulling their rickshaws to earn money, but their pace quickened. One driver, trying to cut in front of Gui'er, nearly rammed his rickshaw into the door, shouting, "The Japanese are coming! Run!" The roadside vendors had long since packed up, their bamboo baskets lying askew on the ground, rotten vegetable leaves scattered everywhere. Only an old man selling cigarettes remained, squatting in a corner, clutching his cigarette box and trembling.

As you head into the city, the scene becomes even more distressing. The long lines of people withdrawing money from banks have dispersed, and several men in suits are arguing with guards, seemingly trying to rush into the vault, only to be stopped by Indian soldiers with rifle butts. A fabric shop on a street corner has been vandalized; silk is torn and scattered everywhere. Several ragged children are crawling on the ground picking up scraps of cloth, while a weeping proprietress stands nearby, but no one dares to intervene. At the crossroads of a bustling street, sandbag piles have been erected; yesterday they were knee-high, but today they are nearly a meter tall. Several volunteers are frantically filling the piles with shovels, their movements so hurried that they nearly hit their comrades' hands with the shovels.

As the car drove along Queen's Road, an air raid siren suddenly went off. Although it stopped quickly, it terrified everyone on the street. A woman holding a child collapsed to the ground, the baby wailing in fear; a fruit stand owner frantically tried to put apples back into his basket, but some fell to the ground and were crushed under the car wheels. Ah-Cheng slowed down, carefully avoiding the crowds, muttering, "This world... there's no way to survive..."

When they finally arrived at the school, there were several school workers with sticks on guard at the school gate. As Gui'er got out of the car, she bumped into a few students running out of the school, saying, "The teachers haven't come yet, so classes are probably going to be canceled." Her heart skipped a beat, and she hurried to the classroom. The corridor was empty, but thankfully, most of her classmates were in their classroom.

Everyone looked anxious. Xie Boqin said to Gui'er with lingering fear, "I heard that the Japanese are going to invade. My father originally booked a ship to Malaya. He asked someone to buy the expensive tickets, but the middleman changed his mind and said that no one can get on the ship now. We have to find another way. Otherwise, I won't come to class today."

Just as he sat down, Chen Muli walked in with his lesson plan. His eyes were dark, suggesting he hadn't slept well all night. He had only finished two sentences of the text when a deafening roar suddenly came from above, and the windowpanes rattled as if countless wasps were swarming overhead. "It's an airplane!" a student exclaimed, and they all ran outside.

Before Chen Muli could stop them, a piercing air raid siren suddenly tore through the campus, one blare after another, so shrill it sent chills down everyone's spine. Immediately afterward, a deafening roar echoed in the distance, as if something had exploded, and the ground trembled.

"It's terrible! The Japanese have attacked! They bombed Kai Tak Airport!" A boy ran in frantically from outside, his face flushed and his voice trembling. "I saw it on the playground just now, black smoke was shooting into the sky!"

The classroom erupted in chaos. The girls screamed and hugged each other, while the boys panicked, some stuffing things into their bags, others peering out the windows. Chen Muli slammed his hand on the podium and shouted, "Class, don't panic! Sit down! I'll go check on the situation!" He strode out of the classroom, his leather shoes clicking rapidly on the floor.

A few minutes later, he ran back, his forehead covered in sweat and his face pale: "The school just issued a notice, all classes are suspended! Everyone hurry up and pack your things to go home. Be careful on the way, don't gather in groups, and don't wander off! Hurry!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the students surged out like a tide, knocking over desks and chairs and scattering books all over the floor.

Gui'er was at a loss for what to do. She instinctively grabbed her schoolbag and quickly walked to Chen Muli's side: "Teacher Chen, what should we do? Are you coming with us?"

"I still have some things to pack," Chen Muli waved his hand, his eyes filled with urgency. "Don't worry about me, hurry home! Remember, don't go to crowded places, go straight home, lock the doors and windows, pay attention to the situation, and if things get too dangerous, run to the air-raid shelter. Take care."

Gui'er wanted to say something, but was pushed away by the surging crowd. The campus was in complete chaos; some were crying, some were shouting, and some were riding bicycles towards the school gate, nearly hitting people. In the distance, several more explosions were heard, and black smoke rose from the eastern horizon like a ferocious black dragon, stretching longer and longer in the gray sky.

She frantically stuffed her books and everything else into her schoolbag, holding the rest in her arms because she didn't know when she would be able to return to school again.

When she ran out of the classroom, everything was in chaos. She glanced back at the campus, with only one thought in her mind: find Acheng as soon as possible and go home. This day had finally come.