Chapter 5: Wanting To Curse
Seeing the approaching vehicles, Su Yaoyang’s heart tightened. His right hand reached into his pocket, and when it touched the ice-cold metal grip of the pistol, his panicked heart finally calmed a bit.
Just as Su Yaoyang was feeling uneasy inside, the convoy drove up beside him.
Seeing these long-nosed trucks and the prominent Mercedes logo on the front, Su Yaoyang recognized them as Germany’s Opel Blitz trucks, which were imported when the National Revolutionary Army formed the German-equipped divisions in the early 1930s. Before the introduction of American trucks, this model was the most favored by National Revolutionary Army officers and soldiers.
Though curious inside, he still stepped a few paces toward the roadside to make it easier for the trucks to pass.
He didn’t want to invite trouble, but trouble came knocking on its own. With a puffing sound, the lead truck’s engine spewed a thick plume of white smoke, followed by two clunking noises, and it coincidentally stopped right beside him.
Before Su Yaoyang could step away, the truck door opened, and a colonel officer jumped down from the vehicle, cursing under his breath.
“Wang Dagan, you bastard, get your ass down here and see what’s wrong with this damn truck!”
Soon, a corporal also got out from the driver’s side. He first lifted the hood, and immediately a white mist carrying the smell of engine oil scattered everywhere.
The corporal looked for a good while before hesitantly saying: “Sir… it seems the engine has overheated. Let me try to fix it.”
“Hurry up, the wounded brothers on the truck are still waiting to be sent to the hospital.” The colonel’s tone was quite anxious.
After saying that, he pulled out a cigarette from his pocket.
The corporal didn’t waste words either. He stepped on the bumper to climb onto the engine compartment and was about to twist open the radiator cap.
“Wait a minute!”
But before his hand could touch the radiator cap, a loud shout came from the side, startling the corporal so much he nearly fell off the truck.
The colonel, who was just about to light his cigarette nearby, was even more startled, dropping his match to the ground.
Once he reacted, he angrily drew his pistol from his waist and aimed it at Su Yaoyang, gritting his teeth: “Kid… if you don’t give me a proper explanation, I’ll shoot you dead!”
Looking at the pistol pointed at him, Su Yaoyang—who had never faced such a scene in his life—felt his legs go weak, but he forced himself to stay calm and said to the corporal: “Sir, you just said this truck has overheated.
But do you know what would happen if you rashly twisted open the radiator cap just now?”
“What consequences?” The corporal snapped back irritably. If not for Su Yaoyang’s decent attire, he would have kicked him already.
“You…”
Su Yaoyang was somewhat speechless, but he also knew that illiteracy rates in China these days were shockingly high. For most people, being able to drive a truck was already impressive enough; repair skills were beyond ordinary folks.
He explained patiently: “Even if you don’t know how to fix cars, you’ve surely boiled water before.
Normally, if a pot of water is boiling vigorously and you rashly open the tightly sealed lid, what happens?”
“This…”
When it came to boiling water, the corporal immediately understood.
Seeing the other’s expression, Su Yaoyang continued: “Now do you get why I stopped you? If you’d rashly opened the radiator cap just now, never mind the burns on your hand—I can guarantee that the instant the cap was opened, a massive burst of steam would spray onto your face and body. At that point… heh…”
“My god…”
The corporal’s face instantly turned pale. He could imagine what would happen if a massive burst of steam hit his face and body in an instant.
Disfigurement would be the least of it; he might even be scalded to death.
Su Yaoyang explained very bluntly, and even the colonel understood.
He put away his pistol and glared fiercely at the corporal. “Idiot, this gentleman just saved your life. Hurry up and thank him.”
“Oh…”
The private also reacted, realizing that though he had a bad temper, he knew gratitude. His dark face, weathered from years of sun and rain, turned reddish.
He quickly saluted Su Yaoyang and said loudly: “Corporal squad leader Xu Yourgen of the Motor Transport Regiment thanks sir for saving my life.”
Seeing the other salute him, Su Yaoyang said nonchalantly, “No need to be polite. We’re all Chinese. Though I can’t personally go to the front lines to kill the enemy, I’m very willing to do what I can for the soldiers fighting the war.”
“Well… I didn’t expect a young fellow like you to have such awareness!”
Hearing this, the colonel first showed appreciation on his face, then anxiously said, “Little brother, do you have any way to get this truck running again?
You should know there are over ten wounded soldiers on the truck who urgently need to be sent to the field hospital in the rear for treatment.”
Hearing there were wounded on the truck, Su Yaoyang didn’t waste words. He rolled up his sleeves and said to the corporal: “Is there water and a towel on the truck?”
“Oh… yes, wait a sec.”
The corporal was slightly stunned, then jumped onto the engine compartment and fetched half a bucket of water and a towel.
Su Yaoyang first soaked the towel, then poured water over the radiator. Steam rose with puffing sounds.
Once the temperature dropped, Su Yaoyang wrapped his hand with the towel and slowly opened the radiator cap. Then he had the corporal fetch a bucket of water and fill the radiator.
After all that, he told the corporal to get in and try starting the engine.
Soon, accompanied by a low rumble, the truck roared back to life.
The colonel was overjoyed and looked at Su Yaoyang with a hint of appreciation in his eyes.
Though what Su Yaoyang did might seem trivial in later generations, to people of this era, it marked him as a rare talent.
He couldn’t help patting Su Yaoyang’s shoulder. “Young man, I’m Ma Wenxuan, director of the Logistics Department of the Nanjing Garrison Command.
I see you’re quite talented, little brother. Have you ever thought about enlisting?”
“Enlisting?”
Su Yaoyang was startled, his eyes widening. With the Japanese about to invade, enlisting now would be suicide.
He instinctively wanted to refuse but feared offending the man. After hesitating, he smiled wryly:
“Director Ma, to be honest, I fled from Rehe to Nanjing a few days ago to join relatives, only to find they’d vanished. I’m currently staying at the Fulai Inn not far away.
I’m trying to find a way to leave Nanjing, and there are womenfolk with me, so I can only decline your kind offer.”
“I see.”
Ma Wenxuan smacked his lips. “Since you don’t want to, brother, I won’t force you.
But leaving Nanjing now isn’t easy. Commander Tang issued a notice yesterday: without a pass signed by the Command, no one is allowed to leave the city without authorization—violators will be shot on sight.”
“Not even civilians?” Su Yaoyang asked urgently.
“I’m afraid not.” Ma Wenxuan slowly shook his head. “Commander Tang fears deserters from the battlefield mixing in with civilians to flee, so he made a blanket rule: no one leaves the city.”
“I…%￥#”
Su Yaoyang was too frustrated to curse. No wonder later generations said that for Nanjing’s catastrophe, Tang Shengzhi bore at least half the responsibility.
Brothers, A Ding has started a new book—hope everyone supports it lots!
