Chapter 13: Argument
Seeing that these soldiers had nothing to say, these women became even more brazen. They even ignored the objections of Chen George and the group of female students, set up tables to smoke cigarettes and play mahjong. In no time, they turned the huge basement into a smoky haze.
Wang Xiaozhen, Meng Shujuan, and the other missionary female students saw this scene and nearly exploded with anger. The group immediately rushed into the basement and started arguing with Yu Mo and the others.
Meng Shujuan put her hands on her hips with wide almond eyes, shouting coquettishly at Yu Mo and the others: “Are you people cheap or what? Sneaking in over the wall is one thing, but now you’re even bringing these bad habits into a sacred place. Do you believe I’ll throw you all out?”
“Hey yo, hey yo…”
Yu Mo chuckled twice, pointed at Meng Shujuan and said with a coquettish laugh to her sisters: “Everyone look… what kind of world is this? Even a little girl who hasn’t shed her baby hair dares to boss us around.
She says we’re bringing these bad habits into a sacred place. If this place is really sacred, why didn’t your God protect you people? Instead, even his sacred servants were bombed to death by the Japanese?”
“Hahaha…”
As soon as Yu Mo finished speaking, all the prostitutes from the Qinhuai River bank burst into giggles, like a flock of hens incubating eggs.
Someone nearby smiled at the group of female students and said: “Little sisters… I think you people probably haven’t even tasted a man yet, have you?
With the Japanese about to fight their way in, do you want us to help you? Don’t look at us being women too, but when it comes to dressing up as men, we’re also…”
“Bang…”
Before the woman finished speaking, a dull gunshot rang out in the basement. In the narrow space of the basement, the gunshot was terrifyingly loud, and everyone’s eardrums were buzzing from the shock.
The sudden gunshot startled everyone. The two wounded soldiers who could still move and were lying on the bed even rolled off the bed reflexively. Yu Mo and these women who made a living on the Qinhuai River bank screamed in fright, and for a moment the entire basement was in chaos.
“Clatter…”
The basement door frame was suddenly pushed open, and Li Gaoyuan and several soldiers from the guidance team rushed in with rifles.
“Who… who fired the gun?”
As his voice fell, everyone’s gazes slowly converged on Meng Shujuan standing in front of Yu Mo.
This little girl had a deathly pale face, her trembling hands tightly gripping a black pistol, a wisp of blue smoke slowly rising from the muzzle, which was pointed diagonally at Yu Mo and the group of women behind her.
Seeing Meng Shujuan tremblingly pointing the pistol at Yu Mo and the others, Li Gaoyuan felt his heartbeat speed up several beats. He was about to shout angrily, but the words softened instantly at his lips. He slung the rifle behind his back and tried to use the gentlest voice possible.
“Little girl… don’t get agitated, put the gun down first… yes… put it down first, take a deep breath…”
Li Gaoyuan spoke while slowly approaching Meng Shujuan, then extended his palm toward her.
“Come… hand the gun to me…”
“No!”
Meng Shujuan, who had just calmed down emotionally, refused upon hearing this. She put the pistol behind her back and looked at him warily: “This gun was given to me by Big Brother Su, I can’t give it to you!”
“Big Brother Su?”
Li Gaoyuan was slightly stunned. “You mean Su Yaoyang?”
“That’s him. Do you know Big Brother Su?” Meng Shujuan’s expression lit up upon hearing Li Gaoyuan mention Su Yaoyang’s name, and she raised the pistol from behind her back again, startling Li Gaoyuan into quickly saying urgently: “Careful… careful with the thing in your hand, don’t let it go off.”
“Oh… oh… really sorry.”
Meng Shujuan felt a bit embarrassed, clumsily closed the safety, and put the pistol into her bosom.
“You…”
Watching Meng Shujuan’s actions, Li Gaoyuan hesitated before saying: “Girl… it’s not good for a young lady to play with guns. How about handing it to me for safekeeping?”
“No…”
A vigilant expression instantly appeared on Meng Shujuan’s face. “This was given to me by Big Brother Su, I can’t give it to you.”
“You…”
Li Gaoyuan shook his head helplessly: “Alright, if you don’t want to, then forget it. But you have to promise me that you absolutely won’t fire randomly in the future, especially not at your own people.”
“I didn’t fire at my own people either.”
Meng Shujuan’s little face flushed slightly. “I just wanted to scare her. Who asked her to have such a foul mouth.”
“Who has a foul mouth? We’re all Chinese. We’re just playing cards here. How did we provoke you? And you pulled out a gun. Who are you scaring?”
Seeing Li Gaoyuan and the others arrive, these women from the Qinhuai River bank felt emboldened again, and their voices grew louder.
“You’re talking nonsense… this is our church. On what grounds did you barge in?”
It’s said that three women make a drama. Now with dozens of women together, the entire basement was filled with their arguing voices. Li Gaoyuan felt his head buzzing, almost turning into mush.
Li Gaoyuan could see that these women from the Qinhuai River bank were no pushovers, and the female students in the church were just as tough, especially this little pepper Meng Shujuan, who had even pulled out a gun, looking ready to fight at the drop of a hat.
When it came to fighting wars, Li Gaoyuan was definitely an expert, but when it comes to mediating neighbor disputes or women’s quarrels, that was absolutely not his forte.
“Alright… all of you stop arguing. Since you people are staying in someone else’s territory, you should follow the host’s rules. Don’t play cards here anymore.”
After saying that, he looked at the group of female students. “And you all, although you’re missionary students from St. Paul’s Church, what time is it now? The Japanese could attack at any moment, and you’re still infighting with your own people. Is this appropriate?”
At this point, Li Gaoyuan looked at Meng Shujuan: “And you, Brother Su Yaoyang gave you this gun for self-defense, not for you to use against your fellow countrymen. Is this appropriate?”
“I…”
Meng Shujuan also lowered her head, her little face flushed red without speaking.
Seeing everyone silent, Li Gaoyuan let out a long breath and waved his hand: “Alright, everyone disperse. Chen George… John… you all come with me…”
Chen George glanced at John, who shrugged and followed Li Gaoyuan over.
After the three stood still, Li Gaoyuan looked at Chen George. “I saw a truck parked outside. Is that your church’s?”
“Yes.” Chen George nodded: “But this truck is broken.”
“I know, but isn’t there this foreigner?”
Li Gaoyuan took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, gave one to John, and took out matches to light it for him.
“Ask him if he can fix the truck outside?”
