Chapter 96: If You Won’t Go, I Will
Warm sun pierced the thin mist, leaving golden streaks on the muddy dirt road.
The heavy tires of the Dodge truck rolled over the still-wet tracks, and the mud splashed like crushed gold in the sunlight. The singing drifting from the truck’s cabin, initially carrying the solemnity of a church choir, was soon shattered by the soft tones of the Qinhuai River, clinging to the air like half-melted honey.
The truck jolted on the pitted road, and Song Mei, sitting in the cabin, could clearly feel the dull ache from each bump transmitted to her back. She sank deeper into the pile of cotton quilts. The faded, dark green quilt covers already exuded a faint smell of mildew and sweat, yet they were surprisingly reassuring.
Traveling with Song Mei in the same truck were Yu Mo and more than ten other girls from the banks of the Qinhuai River. At this moment, Yu Mo’s knee was pressed against hers, and Song Mei could feel Yu Mo’s body heat through the coarse military trousers.
This woman, once famous as the top courtesan of the Qinhuai River, now, like a woman who had shed all her artificiality, was using her hand, which had developed a thin layer of calluses, to wipe a small pistol with a towel.
After Yu Mo finished wiping the pistol and preciously tucked it into its holster, Song Mei raised her head and suddenly asked, “Is it worth it?”
Yu Mo looked up, her apricot-shaped eyes meeting Song Mei’s.
Song Mei said softly, “I mean, you could have left us and gone to the rear to live a stable life in Chengdu or Chongqing. Why insist on following us and living this kind of life where you’re constantly in danger?”
Yu Mo smiled gently, “There’s no ‘worth it’ or ‘not worth it.’ As long as I think it’s worth it, that’s enough.”
She sighed softly, “Don’t look at us, we have enough to eat and wear, and a simple song can make guests spend a fortune. But frankly, we are just a bunch of prostitutes.
Those men can praise us to the skies, and they can also trample us into the ground. I don’t want to end up as a part-time courtesan or a brothel madam when I’m old and my looks fade.
Song Mei looked into her eyes and chuckled, “So…”
“So I plan to live a different kind of life,” Yu Mo finished her sentence. “These days, following Officer Su, we’ve been busy with all sorts of tasks, and we’re in danger of dying at any moment. But it’s only during this time that I feel like I’m truly living like a person.
Do you know? Whenever those soldiers look at me not as a prostitute, but like their own sisters, with a mixture of gratitude and respect in their eyes, that feeling is more exhilarating than earning ten thousand silver dollars.”
“Haha…”
Song Mei couldn’t help but laugh, “I never imagined that hands accustomed to the pipa and xiao could also pick up a scalpel to treat illnesses and save lives like mine.”
Yu Mo raised her eyebrows, “Don’t underestimate me. I went to school back in the day.”
“I believe that,” Song Mei nodded. If nothing else, the fact that this woman could speak fluent English was enough to show she had received at least a certain level of education, so it wasn’t strange for her to know some medical skills.
“And you?” Yu Mo suddenly asked, a playful look on her pretty face.
“Me… what about me?” Song Mei rolled her eyes.
“When are you and the Regiment Commander getting married?”
“I… who wants to marry him? Besides… doesn’t he have Xiao Lu serving him? What would be the point of me getting involved?”
Song Mei stubbornly insisted, but the sunlight filtering through the tarp of the cabin cast dappled shadows on her porcelain-white cheeks, making the blush on them appear like peach blossoms in March. She suddenly bit her moist lower lip, and the rippling in her almond eyes beneath her willow-like eyebrows, along with the rapid fluttering of her long lashes like butterfly wings, betrayed her innermost thoughts.
“Alright, stop being so stubborn,” Yu Mo said with a laugh. “When it comes to dealing with men, I’d say I’m second to none.
Let me tell you, men are all impatient creatures.
If he proposes and you have feelings for him, you’d best accept quickly. Otherwise, once he loses patience, he’ll turn around and marry another woman without hesitation.”
Saying this, Yu Mo’s gaze lingered on Song Mei for a moment.
The sharp lines of the German-style field uniform should have concealed her figure, but they were stretched taut by her proud curves. A section of her snow-white neck was exposed at the collar, glowing with a delicate sheen in the sunlight filtering through the tarp.
At this moment, Song Mei was looking down, tidying her cuffs. Shallow shadows were cast on her cheeks by her eyelashes, and a trace of uncleaned dust remained on the tip of her upturned nose.
“If you really don’t want to…”
Yu Mo deliberately drew out the ending of her sentence, her eyes sweeping over Song Mei’s waist, which was indented by the belt. She said, half in jest and half in earnest, “Then I’ll just go for it myself. Maybe I can have the experience of being the Regiment Commander’s wife too.”
“You dare!” Song Mei exclaimed, her apricot eyes immediately widening. However, upon seeing Yu Mo’s half-smile, she realized she had been tricked.
In her shame and anger, she let out a soft hmph, “I… I just can’t bear to make little Xiao Lu sad, so I’m a bit conflicted. Who said I don’t want to?”
“Hehe… what’s the big deal?”
Yu Mo couldn’t help but giggle. “As you said yourself, Xiao Lu is just a young girl.
Isn’t it normal for men to have multiple wives and concubines these days? If you feel bad about Xiao Lu, just treat her well after you marry him.
Besides, do you think you’re the only one eyeing the Regiment Commander? Those young girls from the church, every single one of them has had thoughts about him, especially that little girl named Meng Shujuan. She’s always trying to get close to him. If you don’t hurry up, you’ll regret it when someone else snatches him away.”
“What… Shujuan that girl too…” Song Mei couldn’t believe it for a moment.
“What… you don’t believe me?”
Seeing Song Mei’s dubious expression, Yu Mo couldn’t help but sneer.
“You should know that Meng Shujuan was rescued by the Regiment Commander from the Japanese a few months ago.
Girls her age are in the prime of their youth. They’ve read plenty of romance stories, like tales of repaying a life-saving debt with oneself. It’s completely normal for her to think like that.
If you ask me, since you have the intention, you should act quickly. You be the main wife, and let those two young girls be concubines. Wouldn’t that be great?”
“Shut up!” Hearing this, Song Mei’s pretty face instantly turned red, her apricot eyes wide.
Yu Mo, however, was not afraid at all. Instead, she covered her mouth and giggled, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
Just then, the convoy suddenly stopped with a creak. Yu Mo, who had been giggling moments before, wasn’t paying attention and bumped her head against the armrest beside her, causing her to almost cry from the pain.
Just as she was about to curse, she heard cheers erupt from beside her.
“We’ve reached Xuzhou!”
“We’ve reached Xuzhou!”
The cheers were accompanied by the sounds of gongs and drums…
