A Cruel Romance

Chapter 34

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An Old Friend

Commander Ho’s desire to fight dwindled once he concluded that the j.a.panese wanted him dead.

On his own, it’d be exceedingly difficult to take on both the j.a.panese and the Anti-j.a.panese at the same time. Of course, Feng Guo-Chung’s Adjutant Department had over three thousand men, so if it really came to it, they could always flee to Mongolia and revert to banditry. But leading bandits was not the same as commanding a proper army, as the steppes were not the same as Jehol. If they could, it would ultimately be better to stay.

The Resistance Alliance had already captured Longhua, but when they pushed forward, they got ambushed by the Garrison Army and suffered heavy losses. Spotting an opportunity, Commander Ho telegrammed Chao Chen-Sheng and expressed his desire to hold a parley.

Ever since his defeat in Hsian, Chao had harboured a profound hatred for the fence-sitting Ho Bao-Ting. But he did not outright refuse Commander Ho’s demand for a truce, since he had limited resources and didn’t want to sink all of it into some Jehol bandit.

The talks were to be held in the county-town of Longhua. The area belonged to the Garrison Army in name, but in reality, it was occupied by the Resistance Alliance and counted as neutral ground.

Out of concern for his own safety and fear that Chao might strand him in Longhua and murder him, Commander Ho arrived in town with a ma.s.sive entourage. Chao, however, had no such intentions. There were plenty of puppets to go around. Even with Ho Bao-Ting out of the picture, the j.a.panese would find others to take his place, and the replacement would likely be much more loyal and obedient.

In any case, loose cannons like Ho were relatively rare. He’d be a volatile element no matter where he was, so Chao might as well leave him in Manchukuo to pester the j.a.panese.

- : -

They chose to hold their parley in the estate of a wealthy man in the area. The man and his family had been thrown out long ago, and his home was left to accommodate the soldiers. One of the parlours were cleared out to act as the meeting place.

Commander Ho was a cautious man. Nightmares plagued his sleep again, so he simply woke up early and proceeded to systematically outfit himself.

- : -

Commander Ho’s car and armed escorts arrived at the estate at nine in the morning. The car’s door swung open, and a dozen guards came up and surrounded the vehicle before Commander Ho emerged from it.

Regaining his balance on the ground, he was in no hurry to move forward and looked around to take careful stock of his surroundings.

Autumn had already arrived. It was particularly chilly that week, and since Commander Ho suffered from kidney problems that made him more susceptible to the cold, he could not abide by the custom of wearing “more in the spring and less in the autumn”. He’d usually be the first to break out the winter clothes around this time of the year, but today was a special occasion, and inside his uniform and bullet proof vest, he had five pistols plus their ammunition stashed around his body, totaling to about twenty pounds. If he had added any more insulation to his setup, the bulk would’ve looked ridiculous.

A humid breeze flitted past and he shivered in spite of himself. Nothing around him appeared out of the ordinary. Standing by the front gates were about a hundred Alliance soldiers who must have been Chao Chen-Sheng’s guards.

He raised a gloved hand to cover a sneeze and fished a handkerchief out of his pocket to wipe his nose. Under the weight of those twenty pounds of gear, he strode toward the front gates. The soldiers parted in front of him and created a narrow path, admitting him alone.

The air was cold and the ground was hard. The soles of his riding boots were rigid. Everything had lost its softness, and the click of each step made the walk seem slow and determined.

There were only a few feet between the car and the gates, but the distance seemed to exhaust Commander Ho, who was perhaps weighed down by either his guns or his lack of sleep. Like a flighty child, the Buddha had suddenly withdrawn his protection and allowed Bai’s ghost to return.

Still in a daze after the agonizing night, Commander Ho felt like he was being watched. When he reached the front gates, he couldn’t help but stop and look behind him.

He was tall enough that his gaze went un.o.bstructed above two guards. He saw only the cluttered troops of the Resistance Alliance. Nothing was out of place.

Reining in his thoughts, he stepped through the gates and continued into the courtyard.

- : -

Chao Chen-Sheng had arrived early. Spotting Commander Ho, he stood up and greeted him energetically: “my, my, brother Ji-Ch’ing. Long time no see, ha-ha-ha!”

Commander Ho laughed along. “Brother Cheng-Ch’en, still as dashing as ever, ha-ha-ha!”

Then like chirping birds, the two of them ‘ha-ha-ha’ed crisply and melodiously. Among these ha-has were pleasantries, and between the pleasantries were more ha-has. This instantly created an ebullient atmosphere.

After the customary back-and-forth offerings of seats and the two of them settled down, they avoided bringing up their past and focused instead on small talk and ha-ha-ing. Over ten minutes of ha-has later, Chao, sensing that Commander Ho seemed intent on laughing and could happily laugh through the entire day, could only nudge their conversation toward the right track amicably.

“I’ve got to say this, brother Ji-Ch’ing. Even though you are still young, n.o.body takes national honor more seriously than you do! Just for your outright refusal to work with the j.a.panese, you have my respect!”

Commander Ho took off his gloves and stuffed them inside his coat pockets. “You flatter me, brother Cheng-Ch’en. That’s the sort of mindset people like us need to have. Chinese land should be governed by the Chinese, it’s only logical! The j.a.ps made a mistake to target me.”

Chao clapped his hands together. “Precisely! My goodness, brother Ji-Ch’ing, it’s really true when they say ‘heroes are forged out of youths’, and ‘the young will always surpa.s.s the old’! I have no great talent myself, but I’ve a great love for talent! I can’t help by admire your success, good brother. If you and me can join up as one, we’ll no doubt kick the s.h.i.t of those j.a.ps and send them running back through the Pa.s.s!”

Commander Ho managed a few laughs. “Ah…brother Cheng-Ch’en, you do carry the weight of the world within your bosom! For this I admire you tremendously. But as important as reclaiming lost land is, we can’t overlook the importance of guarding our current territory. Now that I’m here in Jehol, its people are my responsibility. I must at least guarantee their—uh—safety. My abilities are limited, brother Cheng-Ch’en. I’ve got to take things one at a time, or I’ll risk botching them all. And wouldn’t that be…ha-ha…disastrous.”

Commander Ho covered another sneeze with a hand and raised a teacup to his lips. He seemed to want to soothe his dry throat, but only brushed the teacup against his lips and set it back down.

Chao regarded him coolly, knowing that he was worried about poison. He watched the teacup tremble in Commander Ho’s hand and nearly spill over. “I heard you were attacked by the j.a.panese a while ago. Are you all right?”

Commander Ho looked down at his right hand. The gunshot wound had closed off, leaving pink round scars on both his palm and the back of his hand.

The hand was mostly useless now. It shook with the slightest exertion, and everything from the tip of his fingers to his wrist would itch and ache maddeningly on rainy days.

He looked back up and turned to Chao. “Thanks to the Buddha’s protection, I am fine now,” he answered with a smile. “But it was a very close call. That bullet nearly took my head off.”

Chao smiled. “Brother Ji-Ch’ing, you’re truly blessed by fate! They say that those who survive great adversities are bound to find great fortune.”

Commander Ho laughed. “Auspicious words, Brother Cheng-Ch’en! If great fortune indeed arrives, I’ll be sure to thank you first!”

Chao rubbed his smooth chin smilingly, looking as if he wanted to twirl a moustache. “As young and promising as you, my brother, and with so much power in your hands to guard Jehol with, as long as you want it, great fortune won’t be far off!”

Commander Ho cast him a glance. “Ha-ha! If you turn out to be right about that, then we shall share that fortune!”

Chao laughed unhaltingly into the sky, then changed his tune. “My brother, they say that each man has his own ambitions and cannot be forced, but I do have a presumptuous request. My troops would like to rest in Longhua for a few days. Would you allow this for my sake?”

Commander Ho was already prepared to give up Longhua, so he answered placidly: “Of course I would. You’ve dedicated your life to the war against the j.a.panese. If only I could march onto the battlefield and fight by your side! How can I possibly refuse the chance to support your through other means?”

Feeling satisfied with their progress, they began to ha-ha knowingly again.

- : -

The success of the talks between Ho and Chao exceeded both their expectations.

They launched into idle chitchat once the important issues were resolved. Seeing that everything went well, Commander Ho let out the breath he was holding and leaned back into his chair. His body ached under weight of those twenty pounds of equipment, which he almost wanted to take off on the spot.

With much enthusiasm, Chao invited Commander Ho to dine with him at the largest restaurant in town. Just when Commander Ho was about to decline, an orderly burst through the door. “General, Sir!” he cried. “Major-General Li has arrived!”

Chao rubbed his chin and appeared to hesitate for a moment. “Oh…”

Before he could come up with any further comments, clattering footsteps approached from the courtyard and a tall man sauntered in. Without greeting anyone, he strode straight to a chair and plunked down, then looked grinningly to Commander Ho.

Commander Ho jerked up straight—Li Shih-Yao!

Before he could respond, Li leaned forward in his chair and scanned him up and down as if he could taste him with just his eyes.

When Commander Ho opened his mouth, Li gave a wide grin and revealed a row of white teeth. “Commander, you’ve put on weight!”

When Commander Ho’s tongue finally made contact with the air in the room, Li added: “In a good way! It’s a good look on you.”

Commander Ho’s vocal cords finally vibrated successfully and produced a yelp of surprise.

Li began to explain his presence. “So. After you left, I took my troops to work for Chao. Fought from Hsian to Hopeh. I only found out a few days ago it was you guarding Jehol, so I came here with the General right away. Nothing else, just wanted to see you.”

Commander Ho shut his mouth and broke out in an inexplicable but profuse sweat.

Chao spoke up again. “Brother Ji-Ch’ing, you know Shih-Yao lacks manners, but he is a good man. I’m a firm believer that ‘a person’s face reflects his heart’. A man with fine features like Shih-Yao’s can’t possibly be lacking in character.” Then he added internally: “but you’re an exception.”

Commander Ho’s mind tended to function at a slow speed. If he hadn’t prepared for it beforehand, he could really remain silent throughout an encounter. Once Chao had finished speaking, he only nodded solemnly and let out a small humph.

Chao knew about this particular habit of his and paid it no mind. He slapped the armrest of his chair and laughed. “Let’s go, brother! I’m telling you, ‘men require good meals as women need good clothes!’ Let’s go get a good meal! The best restaurant here in Longhua is called Fu K’e Lai, we can get some good lamb hotpot there.”

Commander Ho’s mind whirled into operation and scrambled to catch up with Chao. “I—to be honest with you, I’m vegetarian. I—”

Chao thought Commander Ho was still worried about poison, so he pressed on even more exuberantly: “Vegetarian? I’ll get you some vegetarian dishes! Let’s get going! You’ve already lend me Longhua, how can I not at least treat you to lunch? Let’s go, let’s go, or else I’ll take offense!”

He stood up and called out to Li. “Shih-Yao! You’re an old subordinate of Ji-Ch’ing’s, why are you just sitting there? Come attend to our guest!”

Once he received the command, Li quickly approached Commander Ho and bent down in front of him with a smile. “Let’s go, Commander. How much time can one meal take?” He took hold of Commander Ho’s arm and made a show of wanting to help him to his feet. “How about I take you arm and walk you to the door, your highness?”

Confronted with Li’s behavior and Chao’s earnest face, Commander Ho could not refuse them again without appearing rude. He stood up and mumbled reluctantly: “Let’s get going, then.”

Chao smirked internally: “Watch me scare the life of out you, little brat!”

- : -

The county-town of Longhua entered lockdowns every time the top bra.s.s went out in town. Fu K’e Lai was cleared out the day before and had its best private room set up, just so that said bra.s.s could enjoy a pleasant lunch.

As the guest of honor, it went without saying that Commander Ho had the head seat. Chao insisted that he humble himself and sit beside Commander Ho like Li, who sat on his other side. His main reason for coming here was to enjoy the hot pot. Terrorizing Commander Ho was the secondary purpose. Once the hot pot began to simmer, he could no longer spare his tongue to entertain his honored guest.

The hot, pungent steam of boiling lamb a.s.saulted Commander Ho’s face while his pistols and bullet-proof vest constricted his body. On top of his lack of sleep, the proceedings were an unbearable torture. Li sat beside him and took up the important task of accommodating the guest of honor.

The methods of his accommodation were rather intimate. He sipped his Maotai and eyed Commander Ho with a pleased pensive look, as if Commander Ho was one of the appetizers.

Commander Ho didn’t look at or acknowledge him and turned to speak to Chao, but Chao was absorbed in inhaling his food and had little desire to chat.

Swallowing down his liquor, Li began: “Commander, what would you like to eat? I’ll get it for you.”

Commander Ho waved him off.

Li caught his hand halfway through the wave.

“Hey,” Li placed a fingertip against the round scar on the back of his hand. “What happened here?” He turned Commander Ho’s hand over and inspected his palm. “f.u.c.k! It went right through. Did it injure your bones?”

Commander yanked his hand back and said to the hot pot in front of him: “I’m fine.”

Li pulled his chair closer to Commander Ho. “Who did it? Were they caught?”

Commander Ho also pulled his chair and moved it closer to Chao. “The j.a.panese.”

Seeing that the other man was evading him, Li stopped moving and changed the subject. “You’re quite talented. It’s only been a year since I last saw you and you already took over an entire province. I knew you wouldn’t stay put at home and retire.”

Commander Ho thought it was a long a story and couldn’t be bothered to tell it. But after a moment of silence, he decided that it would make himself appear petty to be overly cold to Li, like he held some sort of grudge against him. With some hesitation, he finally said: “You’re looking well, Major-General Li. How have you been?”

“Not bad,” Li answered. “A lot happened to me too after you left Luyang. I can tell you the details someday, if you like.” When Commander Ho was off his guard, Li caught his hand again and studied it laboriously. “What a pity. Got this fine hand ruined.”

Commander Ho frowned. “It’s not like I haven’t been shot before. What are you poring over it for? Anyway, it’s nothing important. Hand wounds aren’t life-threatening. What’s there to pity?”

Li laughed and squeezed his hand. “Listen to you! I wouldn’t be saying this If it wasn’t you the bullet went through! Ungrateful thing!”

Commander Ho narrowed his eyes. “What did you say?”

Li tightened his hold on his hand and rubbed it back and forth. He grinned sidelong at him. “I haven’t said anything! This temper of yours needs work.”

Commander Ho continued to glare at him. “You’ll f.u.c.king let go of me!”

- : -

The happiest partic.i.p.ant of this meal was Chao Chen-Sheng. He consumed three pounds of fat tender lamb and one pound of fine Maotai, and was left utterly satisfied. The most miserable was Commander Ho, who nearly suffocated under the weight of his gear. As for Li Shih-Yao, he’d eaten almost nothing and had a few drinks on an empty stomach. In between the sips of liquor were glances thrown in Commander Ho’s direction—he aimed these glances specifically below the waist, humming to himself some folksong of unknown origin. He didn’t remember the lyrics, but two lines did leave an impression: “the big brother married a little la.s.s; the little la.s.s had a nice round a.s.s.”

- : -

Commander Ho had always known that Li was crude and vulgar, but since it had little to do with himself, he’d only despised him from afar. But since that time Li took advantage of Commander Ho’s misfortune back in Luyang, he certainly did have something to do with him.

He’d thought that he would likely never have the chance to meet Li again. Now that they did meet, aside from surprise, he didn’t experience any burning desire for revenge. In any case, they’d soon go on their separate ways.

But how did Li feel about this?

It hadn’t crossed his mind.

- : -

Commander Ho parted with Chao Chen-Sheng and Li Shih-Yao in peace at the entrance of Fu K’e Lai Restaurant. Behind the protection of the human wall formed by his guards, he got on his car and sped away.

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