Episode Nine

11
Nishikawa Shō received a letter from Riko, and the emotions of the Nishikawa family gradually became tense.
Michiko said: "Father, you just think of a way, okay? Make sure Tetsuya stays on the island."
Nishikawa Shō said: "Of course I will try to think of a way, but I have never had any connection with the Taiwan Governor-Generals Office, nor do I know officials of sufficient rank."
Michiko asked: "What about Taiwan Imperial University? Didnt you also teach students there before?"
Nishikawa Shō said: "Even that requires connections with the Governor-Generals Office or the military. I will ask Matsushita to see; perhaps he knows some officials in the Governor-Generals Office."
Hironin said: "Tosan, I am just a schoolteacher, at such a critical moment I cannot be of help..."
Nishikawa Shō said: "You need not blame yourself. I will arrange for Matsushita to come right now."
Yasuko anxiously asked: "Grandfather, will Tetsuya be sent to the front line?"
Nishikawa Shō said: "At present I am also not sure. Wait until I talk with Matsushita, okay?"

12
As promised, Matsushita came to the Nishikawa residence to meet Nishikawa Shō and his wife.
Nishikawa Shō said with distress: "Daisuke, Tetsuya is the only bloodline of the Nishikawa family. My daughter Riko wrote, asking me to use my connections to find a way to let Tetsuya stay on the island. Besides calling you, what other method could I possibly have?"
Matsushita said: "Teacher, perhaps after listening to my analysis, you will not be so worried."
Nishikawa Shō said: "Oh? Go ahead and tell me."
Matsushita said: "In fact, having Tetsuya stay on the island is not necessarily safer. If he is assigned to a unit as a medical officer accompanying the troops, it might actually be less safe than staying with me at a corps-level hospital, serving as a medical officer in such a unit."
Nishikawa Shō asked: "A corps-level hospital?"
Matsushita said: "Yes. I have already received orders from the Military Medical Bureau and am about to depart for the Malay Peninsula to take over as director of the Sixth Corps Military Hospital."
Nishikawa Shō agreed: "Staying at a corps hospital is relatively safer."
Matsushita said: "Very soon, the US military might land on Taiwan. At that time, Taiwan will become a battlefield. If Tetsuya serves as a medical officer with a troop unit, he could be in danger at any moment."
Nishikawa Shō said: "You make a good point. Then let Tetsuya follow you to Malaya."
Matsushita said: "In the next two days, I will notify the military medical units in Taiwan by telegram, so that Tetsuya can directly take the orders and board a military ship to Malaya to report to me."
Nishikawa Shō said: "Tetsuya is entrusted to you. Please take good care of him."
Matsushita said: "I will, teacher. Please rest assured."
Nishikawa Shō said: "Later I will send a telegram to Riko to tell them your intention."

13
After Michiyo and Shintai became engaged, the medical staff in the hospital privately called her "the doctors wife." Although Michiyo felt sweet about this nickname, facing the imminent separation, she felt a pang of sadness. The future was full of uncertainties, and Michiyo could only cherish the few remaining days she had with Shintai.
On the weekend, the two went to Gaomei Seaside and walked hand in hand along the beach.
Shintai said: "Michiyo, look at those terns circling above the sea, flying just to find food. People, however, must bear many responsibilities while alive. I really envy them, living freely and without burden."
Michiyo said: "I understand your inner sorrow, Shintai. Wherever you go, remember that you have a family who loves you and I, waiting for your safe return."
Shintai said: "Leave the future to the gods of fate. Living in a time of war, is not survival itself already a torment?"
Michiyo said: "You must live well. Only by living can you see the future, isnt that right?"
Shintai said: "I will live well, and you too, okay?"
Michiyo hugged Shintai, and the two looked toward the blue horizon, with Michiyo silently praying in her heart.

14
Shintai’s classmates, Yang Qinglong and Pan Tieqiu, were successively drafted into military service. Liao Yingjun did not want to be drafted. Chun Tao, for the sake of the family’s only bloodline, strongly urged Liao Wuxiong to find a way to get his son out of Taiwan as soon as possible.
Chun Tao asked: "Master, if you don’t hurry to get Yingjun out, by the time the draft notice arrives, it will be too late."
Wuxiong said: "I have already telegraphed my cousin Mingtang in Xiamen. Once the tickets are booked, Yingjun will go to Xiamen to stay there until the war ends."
Chun Tao asked: "How long will that take?"
Wuxiong said: "About two or three weeks."
Chun Tao said: "This is really nerve-wracking."
Wuxiong said: "Keep the luggage as simple as possible to avoid suspicion at customs. I will personally take him to the port to board the ship. Hongtong and Wugui will go with Yingjun to look after him and learn the southern and northern trade business from his uncle Mingtang."

15
Nishikawa Tetsuya (Yang Shintai), assigned as a captain medical officer by the Military Medical Bureau, was to board a ship to the Malay Peninsula. Liao Michiyo and the Tianfu couple saw him off at Qingshui Station, parting with deep emotion.
Michiyo gave Shintai a talisman and a necklace: "This talisman I specially obtained from Ziyun Temple, asking Kuan Yin Bodhisattva. Inside the necklace is our photo together."
Shintai kissed Michiyo on the forehead: "Take care of yourself."
The two embraced deeply until the train arrived at the station.
Riko reminded: "Once you arrive, meet Uncle Matsushita, settle in, and remember to write a letter back to report your safety."
Nishikawa Tetsuya said goodbye to his family and boarded the train with his fellow recruits to Kaohsiung Zuoying to take a ship. Pan Tieqiu was on the same train as Shintai.
During conversation, they realized they had the same destination and were boarding the same transport ship.
Tieqiu said: "Old classmate, thank you for arranging for my older brother to stay working at your hospital, so I can go to the front without worries."
Shintai said: "Tieqiu, no need to be polite. I could do it. Which unit were you assigned to?"
Tieqiu said: "Sniper squad. The commander said I am a mountain person, agile in movement."
Shintai asked: "Isn’t that very dangerous?"
Tieqiu said: "It cannot be helped. Life and death are fate; I am okay with it. You’re not going as a medical officer with troops, right? Shintai?"
Shintai said: "My unit is the corps-level hospital."
Tieqiu said: "Then that’s good. No need to go to the front and fight. I heard Cai Tingkai went to the Philippines, Chen Muyan went to Java, Wang Dawang is in Borneo. Lin Qinglong and Wu Wenzhang are on another ship. The four of us going to Malaya are the farthest from home. My older brother, Iron Man, also went to Malaya, but when he returned to Taiwan, he became seven parts unlike a human, three parts like a ghost..."
Shintai comforted him: "Live well, okay? Thinking too much is useless. Born in this era, we are all chess pieces in the hands of the gods of fate, powerless to control our own lives."

16
Unfortunately, the transport ship that Shintai and Pan Tieqiu were on was hit by a torpedo fired from a US submarine. The ship quickly began to tilt and sink. In the critical moment, Pan Tieqiu grabbed two life rings from the ship’s railing, putting one onto Shintai.
Tieqiu said: "Shintai, stay close to me. As long as the direction is correct, I estimate we are not too far from the shore."
Although Shintai was panicked, with Tieqiu encouraging him, he finally calmed down slightly.
Shintai said: "Alright, lets jump into the sea and swim desperately toward the land."
The two leapt into the water and floated and sank on the sea surface. The transport ship was immediately swallowed by the sea and disappeared from sight.
Shintai followed Tieqiu, swimming with all their strength toward the south, until their energy was exhausted. Eventually, the two were separated by the large waves.

17
The city of Johor Bahru on the Malay Peninsula faces the Strait of Malacca and, together with the opposite Lion City Island (now Singapore), guards the throat of Malacca. It is a strategic point from the Indian Ocean to the islands of Southeast Asia. It is a harbor where Malays, Indians, and Chinese live mixed together.
Originally, there was a Chinese school located in the city area of Johor Bahru, where Zhang Zhilin had taught. In December 1941, the Japanese army invaded the Malay Peninsula. After the war broke out between the British and Japanese armies, almost all the teachers and students left the school.
The Catholic church in Johor Bahru was requisitioned by the Japanese army as an "advance command post." Principal Mary then relocated the church to Kulai Village near the sea and took in children who had lost their parents from nearby kampungs (villages), establishing an orphanage.
During several air raids, Allied planes seemed to deliberately avoid schools and temples, so the orphanage remained intact amidst the war. To prevent the orphanage from being mistakenly identified as a military base by Allied pilots, Principal Mary hung a prominent Red Cross flag on the roof.
On the long beach of Johor Bahru, a child from the local orphanage, while digging for rock oysters along the coast of nearby Kulai fishing village, accidentally discovered an injured and unconscious Yang Shintai. This child, named Zhang Liwen (12 years old), could not wake Shintai, so he hurried back to the orphanage to report to Principal Mary (60 years old).
Awen, panting and out of breath, said: "Principal, Principal, I found a Japanese soldier on the beach. He seems to have passed out, and I cannot wake him."
Principal Mary said: "Awen, take me, Teacher Zhilin, and Sister Jenny to go together."
Awen said: "I will lead you there."
The four of them, led by Awen, arrived at the seaside beach and found the unconscious Yang Shintai.
Mary checked Shintai’s pulse and breathing, saying: "This Japanese soldier still has breath. He was probably thrown ashore by the waves after the ship sank."
Sister Jenny (30 years old) asked: "Principal, after waking him, should we return him to the Japanese military camp?"
Mary thought for a moment and said: "I think it’s better to hand him over to the guerrilla forces as a hostage. The Japanese army is usually quite unfriendly to civilians, so let the guerrilla forces give him a hard time."
Zhang Zhilin (24 years old) objected: "No, Principal. If we hand this Japanese soldier over to the guerrillas, he might not survive. We cannot harm an innocent life. After waking him, we should return him to the Japanese military camp."

18
The four of them put a lot of effort into helping Yang Shintai back to the orphanage.
When Shintai woke up and realized he was still alive, he found himself lying on a wooden bed, with more than a dozen children staring at him.
Zhilin said: "You collapsed on the beach and were discovered by Awen. Principal Mary and I helped you back here."
Shintai asked: "Where is this place?"
Zhilin, surprised, asked: "You can speak Hokkien? Are you from Taiwan?"
Shintai said: "I don’t know. What place is this?"
Zhilin said: "This is an orphanage in Johor Bahru, Malaya. What is your name?"
Shintai said: "I don’t remember what my name is…"
Zhilin said: "Oh? Your forehead is red and swollen, probably a head injury, temporarily losing memory. It’s okay. When your body recovers, we will send you back to the Japanese military camp."
Shintai asked, bewildered: "Send me back to the Japanese military camp?"
Zhilin said: "Yes! You belong to them, so we must return you."
Shintai said: "I don’t want to go."
Zhilin said: "If you don’t go, and the Japanese army finds out, we will be in trouble."
Shintai repeated: "I don’t want to go, no!"
Zhilin said helplessly: "Alright! I will discuss with the Principal to see if she is willing to take you in."

19
News that the transport ship Shintai was on had been sunk by a US submarine quickly reached the Yang family and Liao Michiyo through the newspaper.
Michiyo remained calm. Before confirming the death list, she still held a glimmer of hope, although she hated heaven for playing such a cruel joke on her.
Michiyo temporarily set aside her work, took the newspaper, and hurried to the Yang family’s old three-section courtyard to discuss with Tianfu and Riko in person.
When the three met, Riko’s eyes were red, seemingly having just cried. Tianfu’s expression was desolate, as if his soul had been drawn out entirely. Michiyo thought that evidently, both of them had seen this news.
"Father, Mother, Shintai he…" Michiyo could not continue, covering her face and sobbing.
Tianfu said sorrowfully: "Shintai, Shintai may, may have met with an accident…"
Michiyo said: "I believe Shintai is still alive. He promised me he would return alive…"
Riko said gloomily: "Let’s wait for notification from the street office. I didn’t expect this child’s fate to be so…" She could not continue and covered her face, crying aloud.
Tianfu said: "If Shintai really perished, Michiyo, you should find someone to marry. Our Yang family cannot hold you back."
Michiyo said: "Father, don’t say that yet. Michiyo is not heartless."

20
At the Nishikawa residence in Ueno, Tokyo, upon receiving a telegram from Tianfu reporting this tragic news, the whole family immediately fell into sorrow and gloom.
"It is I who caused Tetsuya’s death!" Nishikawa Shō was extremely regretful and self-reproachful. "I shouldn’t have let Tetsuya return to Taiwan in the first place."
His old wife Michiko said: "Father, don’t say that. We couldn’t keep Tetsuya here!"
Poor Yasuko, from the moment she heard the tragic news, seemed like a shattered block of ice, her emotions completely melted away, becoming like withered wood, devoid of vitality. She muttered occasionally to her children: "Your Tosan is gone. He cruelly abandoned us mother and child, going far, far away, and will never return…" Or she would foolishly speak to herself and the wedding photo with Shintai: "Tetsuya, without my permission, how could you leave this world? Do you understand? The children and I live for you…"
Her mother Reiko said worriedly: "Seeing Yasuko so distraught really makes one anxious!"
Keiko said: "Her husband’s unfortunate disappearance is an incredibly painful blow to my sister."
Reiko said: "We take turns watching over Yasuko every day, preventing her from doing something foolish in a moment of despair."
Keiko said: "Kasan, I understand. In the past two days, I plan to take my sister to Ueno Park for a walk, and also visit Kiyomizu Kannon Temple to offer incense and prayers for her husband."
Reiko said: "That’s good. It will slightly improve Yasuko’s mood."