Explore Chapter 9 of "马伯乐" with the original Chinese text, English translation, detailed Chinese vocabulary explanations, and audio of the Chinese original. Listen and improve your reading skills.
He rented a garret room, smaller and darker than his old place. But during wartime flight, he reasoned, one must make do. Saving money was the top priority.
The streets were in chaos, filled with people fleeing the war. Suitcases, bedding, pots and pans were piled all over. People's faces wore panicked expressions, as if doomsday were imminent.
He heard that the Japanese army had reached the outskirts of Shanghai. The sound of artillery echoed day and night. The International Settlement was no longer safe either. He decided to leave Shanghai and flee inland.
He bought a train ticket to Nanjing. The train was packed to the brim. There was no room even to stand. People were squeezed together like sardines. The stench of sweat, urine, and other odors mixed together, nauseating.
Ma Bole huddled in a corner, watching the fields flash by outside the window. He thought of Mrs. Ma and the children in Qingdao, wondering how they were faring. If Mrs. Ma could have brought money to Shanghai, he might not have been in such a sorry state.
The train moved slowly, stopping frequently to let military trains pass. At every station, more people squeezed aboard. Cries, shouts, and curses created a tumultuous scene.
Arriving in Nanjing, he found the city in chaos as well. Soldiers and refugees filled the streets. Ma Bole dared not stay. Hearing that Wuhan was relatively stable, he bought a boat ticket to Wuhan.
The boat was equally overcrowded. Ma Bole lay on the deck, watching the Yangtze River flow eastward. He wondered, when would this war end? Where could he flee to find a place of refuge?
In Wuhan, although farther from the front lines, anxiety still gripped the people. Prices soared. Rumors spread everywhere. Ma Bole had little money left. He could only stay in the cheapest inns, subsisting on two baked pancakes a day.
He heard that Chongqing was the rear area. Many were fleeing there. So he planned to go to Chongqing as well. But the travel expenses to Chongqing were not yet secured. He had to stay in Wuhan for now, trying to scrape together some money.