Explore Chapter 29 of 'Moment in Peking' with the original Chinese text, English translation, detailed Chinese vocabulary explanations, and audio of the Chinese original. Listen and improve your reading skills.
After the War of Resistance against Japan broke out, Hangzhou fell. Mulan's family decided to leave Hangzhou. They hired a boat, taking their luggage and drifting downstream. Atong had grown up, while Aman was still young. Midway, they suddenly heard the roar of aircraft overhead, followed by the explosion of bombs. Mulan swiftly pulled Aman into her arms, and Atong nervously gripped the side of the boat. The boatman shouted, "Quick! Head to shore! Find some cover!" Hardly had the boat reached the shore when a bomb landed not far away, sending up spray that drenched their clothes. Mulan's heart pounded violently, but she forced herself to remain calm, soothing Aman.
Aman was terrified and that night developed a fever, her forehead burning to the touch. Mulan felt her face, frantic with worry. There was no medicine aboard, so they had to find a doctor in the next town. The boatman rowed with all his might, and they managed to reach a small town before dusk. The physician at the town's herbal pharmacy examined Aman, shook his head, and said, "This is fright combined with wind-cold. It is not a serious illness in itself, but the child is too young, and we lack effective medicine. I can only prescribe some fever-reducing herbs." Mulan followed his instructions, decocting the herbs and trying to feed them to Aman, but the girl was feverish and delirious, unable to swallow the medicine.
Mulan stayed awake the whole night, holding Aman in her arms on the boat's prow, letting the cold wind beat against her. She recalled Manniang's dying entreaty to take good care of Aman, and her heart felt as if twisted by a knife. Sunya urged her to go back inside the cabin to rest, but she refused. As dawn approached, Aman's breathing grew weaker and weaker, until at last she fell into a quiet sleep in her mother's arms - never to wake again. Mulan clutched Aman's cold body tightly; her tears had dried, but she could not utter a sound. Sunya gently pried her hands apart and said, "Mulan, the child is gone. We cannot leave her exposed in the wilderness."
They dug a shallow pit on a hillside outside the small town and buried Aman. Mulan gathered a handful of wildflowers and placed them before the grave, kneeling for a long time. Sunya helped her up and said, "We must keep moving - for Atong's sake, and for our own." Mulan nodded, wiped away her tears, and set off once more on the road of flight.
Later they entered the mountains. The paths were rugged and treacherous, but along the way they encountered many other refugees. In a valley, Mulan saw relatives of the Zeng family, as well as Manniang's mother. Mulan could not help thinking of Manniang, and her heart ached anew. She took Manniang's mother's hand and spoke a few words of comfort. That night, Mulan climbed a small hill alone, watching the sun set in the west. Suddenly she felt a peace she had never known before. She realized that in this chaotic world, simply keeping her family alive was a great blessing. She resolved to be strong and carry on, to take care of Sunya and Atong. This journey had made her more mature and resilient.