《戰火中的童年》

《戰火中的童年》

1. 战火中降生

1942年珍珠港事件后两个月，已经是壬午年了，我生于北平一个世代官吏家庭。那时候中国正在日本人的统治下艰苦求生。父亲1937年毕业于北京朝阳大学法律系，本该投笔从军报效国家的他，不幸罹患肺结核病，无可奈何以养病为名滞留北平。

祖父毕业于京师大学堂的前身京师译学馆。在民国政府、北洋政府、北平市政府里工作了几十年。是一位资深的技术官员；祖母是晚清文襄公张之洞的长孙女。

外祖父是废科举那一年的江西省的赴日留学生考试魁首。东京高工毕业后1913年归国，一直在农工部任技正，曾为詹天佑修筑京张铁路提供后方支持。可惜英年早逝，1936年就殁了。外祖母是位温良贤淑的日本东京女子，民国初年就跟随外公嫁到中国来了，为他生了三子一女，她平生最大的期望就是中日友好。

父亲在双方的家族庇荫之下，抗日战争期间，在北平为国民政府从事敌后情报工作六年，直到1943年。上级通知他身分暴露，必须立即撤退。母亲抱着不到两岁的我，随父亲穿越沦陷区，游击区，国统区，历时数月终于抵达战时首都重庆。

舟车劳顿的父亲，到了重庆就大吐血，住院治疗好长时间才保住性命。我三、四岁时的重庆印象就是高耸入云的竹林，山谷和溪流。据母亲说，我们应该是住在歌乐山区范围内吧！

2. 歌乐山竹趣
在我记忆中，儿时的玩具似乎都和竹子有关：除了常见的竹刀、竹枪、竹弓、竹剑，竹马之外还有竹哨和竹青蜓。
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（竹哨，网络图片）

小小的竹哨，是一个有活塞的竹管，灌上一管清澈溪水，拉动活塞，用咀就能吹出多种鸟儿的叫聲。有的小哥哥能把小鸟的叫声，模仿得微妙微肖，还能引来小鸟的共鸣和欢唱。一个小竹哨，只要不丢掉，可以玩好多天，是我爱不释手的宝贝，爸妈听到竹哨声，就知道我没有跑远。

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（竹青蜓，网络照片）

另一个最喜欢的玩具就是竹蜻蜓，只要两手轻轻一搓中间的直棍，及时松开手掌，旋转的两翼就像蜻蜓一样拖着长长的尾巴飞上树稍。真想着有一天，我也能拽着蜻蜓的尾巴一起飞上天！竹青蜓虽好，只是太容易飞丢了，一个竹蜻蜓玩不了几天，就无影无踪了！

忽然在一个夏天、突然鞭炮齐鸣，人们欢呼：“胜利了！和平了，日本鬼子滚蛋了。” 叔叔阿姨抱起我又亲又吻，大呼：我们快回家了……

3. 飞回北平
小小年纪，有机会坐飞机从山城重庆飞回北平，对我来说是难忘的大事。那架军用飞机改装的客机里面黑洞洞的，挤了好多人，快到北平时，我被妈妈安排在一个园园的窗口，向外望去，远远看到方方正正的一座雄伟城池在前方，飞机好象直接向一片金色瓦片的房屋和绿树花园中间冲去，右边是高大宽厚的城墙，掠过一座座雄伟的城门，沿着伸向远方的平坦跑道滑行，最后飞机穏稳地停住了，大人们拍手欢呼：“胜利了，北平！我们回来了！”

后来长大了才想明白 ，这里是北平的东单机场。

我恋恋不舍地走下飞机，不远处停着一辆黑色汽车。一位高大胖胖的伯伯，健步迎过来，妈妈爸爸称他“四哥”，妈妈让我称呼他：“四爸！” 他是来接我们回家的。听大人们说，当时四爸是北平前门火车站和天津东站的总站长，一个月前他刚刚从日本人手里把北平、天津的铁路局接收回来。

四爸弯下腰亲了我一下，一把抱起我上了他的黑色轿车，出了机场，拐了两个弯就把我们送到了爷爷家。后来才知道，那就是王府井东安市场对面的翠花胡同寓所。我应该就是几年前出生在这里的，户口本上写着呢！

4. 小三轮车和元旦书红

我头一个跑进敞开的大门，穿过一个窄长院落中间的二道门，绕过一堵影壁墙，就见到一个四四方方的大院子，三面都是大屋子，我愣在那里不知道何去何从。

倒是注意到正面房檐下摆着一辆小小的红色自行车，似乎比街上的大自行车左右多了两个小轮子，自己立在那里不会倒下。

此刻正面房门打开，一位慈祥的老人走了出来，对我招手说：“壬保，过来！” 他指着小自行车说：“这是你的车”！爸妈他们也跟了上来，妈妈让我鞠躬喊：“爷爷！”我才知道这位老人家就是我的祖父，爸爸的爸爸。我应该称呼他“爷爷”的。但是四爸称他为：“二叔！” 我当时不知道为什么！

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（我、白兔和小自行车）

爷爷摸摸我的头，领着我进了大屋子，左手是一个大书桌，除了纸墨笔砚和成堆的书籍之外，还立着一块白瓷砖，上面写着两个字，我只认识左面一个字是“吴” ，爷爷指着右面的字对我爸妈说：“我给壬保起了个学名，单名熹。战火中有喜嘛！八年抗战中我家唯一的喜事啊。以后上学用吧！” 这以后我就有了两个名字，到我出国定居前，在户口本上还是吴曾?，别名吴熹。

不久，我开始学写字，描红模子，抄千字文。写烦了，就去骑小自行车，很快就能骑车满院跑了。有时就骑车捣乱，轧小虫、追小兔、碾花草。

一晃就到了年底，第二天是新年元旦 （1946年），比我大几岁的小姑姑拿来一张红纸，裁成小纸条让我写下新年的新愿望，我不知写什么，她说：你挺好的，就是太淘气了些，以后不要干损人不利己，让人讨厌的事好不好？
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（照片：元旦書红，不再淘气。）
我想了想就提笔写下了“元旦書红，不再淘气”八个字。小姑姑写的是“元旦开筆，萬事如意”。这两张红纸字条居然一直存放在妈々的像册里，平静渡过几十年，甚至飘洋过海随我移居美国。最近才和旧照片一起，交给儿子保管！这是后话了。

5. 逛地摊学游泳
妈妈常常带我回外婆家，见到外婆和大舅、小舅真是分外亲切。逃离北平时，我还躺在妈妈怀里，回来时我已经是可以满地跑的淘气包。

外婆家也是租的房子，没有什么好玩的。我东张西望，只见柜子上面摆着一个亮晶晶的玻璃女人像，爬上去想摸摸。外婆忙说：“这是这座水晶观音菩萨，有一次我从河堤上滚下来，被她档住了，才没掉进河里。 观世音菩萨是不能乱动的！” 我将信将疑，再也不敢摸她了。

外婆看我闲不住，打开柜门，拿出两本红绒面大相册，让我慢慢翻着看。封面有一块铜牌，凹凸不平的几个大字似乎是“京张铁路工程集萃” ，里面都是大照片，有人像，有山洞，有铁道，有桥梁，还有火车头…… 我看不太懂，只是挺好玩！每次去外婆家一定要翻一遍的。（五十年代初，北京图书馆求购了这两本相册，又过了一个甲子，我在国家图书馆邂逅了它）
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（京张铁路工程集萃，一甲子后作者邂逅它于北京国家图书馆，表妹张丽荣摄）

若是碰到小舅舅在家就好了，他会带我出去玩，出了胡同口就是南池子三座门，出口右拐就是太庙，天安门和中山公园。

太庙和中山公园那时候都是可以自由进出的，去过几次我就不要去了。倒是天安门前更令人神往，金水桥前由东至西摆了一溜地摊，抗日战争胜利后一段短暂的和平时间里，卖的大多是老百姓用得上的美国军用物资处理品。都是摊开一块绿色军毯，上面摆满军用水壶，饭盒，刀叉……
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（天安门前摆地摊，网络照片）

小舅舅拉着我的手，一个个地摊逛过来，那时候有大块大块的巧克力，有大桶装的奶粉，整箱的压缩饼干…… 我却注意到有一个摊位上，一只逼真的，高仰着大炮，履带会转动的小坦克在军毯堆上自由爬行，我蹲了下来，走不动了。


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（美国谢尔曼玩具坦克，网络照片）

小舅舅问了问价钱，可能是太贵了，没有给我买。转了一圈，他在一个摊位上买了一个亮晶晶的大勺子，送给了我。据说是美国军用汤匙，宽大的把柄上有U.S.A.三个字母。它十分结实，到我移民美国前它还安在。
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（美国军用汤匙，网络照片）

五六岁时，健壮的小舅开始带我去学游泳！他是体育专科的毕业生，一边讲解动作要领，一边示范蛙泳动作。一开始小舅让我抱着他脖子下水，象青蛙一样蹬腿，不久我就能扶着他的肩膀跟着他游了。几次下水之后我就可以在他的旁边自己游了。

邻居大妈知道他带着我下大坑学游泳去了，紧张地问他：“你姐就这么一个儿子，万一出点事儿怎么得了？” 小舅舅的回答是：“正因为我姐就一个儿子，更得早早教会他游泳，万一落水才不会被淹死！” 就这样我不到六岁就不怕水了。

6. 积木和积铁
大约是1947年底，我随父母移居天津，先住在重庆道177号，进了前院就有一个楼梯通往二楼。刚住下没多久，一位楊伯伯和杨伯母来看望我们。手里提着一个大面口袋走上楼梯，鼓鼓囊囊的好奇怪。

杨伯伯叫我过来笑着说：“给你的，看看吧！” 说着就把面口袋里的东西倒在地板上。原来是一堆整齐干净的白茬木头块，有长方的、有园柱形的、有正方块、还有三角形的，是少见的一组大积木！
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（今天的白茬积木玩具，网络照片）

我好高兴，立刻不出声地摆弄起这些木头块来，盖起了楼房和城墙……

听妈妈说，杨伯伯是开营造厂的，用边材下角料特意做了这麼一套积木，送给我的。我还不知道怎么谢谢他们呢，他们夫妇就离开天津迁居台湾了。长大后再也没有见过他们。

好想念杨伯伯和杨伯母！

不久后，小舅舅又来天津看望我们，提着一个沉重的包裹。我打量着它，不知道是什么宝贝。

一层层包装剥开后，露出一大堆生锈的铁家伙。都是大大小小的多孔板、角铁、齿轮、车轴和螺丝钉等奇奇怪怪的另件。原来这是他从地摊上捡来的一大套玩具积铁。据他说：“太值了，可以组装成法国桥，铁塔和各种机器。你最好把它洗干净，清除铁锈，刷上油漆……”

我一直没有时间重新油漆这堆积铁，只是把它堆放在角落里，以后时不时地挑几件，清理干净，用来加固旧家具，修理旧玩具，满好用的。
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（积铁，网络照片）

7. 子弹变玩具
1948年，我家搬到了成都道56号，外婆也从北京过来，住在我家。秋天我进入耀华小学，同学还没有认识几个，就到了年底。
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（成都道56号寓所门前，刘寰摄）

天津又开始响起了隆隆炮声，刚刚过了新年，枪声越来越多密，妈妈不让我出门乱跑，怕碰上流弹。没几天，枪炮声更近了。

一天家门口轰隆一声巨响，楼下临街的窗户玻璃都震碎了，原来是旁边邻居的大铁门被炸飞了。

听大人们说，因为傍边住着一位守军的营长，进城的军队在他的门口放了一个炸药包。不久枪炮声停了下来，外婆在巨响之后就病倒了，三天之后就病故了。

表阿姨来了，邦妈妈料理外婆的后事，她掏出一块手拍，打开来放在园桌上，露出来两个金闪闪的大蚕豆，说是给外婆办丧事用的。第二天，有人送来一口黑漆漆的棺材，就放在楼下前屋我的小床旁边。

我以为外婆就是睡着了，一时半会儿睡不醒了。我不懂害怕，还陪着外婆睡了两天。棺材抬走了，我才明白：“外婆再也回不来了！”

可以开门出去看看了，旁边邻居的大门没了。过了几天，我家震碎的窗玻璃也换好了。院子角落里和边道边上还能捡到几个子弹头或子弹壳，成都道上有了挑挑子的小贩，最受孩子们欢迎的是賣摔炮，砸炮的小贩。

大些的小哥哥会用粗铁丝弯成砸炮枪，在小摊贩那里买些小号的砸炮，放在铁丝砸炮枪的撞针里，一扣扳机，发出清脆的噼叭声，胜过小手枪。

最好玩的是吊炮，先把捡到的子弹头放在煤球炉上烤热，让子弹头屁股上的铅熔化开，趁着还没凉，把一个预先作好的U形铁丝的双脚插进去，让子弹头冷却。这时一个U 形环就长在子弹头屁股里了；再找一段红丝带穿过U 形环，牢牢地打上一个死节。找一个配套的子弹壳，放上两三个大砸炮，摞着放在子弹壳里，再把栓着红丝带的子弹头反着插进子弹壳里，可以准备打吊炮了。
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（步枪子弹照片，网络照片）

捏着红丝带的尾巴，抡起吊炮，把它甩上高空，当它落回地面时，子弹头压到那一摞砸炮上，发生了强烈爆炸，把子弹头又炸上高空，它拖着长长的红绸尾巴急急冲上高空又慢慢落回地面，煞是好看。

吊炮可以反复使用，栓着红绳的子弹头一般丢不了，子弹壳有的是，只是砸炮要从小贩手里买。

国共内战期间，头脑灵活的手工业者容易搞到枪炮子弹，打开来就有充足的炸药来源，那几年，小摊贩那里总是能买到砸炮纸的。
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（砸炮纸，网络照片）

砸炮纸是用两层结实的纸粘接起来，中间夹着均匀摆列着炸药点。有大小之分，一张张地卖。价格便宜，孩子们买回来，剪成小方块或八角形备用。装在砸炮枪里或吊炮里就可以发威了！
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（如今的摔炮网络照片）

还有一种大人不许玩的东西 —— 摔炮，个体较大，外表是个正方形的小纸包，其实里面是炸药、粗沙和玻璃渣。猛地慣在地上就会砰地一声巨响，吓人一跳。也不乏伤人事故。

如今，大概是战争过去了，这些玩具再也买不到了。

8. 告别童年

战争过去了，1949年，我转学到五区中心小学。大约是在小学三、四年级的春节里，穿上崭新的四个口袋的兰制服，拆开一包小鞭炮，一股脑儿地都装在制服右手大口袋里，高高兴兴地在院子里放小炮，点一个，扔一个，砰一响，真过瘾。

不小心，香灭了。左手掏出火柴点香，第一次火柴划断了，没点着。再划一根时，突然口袋里的小炮，乒乒乓乓响了起来！

我本能的反应是伸手去口袋里掏，小炮是一把把掏出来了，再看我的制服口袋，里外烧了三四个大洞，我的右手也炸黑了，生痛麻木，抖着手仔细看看，还好没有流血。

垂头丧气回到屋里，老老实实向妈妈承认错误。她看着我，好气又好笑！没多责备我，只是问我：“是什么火种落进了口袋？” 我想了想说：“应该是第一根火柴头断落后，恰巧落进口袋里了吧！”

妈妈捡视了我的右手，问我那里痛？我惊魂已定，麻木的右手也恢复了知觉。她又给我用温水洗了洗手。仔细检查了被火药熏黑了的地方，似乎问题不大。

妈妈放了心对我说：“脱下你的新制服吧，我给你补补，记住这个教训吧！”
妈妈把口袋外片换了，看上去好看多了，但口袋背面还是补了两个大洞。似乎在提醒我不要忘记这件糗事。

从那一刻开始，我的童年结束了！

作者 吴西，记于庚子冬至


以下试用 Google Translate 英译：

《Childhood in the flames of war》

Two months after the Pearl Harbor incident in 1942, it was already the Renwu Year. I was born into a family of officials in Peking. At that time, China was struggling to survive under the rule of the Japanese. His father graduated from the Faculty of Law of Chaoyang University in Beijing in 1937. He was supposed to contribute to the country in the army. Unfortunately, he suffered from tuberculosis and was helpless to stay in Peking under the pretext of recuperating.

Grandfather graduated from the predecessor of Jingshi University Hall, Jingshi Translation Studies Hall. Worked for decades in the government of the Republic of China, Beiyang government and Beiping city government. He is a senior technical official; his grandmother is the eldest granddaughter of Zhang Zhidong, Wenxiang Gonggong in the late Qing Dynasty.

My grandfather was the leader of the exams for foreign students going to Japan in Jiangxi Province in the year that the imperial examination was abolished. After graduating from Tokyo Senior Engineer, he returned to China in 1913 and has been serving as a technician in the Ministry of Agriculture and Industry. He once provided rear support for Zhan Tianyou in the construction of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway. Unfortunately, he died young and died in 1936. My grandmother was a gentle and virtuous woman from Tokyo, Japan. She married her grandfather to China in the early years of the Republic of China and gave birth to three sons and one daughter. Her greatest expectation in her life is the friendship between China and Japan.

During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, his father worked for the Nationalist Government in Peking for six years until 1943, under the protection of the families of both sides. The superior informed him that his identity was exposed and he must retreat immediately. My mother hugged me, who was less than two years old, and followed my father through the occupied areas, guerrilla areas, and Kuomintang-controlled areas. It took several months to finally arrive in the wartime capital Chongqing.

The troubled father of Zhou Cha, he vomited blood when he arrived in Chongqing, and he was hospitalized for a long time to save his life. When I was three or four years old, my impression of Chongqing was the towering bamboo forests, valleys and streams. According to my mother, we should live in the Gele Mountain area!

1. Gele Mountain Bamboo Fun
In my memory, childhood toys seem to be related to bamboo: in addition to the common bamboo knives, bamboo spears, bamboo bows, bamboo swords, and bamboo horses, there are also bamboo whistles and bamboo green flies.
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(Bamboo whistle, network picture)

The small bamboo whistle is a bamboo pipe with a piston. Fill a pipe with clear stream water, pull the piston, and use the mouth to blow out the sounds of many birds. Some younger brothers can imitate the sounds of birds delicately, and they can also attract the birds\' resonance and singing. A small bamboo whistle can be played for many days as long as it is not thrown away. It is a treasure I can\'t put it down. When my parents hear the bamboo whistle, they know that I haven\'t run far.

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(Bamboo Green Fly, Internet photo)

Another favorite toy is the bamboo dragonfly. As long as you gently rub the middle straight stick with both hands, loosen your palms in time, the two rotating wings will fly up to the tree with their long tails like dragonflies. I really think that one day, I can also fly to the sky with the tail of the dragonfly! Although the green bamboo fly is good, it\'s just too easy to fly and lose. A bamboo dragonfly can\'t be played for a few days, and it will disappear without a trace!

Suddenly one summer, firecrackers were blasted, and people cheered: Victory! Peace, the Japanese devil is gone. Uncles and aunts picked me up and kissed and kissed, shouting: We are going home soon...

2. Fly back to Peiping
At a young age, having the opportunity to fly back to Beiping from the mountain city of Chongqing is an unforgettable event for me. There was a black hole in the passenger plane modified by a military aircraft, and a lot of people were crowded. When I was approaching Beiping, my mother arranged to be in a garden window. Looking out, I saw a majestic city square square in front of me. , The airplane seemed to rush directly to the middle of a golden tiled house and a green tree garden. On the right is the tall and thick city wall, passing by the majestic city gates, and taxiing along the flat runway that stretches into the distance, and finally the airplane is stable. The ground stopped, and the adults clapped their hands and cheered: Victory, Peking! We are back!

Later, when I grew up, I wanted to understand that this is the Dongdan Airport in Peking.

I reluctantly stepped off the plane, and there was a black car parked not far away. A tall and chubby uncle greeted him with a vigorous walk. Mom and Dad called him Fourth Brother, and Mom asked me to call him: Four Dad! He was here to take us home. I heard from adults that Si Da was the head of the Peking Qianmen Railway Station and Tianjin East Railway Station. A month ago, he had just taken the railway bureaus of Peking and Tianjin back from the Japanese.

The fourth dad bent down and kissed me, picked me up and got into his black car. After leaving the airport, he took two turns and drove us to my grandfather\'s house. Later I learned that it was the apartment in Cuihua Hutong opposite the Dongan Market in Wangfujing. I should have been born here a few years ago, and it is written in my household registration book!

3. Small tricycle and New Year\'s Day red book

I was the first to ran into the open gate, passed through the two doors in the middle of a long narrow courtyard, and walked around a shadow wall, and I saw a large square courtyard with large houses on three sides. I was stunned. Know where to go.

I noticed that there was a small red bicycle under the eaves of the front, which seemed to have two more small wheels on the left and right sides than the big bicycle on the street, so I stood there and would not fall down.

At the moment the front door opened, and a kind old man walked out and waved to me: Renbao, come here! He pointed to the little bicycle and said, This is your car! My parents followed, and my mother told me to bow and shout: Grandpa! I only knew that this old man was my grandfather and father\'s father. I should call him Grandpa. But the fourth dad called him: Second Uncle! I didn\'t know why at the time!

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(Me, White Rabbit and Little Bike)

Grandpa touched my head and led me into the big room. In his left hand was a large desk. In addition to paper, ink, pen, inkstone and piles of books, there was also a white tile on which was written two words. Recognizing that the word on the left is Wu, my grandfather pointed to the word on the right and said to my parents: I gave Renbao a scientific name, the single name Xi. Is there joy in the war! The only happy event in my family during the eight years of the War of Resistance. Let’s use it for school in the future!” After that, I had two names. Before I went abroad to settle down, I was still Wu Zengyi on my hukou, alias Wu Xi.

Soon, I began to learn to write, trace red molds, and copy thousands of characters. I was bored with writing, so I went to ride a small bike, and soon I could ride the bike around the courtyard. Sometimes I ride a bike to make trouble, crushing bugs, chasing rabbits, and crushing flowers and plants.

It was the end of the year in a flash. The next day was New Year’s Day (1946). My aunt, who was a few years older than me, brought a piece of red paper and cut it into a small piece of paper for me to write down my new year’s wishes. I don’t know what to write. She said: You are very good, but you are too naughty. From now on, don\'t do things that are unfavorable and unpleasant to yourself, okay?
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(Photo: New Year\'s Day book is red, no longer naughty.)
After thinking about it, I picked up a pen and wrote New Year\'s Day red book, no more naughty. My sister-in-law wrote, Writing on New Year\'s Day, everything goes well. These two red paper notes have been kept in Ma 々\'s photo album, and spent decades peacefully, and even moved across the ocean to the United States with me. Recently, together with the old photos, I gave them to my son for safekeeping! This is something later.

4. Go to street stalls to learn to swim
My mother often took me back to my grandmother\'s house, and it was so kind to see my grandmother, eldest uncle, and younger uncle. When escaping from Beiping, I was still lying in my mother\'s arms, and when I came back, I was already a naughty bag that could run around.

Grandma\'s house is also a rented house, there is nothing fun. I looked around and saw a shiny glass woman on the cabinet, climbing up to feel it. Grandma said hurriedly, This is the crystal Guanyin Bodhisattva. Once I rolled down from the river bank and was blocked by her before falling into the river. Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva can\'t be moved! I will doubt it, never again. I dare not touch her anymore.

Seeing that I couldn\'t be free, Grandma opened the cabinet door, took out two large red suede photo albums, and let me flip through them slowly. There is a bronze plaque on the cover, and the large and uneven characters seem to be Jingzhang Railway Engineering Collection. Inside are all big photos, there are portraits, there are caves, railways, bridges, and locomotives... I don’t understand. It\'s just fun! You must check it every time you go to grandma\'s house. (In the early 1950s, the Beijing Library asked for these two albums, and after another one, I met them at the National Library of China)
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(A collection of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou railway project, the author came across it at the National Library of Beijing, photo by cousin Zhang Lirong)

If I met my uncle at home, it would be fine. He would take me out to play. After exiting the alley, you will find the three gates of Nanchizi. Turn right after the exit and you will find Taimiao, Tiananmen and Zhongshan Park.

Taimiao and Zhongshan Park were free to go in and out at that time, so I didn\'t want to go there a few times. It is even more fascinating in front of Tiananmen Square. There are stalls from east to west in front of the Jinshui Bridge. In the short period of peace after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, most of the US military supplies that are used by ordinary people are sold. They are all spread out a green army blanket, which is covered with military kettles, lunch boxes, knives and forks...
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(A street stall in front of Tiananmen Square, internet photo)

My uncle took my hand and strolled over the stalls one by one. At that time, there were large chunks of chocolate, large buckets of milk powder, full boxes of compressed biscuits... But I noticed that there was a realistic one in one of the stalls. , Leaning on the cannon high, the small tank with rotating tracks crawled freely on the pile of military blankets, I squatted down and couldn\'t walk anymore.


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(American Sherman toy tank, internet photo)

My uncle asked about the price, maybe it was too expensive and didn\'t buy it for me. After a round, he bought a big shiny spoon at a stall and gave it to me. It is said to be an American military spoon with three letters U.S.A. on the wide handle. It is very strong, and it was still there before I immigrated to the United States.
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(U.S. military spoon, internet photo)

When I was five or six years old, my sturdy brother-in-law started taking me to learn to swim! He is a graduate of the physical education major, explaining the essentials while demonstrating breaststroke. At first, my uncle asked me to hug his neck and kick his legs like a frog. Soon I was able to swim with him on his shoulders. After a few times in the water, I can swim next to him by myself.

The neighbor’s aunt knew that he took me down to the big pit to learn to swim, and asked him nervously: Your sister is just such a son, what if something happens? My uncle\'s answer was: It\'s because of my sister. A son, teach him to swim earlier, so that if he falls into the water, he won’t be drowned!” In this way, I am not afraid of water when I’m less than six years old.

5. Building blocks and iron
Around the end of 1947, I moved to Tianjin with my parents. First I lived at No. 177 Chongqing Road. When I entered the front yard, there was a staircase leading to the second floor. Not long after we first lived, an Uncle Yang and Aunt Yang came to visit us. Walking up the stairs with a big pocket in his hand, it was strangely bulging.

Uncle Yang asked me to come over with a smile and said, Here\'s for you, let\'s see! Then he poured the contents in his face pocket on the floor. It turned out to be a neat pile of white stubble wood blocks, rectangular, cylindrical, square, and triangular. It is a rare set of large blocks!
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(Today\'s white stubble building block toy, internet photo)

I was so happy that I immediately fiddled with these wooden blocks silently and built the building and the city wall...

I heard from my mother that Uncle Yang opened a construction factory and made such a set of building blocks with sapwood scraps and gave it to me. I don\'t know how to thank them yet, and the couple left Tianjin and moved to Taiwan. I never saw them again when I grew up.

I miss Uncle Yang and Aunt Yang!

Soon after, my younger uncle came to Tianjin to visit us again, carrying a heavy package. I looked at it, don\'t know what baby it was.

After the layers of packaging were peeled, a large number of rusty iron guys were exposed. They are all weird parts such as large and small perforated plates, angle irons, gears, axles and screws. It turned out that this was a large set of toy iron he picked up from the stall. According to him: It\'s worth it. It can be assembled into a French bridge, iron tower and various machines. You\'d better wash it, remove the rust, and apply paint...

I have never had time to repaint this pile of iron, just pile it up in the corner, and then pick a few pieces from time to time, clean them up, and use them to reinforce old furniture and repair old toys. It is very useful.
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(Jietie, Internet photo)

6. Bullets become toys
In 1948, my family moved to 56 Chengdu Road, and my grandmother also came from Beijing to live in my house. I entered Yew Wah Primary School in the fall, and it was the end of the year before I knew a few of my classmates.
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(Photo by Liu Huan in front of the apartment at No.56 Chengdu Road)

There was another rumble of cannons in Tianjin. Just after the New Year, the gunshots became more and more intense. My mother would not let me go out and run around for fear of stray bullets. Within a few days, the sound of gunfire got closer.

One day there was a loud bang at the door of the house, and the glass of the windows facing the street downstairs was shattered. It turned out that the big iron door of the neighbor next to it was blown up.

I heard from the adults that because there was a battalion commander of the defending army nearby, the army entering the city put an explosive pack at his door. Soon the gunfire stopped, and grandma fell ill after the loud noise, and died three days later.

Aunt Biao came, and Mama Bang took care of grandma\'s funeral. She took out a hand pat, opened it and placed it on the garden table, revealing two large golden broad beans, which she said were for grandma\'s funeral. The next day, someone brought a black coffin and placed it next to my little bed in the front room downstairs.

I thought my grandmother was asleep and couldn\'t wake up for a while. I don\'t know how to be afraid, so I slept with my grandmother for two days. After the coffin was taken away, I realized: Grandma will never come back!

You can open the door and take a look. The neighbor\'s door is gone. A few days later, the shattered window glass of my house was also replaced. You can also pick up a few bullets or bullet shells in the corners of the yard and on the side roads. There are hawkers on Chengdu Road, and the hawkers who sell smashing and smashing cannons are the most popular among children.

The older brother would use thick wire to bend into a smashing gun, buy some small smashing guns from a small vendor, put them in the firing pin of the wire smashing gun, pull the trigger and make a crisp slamming sound, better than a small one. pistol.

The most fun is the hanging cannon. First put the picked bullets on the briquettes to heat up, so that the lead on the bullet butt is melted, and while it is still not cold, put a pair of pre-made U-shaped iron wires. Insert your feet and let the bullet cool down. At this time, a U-shaped ring is growing in the bullet\'s butt; find another red ribbon to pass through the U-shaped ring to firmly mark a dead knot. Find a matching bullet shell, put two or three big smashing cannons, stack them in the bullet shell, and then insert the bullet with the red ribbon into the bullet shell backwards, ready to hit the cannon.
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(Rifle bullet photos, web photos)

Pinching the tail of the red ribbon, whistling the cannon and slinging it high into the air. When it fell back to the ground, the bullet hit the stack of smashed cannons, and there was a strong explosion, which blew the bullet up high into the air and dragged it. The long red silk tail rushed to the sky and slowly fell back to the ground, which was really beautiful.

Hanging cannons can be used repeatedly, and bullets tied with red ropes are generally not lost. Some bullet shells are only available for smashing cannons to be bought from vendors.

During the civil war between the KMT and the Communist Party, flexible handicraftsmen were easy to get guns and bullets, and there was ample source of explosives when opened. In those years, small vendors could always buy smashing paper.
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(Smashing paper, Internet photos)

The smashing paper is bonded by two layers of strong paper, with explosive dots evenly arranged between them. There are big and small, sold one by one. The price is cheap, the children buy it back and cut it into small squares or octagonal shapes for later use. Put it in a smashing gun or a hanging cannon to show off your power!
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(Nowadays, the photos from the Internet of Smashing Guns)

There is another thing that adults are not allowed to play with ---smashing a cannon. It is a large individual and a small square paper bag on the outside. In fact, it contains explosives, coarse sand and glass slag. Suddenly accustomed to the ground will make a loud bang, scary. There are no shortage of injuries.

Now, probably the war has passed, and these toys can no longer be bought.

7. Farewell to childhood

The war passed, and in 1949, I transferred to the Central Primary School in the Five Districts. About the Spring Festival in the third and fourth grades of elementary school, I put on a brand new four-pocket blue uniform, opened a pack of small firecrackers, and put them all in the big right pocket of the uniform, and happily put them in the yard. Small cannon, click one, throw one, bang, really enjoyable.

By accident, the incense went out. He took out a match with his left hand and lighted it. The match broke for the first time and didn\'t light. When he stroked another, the cannon in his pocket suddenly rang!

My instinctive reaction was to stretch out my hand and take it out of my pocket. I took out the small cannon. Then I looked at my uniform pocket. Three or four big holes were burned inside and out. My right hand also exploded black, causing pain, numbness, and shaking. Started to take a closer look, but fortunately there was no bleeding.

Going back to the house dejected, honestly confessed her mistake to her mother. She looked at me, so angry and funny! I didn\'t blame me much, but just asked me: What kind of fire fell into my pocket? I thought about it and said, It should be the first match that happened to fall into my pocket after the head was broken!

Mom looked at my right hand and asked me where it hurts? I was in shock, and my numb right hand regained consciousness. She washed my hands with warm water again. After carefully inspecting the blackened area by gunpowder, it seems that the problem is not big.

My mother said to me relieved: Take off your new uniform, I will make up for you, remember this lesson!
Mom changed the outer pocket of the pocket, which looked much better, but there were still two big holes in the back of the pocket. It seems to remind me not to forget this embarrassment.

From that moment on, my childhood is over!

Author Wu Xi, in the Winter Solstice of Gengzi