正文
《戰火中的童年》
1. 戰火中降生
1942年珍珠港事件後兩個月，已經是壬午年了，我生於北平一個世代官吏家庭。那時候中國正在日本人的統治下艱苦求生。父親1937年畢業於北京朝陽大學法律係，本該投筆從軍報效國家的他，不幸罹患肺結核病，無可奈何以養病為名滯留北平。
祖父畢業於京師大學堂的前身京師譯學館。在民國政府、北洋政府、北平市政府裏工作了幾十年。是一位資深的技術官員；祖母是晚清文襄公張之洞的長孫女。
外祖父是廢科舉那一年的江西省的赴日留學生考試魁首。東京高工畢業後1913年歸國，一直在農工部任技正，曾為詹天佑修築京張鐵路提供後方支持。可惜英年早逝，1936年就歿了。外祖母是位溫良賢淑的日本東京女子，民國初年就跟隨外公嫁到中國來了，為他生了三子一女，她平生最大的期望就是中日友好。
父親在雙方的家族庇蔭之下，抗日戰爭期間，在北平為國民政府從事敵後情報工作六年，直到1943年。上級通知他身分暴露，必須立即撤退。母親抱著不到兩歲的我，隨父親穿越淪陷區，遊擊區，國統區，曆時數月終於抵達戰時首都重慶。
舟車勞頓的父親，到了重慶就大吐血，住院治療好長時間才保住性命。我三、四歲時的重慶印象就是高聳入雲的竹林，山穀和溪流。據母親說，我們應該是住在歌樂山區範圍內吧！
2. 歌樂山竹趣
在我記憶中，兒時的玩具似乎都和竹子有關：除了常見的竹刀、竹槍、竹弓、竹劍，竹馬之外還有竹哨和竹青蜓。
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（竹哨，網絡圖片）
小小的竹哨，是一個有活塞的竹管，灌上一管清澈溪水，拉動活塞，用咀就能吹出多種鳥兒的叫聲。有的小哥哥能把小鳥的叫聲，模仿得微妙微肖，還能引來小鳥的共鳴和歡唱。一個小竹哨，隻要不丟掉，可以玩好多天，是我愛不釋手的寶貝，爸媽聽到竹哨聲，就知道我沒有跑遠。
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（竹青蜓，網絡照片）
另一個最喜歡的玩具就是竹蜻蜓，隻要兩手輕輕一搓中間的直棍，及時鬆開手掌，旋轉的兩翼就像蜻蜓一樣拖著長長的尾巴飛上樹稍。真想著有一天，我也能拽著蜻蜓的尾巴一起飛上天！竹青蜓雖好，隻是太容易飛丟了，一個竹蜻蜓玩不了幾天，就無影無蹤了！
忽然在一個夏天、突然鞭炮齊鳴，人們歡呼：“勝利了！和平了，日本鬼子滾蛋了。” 叔叔阿姨抱起我又親又吻，大呼：我們快回家了……
3. 飛回北平
小小年紀，有機會坐飛機從山城重慶飛回北平，對我來說是難忘的大事。那架軍用飛機改裝的客機裏麵黑洞洞的，擠了好多人，快到北平時，我被媽媽安排在一個園園的窗口，向外望去，遠遠看到方方正正的一座雄偉城池在前方，飛機好象直接向一片金色瓦片的房屋和綠樹花園中間衝去，右邊是高大寬厚的城牆，掠過一座座雄偉的城門，沿著伸向遠方的平坦跑道滑行，最後飛機穏穩地停住了，大人們拍手歡呼：“勝利了，北平！我們回來了！”
後來長大了才想明白 ，這裏是北平的東單機場。
我戀戀不舍地走下飛機，不遠處停著一輛黑色汽車。一位高大胖胖的伯伯，健步迎過來，媽媽爸爸稱他“四哥”，媽媽讓我稱呼他：“四爸！” 他是來接我們回家的。聽大人們說，當時四爸是北平前門火車站和天津東站的總站長，一個月前他剛剛從日本人手裏把北平、天津的鐵路局接收回來。
四爸彎下腰親了我一下，一把抱起我上了他的黑色轎車，出了機場，拐了兩個彎就把我們送到了爺爺家。後來才知道，那就是王府井東安市場對麵的翠花胡同寓所。我應該就是幾年前出生在這裏的，戶口本上寫著呢！
4. 小三輪車和元旦書紅
我頭一個跑進敞開的大門，穿過一個窄長院落中間的二道門，繞過一堵影壁牆，就見到一個四四方方的大院子，三麵都是大屋子，我愣在那裏不知道何去何從。
倒是注意到正麵房簷下擺著一輛小小的紅色自行車，似乎比街上的大自行車左右多了兩個小輪子，自己立在那裏不會倒下。
此刻正麵房門打開，一位慈祥的老人走了出來，對我招手說：“壬保，過來！” 他指著小自行車說：“這是你的車”！爸媽他們也跟了上來，媽媽讓我鞠躬喊：“爺爺！”我才知道這位老人家就是我的祖父，爸爸的爸爸。我應該稱呼他“爺爺”的。但是四爸稱他為：“二叔！” 我當時不知道為什麽！
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（我、白兔和小自行車）
爺爺摸摸我的頭，領著我進了大屋子，左手是一個大書桌，除了紙墨筆硯和成堆的書籍之外，還立著一塊白瓷磚，上麵寫著兩個字，我隻認識左麵一個字是“吳” ，爺爺指著右麵的字對我爸媽說：“我給壬保起了個學名，單名熹。戰火中有喜嘛！八年抗戰中我家唯一的喜事啊。以後上學用吧！” 這以後我就有了兩個名字，到我出國定居前，在戶口本上還是吳曾?，別名吳熹。
不久，我開始學寫字，描紅模子，抄千字文。寫煩了，就去騎小自行車，很快就能騎車滿院跑了。有時就騎車搗亂，軋小蟲、追小兔、碾花草。
一晃就到了年底，第二天是新年元旦 （1946年），比我大幾歲的小姑姑拿來一張紅紙，裁成小紙條讓我寫下新年的新願望，我不知寫什麽，她說：你挺好的，就是太淘氣了些，以後不要幹損人不利己，讓人討厭的事好不好？
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（照片：元旦書紅，不再淘氣。）
我想了想就提筆寫下了“元旦書紅，不再淘氣”八個字。小姑姑寫的是“元旦開筆，萬事如意”。這兩張紅紙字條居然一直存放在媽々的像冊裏，平靜渡過幾十年，甚至飄洋過海隨我移居美國。最近才和舊照片一起，交給兒子保管！這是後話了。
5. 逛地攤學遊泳
媽媽常常帶我回外婆家，見到外婆和大舅、小舅真是分外親切。逃離北平時，我還躺在媽媽懷裏，回來時我已經是可以滿地跑的淘氣包。
外婆家也是租的房子，沒有什麽好玩的。我東張西望，隻見櫃子上麵擺著一個亮晶晶的玻璃女人像，爬上去想摸摸。外婆忙說：“這是這座水晶觀音菩薩，有一次我從河堤上滾下來，被她檔住了，才沒掉進河裏。 觀世音菩薩是不能亂動的！” 我將信將疑，再也不敢摸她了。
外婆看我閑不住，打開櫃門，拿出兩本紅絨麵大相冊，讓我慢慢翻著看。封麵有一塊銅牌，凹凸不平的幾個大字似乎是“京張鐵路工程集萃” ，裏麵都是大照片，有人像，有山洞，有鐵道，有橋梁，還有火車頭…… 我看不太懂，隻是挺好玩！每次去外婆家一定要翻一遍的。（五十年代初，北京圖書館求購了這兩本相冊，又過了一個甲子，我在國家圖書館邂逅了它）
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（京張鐵路工程集萃，一甲子後作者邂逅它於北京國家圖書館，表妹張麗榮攝）
若是碰到小舅舅在家就好了，他會帶我出去玩，出了胡同口就是南池子三座門，出口右拐就是太廟，天安門和中山公園。
太廟和中山公園那時候都是可以自由進出的，去過幾次我就不要去了。倒是天安門前更令人神往，金水橋前由東至西擺了一溜地攤，抗日戰爭勝利後一段短暫的和平時間裏，賣的大多是老百姓用得上的美國軍用物資處理品。都是攤開一塊綠色軍毯，上麵擺滿軍用水壺，飯盒，刀叉……
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（天安門前擺地攤，網絡照片）
小舅舅拉著我的手，一個個地攤逛過來，那時候有大塊大塊的巧克力，有大桶裝的奶粉，整箱的壓縮餅幹…… 我卻注意到有一個攤位上，一隻逼真的，高仰著大炮，履帶會轉動的小坦克在軍毯堆上自由爬行，我蹲了下來，走不動了。
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（美國謝爾曼玩具坦克，網絡照片）
小舅舅問了問價錢，可能是太貴了，沒有給我買。轉了一圈，他在一個攤位上買了一個亮晶晶的大勺子，送給了我。據說是美國軍用湯匙，寬大的把柄上有U.S.A.三個字母。它十分結實，到我移民美國前它還安在。
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（美國軍用湯匙，網絡照片）
五六歲時，健壯的小舅開始帶我去學遊泳！他是體育專科的畢業生，一邊講解動作要領，一邊示範蛙泳動作。一開始小舅讓我抱著他脖子下水，象青蛙一樣蹬腿，不久我就能扶著他的肩膀跟著他遊了。幾次下水之後我就可以在他的旁邊自己遊了。
鄰居大媽知道他帶著我下大坑學遊泳去了，緊張地問他：“你姐就這麽一個兒子，萬一出點事兒怎麽得了？” 小舅舅的回答是：“正因為我姐就一個兒子，更得早早教會他遊泳，萬一落水才不會被淹死！” 就這樣我不到六歲就不怕水了。
6. 積木和積鐵
大約是1947年底，我隨父母移居天津，先住在重慶道177號，進了前院就有一個樓梯通往二樓。剛住下沒多久，一位楊伯伯和楊伯母來看望我們。手裏提著一個大麵口袋走上樓梯，鼓鼓囊囊的好奇怪。
楊伯伯叫我過來笑著說：“給你的，看看吧！” 說著就把麵口袋裏的東西倒在地板上。原來是一堆整齊幹淨的白茬木頭塊，有長方的、有園柱形的、有正方塊、還有三角形的，是少見的一組大積木！
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（今天的白茬積木玩具，網絡照片）
我好高興，立刻不出聲地擺弄起這些木頭塊來，蓋起了樓房和城牆……
聽媽媽說，楊伯伯是開營造廠的，用邊材下角料特意做了這麼一套積木，送給我的。我還不知道怎麽謝謝他們呢，他們夫婦就離開天津遷居台灣了。長大後再也沒有見過他們。
好想念楊伯伯和楊伯母！
不久後，小舅舅又來天津看望我們，提著一個沉重的包裹。我打量著它，不知道是什麽寶貝。
一層層包裝剝開後，露出一大堆生鏽的鐵家夥。都是大大小小的多孔板、角鐵、齒輪、車軸和螺絲釘等奇奇怪怪的另件。原來這是他從地攤上撿來的一大套玩具積鐵。據他說：“太值了，可以組裝成法國橋，鐵塔和各種機器。你最好把它洗幹淨，清除鐵鏽，刷上油漆……”
我一直沒有時間重新油漆這堆積鐵，隻是把它堆放在角落裏，以後時不時地挑幾件，清理幹淨，用來加固舊家具，修理舊玩具，滿好用的。
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（積鐵，網絡照片）
7. 子彈變玩具
1948年，我家搬到了成都道56號，外婆也從北京過來，住在我家。秋天我進入耀華小學，同學還沒有認識幾個，就到了年底。
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（成都道56號寓所門前，劉寰攝）
天津又開始響起了隆隆炮聲，剛剛過了新年，槍聲越來越多密，媽媽不讓我出門亂跑，怕碰上流彈。沒幾天，槍炮聲更近了。
一天家門口轟隆一聲巨響，樓下臨街的窗戶玻璃都震碎了，原來是旁邊鄰居的大鐵門被炸飛了。
聽大人們說，因為傍邊住著一位守軍的營長，進城的軍隊在他的門口放了一個炸藥包。不久槍炮聲停了下來，外婆在巨響之後就病倒了，三天之後就病故了。
表阿姨來了，邦媽媽料理外婆的後事，她掏出一塊手拍，打開來放在園桌上，露出來兩個金閃閃的大蠶豆，說是給外婆辦喪事用的。第二天，有人送來一口黑漆漆的棺材，就放在樓下前屋我的小床旁邊。
我以為外婆就是睡著了，一時半會兒睡不醒了。我不懂害怕，還陪著外婆睡了兩天。棺材抬走了，我才明白：“外婆再也回不來了！”
可以開門出去看看了，旁邊鄰居的大門沒了。過了幾天，我家震碎的窗玻璃也換好了。院子角落裏和邊道邊上還能撿到幾個子彈頭或子彈殼，成都道上有了挑挑子的小販，最受孩子們歡迎的是賣摔炮，砸炮的小販。
大些的小哥哥會用粗鐵絲彎成砸炮槍，在小攤販那裏買些小號的砸炮，放在鐵絲砸炮槍的撞針裏，一扣扳機，發出清脆的劈叭聲，勝過小手槍。
最好玩的是吊炮，先把撿到的子彈頭放在煤球爐上烤熱，讓子彈頭屁股上的鉛熔化開，趁著還沒涼，把一個預先作好的U形鐵絲的雙腳插進去，讓子彈頭冷卻。這時一個U 形環就長在子彈頭屁股裏了；再找一段紅絲帶穿過U 形環，牢牢地打上一個死節。找一個配套的子彈殼，放上兩三個大砸炮，摞著放在子彈殼裏，再把栓著紅絲帶的子彈頭反著插進子彈殼裏，可以準備打吊炮了。
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（步槍子彈照片，網絡照片）
捏著紅絲帶的尾巴，掄起吊炮，把它甩上高空，當它落回地麵時，子彈頭壓到那一摞砸炮上，發生了強烈爆炸，把子彈頭又炸上高空，它拖著長長的紅綢尾巴急急衝上高空又慢慢落回地麵，煞是好看。
吊炮可以反複使用，栓著紅繩的子彈頭一般丟不了，子彈殼有的是，隻是砸炮要從小販手裏買。
國共內戰期間，頭腦靈活的手工業者容易搞到槍炮子彈，打開來就有充足的炸藥來源，那幾年，小攤販那裏總是能買到砸炮紙的。
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（砸炮紙，網絡照片）
砸炮紙是用兩層結實的紙粘接起來，中間夾著均勻擺列著炸藥點。有大小之分，一張張地賣。價格便宜，孩子們買回來，剪成小方塊或八角形備用。裝在砸炮槍裏或吊炮裏就可以發威了！
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（如今的摔炮網絡照片）
還有一種大人不許玩的東西 —— 摔炮，個體較大，外表是個正方形的小紙包，其實裏麵是炸藥、粗沙和玻璃渣。猛地慣在地上就會砰地一聲巨響，嚇人一跳。也不乏傷人事故。
如今，大概是戰爭過去了，這些玩具再也買不到了。
8. 告別童年
戰爭過去了，1949年，我轉學到五區中心小學。大約是在小學三、四年級的春節裏，穿上嶄新的四個口袋的蘭製服，拆開一包小鞭炮，一股腦兒地都裝在製服右手大口袋裏，高高興興地在院子裏放小炮，點一個，扔一個，砰一響，真過癮。
不小心，香滅了。左手掏出火柴點香，第一次火柴劃斷了，沒點著。再劃一根時，突然口袋裏的小炮，乒乒乓乓響了起來！
我本能的反應是伸手去口袋裏掏，小炮是一把把掏出來了，再看我的製服口袋，裏外燒了三四個大洞，我的右手也炸黑了，生痛麻木，抖著手仔細看看，還好沒有流血。
垂頭喪氣回到屋裏，老老實實向媽媽承認錯誤。她看著我，好氣又好笑！沒多責備我，隻是問我：“是什麽火種落進了口袋？” 我想了想說：“應該是第一根火柴頭斷落後，恰巧落進口袋裏了吧！”
媽媽撿視了我的右手，問我那裏痛？我驚魂已定，麻木的右手也恢複了知覺。她又給我用溫水洗了洗手。仔細檢查了被火藥熏黑了的地方，似乎問題不大。
媽媽放了心對我說：“脫下你的新製服吧，我給你補補，記住這個教訓吧！”
媽媽把口袋外片換了，看上去好看多了，但口袋背麵還是補了兩個大洞。似乎在提醒我不要忘記這件糗事。
從那一刻開始，我的童年結束了！
作者 吳西，記於庚子冬至
以下試用 Google Translate 英譯：
《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
1. 戰火中降生
1942年珍珠港事件後兩個月，已經是壬午年了，我生於北平一個世代官吏家庭。那時候中國正在日本人的統治下艱苦求生。父親1937年畢業於北京朝陽大學法律係，本該投筆從軍報效國家的他，不幸罹患肺結核病，無可奈何以養病為名滯留北平。
祖父畢業於京師大學堂的前身京師譯學館。在民國政府、北洋政府、北平市政府裏工作了幾十年。是一位資深的技術官員；祖母是晚清文襄公張之洞的長孫女。
外祖父是廢科舉那一年的江西省的赴日留學生考試魁首。東京高工畢業後1913年歸國，一直在農工部任技正，曾為詹天佑修築京張鐵路提供後方支持。可惜英年早逝，1936年就歿了。外祖母是位溫良賢淑的日本東京女子，民國初年就跟隨外公嫁到中國來了，為他生了三子一女，她平生最大的期望就是中日友好。
父親在雙方的家族庇蔭之下，抗日戰爭期間，在北平為國民政府從事敵後情報工作六年，直到1943年。上級通知他身分暴露，必須立即撤退。母親抱著不到兩歲的我，隨父親穿越淪陷區，遊擊區，國統區，曆時數月終於抵達戰時首都重慶。
舟車勞頓的父親，到了重慶就大吐血，住院治療好長時間才保住性命。我三、四歲時的重慶印象就是高聳入雲的竹林，山穀和溪流。據母親說，我們應該是住在歌樂山區範圍內吧！
2. 歌樂山竹趣
在我記憶中，兒時的玩具似乎都和竹子有關：除了常見的竹刀、竹槍、竹弓、竹劍，竹馬之外還有竹哨和竹青蜓。
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（竹哨，網絡圖片）
小小的竹哨，是一個有活塞的竹管，灌上一管清澈溪水，拉動活塞，用咀就能吹出多種鳥兒的叫聲。有的小哥哥能把小鳥的叫聲，模仿得微妙微肖，還能引來小鳥的共鳴和歡唱。一個小竹哨，隻要不丟掉，可以玩好多天，是我愛不釋手的寶貝，爸媽聽到竹哨聲，就知道我沒有跑遠。
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（竹青蜓，網絡照片）
另一個最喜歡的玩具就是竹蜻蜓，隻要兩手輕輕一搓中間的直棍，及時鬆開手掌，旋轉的兩翼就像蜻蜓一樣拖著長長的尾巴飛上樹稍。真想著有一天，我也能拽著蜻蜓的尾巴一起飛上天！竹青蜓雖好，隻是太容易飛丟了，一個竹蜻蜓玩不了幾天，就無影無蹤了！
忽然在一個夏天、突然鞭炮齊鳴，人們歡呼：“勝利了！和平了，日本鬼子滾蛋了。” 叔叔阿姨抱起我又親又吻，大呼：我們快回家了……
3. 飛回北平
小小年紀，有機會坐飛機從山城重慶飛回北平，對我來說是難忘的大事。那架軍用飛機改裝的客機裏麵黑洞洞的，擠了好多人，快到北平時，我被媽媽安排在一個園園的窗口，向外望去，遠遠看到方方正正的一座雄偉城池在前方，飛機好象直接向一片金色瓦片的房屋和綠樹花園中間衝去，右邊是高大寬厚的城牆，掠過一座座雄偉的城門，沿著伸向遠方的平坦跑道滑行，最後飛機穏穩地停住了，大人們拍手歡呼：“勝利了，北平！我們回來了！”
後來長大了才想明白 ，這裏是北平的東單機場。
我戀戀不舍地走下飛機，不遠處停著一輛黑色汽車。一位高大胖胖的伯伯，健步迎過來，媽媽爸爸稱他“四哥”，媽媽讓我稱呼他：“四爸！” 他是來接我們回家的。聽大人們說，當時四爸是北平前門火車站和天津東站的總站長，一個月前他剛剛從日本人手裏把北平、天津的鐵路局接收回來。
四爸彎下腰親了我一下，一把抱起我上了他的黑色轎車，出了機場，拐了兩個彎就把我們送到了爺爺家。後來才知道，那就是王府井東安市場對麵的翠花胡同寓所。我應該就是幾年前出生在這裏的，戶口本上寫著呢！
4. 小三輪車和元旦書紅
我頭一個跑進敞開的大門，穿過一個窄長院落中間的二道門，繞過一堵影壁牆，就見到一個四四方方的大院子，三麵都是大屋子，我愣在那裏不知道何去何從。
倒是注意到正麵房簷下擺著一輛小小的紅色自行車，似乎比街上的大自行車左右多了兩個小輪子，自己立在那裏不會倒下。
此刻正麵房門打開，一位慈祥的老人走了出來，對我招手說：“壬保，過來！” 他指著小自行車說：“這是你的車”！爸媽他們也跟了上來，媽媽讓我鞠躬喊：“爺爺！”我才知道這位老人家就是我的祖父，爸爸的爸爸。我應該稱呼他“爺爺”的。但是四爸稱他為：“二叔！” 我當時不知道為什麽！
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（我、白兔和小自行車）
爺爺摸摸我的頭，領著我進了大屋子，左手是一個大書桌，除了紙墨筆硯和成堆的書籍之外，還立著一塊白瓷磚，上麵寫著兩個字，我隻認識左麵一個字是“吳” ，爺爺指著右麵的字對我爸媽說：“我給壬保起了個學名，單名熹。戰火中有喜嘛！八年抗戰中我家唯一的喜事啊。以後上學用吧！” 這以後我就有了兩個名字，到我出國定居前，在戶口本上還是吳曾?，別名吳熹。
不久，我開始學寫字，描紅模子，抄千字文。寫煩了，就去騎小自行車，很快就能騎車滿院跑了。有時就騎車搗亂，軋小蟲、追小兔、碾花草。
一晃就到了年底，第二天是新年元旦 （1946年），比我大幾歲的小姑姑拿來一張紅紙，裁成小紙條讓我寫下新年的新願望，我不知寫什麽，她說：你挺好的，就是太淘氣了些，以後不要幹損人不利己，讓人討厭的事好不好？
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（照片：元旦書紅，不再淘氣。）
我想了想就提筆寫下了“元旦書紅，不再淘氣”八個字。小姑姑寫的是“元旦開筆，萬事如意”。這兩張紅紙字條居然一直存放在媽々的像冊裏，平靜渡過幾十年，甚至飄洋過海隨我移居美國。最近才和舊照片一起，交給兒子保管！這是後話了。
5. 逛地攤學遊泳
媽媽常常帶我回外婆家，見到外婆和大舅、小舅真是分外親切。逃離北平時，我還躺在媽媽懷裏，回來時我已經是可以滿地跑的淘氣包。
外婆家也是租的房子，沒有什麽好玩的。我東張西望，隻見櫃子上麵擺著一個亮晶晶的玻璃女人像，爬上去想摸摸。外婆忙說：“這是這座水晶觀音菩薩，有一次我從河堤上滾下來，被她檔住了，才沒掉進河裏。 觀世音菩薩是不能亂動的！” 我將信將疑，再也不敢摸她了。
外婆看我閑不住，打開櫃門，拿出兩本紅絨麵大相冊，讓我慢慢翻著看。封麵有一塊銅牌，凹凸不平的幾個大字似乎是“京張鐵路工程集萃” ，裏麵都是大照片，有人像，有山洞，有鐵道，有橋梁，還有火車頭…… 我看不太懂，隻是挺好玩！每次去外婆家一定要翻一遍的。（五十年代初，北京圖書館求購了這兩本相冊，又過了一個甲子，我在國家圖書館邂逅了它）
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（京張鐵路工程集萃，一甲子後作者邂逅它於北京國家圖書館，表妹張麗榮攝）
若是碰到小舅舅在家就好了，他會帶我出去玩，出了胡同口就是南池子三座門，出口右拐就是太廟，天安門和中山公園。
太廟和中山公園那時候都是可以自由進出的，去過幾次我就不要去了。倒是天安門前更令人神往，金水橋前由東至西擺了一溜地攤，抗日戰爭勝利後一段短暫的和平時間裏，賣的大多是老百姓用得上的美國軍用物資處理品。都是攤開一塊綠色軍毯，上麵擺滿軍用水壺，飯盒，刀叉……
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（天安門前擺地攤，網絡照片）
小舅舅拉著我的手，一個個地攤逛過來，那時候有大塊大塊的巧克力，有大桶裝的奶粉，整箱的壓縮餅幹…… 我卻注意到有一個攤位上，一隻逼真的，高仰著大炮，履帶會轉動的小坦克在軍毯堆上自由爬行，我蹲了下來，走不動了。
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（美國謝爾曼玩具坦克，網絡照片）
小舅舅問了問價錢，可能是太貴了，沒有給我買。轉了一圈，他在一個攤位上買了一個亮晶晶的大勺子，送給了我。據說是美國軍用湯匙，寬大的把柄上有U.S.A.三個字母。它十分結實，到我移民美國前它還安在。
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（美國軍用湯匙，網絡照片）
五六歲時，健壯的小舅開始帶我去學遊泳！他是體育專科的畢業生，一邊講解動作要領，一邊示範蛙泳動作。一開始小舅讓我抱著他脖子下水，象青蛙一樣蹬腿，不久我就能扶著他的肩膀跟著他遊了。幾次下水之後我就可以在他的旁邊自己遊了。
鄰居大媽知道他帶著我下大坑學遊泳去了，緊張地問他：“你姐就這麽一個兒子，萬一出點事兒怎麽得了？” 小舅舅的回答是：“正因為我姐就一個兒子，更得早早教會他遊泳，萬一落水才不會被淹死！” 就這樣我不到六歲就不怕水了。
6. 積木和積鐵
大約是1947年底，我隨父母移居天津，先住在重慶道177號，進了前院就有一個樓梯通往二樓。剛住下沒多久，一位楊伯伯和楊伯母來看望我們。手裏提著一個大麵口袋走上樓梯，鼓鼓囊囊的好奇怪。
楊伯伯叫我過來笑著說：“給你的，看看吧！” 說著就把麵口袋裏的東西倒在地板上。原來是一堆整齊幹淨的白茬木頭塊，有長方的、有園柱形的、有正方塊、還有三角形的，是少見的一組大積木！
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（今天的白茬積木玩具，網絡照片）
我好高興，立刻不出聲地擺弄起這些木頭塊來，蓋起了樓房和城牆……
聽媽媽說，楊伯伯是開營造廠的，用邊材下角料特意做了這麼一套積木，送給我的。我還不知道怎麽謝謝他們呢，他們夫婦就離開天津遷居台灣了。長大後再也沒有見過他們。
好想念楊伯伯和楊伯母！
不久後，小舅舅又來天津看望我們，提著一個沉重的包裹。我打量著它，不知道是什麽寶貝。
一層層包裝剝開後，露出一大堆生鏽的鐵家夥。都是大大小小的多孔板、角鐵、齒輪、車軸和螺絲釘等奇奇怪怪的另件。原來這是他從地攤上撿來的一大套玩具積鐵。據他說：“太值了，可以組裝成法國橋，鐵塔和各種機器。你最好把它洗幹淨，清除鐵鏽，刷上油漆……”
我一直沒有時間重新油漆這堆積鐵，隻是把它堆放在角落裏，以後時不時地挑幾件，清理幹淨，用來加固舊家具，修理舊玩具，滿好用的。
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（積鐵，網絡照片）
7. 子彈變玩具
1948年，我家搬到了成都道56號，外婆也從北京過來，住在我家。秋天我進入耀華小學，同學還沒有認識幾個，就到了年底。
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（成都道56號寓所門前，劉寰攝）
天津又開始響起了隆隆炮聲，剛剛過了新年，槍聲越來越多密，媽媽不讓我出門亂跑，怕碰上流彈。沒幾天，槍炮聲更近了。
一天家門口轟隆一聲巨響，樓下臨街的窗戶玻璃都震碎了，原來是旁邊鄰居的大鐵門被炸飛了。
聽大人們說，因為傍邊住著一位守軍的營長，進城的軍隊在他的門口放了一個炸藥包。不久槍炮聲停了下來，外婆在巨響之後就病倒了，三天之後就病故了。
表阿姨來了，邦媽媽料理外婆的後事，她掏出一塊手拍，打開來放在園桌上，露出來兩個金閃閃的大蠶豆，說是給外婆辦喪事用的。第二天，有人送來一口黑漆漆的棺材，就放在樓下前屋我的小床旁邊。
我以為外婆就是睡著了，一時半會兒睡不醒了。我不懂害怕，還陪著外婆睡了兩天。棺材抬走了，我才明白：“外婆再也回不來了！”
可以開門出去看看了，旁邊鄰居的大門沒了。過了幾天，我家震碎的窗玻璃也換好了。院子角落裏和邊道邊上還能撿到幾個子彈頭或子彈殼，成都道上有了挑挑子的小販，最受孩子們歡迎的是賣摔炮，砸炮的小販。
大些的小哥哥會用粗鐵絲彎成砸炮槍，在小攤販那裏買些小號的砸炮，放在鐵絲砸炮槍的撞針裏，一扣扳機，發出清脆的劈叭聲，勝過小手槍。
最好玩的是吊炮，先把撿到的子彈頭放在煤球爐上烤熱，讓子彈頭屁股上的鉛熔化開，趁著還沒涼，把一個預先作好的U形鐵絲的雙腳插進去，讓子彈頭冷卻。這時一個U 形環就長在子彈頭屁股裏了；再找一段紅絲帶穿過U 形環，牢牢地打上一個死節。找一個配套的子彈殼，放上兩三個大砸炮，摞著放在子彈殼裏，再把栓著紅絲帶的子彈頭反著插進子彈殼裏，可以準備打吊炮了。
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（步槍子彈照片，網絡照片）
捏著紅絲帶的尾巴，掄起吊炮，把它甩上高空，當它落回地麵時，子彈頭壓到那一摞砸炮上，發生了強烈爆炸，把子彈頭又炸上高空，它拖著長長的紅綢尾巴急急衝上高空又慢慢落回地麵，煞是好看。
吊炮可以反複使用，栓著紅繩的子彈頭一般丟不了，子彈殼有的是，隻是砸炮要從小販手裏買。
國共內戰期間，頭腦靈活的手工業者容易搞到槍炮子彈，打開來就有充足的炸藥來源，那幾年，小攤販那裏總是能買到砸炮紙的。
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（砸炮紙，網絡照片）
砸炮紙是用兩層結實的紙粘接起來，中間夾著均勻擺列著炸藥點。有大小之分，一張張地賣。價格便宜，孩子們買回來，剪成小方塊或八角形備用。裝在砸炮槍裏或吊炮裏就可以發威了！
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（如今的摔炮網絡照片）
還有一種大人不許玩的東西 —— 摔炮，個體較大，外表是個正方形的小紙包，其實裏麵是炸藥、粗沙和玻璃渣。猛地慣在地上就會砰地一聲巨響，嚇人一跳。也不乏傷人事故。
如今，大概是戰爭過去了，這些玩具再也買不到了。
8. 告別童年
戰爭過去了，1949年，我轉學到五區中心小學。大約是在小學三、四年級的春節裏，穿上嶄新的四個口袋的蘭製服，拆開一包小鞭炮，一股腦兒地都裝在製服右手大口袋裏，高高興興地在院子裏放小炮，點一個，扔一個，砰一響，真過癮。
不小心，香滅了。左手掏出火柴點香，第一次火柴劃斷了，沒點著。再劃一根時，突然口袋裏的小炮，乒乒乓乓響了起來！
我本能的反應是伸手去口袋裏掏，小炮是一把把掏出來了，再看我的製服口袋，裏外燒了三四個大洞，我的右手也炸黑了，生痛麻木，抖著手仔細看看，還好沒有流血。
垂頭喪氣回到屋裏，老老實實向媽媽承認錯誤。她看著我，好氣又好笑！沒多責備我，隻是問我：“是什麽火種落進了口袋？” 我想了想說：“應該是第一根火柴頭斷落後，恰巧落進口袋裏了吧！”
媽媽撿視了我的右手，問我那裏痛？我驚魂已定，麻木的右手也恢複了知覺。她又給我用溫水洗了洗手。仔細檢查了被火藥熏黑了的地方，似乎問題不大。
媽媽放了心對我說：“脫下你的新製服吧，我給你補補，記住這個教訓吧！”
媽媽把口袋外片換了，看上去好看多了，但口袋背麵還是補了兩個大洞。似乎在提醒我不要忘記這件糗事。
從那一刻開始，我的童年結束了！
作者 吳西，記於庚子冬至
以下試用 Google Translate 英譯：
《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
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