maiyao

a play:

 buying medicine

by liu qinglin

characters: x ------ xiao fei

s ------- shopkeeper

d- ---- doctor li ws ------ wounded soldiers ( w1, w2,w3 -----)

h -----he zhenwu, a japanese spy

w- ---- woman

j ------ japanese

scene1

( at an old temple lie some wounded soldiers. d is examining their wounds.)

d: good evening, everyone.

ws: ( together) good evening, dr li.

d: hello, let me examine you.

w1: i’m all right. there’s no need to do so. ( w1 is about to fall down.)

d: (helps him up) your leg discloses you! let me have a look. ah, it’s going

worse. let me put some

 medicine on you.

w1: no, it isn’t necessary. there is little medicine left. go to look after

that young man. he has a high

 fever. he seems fainted.

d: ( takes w2’s temperature. ) so he has! he needs an injection but we have

none. feed him these last three pills with warm water. what else can i do?

there’s no medicine left.

w3: don’t worry, doctor. i am young and strong. i am all tight now. i’ll

go and buy some medicine.

d: no, you are not all right. your leg will bleed when you move. lie down

and have a good rest.

w4: so you can let me go . i can run very fast. the enemy cannot catch me.

( just then, xiao fei comes in.)

x: be quiet everybody. you must have a good rest. this is order, you know.

w1: but there’s no medicine left.

x: that’s why i’m here. i’ve come to fetch the list . i’ll go to town to

buy medicine.

d: have you got any money?

x: no.

d: ( takes off her gold ring.) take this with you. perhaps you can change it

for medicine.

x: no, i can’t take it , because it is given to you by your future husband

who gave up his life to the revolution a few days ago. it mustn’t go to

other people’s hands.

d: but how can you get the medicine without money?

x: don’t worry. i’ll manage. goodbye.

d and ws: be careful!

 scene2

( music) ( xiao is walking on the way like a businessman. he sings as he goes.

when he passes a corn field, he sees he zhenwu the japanese spy robbing a woman)

w: help! help!

h: you needn’t cry. there’s nobody else here. let me marry you and make

yourself noble.

w: you japanese spy! no one will marry you.

h: otherwise i’ll kill you! ( he raises his gun and the woman catches hold of

his wrist . they start a fight. finally, h knocks w down. just then x arrives)

x: stop! don’t bully chinese woman!

h: it’s none of your business! go away.

x: i would rather stop you. ( h raises his gun towards x. x kicks it away. they

begin a fight. w puts on his clothes w and begins to pull h’s leg. x knocks h down)

x: (to w) quick! help me tie him up.

w: you are bleeding. let me do first aid.

x: it doesn’t matter. pull him into the corn fields.

h: please spare my life. i won’t do that again

( w takes up the gun and is about to shoot.)

x: don’t do that. if the japanese hear the shot, they’ll come.

h: thank you, sir. but please let me go.

x: let you go? you’ll continue to kill and bully chinese! ( x puts his socks into

h’s mouth.) wait here . and lend me your pass and bike. don’t try to run away.

(they go down.)

 scene 3

(music) (x is riding a bike toward town. he sings as he goes along) x: here you are! and after some time stops at a drug shop and knocks at the door.)

s: who’s it?

x: it’s me, a customer.

s: (to o

1) go to answer the door.

o1: come in, please. you are the only customer for these days.

s: what can i do far you?

x: ( hands him the pass.) we japanese assistant soldier need some medicine. here is the list.

s: oh, so much medicine! do you have enough money?

x: we’ll send you the money in a few days’ time. quick, this is order. ( shows him his gun.)

s: all right! all right!

s: ( to o

1) quick! give him the medicine

o1: all right . ( hands it to x.) here you are.

x: i have to go now. bye-bye.

s: ( to o

1) quick! close the door.

o1: all right. ( he closes it.)

s: ( makes a telephone call.) hi! this is no1 medicine shop. just now, a man came in

and took a lot of medicine away. perhaps he belongs to the eighth route army .

stop him, quick! signs him to stop. x rides towards him and knocks him out. j1 begins to short at him.

soon he arrives at a bridge, where two soldiers stand . x kills them with two shots.

a crowd of soldiers rush towards him. he run into the corn field. h has just frees

himself and is about to leave.)

j3: oh, here he is!

js: (together) don’t move! hands up!

h: i’m sorry. i’m not eighth -----

j4: tie him up. ( they tie him up and beat him.)

h: ouch! i belong to japanese army.

j5: don’t listen to him. he’s lying. put him in our car. let’s go. (they go down.)

x: (x goes through the corn field and comes up to a street. he meets some

japanese and fights them. he kills some of them and enters a lane. finally he arrives

at the temple. d and ws come to welcome him)

d: here comes our hero.

ws: congratulations.

x: thank you, everybody.

 ( the end )

