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!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! 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 )
