Ye Ruxue and Yu Huan arrived at Hankou Railway Station early in the morning, standing outside the crowded station gate, watching anxiously through the iron fence, and defeated soldiers from the national army walking out of the station.

Starting half a month ago, the defeated troops from the eastern Henan front line arrived in Hankou by train. From that day on, Ye Ruxue and Yu Huan came every day, and they had to wait until late at night every day. They would not leave until they repeatedly confirmed to the station dispatch room that no more military lines from Zhengzhou would enter the station, and then they would come over early the next morning.

Most of the national army that walked out of the station were staggering, their military uniforms were dirty and torn, and covered with mud. They looked tired and their eyes were dull. Some would fall to the ground as they walked. More people were injured, or had gauze wrapped around their heads or their arms were hung on their chests with gauze straps. How could they be miserable?

Looking at these defeated generals, Yu Huan and many girls burst into tears.

Ye Ruxue held the camera, but could not press the shutter. Is this the national army that stepped onto the battlefield in eastern Henan with great courage a few months ago? Is this really the mighty national army? Ye Ruxue could not believe it. In just less than two months, a highly morale army was defeated like this.

"Seventy-fourth Army, cousin, the Seventy-fourth Army is at the station." Yu Huan suddenly jumped up and screamed loudly.

Ye Ruxue put down the camera, turned her head and looked into the exit. Sure enough, she saw a broken military flag slowly coming out from the exit of the station. Ye Ruxue had seen this military flag two months ago, but now it no longer had the original style. The flag was contaminated by mud so that it could hardly see its original color, and several large holes were broken.

What can be vaguely distinguished is the blue sky and white sun logo dyed on it, and the line of words close to the flagpole: the 74th Army of the National Revolutionary Army.

The situation of the 74th Army was slightly better than the defeated soldiers in front, but it was limited. The style of these officers and soldiers during the Huangpi parade seemed to be yesterday. However, now, they have all become defeated soldiers, one by one, and the ones are depressed so that people can't help feeling distressed when they see them. These men, these soldiers, must be uncomfortable at this moment.

Everyone likes to return triumphantly, and no one wants to return in shame.

But none of the fathers, mothers, wives, and brothers and sisters who came to Hankou Station to pick them up. They raised their heels and stretched their necks, anxiously searching for their sons, brothers or husbands in the queue of defeated soldiers. They couldn't help but burst into tears. Those who couldn't find them continued to wait anxiously outside the iron fence.

Ye Ruxue and Yu Huan also began to look for the figures they were waiting for among the defeated soldiers of the 74th Army.

Not far from Yu Huan, a middle-aged couple supported each other, and also looked for their relatives in the defeated soldiers with anxiety. Their only son, the middle-aged couple, was either someone else or Shu Tongwen's parents. Since that day, I saw Shu Tongwen's figure in the newspaper and knew that his son was still alive, Shu Mohan's illness was cured.

However, what disappointed them was that until all the defeated soldiers of the 74th Army left the station, they never saw the figure they were expecting. Yu Huan was anxious. She was about to stop the defeated soldiers who were walking in the end. Unexpectedly, an old woman next to her took the lead, and immediately grabbed a defeated soldier and asked, "Did this boss see my Erdan?"

"Erdan, which Erdan?" The defeated soldier asked weakly with his head hanging down.

"My son, Lu Erdan." The woman was so anxious that she slapped and continued, "Of the 19th Brigade."

"Nineteenth Brigade?" The defeated soldier was confused and shook his head and said, "I am from the 505th Regiment. I have never heard of the 19th Brigade." The defeated soldier spoke in Henan accent. He was just recruited when the 74th Army was in charge of the army during the resumption of the restoration process in Dangshan. He was a recruit, so he didn't know that the 74th Army had the 19th Brigade number, because the 19th Brigade had already changed to an independent battalion at that time.

The woman didn't give up and asked several other defeated soldiers in succession, but she shook her head and said she didn't know.

The old woman was full of disappointment and lingered at the exit of the station and refused to leave. After a while, a remnant soldier with a crutch staggered out from inside. The old woman quickly met and pulled the remnant soldier and asked, "Boss, do you see my Erdan? My Erdan is from the 19th Independent Brigade of the 58th Division."

"The 19th Brigade of the 58th Division?" A trace of gloom flashed across the remnant soldier's face and sighed, "Auntie, don't wait."

"Stop waiting?" The old woman didn't know if she really didn't understand or pretended not to understand, and asked blankly, "What does it mean?"

The remnant soldier shook his head and said nothing more. He was afraid that the old lady in front of him would not be able to withstand the blow and collapsed. The remnant soldier was actually Li Song, the commander of the 548th Regiment. A week ago, the 58th Division retreated from Lanfeng. The 19th Independent Brigade was ordered to be the rear of the palace, but he was entangled with the other troops in charge of the rear of the palace.

Then the dam at the entrance of the Garden broke, and the Yellow River water flooded. Both the Japanese and the National Army were flooded together. Since the eldest lady's son was from the 19th Brigade, even though he had not died at the gun of the little Japanese, he would have drowned the flooded Yellow River water and could not come back. Although he had never seen Erdan, he knew that Erdan could not come back.

"You are talking nonsense," Yu Huan didn't believe the words of the remnant Bing and said loudly, "You haven't seen the eldest lady's son die with your own eyes, how can you be sure that he won't come back?"

The remnants did not argue with Yu Huan, and shook their heads and left with a crutch.

"What, girl, what did you say?" The old woman began to tremble all over her body as if she was eaten by thunder. She asked Yu Huan in a stuttering manner, "Miss, what did you say just now? Erdan, he is, he can't come back?"

"Auntie, don't listen to him. I believe that the 19th Brigade will be fine. They will definitely come back alive." Yu Huan quickly supported the old woman and comforted her. This time the old woman turned a blind eye. She whispered and turned around and left tremblingly. No matter how Yu Huan persuaded her, she didn't persuade her.

Not far away, Shu Tongwen's mother couldn't help crying loudly. Although Li Song did not refute, most of the military families who had not received their relatives had already believed it. The 74th Army's large group of troops had returned, but their son, husband or brother were not among them. This is not enough to explain the problem?

Shu Tongwen's father Shu Mohan couldn't stand such a blow, and suddenly bent down and coughed violently. As he coughed, he actually coughed up blood. Shu's mother was panicked and couldn't even worry about crying. She quickly stepped forward and helped Shu Mohan and asked, "What's wrong with you, Lao Shu, what's wrong with you, Lao Shu? Lao Shu, don't scare me, don't scare me."

Shu Mohan waved his hand weakly, coughing so much that he couldn't even speak.

Shu’s mother supported Shu Mohan and couldn’t help but feel sad. Seeing this scene, all the military families who came to pick up the station nearby burst into tears. Yu Huan and Ye Ruxue also cried with pear blossoms and rain.

At this moment, more than 100 remaining soldiers from the 19th Brigade were still looking for a way out in the surging flood.

"Captain, here, here the water is shallow, you can pass." Lu Erdan came out of the turbid water, reached out to wipe the water stains on his face, and turned around to wave hard to the team behind him. Lu Erdan was born on the Yangtze River and grew up on the Yangtze River. He has developed extraordinary water quality since childhood. The important task of opening the water road naturally fell on him.

The remaining soldiers of the 19th Brigade who were resting on a mound stood up one after another and prepared to set off.

While no one was paying attention, Cao Jiao handed a piece of beef wrapped in grass leaves to Heixiazi. This piece of beef was the food assigned by the 19th Brigade just now. Cao Jiao couldn't bear to eat it and hid it secretly. But now he gave it to Heixiazi. Heixiazi naturally refused and stretched out his big hand like a palm fan and pushed Cao Jiao's little hand back with the beef.

Cao Jiao's heart felt strangely sweet. She turned around and cut the beef in half with a bayonet, half remaining, and half handed it to Heixiazi again, and pouted her mouth. Heixiazi didn't dare to shirk her head again. He scratched her head, and he finally took the half of the beef and stuffed it into her mouth. A smile appeared on the corner of Cao Jiao's mouth, but she put the half of the beef in her again.

When it was almost dark, the officers and soldiers of the 19th Brigade began to feel the water under their feet getting shallower and shallower. Although there were still endless puddles around, the terrain was obviously rising. Many places did not even need to explore the way, and they could just wade through the water, and the depths of the water were not over their chests.

They walked forward dozens of miles of water. When it was almost dawn, the officers and soldiers of the 19th Brigade finally saw a large area of ​​land. In an instant, the remaining soldiers of the 100th cheered. They jumped and shouted, waded in the water and ran forward, falling, got up and ran, venting their joy of surviving the disaster.

Xu Shijiu was the last one to step onto the land, then looked back at the vast puddles behind him, and a sense of indescribable heroism surged in his heart. Yes, he did it. He led the remaining 100 officers and soldiers of the 19th Brigade to overcome many difficulties and break out. What about the surging floods? So what about the arrogant Japanese army? They never want to stop the 19th Brigade, let alone eat the 19th Brigade in one bite. The 19th Brigade is an iron army that cannot be dragged down or defeated.

His eyes turned to the north, and a trace of haze suddenly flashed between Xu Shijiu's eyebrows. The only thing he was worried about now was Shu Tongwen. Since he parted ways with the 19th Brigade, Shu Tongwen has embarked on the way to Yan'an alone. I don't know if he has walked out of this country and has found the Communist guerrillas?

Li Zihan came over and asked Youyou: "Captain, have you ever thought about the future?"

Xu Shijiu turned around and asked in confusion: "In the future? What do I want to do in the future?"

Li Zihan said in a deep voice: "The little Japan is just a tiny island country, but it wants to annex our great China. It is a delusion. After the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japan in the future, there will be a war between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party. At that time, you, Captain, and Awen, how should you deal with it?"
Chapter completed!