Liu Lang took the telegram sent from the 20th Army just two minutes ago and looked into the distance with moist eyes, until the sound of hurried footsteps sounded behind him.
"Captain Liu, you're looking for me! Is there any news about what Aunt Chang wants to know about?" Gu Xiaobai's voice came next.
All the female soldiers of the Independent Regiment were asked to retreat during this expedition. The entire army was made up of big men. The only woman was Gu Xiaobai, a war reporter sent by the "People's Daily", so she was sent to appease those soldiers.
She is an old lady who is exhausted physically and mentally.
As a woman who lost her parents in the war, Gu Xiaobai knew very well the pain of losing a loved one. Naturally, she could also understand the anxiety of the old woman surnamed Chang. Having a son in the army and still on the front line was enough to make people worry, but the aunt
However, there were four sons, including her husband, who were fighting the Japanese on the front line. Gu Xiaobai herself didn't know how to survive the extremely heart-wrenching days.
Therefore, Gu Xiaobai was very concerned about the old woman surnamed Chang. After receiving the notice from Liu Lang informing her to come to the temporary regiment headquarters, she immediately ran over happily. She hoped to bring good news to the lady as soon as possible, so that
Good news that she can let go of her worries.
But the moment Liu Lang turned his head, Gu Xiaobai's heart suddenly sank due to the unique sensitivity of women.
Squeezing the telegram in his hand, Liu Lang wanted to tell the war reporter in front of him the truth, but he hesitated a little. He was worried that this sad and cruel news would first crush the war reporter in front of him.
A woman of twenty years of beauty.
Even he himself couldn't bear to read the message when he received it. It took him more than three minutes to read the contents of the message.
"Forget it, let me go and talk to Aunt Chang in person!" Liu Lang hesitated for a long time, and finally made a decision. "You can record what you saw and heard, but I ask you in my own name,
Don't publish anything today in the newspaper, whether it's about the 21st Army or about Aunt Chang's family affairs. The 21st Army is not what you see today, and its morale is so low, it's really a crime other than a war."
"Why?" Gu Xiaobai was stunned for a moment, then followed closely behind Liu Lang. "If the fact that Aunt Chang's family joined the army to defend the country was reported by newspapers, it would definitely attract the attention of the upper class. That would be a great thing for her. The local government
She will be taken good care of."
Yes, from reporter Gu Xiaobai's point of view, what happened to the 21st Group Army was indeed beyond her knowledge. She had already felt the cruelty of war before she even approached the battlefield. A group of warriors who did not hesitate to live and die on the battlefield, but because of a
She retreated and became a coward who just wanted to escape quickly. But she knew the reason why Liu Lang did not let her report. Firstly, he did not want to damage the reputation of this once extremely heroic unit. Secondly, it was also for the purpose of publicity. At this time, China
, we need to unite as one to fight the Japanese invaders, and no negative news is allowed to appear.
News needs to be true, but politics only needs to be useful.
But the fact that Aunt Chang's family is joining the army is a great thing both for political needs and for Aunt Chang herself. However, Liu Lang did not allow her to publicize and report on it, which made Gu Xiaobai a little confused.
"As a family member of a martyr, Aunt Chang will naturally have someone to take care of her. However, she will not need to open her bloody wounds in front of everyone." Liu Lang paused slightly, took a deep look at Gu Xiaobai, and then
Keep walking forward.
"Families of the martyrs..." Gu Xiaobai's face suddenly turned pale.
The smart woman quickly understood what Liu Lang meant. Someone in Aunt Chang's family had died in the war, which was definitely not good news.
...
When Liu Lang walked to the car door, the old woman was covered with a green military blanket and her head was leaning on the back of the chair. Her gray hair was trembling slightly in the cold wind of November, but she slept extremely soundly.
However, there was still a trace of sadness on her face. Obviously, even in her dream, she was worried about her sons.
Compared with Liu Lang and a group of soldiers, although they are also wearing military uniforms, the young reporter Gu Xiaobai is a very rare young female soldier in the army. Her company is obviously more reassuring for the old Sichuan woman.
Under her soft soothing voice, the old woman after finishing her meal muttered a few words, then lowered her gray-haired head and fell asleep leaning on the not-so-soft seat.
Obviously, the worry and fatigue of her sons during the three thousand miles journey had really exhausted all the energy of this old woman. A little relaxation allowed her to completely let go of all her defenses.
But there is no doubt that she is the most vulnerable at this time, both mentally and physically.
When the surrounding soldiers saw Liu Lang arriving, they all paid attention and saluted. No one said a word or saluted. The independent regiment has always had a rule that once it enters a state of war, soldiers and officers cannot salute their superiors. This is an ironclad rule.
law.
But they quietly stood in two rows of human walls to block possible attacks from both sides. This was their most powerful protection for their officers on the battlefield.
Liu Lang had tried to keep his steps gentle. He didn't want to wake the old woman up from her sleep. Subconsciously, he also hoped that the news would be known to the mother later. Even if the army was about to set off.
The entire convoy suddenly became quiet because of Liu Lang's arrival.
Women have intuition, and so do men.
Aunt Chang's story has spread throughout the army. As a mother's son, everyone sincerely hopes that the mother can find her son, even if she can't see her son, as long as she can hear the news that they are alive. Chang
The aunt's gray hair and wrinkled face reminded them of their mother. No one wanted their mother to cry because she was worried about her son.
However, Liu Lang's tense face made the hearts of these extremely strong soldiers on the battlefield sink.
Is that poor mother about to lose her son? How sad it is for her!
Maybe it was the sudden silence, or maybe it was something he was worried about. When Liu Lang stood at attention in front of the car door for less than ten seconds, the old woman suddenly woke up. She turned her head and looked around in a daze.
She subconsciously pulled the military blanket that was so warm on her body. It took a while before she realized the situation she was in. Then, she saw Liu Lang standing only one meter away in front of her.
"Sir, is there any news about my babies and their father?" The old woman's eyes suddenly lit up and she asked without hesitation.
silence.
Liu Lang was silent.
Facing this mother, he didn't know how to speak. Even though he had thought of more than a dozen ways to answer her on the way here.
The wind in November is already a bit cool, but the wind in the southeast is extremely cold.
It was so cold that the face of the old woman sitting in the car wrapped in a military blanket turned paler than when she was hit by the defeated soldiers in the mud.
"Sir, what do you think? Even if a baby has broken arms and legs, as long as I and the baby's father are here, we can still give them enough to eat when they get home." The old woman continued to ask with some difficulty.
"Honey, this is a letter that Commander Yang, Lieutenant General of the 20th Army, asked me to convey to you." Liu Lang took out the sweat-soaked message from his palm with some difficulty.
"Sister Chang, I would like to express my sincere greetings. At noon, I was shocked to hear that my eldest sister traveled thousands of miles alone in the army to look for her son. I ordered people to search for her son based on the number and name provided, and found them one by one.
As the commander of an army, I should have brought them back to see you, but I couldn't do it. Your three sons and husband all died heroically in the battle of Songhu..."
When Liu Lang thought about this, the old woman's legs went weak as she pushed the door open and stepped out of the car, completely paralyzed on the ground.
This news was too sad for her who had a little bit of luck in her heart, even though she was mentally prepared for one or both of her sons to die in battle.
But those six words "all sacrificed heroically" shattered all her hopes.
Gu Xiaobai suddenly covered her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes. At this point, she finally understood what Liu Lang meant by the bloody wounds. The huge trauma of losing all three sons and her husband, not to mention the loss of all
People know that if they go to express condolences and keep mentioning it, even thinking about it will make them so painful that they can hardly breathe.
The soldiers were also stunned. They lowered their eyelids, and no one dared to look at the old woman's almost completely desperate eyes.
Liu Lang's voice did not stop.
"I know that when I tell you this news, you will be extremely sad. My words are weak and unable to appease your sadness. However, I can only tell you all their deeds with extremely heavy heart. They sacrificed their lives."
On the battlefield to save the country and the nation, their death is more important than Mount Tai.
Second Lieutenant Yang Dahu, who joined the army for six years and served as the platoon leader of the 1st Platoon of the 2nd Company of the 3rd Battalion of the 794th Regiment of the 133rd Division, died in the battle of Chenjiaxing on October 18.
Sergeant Yang Erniu, who joined the army for five years and served as the squad leader of the 1st Battalion, 1st Company, 2nd Platoon of the 794th Regiment of the 133rd Division, died in the battle of Chenjiaxing on October 16.
Senior private Yang Sanxi, who joined the army for three years and served as a soldier in the 3rd squad, 2nd battalion, 3rd company, 1st platoon, 794th regiment, 133rd division, died in the battle of Dunwu Temple on October 15.
Senior private Yang Chengcai joined the army for two years and served as a soldier in the cooking squad of the 2nd Battalion of the 794th Regiment of the 133rd Division. He died in the battle of Chenjiaxing on October 19. The soldier was carrying a pack of explosives and blew up a Japanese tank.
On behalf of the 11,000 officers and men of the 20th Army, Yu Jin would like to extend the highest salute to you. You are the hero’s mother and you are the hero’s wife.
Please express your condolences to avoid harming yourself. I would like to express my sincere regards to you!"
There was silence all around, and the quiet air seemed to freeze.
"My baby!" the old woman wailed and threw herself to the ground.
The sound was like a cuckoo weeping blood, which was unbearable to hear. Even a hard-hearted person could not help but burst into tears at this moment.
The surrounding soldiers, including those from the 21st Army who heard about this, slowly gathered around.
Their hearts were heavy, and more importantly, they were at a loss. They didn't know how to comfort the woman who was lying on the ground crying. They could only express their respect with their eyes.
Any woman who sacrifices the lives of her three sons and husband in a war to save the country deserves the salute of all soldiers.
The group of defeated soldiers who had looked like bereft dogs before, with their faces ashen and spiritless, did not realize that in front of the wailing woman, their bodies stood upright, as if they were about to face each other on the battlefield.
The Japanese invaders were always straight when they launched their charge.
As sons, no one wants to show cowardice in front of their mother. In front of this mother, they remember their former responsibilities and rush to the battlefield to die on the battlefield, isn't it just to protect their mother?