Zhang Zizhong was overjoyed when he heard it, and he knew that he had heard of the Southern Expeditionary Army was very good, but he really couldn't imagine it, when he was in the most difficult time, he didn't know how the Southern Expeditionary Army fought here again, and they were not afraid of the tiredness of carrying the 33rd Group Army and being surrounded and annihilated by the Japanese army?

Zhang Zizhong hurried forward to meet with the commander of the Southern Expeditionary Army.

Han Xing's mood is also very excited, Zhang Zizhong is a national hero, at this moment, it is really a blessing to be able to meet him and fight side by side!

The two met and first exchanged military salutes. Han Xing saw that Zhang Zizhong was 50 years old, dressed in a military uniform, burly, with short hair, red phoenix eyes, thick eyebrows, square mouth and wide nose, full of fortitude, and a righteous face.

Zhang Zizhong saw Han Xing, and said with some incomprehension: "The Southern Expeditionary Army, the Southern Expeditionary Army, I can't imagine that the commander of the Southern Expeditionary Army is so young, that is, in his twenties. I'm obviously outdated compared to you. ”

Han Xing hurriedly said modestly: "Where, you are my elder and a model for me to learn. To be with you, it's true that my ancestral grave is full of smoke! ”

Zhang Zizhong hurriedly waved his hand to Han Xing and said, "There is no need to mention polite words, now that time is pressing, I just asked you." Where did you come from? ”

Han Xing had no choice but to reply: "In the morning, I was still in Huyang Town, Tanghe County, and I just won the battle of annihilation in Huyang Town with the 11th Regiment of the 31st Group Army, and a total of more than 1,000 devils were eliminated. ”

Zhang Zizhong was even more puzzled at this time: "Huyang Town in Tanghe County is more than 80 kilometers away from the pumpkin shop. How did you come here, could it be said that all of them are immortals, flying through the clouds and fog? ”

Zhang Zizhong is not a military expert, how far is Huyang Town in Tanghe from here, he doesn't need to look at the map, he knows that he is not far from ten.

Han Xing said: "We can't ride the clouds, it's all superstitious." We came by helicopter. ”

"Helicopters?" Zhang Zizhong was even more strange, "What kind of plane is a helicopter, the terrain here is so complicated, there is not even an airport." How does a helicopter land? ”

It's not easy to talk to him, if you can ask why, then it's not an ordinary person. If he can't even ask why, it doesn't mean that he is erudite, but that he is simply confused and can't analyze the main things in it.

Han Xing had no choice but to say: "Don't talk about those idle things for now, now that the time is urgent, let's take a look at the terrain first, how can we fight this battle." ”

Zhang Zizhong nodded and said: "Housheng is right, your Southern Expeditionary Army has won many battles, so you naturally have something extraordinary. I will not inquire into your many secrets. Now I hope that we will join hands and fight this battle. ”

Han Xing nodded and said, "Commander Zhang is right, the future students will obey your command. ”

Zhang Zizhong smiled, nodded Han Xing's nose and said, "Let's still come from fellow countrymen, don't be polite when you speak." In fact, how can I command you, we are a joint operation, and we can only be equal. ”

At this time, I was busy with the battle all day, and it was more than two o'clock in the afternoon, so I must have not eaten lunch. Han Xing pointed to his stomach and said to Zhang Zizhong: "Commander Zhang, your stomach is hungry, I will invite you to eat first, and after eating, will we talk about work?" ”

Zhang Zizhong smiled and said, "You are here to help us, how can you invite the host to dinner." Or shall I invite you to dinner? As he spoke, he hurriedly said to the orderly: "Prepare some good food, I want to have lunch with Commander Han of the Southern Expeditionary Army." ”

After a while, the orderly brought four bowls of vegetables and a hot pot, and put them on the bullet box in the open air. The four bowls of dishes are a bowl of green vegetables, a bowl of tofu, a bowl of edamame, a edamame tofu, and a hot pot is mainly tofu and vegetables, which are also decorated with a small amount of meatball slices. Each person also adds an egg and puts it in a hot pot to boil.

Seeing such a meal, Han Xing's face furrowed, and he said to Zhang Zizhong, "Commander Zhang, it's not right for you to do this!" Anyway, I'm a guest, so you can entertain your fellow countrymen with such a meal!? ”

Zhang Zizhong's face was embarrassed, and he said embarrassedly: "There is really no way, at present, it is difficult to supply the troops, not only is it difficult to supply weapons and equipment, but also the supply of materials is not enough, it is good to have such a meal." Look at what our officers and soldiers eat? ”

Han Xing looked at the food of some staff officers and orderlies next to him, some of them ate brown rice, and some of them divided a few small steamed buns, there were no vegetables at all, only some small pickles were eaten with dry food.

Han Xing suddenly felt that his heart was unusually heavy, the 33rd Group Army had indeed encountered great difficulties in materials, otherwise, it would not have let the officers and soldiers eat such food at the moment when the fierce battle was in full swing. Not to mention fighting bayonets with little devils, even to maintain a normal body, I'm afraid the calories are not enough.

Can you still eat this meal, you definitely can't eat it. Han Xing glanced at Zhang Zizhong and said to Zhang Zizhong: "Commander Zhang, I borrowed flowers to offer Buddha for this meal, so let's eat it with my brothers!" ”

If it were other generals, they might have to protect their own face, and they would be reluctant to slap their swollen faces and become fat. But Zhang Zizhong is an easy-going person, how can he beat a rabbit into his arms, so he took advantage of this step to go down and said to his group of staff officers and orderlies: "Commander Han wants to have lunch with us, so don't be polite." Let's eat together! ”

If other staff officers and orderlies were to be concerned about their own identities, they would resolutely not have lunch with the guests of the commander of the group army, because that would make the commander unable to come to the stage.

But these staff officers and orderlies are probably the same as Zhang Zizhong, easy-going and affectionate, so as soon as Zhang Zizhong called him so, he hooked up their gluttony, walked up to him with chopsticks, and said to Zhang Zizhong: "Commander Zhang, then we are welcome." ”

"What's polite, it's all my own family, Commander Han is still my fellow countryman." Zhang Zizhong stretched out a hand to invite everyone.

Everyone looked at Hanhang again, and if the guests were unhappy, then forget it.

Han Xing also stretched out his hand and said to everyone, "Please, please, the brothers are blessed and suffering." ”

What else do you say, one says to do it, and everyone goes down together. Just four side dishes, a hot pot, and more than 20 pairs of chopsticks were inserted together, and each person couldn't take a few chopsticks.

After two rounds, the bottom of the bowl has been seen. Zhang Zizhong hurriedly stretched out his chopsticks and said, "If you don't eat again, this will be gone." Only then did he quickly stretch out his chopsticks for the first time.

Four bowls of side dishes and a hot pot have become everyone's conference meal, and there is a harmonious and cheerful atmosphere in the midst of hip-hopping.

Han Xing also grabbed two small steamed buns and felt that this meal was very comfortable and comfortable.

My stomach has food, and I talk more. Han Xing looked at their military uniforms, and then noticed that many of the staff officers and orderlies were still wearing straw sandals, and Han Xing joked to them: "Wearing straw shoes at this time, it's cool, and you can't get tired anymore." ”

A staff officer listened to Han Xing's words and said embarrassedly, "It's cool in winter!" During the winter offensive, the officers and men of the group were hungry and lay down in the snow in straw shoes to shoot. We also lacked medical treatment, there was no medical treatment for the wounded, there was a shortage of military doctors in the whole army, and the local Chinese medicine doctors were unable to do first-aid work, and a large number of wounded died because they could not receive timely treatment. ”

Hearing these words, Han Xing's heart became heavy again.

At this time, seeing a soldier not far away pulling three Soviet-made 76mm guns, Han Xing said happily: "Isn't this good!" And heavy weapons, which regiment is this! ”

A staff officer said casually: "Which regiment is it, we only have these 3 artillery pieces in a group army." ”

Han Xing was taken aback when he heard this, and he ate a little better, but it was only a superficial article. Whether a group army is strong in combat effectiveness or not depends mainly on weapons. If an army group only has these 3 76mm guns, how can this battle be fought?

If this is the case, this 33rd Group Army, not to mention that it cannot be compared with the Southern Expeditionary Army, is also very different from Tang Enbo's 31st Group Army.

Zhang Zizhong said: "Our 33rd Group Army suffered heavy casualties before, more than one-half, and annihilated nearly 10,000 Japanese troops in the winter offensive. Therefore, Chairman Chiang specially ordered us to replenish it, so that three Soviet 76-mm field guns were allocated. Or not, not even this. ”

Hearing these words, Han Xing's heart became even heavier. Heavy weapons are the teeth of an army, and if the teeth are not hard, how can they bite the well-equipped Japanese army?

After resting for a while, Han Xing and Zhang Zizhong went together to carefully observe the topography of the pumpkin shop.

This pumpkin shop is also convenient. Here is the east of the new street, the west of the Wangjiaji, the north out of the jar mouth, the south to the intersection of Yicheng County.

There is nothing special about the topography of this place of pumpkin shop, many places in Hubei, in addition to hills are mountains, and pumpkin shop is no exception, except for small flat land is a small hill bag, basically there is no danger to defend.

According to the villagers, the pumpkin shop belongs to Xinjie Township, Yicheng County, and its name is very interesting.

Legend has it that at the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, the local farmers He brothers opened an inn here to make a living. Because the local area was very poor, the Ho brothers had no meat to sell, so they had to sell the pumpkins that were abundant in the area.

Pumpkins are generally the food of farmers, used as a life-saving thing in the season of food shortage, and merchants who come and go naturally do not eat it often.

Therefore, these merchants were deeply impressed by the He brothers' shop, so they called this place the pumpkin shop.

The pumpkin shop is a small place, and if it weren't for Zhang Zizhong's martyrdom here, it is estimated that ordinary Chinese people would never hear about it in their lifetime.

Zhang Zizhong discussed with Han Xing, with the pumpkin shop as the center, defending several small hills around. As for the pumpkin shop, the common people had already withdrawn, so they used this small village as a commanding height, digging some field fortifications outside the village as the center of the entire defensive position.

The overall situation has been decided, and Zhang Zizhong and Han Xing are urgently preparing for the upcoming emergency battle.

In this free time, Han Xing's mind kept flashing Zhang Zizhong's life.