In the previous forced march of more than ten kilometers, if Li Ziyuan hadn't asked Wang Changfeng to take a company of the remaining troops to be specially contained in the back, or even to march with those female soldiers who couldn't run, I am afraid that half of them would have to fall behind. Under the circumstance that it was impossible to carry more than 200 captives and a companion army for a long time, Li Ziyuan could only choose to bury the spoils of war.

However, although those intellectuals said that they could not fight wars, they were enthusiastic about tying up people and burying things. With the assistance of these people, Li Ziyuan's movements were very fast, and he completed the preparations for the new departure in a short period of time. But Li Ziyuan, who knew that this neighborhood was still the core area of the Japanese army's sweep, did not act hastily when thinking about his next move.

Although he had a map in his hand that marked the movements of the surrounding Japanese troops, Li Ziyuan still seemed very cautious. Take these non-combatants behind a forest to hide. Li Ziyuan took the binoculars and climbed a nearby mountain. Raise your binoculars and take a closer look at the surrounding area.

After carefully observing the surrounding situation, Li Ziyuan went down the mountain with a telescope, opened the map, and his brows were almost out of the water. Despite the fact that the surrounding Japanese brigades had already left the perimeter of Cross Ridge. But a considerable part of the troops were still left, and they were sweeping the nets to capture the stragglers.

In a village less than three miles to the right of the hill that he had climbed up, there was a full squadron and a half of Japanese troops. On the poplars outside the village, there were still a few wounded and villagers who were supposed to have been stabbed to death by the Japanese army after being captured. The Japanese army swimming post outside the village, Li Ziyuan also saw it clearly.

However, it is not indicated on this map that there are Japanese troops in this village, which is only more than ten kilometers away from the cross ridge. The enemy situation is constantly changing, and if you still march and fight according to this map, then you will not know what awaits you. Therefore, Li Ziyuan is very cautious about his next move.

Just when Li Ziyuan opened the map and kept thinking about how he should go. The scouts sent out in front brought back an unexpected person. Seeing He Sanliang who came to him, Li Ziyuan hung this guy quite excitedly: "Why did you appear here, didn't I let you break through with the Political Department?" ”

In response to Li Ziyuan's rhetorical question, He Sanliang smiled and said: "Battalion commander, you are still in the encirclement, how can I leave?" I have been leading my troops since yesterday evening, hiding near Cross Ridge, waiting for the gunfire of your breakout. As a result, I didn't expect you to stand out so quietly. If it weren't for the scouts you sent, I would have almost been wrong with you. ”

Seeing He Sanliang, Li Ziyuan was quite happy. But seeing that there were only more than 30 troops left around He Sanliang, Li Ziyuan couldn't laugh anymore. And He Sanliang saw Li Ziyuan after seeing the troops around him, and instantly froze with a smile, He Sanliang, who knew what Li Ziyuan was thinking, shook his head and reported the battle.

After they destroyed the Japanese artillery position, it was convenient for another Japanese army disguised as the Eighth Route Advance Team and some Japanese troops who came from the flank to fight hard for more than two hours. Although he finally killed the captain of the Japanese advance team and defeated the Japanese counterattack, more than half of the troops around him were also killed or wounded.

If it weren't for the breakout force behind the Japanese puppet army, they suddenly appeared on the battlefield and cooperated with their own two-sided attack to defeat the Japanese puppet army. As a result of the melee between himself and the Japanese puppet army, I am afraid that I don't know who killed the deer. Only after this official encounter did we know the gap between the real combat effectiveness of this spy arm, which was completely made up by the Japanese army, and the previous puppet army plainclothes teams.

After encountering the breakout troops of the Field Political Department, he asked He Huizhang to take the remaining soldiers of the fire platoon with him. Taking advantage of his own understanding of the surrounding enemy situation, he escorted the field political department to break through. With the remaining troops, he hid in the southeast direction of the Cross Ridge, preparing to look for an opportunity to enter the mountain to meet Li Ziyuan.

But yesterday evening, when they were looking for a gap and wanted to enter the Japanese encirclement around Cross Ridge. encountered a part of the Japanese puppet army escorting the captives, and the two sides fought again. That battle caused some casualties, and now there are only about 30 people left around, and the ammunition has been exhausted.

Moreover, of the more than 30 people, one-third were scattered stragglers, as well as combatants among the captured personnel who came out on an emergency basis. Now He Sanliang's biggest headache is not only the lack of troops, but the most important thing is that he has basically no ammunition on hand. Except for the fast and slow machine in his hand and a dozen bullets, the rest of the rifle machine gun chambers were empty.

Hearing He Sanliang's report, Li Ziyuan's brows furrowed very tightly. After thinking for a while, he raised his head and said, "Lao He, have you rescued the captured people?" According to the current situation, there should not be too many escorts from the Japanese army. When I was in the mountains, I saw our captives being escorted down the mountain, but they never had a chance to rescue them. ”

Li Ziyuan's rhetorical question, He Sanliang smiled and said, "Battalion commander, you can rest assured if I make a move." I did not act hastily after discovering that the Japanese puppet army had escorted our prisoners into a village. He followed them on the spot, carefully until it was dark. ”

"I infiltrated the village with people and found the houses of the detainees. From the observation corner of the Japanese sentry, the back wall of several houses where our prisoners were held was removed, and all the prisoners were rescued. However, at the last moment, he was discovered by the devil and suffered a lot of losses. ”

"I arranged for those comrades who were captured and rescued to a hill that the Japanese army had just searched during the day yesterday about three miles away from here. A few people were also left there to protect. When I met the scouts you sent, I sent someone to pick them up. ”

He Sanliang's answer made Li Ziyuan excited but painful. There were already few combat troops left, and this time it was even more painful. It was only a few days after the reorganization of his own independent battalion was completed, and it suddenly became a skeleton again. Although it was glorious to cover the breakthrough of the headquarters, the troops damaged in the battle also gave him a headache.

If it weren't for the five squads that the battalion commander had left for himself when he parted with the breakout troops of the Political Department. Coupled with the blocking battle last evening, I am afraid that I will now become the commander of the bare-pole battalion. It's just that the flesh hurts and the flesh hurts, and Li Ziyuan is still very happy that He Sanliang rescued most of the captured comrades.

Of course, it is impossible for the Japanese army to escort the captured personnel only on this road, and the captured personnel rescued by He Sanliang can only be part of it. But being able to rescue most of the captured people is a good result for himself.

After returning to his temporary hiding point with He Sanliang, Li Ziyuan turned back into the crowd, and watched the intellectuals and female soldiers who had been forcibly marching down for more than ten kilometers one by one, and had not taken a breath for such a long time, looking at the dry food in their hands and staring at them but unable to eat, with a deep worry on their faces.

While Li Ziyuan shook his head, he said directly: "Don't worry, the grenades issued to you are reserved for you to use in the worst situation." But I promise you that as long as you obey my orders strictly, eat as you eat and go, I promise that you will not be given the opportunity to use this grenade. ”

"Now that you've all fed me, you'll have better physical strength to keep up with the breakout team. There is nothing to worry about, the east is not bright and the west is bright, and if the west is not bright, isn't there still a moon in the middle? Here we are the head snakes, what are those little devils from outsiders to worry about? ”

"Don't worry, I still say the same thing, as long as those of us who are soldiers do not die, we will definitely send you out. Although I, Li Ziyuan, am not a man of his word, but he is also a spittle and a nail. Remember, we are the Iron Eighth Route Army, and you, whether you are a soldier or a woman, are first and foremost a soldier. Now they all give me orders and eat. ”

After Li Ziyuan said this, the gloom on the faces of these worried intellectuals and female soldiers lightened a little. But just after Li Ziyuan had just appeased these people, before he had time to look at the surrounding terrain, he received a very unfortunate news.

Among these people in his custody, several female soldiers were pregnant, and Li Ziyuan knew this. also arranged people to take care of these pregnant women when they broke through. But yesterday's tense situation during the day, combined with the forced march after the breakout, in which two pregnant female soldiers were not able to save the baby in the end.

Just when Li Ziyuan was appeasing those who were worried, the two female soldiers had a miscarriage. Another female soldier, who was seven months pregnant, also began bursts of prenatal analgesia. Although the female soldier gritted her teeth and did not make a sound, the blood on her pants let everyone know that the child was probably going to come out at the most inopportune time.

A military doctor who accompanied the team told Li Ziyuan that the female soldier was afraid that she was going to give birth prematurely. It was necessary to find a house where this female soldier could give birth. This military doctor's words made Li Ziyuan's head bigger, where could he find a safe house when the surrounding enemy situation was unknown?

The military doctor was embarrassed when he saw Li Ziyuan, and he also knew that it was difficult to find a house at this time. It's impossible to put everyone else in because of one person. The military doctor gritted his teeth and said, "Battalion Commander Li, so you can get me some hot water, and I will deliver the baby here." ”

Although he has never been a father, he has never seen a woman give birth. But Li Ziyuan also knows that the hygiene requirements are very strict when giving birth. Once the hygiene is not done well, both the mother and the child are prone to problems, especially in the case of such a premature baby.

Despite some difficulties, Li Ziyuan finally nodded. He took off his military jacket, asked for some raincoats from the soldiers around him, and set up a simple tent in the woods. After sending out the alert troops, he personally used a few Japanese steel helmets and burned a few steel helmets to send someone over.

When Li Ziyuan was boiling water, he didn't use a few stones to simply build a stove. Instead, with a marching shovel, a somewhat peculiar stove was dug in the leeward of the mountainside. The stove dug by Li Ziyuan did not emit smoke when the fire was burning. In order to avoid all dangers, Li Ziyuan used a dozen kettles and several steel helmets to boil enough hot water.

After boiling the water, Li Ziyuan found himself in a predicament. Now it is time to wait for the completion of the production process, which may take up to more than ten hours, and then the hostile situation may change seriously. It is better to leave a small number of troops here and set off first with the rest of the personnel.