Twenty: Scraps of paper fall from the sky

The outside of Nanjing will become a battlefield. Families living outside the city are moving to the city, some to relatives and friends, and some to safe areas.

Wang Mingming asked: "Do we still have any homes outside the city, and if there is, we must move into the city as soon as possible." I am responsible for your safety and that of your families. ”

The old housekeeper said, "Third aunt, no." I told them yesterday according to your explanation, and everyone was very happy, and they all lived in the backyard of the foreign bank.

"Everyone lives together, they have a response to each other, the news is known quickly, and everyone's hearts are at ease. They said they still had to pay rent. ”

Wang Mingming said: "It's good to stay here." Don't pay the rent. They are all elderly and sick, and the housekeeper can arrange for one person to visit often.

"Yesterday, the backyard here was also bombed by devils, and this incident reminded me that the planes of the Japanese army will come to bomb if they can't keep it.

"It's good for you to live here, but it's safer than outside the city. But if the planes of the Japanese army come here again and drop bombs, the house will be blown up, and it will be a big matter if it hurts people.

"For the safety of your family, if you are willing to go to the safe zone, it is safer there than here. At the very least, the planes of the army will not bomb them.

The old housekeeper said, "I hope that the third aunt can go to the safe area, and if they want to go, they can go to the front station first." In the future, it is good to serve the third aunt in the safe area. Just have me here. ”

Wang Mingming said: "Don't worry about my safety. From now on, the water tank at home should be filled with water, and more candles should be prepared, so that there is a possibility of water and power outages.

"That well at home is going to come in handy, have a few more buckets."

The old housekeeper said, "I understand what the third aunt means, so I'll arrange it." ”

Wang Mingming said: "Send the family to the safe area and tell the old housekeeper, and go after lunch." Just put your stuff here, just bring some things that you usually use.

"I want you all to send your family away. Then you will go and be with your families. Take care of and protect your family. Wait until the refugee area is disbanded and you will come back.

"Everyone knows that I didn't buy my ferry ticket, because the Nanjing section of the river is closed. This was the strategic requirement of the Battle of Nanjing. It is the need to beat the devil hard.

We, the citizens of Nanjing, resolutely support this decision. It was the determination of the defenders of Nanjing to fight against the odds and completely destroy the invading enemy. It embodies Commander Tang's oath to live and die with Nanjing.

I can't go for a while. I am with all of you, and we will unite in the fight in the future. Okay, let's get busy. ”

Wang Mingming watched everyone disperse, and she was thinking: At one o'clock this morning, the army launched an attack on Nanjing. It shows that the army can't wait to take Nanjing.

The devils who attacked the city from the south were the 6th, 9th, and 12th Divisions of the East China Front and the 9th Brigade of the 5th Division.

After capturing Jurong and Moling Pass, the army continued to march to Nanjing, and successively captured Chunhua Town, Dongshan, Tangshan, Longtan and other places.

On the 8th, they adjusted their strategic deployment and assembled in the field between Chunhua Town and Dongshan. By 1 a.m. on the 9th, the assembly was completed.

The army was led by tanks and armored vehicles, followed by the infantry, who came from the field road to the center of the [***] team. Their goal was the recontour position on the first line of Guanghuamen in Nanjing.

The structure of Guanghua Gate is simple, it is different from the structure of Zhonghua Gate, and it is not the same as Tongji Gate. It does not have an urn city. Easy to attack and difficult to defend. This is the reason why the army chose it as a key offensive.

At the same time, the army launched a fierce attack on the 'Hongmao Mountain' position and the 'Tongjimen barracks'. The [***] team put up a stubborn resistance. The battle was fierce.

The common people in the city of Nanjing believed that it was impossible for the army to break the city. Firmly optimistic. No one panicked. Because Commander Tang gave Order No. 36.

The gist of it is that the current occupation of the Fukuo position by this army is the final battle to hold Nanjing, and all units should do their best to hold on to it with the determination to live and die with the position, and must not lightly abandon an inch of land or shake the whole army. "Wait.

After a fierce battle, the enemy forces, suffering heavy casualties, could not move forward. However, the positions of the high bridge gate and the seven bridge urns of the Chinese [***] team were lost one after another.

The next day, Wang Mingming felt very tired, and she lay in bed all morning. After lunch, Wang Mingming asked Liu's mother to call the old housekeeper.

She said: "The army made a fuss yesterday and did not take advantage of it, so it stands to reason that it should continue to make trouble today."

"The strange thing is that the army has not fired a single shot from this morning to now, and the enemy planes have not come to bomb it, and the city of Nanjing is so quiet that people are panicking, you know what is going on."

The old butler said, "Oh, that's right. Yesterday, the devils bombed with planes and shelled with artillery, and fought for a full day, and the result was that the lost troops were completely defeated.

The devil had no choice, so he sent a letter of persuasion to Commander Tang by plane, asking Commander Tang to reply before noon on the 10th.

"Today, the army did not answer the [***] team, and they airdropped the letter of surrender to Nanjing City by plane. Scraps of paper drifted down from the sky. The third aunt was sleeping and didn't know these things. ”

Wang Mingming asked eagerly: "What is Commander Tang's attitude?" ”

The old housekeeper said: "Commander Tang is a person who says nothing, he sneered after reading the persuasion letter, and he firmly said not to give an answer before noon on the 10th, but to reply now."

"Order the troops to prepare for battle, and swear to fight to the death with the army!"

Wang Mingming said: "Great, Commander Tang's speech and deeds are really pleasant, he is so great." Xiao Yue is really naïve, and he would have such a dream. To hell with Xiao Yueben's persuasion book. ”

The old housekeeper saw that Wang Ming was full of confidence in victory, and he didn't want to ruin her happiness. He kept his head down and pondered for a while, and finally decided to tell her what he thought.

He said: "Third aunt, the army is determined to defend the city to the end, but the army's fighting pride can no longer soothe the uneasy hearts of the people.

"Unlike yesterday, many people think that Nanjing cannot be defended, and they do not want to see street fighting, let alone participate in street fighting. They decided to leave Nanking and go into exile.

"These people, some of them are dragging their children and daughters, some are supporting the old and the young, carrying the quilt and carrying the food, and they look very miserable. They went out of Zhonghuamen, and some of them went out of the water to Jiangxi or Anhui to flee.

"They don't know it's hard to get out over there. The army on that side marched westward from the south side of Taihu Lake, first attacking Guangde, then Xuancheng, and finally occupying Wuhu.

This army intended to cut off the retreat of the defenders of Nanjing, and then cross the river to encircle Pukou in Nanjing. The army had great ambitions and wanted to completely annihilate the defenders of Nanjing.

Wang Mingming was a little puzzled, she said: "From yesterday to today, why have people changed so much. The army is still this army. The 100,000-strong army is still holding its ground.

"The army has not yet broken through the [***] defense line, and the street fighting has not yet begun. Why is there no confidence in them? ”

The old butler said worriedly: "Today, the commander of the army, Matsui Shigen, took his generals to the designated place early in the morning to wait for the representatives of the [***] team, but they did not wait for anything.

The embarrassed commander of the Shanghai faction, Matsui Shigen, was annoyed and angry. He murderously ordered an attack on Nanjing.

"This attack of the army is called a general offensive. All artillery, tanks, armored vehicles, and warplanes were used. The army went crazy.

"The people of Nanjing City thought that the army would definitely break the city this time. When the army broke through the defense line of [***], street battles broke out in the city of Nanjing, and it was too late to escape, and no one could leave.

"The situation in Nanjing is very bad. Third aunt, you should go to Yanziji to have a look, and if you don't go, I'm afraid that you won't be able to go. ”

Wang Mingming pondered for a moment and said, "The old butler is right, it's time to go." Kiko told my parents that I had gone to Yucheng. If I called my parents, they would be surprised.

"I made it clear to them on the phone, and they weren't at ease. I'm okay now, I'm going to tell them about my injuries in person.

"I'm going to see if they're gone, and if they're gone, I have to find a way to tell them to go."