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 Japanese planes would come to bomb me if I couldn't save it.

"It's good for you to live here, but it's safer than outside the city. But if the Japanese planes came here again and dropped bombs, the house would be blown up, and it would be a big deal to hurt people.

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

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 for everyday 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 future to fight against Japan. Okay, let's get busy. ”

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

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

After capturing Jurong and Moling Pass, the Japanese 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 Japanese were led by tanks and armored vehicles, followed by infantry, who attacked the Chinese from the field road. 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 Japanese army chose it as a key offensive.

At the same time, the Japanese army launched a fierce attack on the 'Hongmaoshan' position and the 'Tongjimen barracks'. The Chinese army put up stubborn resistance. The battle was fierce.

The common people in the city of Nanjing believed that it was impossible for the Japanese army to break through 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 Chinese army's Gaoqiaomen and Qiqiao urn positions 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 Japanese army made trouble for a day yesterday and did not take advantage, so it stands to reason that it should continue to make trouble today."

"The strange thing is that the Japanese 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 Japanese army saw that the Chinese army did not answer, and they airdropped the letter of surrender to the city of Nanjing. 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 Japanese army!"

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

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 Japanese army on that side advanced westward from the south side of Taihu Lake, first attacking Guangde, then Xuancheng, and finally occupying Wuhu.

This Japanese army intended to cut off the retreat of the defenders of Nanjing, and then cross the river to encircle Pukou in Nanjing. The Japanese 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 Japanese army has not yet broken through the defense line of the national army, 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 Japanese army, Matsui Ishone, took his generals to the designated place early in the morning to wait for the representatives of the Chinese army, but they did not wait for anything.

Matsui Ishone, the commander of the remnants of the Japanese Shanghai faction, who had lost face, was annoyed and angry. He murderously ordered an attack on Nanjing.

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

"The people of Nanjing City thought that the Japanese army would definitely break the city this time. When the Japanese army broke through the defense line of the Nationalist army, street battles broke out in 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 Chongqing. 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."