Chapter 27 National Flag

(...Flags are the lives of soldiers. Whenever we see our own flag in battle, we know why we are fighting; when we defend the national flag in battle, even if it is already full of holes, we still believe that one day it will penetrate the land of China... Excerpted from "Grandpa's Memories of the War of Resistance")

"...He has twelve... twelve fathers, twelve... fathers of a hero, what am I worried about..." Liu Tong's mouth was covered with blood, and he showed a smile with difficulty. After struggling to say the last sentence, his eyes closed slightly, still half open, but he had no trace of anger. The brothers around the third company looked sad, and Cao Xiaomin's savior left quietly. The person who loved to say the most lively in the company left, and the joy of the company was taken away... There were fifty-two soldiers who died in this fierce battle with him, and there were thirty-four seriously injured people. In addition, the casualties of the battle ahead were killed, and the wounded soldiers transported to the concession. Now there are many fewer people in the Sihang Warehouse, less than three hundred people.

The flesh and flesh on both sides of Cao Xiaomin's ribs were pierced and torn apart. When bandaging, he lowered his head and could see his bloody ribs. Just like the pork ribs hanging on the Shanghai Vegetable Market in Time and Space, Cao Xiaomin was stunned by this thought in his mind, and he almost fainted. After bandaging the wound, he was still very uncomfortable. In addition to the two worst injuries, there were all kinds of minor injuries on his head, face, shoulders and chest. At this time, he began to attack his nerves, causing his teeth to always be knocked up and down inadvertently.

Because the wound is awkward, his hands cannot be placed anywhere. It will hang down and press the wound. He can only sit against the wall, put his hands on his bent legs, and endure the waves of piercing bones with his eyes closed.

He had suffered more and more injuries, but it was in the hospital, and he was in a semi-coma; but now he endured it silently, and he was the company commander, and he was embarrassed to say a word... Suddenly, gunfire sounds outside the partition wall, and the fight started again, but in pain and exhaustion, he couldn't even be interested in caring about the battle close by.

"The devils climbed up from the Suzhou River..." "It's so damn sinister..." "Fortunately, the regiment commander just checked the ward and found out..."

Oh, it was the Japanese who secretly climbed up from the Suzhou River and attacked. Xie Jinyuan, who was checking the ward, found out and attacked... Cao Xiaomin learned about the situation from the soldiers' discussions. He listened blankly, and there was no trace of turmoil in his mind; he was on the verge of being defeated by pain.

Everything in front of him became dazed, although he knew what was happening very clearly: Tang Di and a few soldiers secretly crawled out of the crack of the door, picked up a lot of ammunition from the pile of corpses; Battalion Commander Yang Ruifu was bandaged by gunshot wounds and left the pile of wounded; Xie Jinyuan came to visit the wounded once... Finally, he fell into a coma.

Xie Jinyuan inspected the entire warehouse and then arrived at the wounded area. Two eyes that were deeply trapped in their eye sockets looked at Cao Xiaomin who had fallen asleep and sighed. Except for Tang Di, who had been commanding the battle on the top floor, none of his officers were without injuries. Even he himself pushed a Japanese downstairs during the battle he found that the Japanese touched them, and his palm was cut by the Japanese bayonet.

"The ribs on both sides are visible, the injuries are very serious, and both hands are difficult to move... It is probably because the wound is inflamed and there is a high fever..." The minor wounded man who temporarily acted as a medical soldier reported to the regiment commander's injuries to the regiment commander.

The injury can be very painful, but coma is a gift. What the medical soldier said is vaguely transmitted to Cao Xiaomin's ears, which actually made him return to the dream of having a high fever in Japan. The medical soldier's rough hand covered with blood and dust and abrasions, and the hand covered with black dirt in the cracks of his nails became a gentle little hand in his dream. He was applying carrot leaves to his head...

Jiana was doing things in the kitchen, and she didn't forget to talk to him. The gentleness came to protect his trembling heart... At some point, the beige pajamas and two little magpies on the blue cloth were shaking alternately in front of Cao Xiaomin's eyes. The two women who had a physical relationship with him couldn't tell who was with whom, but the unique soft voice of women penetrated into their ears, which sounded so comfortable!

The female voice has always been the sound of nature on the fire. In addition to Cao Xiaomin, more casualties squeezed up to listen to the female voice... A girl was talking to Xie Jinyuan with wet all over, and she was the girl who was considered by Cao Xiaomin to be the representative of a chamber of commerce during the day.

The girl took out a blue sky and white sun flag wrapped in oil cloth from her arms!

"Captain Xie, I've sent the flag, but there is no flagpole..." From the commander to the wounded, his eyes suddenly turned red when he opened the national flag, and he couldn't help but choke up. They were fighting hard, they were fighting for life, and none of them had the idea of ​​surviving, for why!? When facing the national flag, everyone could not suppress their emotions...

"Tomorrow! We will raise it up and be at the highest position of the Sihang Cang!" Xie Jinyuan held the girl's hand tightly: "Thank you, thank you to the people of Shanghai! One person is there, the position is there; we will never surrender, we will fight to the end!"

The girl who was misunderstood by Cao Xiaomin as the representative of the Chamber of Commerce was named Yang Huimin. She was a girl scout and one of the first people to know that the Kuomintang army was still fighting to the death in Sihang Cang. The Shanghai Chamber of Commerce learned that the news was she who helped contact her. That night, during the truce between the two armies, she risked her life with a national flag and sent her to Sihang Cang!

Several soldiers were using straw ropes, rotten gun rods, etc. to process flagpoles, and more people were looking for materials everywhere; several wounded soldiers were practicing how to support each other and stand up and salute... The arrival of a national flag made all the dead wounded instantly regain their anger!

"Awaken? It's really time. You've been unconscious and have a high fever all night..." The medical soldier was wiping Cao Xiaomin's face with a towel. It was obvious that he had wiped it himself. His clean face formed a sharp contrast with his still dirty neck... What happened? The brothers led him to break through? Cao Xiaomin was very surprised.

Everyone in the wounded area wiped their faces cleanly, and their military uniforms covered in blood, sweat and wrinkled were deliberately flattened. Although they were still dirty, they still looked much more neat. From everyone's mouth, Cao Xiaomin finally knew what had happened. When he was in a coma, the flag-raising ceremony was soon to be held. Everyone was trying to make themselves look more energetic and mighty; in the fallen Shanghai, the national flag of the Republic of China was raised!

...The flag is the life of a soldier. Whenever we see our own flag in the battle, we know why we are fighting. We defend the national flag in the battle. Even if it is already full of holes, we still believe that one day it will be planted all over the land of China... The flag that grandfather admired will be raised, and Cao Xiaomin was inexplicably excited at this moment, which is also his flag! At this moment, he silently thanked the little girl in his heart. It was she who risked her life to bring everyone the faith and support in her heart!

It turned out to be her! The time traveler Cao Xiaomin knew Yang Huimin, but he could no longer find out the appearance of the girl he misunderstood in his faint impression.

The wounded supported each other, some were carried to the top floor, and everyone was lined up; the unscathed soldiers were selected by fifty people, all of whom were wearing steel helmets, and the button on the top of the collar was set into a rigorous square.

The glow of the east suddenly swelled, and a blue sky and white sun flag rose slowly at the highest point of Sihang Cang. Fifty rifles sounded together, resounding throughout the sky, awakening the sad city!

The soldiers saluted the national flag neatly, including Cao Xiaomin, who could not raise his hands. At this moment, he suddenly felt the weight of the country and the nation in his heart. He suddenly had never known that he was a Chinese!

Everyone's tears were rolling in their eyes, and everyone stared at the sunny national flag. Just the morning after Shanghai fell, the blue sky and white sun flag rose again in Shanghai!

A small national flag allows everyone to see the hope of the country and nation. China will not perish, and the Chinese Democratic Party soldiers are still fighting, and the Chinese people are still fighting!

Suddenly, there were bursts of shouts from the concession, and the mixed shouts gradually became majestic and heavy, and became neat and clear: "Long live the Republic of China! Long live the Kuomintang army!..."
Chapter completed!