Zhou Wen then rushed to the urban hospital without stopping to visit Captain Cai of the 3rd Regiment of the 156th Brigade who was still recovering from his injuries.
Captain Cai was lying on the hospital bed, looking at the letter of appointment as leader of the Second Detachment of the Central Party Headquarters Education Corps handed over by Zhou Wen, with mixed feelings in his heart.
He had already received the news before that he was about to leave the 19th Route Army, and General Cai personally came to the hospital to do persuasion work.
After all, Captain Cai is a fellow countryman who was brought out from his hometown by General Cai. Now the situation is pressing. The 19th Route Army is about to leave. He has to reluctantly leave him and thousands of wounded soldiers to Zhou Wen. There was a much better way out of the bad situation, but Captain Cai, who had been following General Cai everywhere since the beginning of the Big Head Soldier, still held General Cai's hand and cried bitterly on the hospital bed.
He also couldn't figure out why they paid such a heavy price for the country. They fought bloody battles with the Japanese army in Songhu for more than two months and sacrificed so many comrades and brothers who had been inseparable from Guangdong and fought all the way to Shanghai. When he had won peace with his life, he suffered such an unfair outcome.
The world is so vast that there is no place for peace of mind.
Therefore, when he saw the letter of appointment in Zhou Wen's hand, he did not show any emotional fluctuations, but there was a touch of sadness and confusion behind the glasses he was wearing.
Zhou Wen knew that nothing he said at this time was meaningless. The unyielding man and anti-Japanese hero who fired the first shot at the Japanese invaders on the Songhu battlefield could only slowly heal the resentment and confusion in his heart through time.
Zhou Wen gently patted Captain Cai on the shoulder and said softly: "Today, I will ask officials from the Central Party Committee to contact the hospital to find out when the injury is healed and when to come to Nanjing. Brothers who are recovering from injuries in Shanghai, you don't have to worry. , starting from today, all your expenses in Shanghai will be borne by the Central Party Committee. Not only will you use the best medicine, but you will also give your brothers the best food."
After he finished speaking, he introduced Zhang Xinhua who was standing behind him and said: "This is Secretary Zhang of the Central Party Committee. He will stay in Shanghai. If Captain Cai has any needs, he can be asked to handle it. If he can't handle it, I, Zhou Wen, will do it myself." Go and do it, just one sentence, don't let the brothers bleed and shed tears, I will make proper arrangements for all the sick and wounded who stay in Shanghai."
Captain Cai finally said: "Thank you, Captain Zhou. On behalf of the thousands of sick and wounded, I would also like to thank the Central Party Committee for its care."
After Zhou Wen said goodbye to the ward and came out, he breathed a sigh of relief. Captain Cai...oh no, from now on he will call detachment leader Cai. Since he calls Zhou Wen the captain, he naturally recognizes the Central Party Headquarters. Appointment, with the cooperation of him, a regimental-level officer with great prestige in the 19th Route Army, the subsequent acceptance work will be much easier.
After coming out of the hospital, Zhou Wen thought about going back to Nanjing today. The work here can be left to Zhang Xinhua and others to deal with the aftermath. With the help of Miaohua and Zhang Xiaoping, presumably in more than a month, these injured people can be seen in Nanjing. More elite veterans have returned to the team.
At this moment, Dai Guoguang hurried into the hospital and blocked Zhou Wen at the gate.
"What? Commander-in-Chief Jiang wants to see me?"
To be honest, Zhou Wen didn't want to see this admirable commander now, because although he kept saying that he was arranging a way out for the wounded soldiers of the 19th Route Army and relieving the worries of the two generals, in fact, he still felt a little ashamed.
No matter how reasonable and reasonable the words were, after all, they were taking away part of the property that others had managed for many years. They even took advantage of others' dilemma and used the general trend to make Commander-in-Chief Chiang Kai-shek reluctantly part with him. It was suspected of taking advantage of others.
At this moment, Zhou Wen was a little worried and uneasy about being a thief. Although he could use the tragic ending of the 19th Route Army to excuse and comfort himself, he really took advantage of other people's predicament to achieve his own goals. From a conscience point of view, I feel guilty.
This is not Zhou Wen being too hypocritical. If this happened to other troops in the Republic of China, Zhou Wen would not only not feel guilty, but he would probably take the opportunity to ask for more. Just like when the ammunition and weapons from the Taiyuan Arsenal were moved away, just like the dozen or so Soviet officers who were entrusted by the Northwest King to easily accept it, it was said that they were able to take it with peace of mind and accept it with confidence.
But the 19th Route Army is different. They are a heroic force that truly contributes to this country and nation. They are also the first force in China in the past century that dared to fight to the death and win against foreign invaders.
That's why Zhou Wen feels that what he has done is worthy of this army. Not only him, but also the current Republic of China and the government, and even the entire country, are all ashamed of this army that has left a great name in history. of troops.
So Zhou Wen doesn't want to nor dare to see the general again.
However, now that Dai Guoguang is blocking the door, can he not go to see him? You took someone's belongings and you have the nerve not to see them? No matter how embarrassed you are, you have to bite the bullet and go see him.
Zhou Wen did not go to the headquarters of the 19th Route Army. Instead, he was taken by Dai Guoguang to the bank of Yunzaobang River next to Huangdu Railway Station. After Zhou Wen got off the bus, he saw General Chiang in military uniform with his hands behind his back. Standing on the river bank and looking towards the far end of the river.
Zhou Wen came to the river bank with apprehension and stood behind General Jiang. He didn't dare to interrupt rashly, so he raised his eyes and looked at the sparkling river. The breeze with the smell of sea tide blew in his face, which made him feel relieved.
"Xiao Zhou, you have to remember that this river has witnessed the bloody battle between our 19th Route Army and the Japanese army here, the heroic feat of thousands of soldiers of our 19th Route Army spilling blood on the battlefield, and the perseverance of our Chinese soldiers. , the determination and spirit of being willing to use flesh and blood to defend the enemy from outside the country."
Admiral Jiang seemed to know that Zhou Wen had arrived in front of him, and spoke sonorously and forcefully.
"Of course, we have also witnessed countless Japanese pirates dying here, and witnessed the fate of the invaders strewn with corpses and flesh everywhere."
Having said this, General Jiang turned around, looked at Zhou Wen with bright eyes, and then said: "I don't know what the future fate of our Nineteenth Route Army will be. How many of us will return to this place again in the future?" I don’t know the land soaked with the blood of our enemies and ours.”
"But in the future, all of us alive will not forget what happened here, and I believe you will not forget it either."
Zhou Wen nodded heavily and said, "I will never forget it."
This is not a promise or a guarantee, but an oath. It is an oath that is sublimated from the bottom of the heart to the soul to the entire body and mind, from the inside to the outside, from the spirit to the body.
"And history will never forget it." This is what Zhou Wen said in his heart.
Admiral Jiang looked at Zhou Wen and nodded, then changed the topic and said with a half-smile: "What? You don't dare to come see me after taking advantage of it?"
Zhou Wen lowered his eyes and said softly: "I'm a little afraid because I feel guilty."
