Chapter 114: Only when you are full can you have the strength to fight the flood!

Eat slowly, eat slowly, don't be in a hurry, there are plenty of eggs." A fellow villager watched them wolfing down the food, and he was so distressed that he kept wiping away tears.
"Come on, continue eating. You are all good guys. You have worked so hard for us ordinary people."

While speaking from the bottom of their hearts, the villagers stuffed eggs and various foods into the soldiers' hands.

One of the young soldiers had his mouth full, but his eyes were still staring at the egg in the fellow villager's hand, but he didn't reach out to take it.

This made the fellow villager a little confused, "Child, take it and eat more."

"I'm full." The little soldier swallowed the food in his mouth with great effort. Even when his throat gurgled, his eyes were still fixed on the food.

"Nonsense! You only ate two sweet potatoes and an egg, how can you be full!"

"Are you worried that there won't be enough food to go around? Don't worry, every household in the village has taken out their stored food."

"This is just the first batch. There are more to come. Eat them quickly! Only when you are full will you have the strength to fight the flood!"

As the fellow villager spoke, he insisted on putting the egg in the little soldier's arms.

Unexpectedly, the little soldier became even more resistant after hearing this.

The other soldiers who had not finished eating also stopped and did not move their chopsticks.

"No, I can't eat anymore! These are the villagers' own rations. How will you live if you give them to us? You will also need to eat in the future!"

The little soldier said anxiously.

"You kids, why won't you listen? You're risking your lives for us here, working hard to reinforce the flood control line."

"Don't even think about eating a few of our eggs and sweet potatoes. Even if you ask us to give up everything we have, we will be willing to do it!"

When the villagers saw that they stopped eating, they became as anxious as ants on a hot pan.

Despite his repeated persuasion, the soldiers just swallowed their saliva silently and refused to move their chopsticks. Some even put the food in their hands back into the basket.

These are our Chinese soldiers!

Don’t take a single needle or thread from the masses!
I would like to ask you, is there any other army in the whole world that cares so deeply about its people?

"Eat it. This is a token of the villagers' kindness. Our troops have already paid them according to the market price. You can eat it without worry."

"Eat, and take some time to rest. The next task will be more difficult. Only when you are full will you have the energy to continue fighting the flood!"

The logistics squad leader heard the noise and rushed over, quickly explaining to everyone.

As logistics personnel, how can we allow soldiers to go into battle on an empty stomach?
So I had already discussed it with the surrounding villagers and bought their excess food.

The purpose is to ensure that the soldiers can fill their stomachs and avoid suffering from hunger while fighting floods and disaster relief.

"Yes, yes, yes, the squad leader has already discussed it with us and has given us money. Children, eat quickly, eat quickly."

The villagers also nodded in agreement.

After hearing the explanation from the logistics squad leader, the soldiers picked up their food again and started chewing it in big mouthfuls.

During these two hours, Zhang Chuan also consumed a lot of physical energy. He ate six eggs and four sweet potatoes in one breath, and then he felt that his physical strength had recovered a little.

"Hurry up and eat. After you finish eating, take a nap. I'll go check the riverbank."

After giving instructions to the soldiers in his squad, Zhang Chuan waded forward, checking the newly repaired river embankment along the way.

Although the first line of defense has been built, some places are not strong enough due to the rush to build it.

He had to check it carefully to make sure everything was correct before he could feel at ease.

On the river bank, soldiers who were extremely tired could be seen everywhere. They leaned against sandbags, letting the rain soak their bodies. Some even had half of their bodies soaked in water, but they didn't care and fell into a deep sleep.

Some soldiers were so sleepy that they fell asleep with sweet potatoes in their hands that they had only taken a few bites of. Zhang Chuan looked at them with admiration, emotion and heartache.

They are also someone's sons, someone's husbands, and someone's fathers.

Just because they were wearing military uniforms, when disaster struck, they had to bid farewell to their wives, children and parents, rush to the front line, and take on the responsibility of defending their homes with their flesh and blood.

Even so, there are still some selfish people in society who slander and take advantage of soldiers.

They even treat soldiers as tools, thinking that they should serve them using the taxes they pay.

However, if it were not for the love for the country and the people, who would be willing to leave their hometown, endure all kinds of restrictions, and live away from their family?

Chinese soldiers.

The weight these four words carry is far beyond most people's imagination.

Zhang Chuan walked around and checked carefully. After making sure that the flood control line was in good condition, he found a dry place to lie down and rest.

Although his physical exertion was not as severe as others, it was always good to take a short break.

After all, there is still a tough battle waiting for them to fight.

Two hours passed in the blink of an eye, and the rain was still as fierce as before. The dark clouds in the sky were thicker than before, as if a group of black clouds were about to press down. The wind and rain in the mountains seemed to indicate that a bigger storm was coming.

Guard! Go ask the weather station, when will this ghost rain stop?

The division commander shouted to the guards, his eyes fixed on the thick black clouds in the sky.

"Commander, here's the latest news from the weather station: In two hours, we will have an unprecedented storm, more severe than before, and it will last for three full hours."

"The predicted rainfall is half of what we've seen before, and I'm afraid the first line of defense we've worked so hard to build won't be able to withstand the impact of this flood."

"So, we have to hurry up and urgently build a new line of defense at least one meter high behind the first line of defense."

The guard stepped forward quickly and reported the situation clearly and forcefully.

"What a horrible weather! What on earth is it trying to do? Notify all battalion commanders to start the second round of defensive fortification construction immediately!"

"They have three and a half hours to build the second line of defense!"

The division commander looked up at the sky, cursed angrily, and then gave the order firmly.

"Yes!"

The guards took action upon receiving the order and immediately asked the bugler to blow the emergency assembly horn, and the battalion commanders quickly gathered.

The sleeping soldiers were awakened by the bugle call. Although their eyes were bloodshot and their faces looked tired, they got up without saying a word.

Dozens of battalion-level officers gathered in front of the division commander, with firm expressions, quietly waiting for new combat orders.

"Ladies and gentlemen, in two hours, we will face an unprecedented flood disaster, when the flood will break through the existing first line of defense."

"So, we have to build a new one-meter-high defense line behind the first defense line within three and a half hours."

"Brothers, no matter what the cost, we must stop this flood!"

"If the second line of defense cannot be completed on time, we will have to use a human wall to stop the flooding!"

"Remember, we may sacrifice ourselves, but the hundreds of millions of people behind us must not suffer a catastrophic disaster! We must win this battle!"

The commander's eyes were like fire as he stared at the raging flood and let out a roar that resounded through the sky.

(End of this chapter)