第三十二章 北京城沦陷 姚木兰逃难 (Chapter 32: The Fall of Peking, Yao Mulan Flees in Hardship)

The Japanese army had entered Beijing, and the streets were often under martial law. Both the Yao and Zeng families stayed indoors, too afraid to step outside.

Mulan was anxious, wondering how her mother was. She wanted to go check on her, but with the chaos of war, she dared not go out.

One day, Sunya returned home, pale-faced, and said, "The city gates are already closed. I heard the Japanese are searching for anti-Japanese activists. I think we need to find a way to leave Beijing."

Mulan asked, "Where can we go? The south is also at war; nowhere is safe."

Sunya replied, "Let's first hide in the countryside. It's better than waiting for death in Beijing."

So they began packing. Mulan bundled up her valuables and hid the few antiques left by her father at the bottom of a trunk.

At dusk, they hired a mule cart, took along A Tong and a few maidservants, and quietly slipped out of the city.

The roads were crowded with refugees, their cries and wails filling the air. Mulan held A Tong tightly, her heart filled with an unspeakable sadness.

After two days of travel, they reached a small town and checked into an inn. In the middle of the night, they suddenly heard gunfire. Sunya shook Mulan awake, saying, "Get up quickly! The Japanese are coming!"

They scrambled to their feet, not even bothering to grab their luggage, and followed the crowd as they fled up the mountain. Mulan pulled A Tong along, stumbling through the darkness.

After running for several miles, they looked back and saw the town had caught fire. Mulan's legs gave way, and she sat down on the ground.

A Tong was so frightened he cried, "Mommy, I'm scared." Mulan held him in her arms, and tears streamed down her own face.

Just before dawn, they found a dilapidated temple to rest. The temple was already crowded with refugees, all looking grim and terrified.

Leaning against the wall, Mulan recalled a saying her father often repeated: "Blessings do not come from outside, but from within." She murmured it to herself and gradually calmed down.

After another three or four days of travel, they finally reached a small mountain village. Sunya said, "Let's stay here for now and wait until the situation stabilizes."

Mulan nodded. Gazing at the green pines covering the mountains, she thought to herself: Perhaps we can never return to our home in Beijing. But as long as the family is together, anywhere can be home.