Explore Chapter 41 of 'Moment in Peking' with the original Chinese text, English translation, detailed Chinese vocabulary explanations, and audio of the Chinese original. Listen and improve your reading skills.
The news of Hangzhou's fall brought a wave of despair to Yao Mulan and Zeng Sunya. They had spent their best days in that city, and now they had no choice but to leave. Mulan packed some valuables, took the children, and joined the tide of refugees fleeing westward with Sunya.
They trudged along the highway westward, witnessing scenes of devastation everywhere. Villages were burned to ashes, fields lay barren, and the roads were crowded with desperate civilians and scattered soldiers. Anger and sorrow filled Mulan's heart. She recalled her father's words: every individual bears responsibility for the rise and fall of the nation.
On their journey, they encountered many familiar faces. Kong Lifu and his wife Mochou were also migrating south with their family. Lifu had resolved to join the resistance movement against the Japanese invaders. He told Mulan that China must undergo this baptism of fire to be reborn.
The Zeng family's situation was equally dire. Zeng Wenpu had succumbed to illness during the chaos. Manniang lost her husband Pingya and was left alone to raise their child. Jingya had been working for the government in Nanjing, but the city soon fell, and his fate remained unknown.