One of the strangers stepped forward and said tremblingly: "We are deserters. We have escaped from the enemy's capture and want to find a place to hide."

"Deserter?" Tang Li frowned and asked, "Where are you soldiers from?"

The stranger whispered back, "We are from the north. We were captured by the enemy and forced to do hard labor. We couldn't stand it anymore, so we escaped."

Tang Li observed these people carefully and found that they did not look like enemy scouts. So he slowed down his tone and said, "Come back with us first, we will make arrangements for you."

The strangers breathed a sigh of relief and followed Tang Li and the soldiers back to the village. The village chief arranged for them to stay in an empty house in the village temporarily and provided some food and water.

"Sergeant Tang Li, are these people really deserters?" the village chief asked somewhat worriedly.

"It looks like it, but we can't take it lightly and need to continue observing." Tang Li replied.

In the next few days, Tang Li and the soldiers kept a close eye on the movements of these strangers. They were very cooperative and did not behave suspiciously, gradually winning the trust of the villagers.

"Sergeant, these deserters look very honest and should not be enemy spies." said a soldier.

"Yes, but we still have to remain vigilant and not allow anything to threaten the safety of our fellow villagers," Tang Li reminded.

One night, Tang Li and several soldiers were discussing the next plan when they suddenly heard a noisy sound coming from outside the village.

"What happened?" Tang Li immediately stood up and walked out.

When they arrived outside the village, they found a group of enemy troops approaching the village. The villagers fled in panic. Tang Li immediately ordered: "Everyone prepare to fight and protect the villagers!"

The soldiers acted quickly and started a fierce battle with the enemy. Tang Li commanded the troops and personally went into battle to fight the enemy.

"We can't let the enemy enter the village, protect the villagers!" Tang Li shouted loudly.

The battle was extremely fierce, and the enemy was clearly well prepared, but the Eighth Route Army soldiers were not afraid and resisted tenaciously. The villagers also took up arms and joined the battle.

"Sergeant, we must hold on and not let the enemy succeed!" a soldier shouted.

"Yes, everyone hold on, we will definitely win!" Tang Li encouraged.

The battle lasted for several hours, and the enemy finally retreated under the tenacious resistance of the Eighth Route Army and the villagers. The village returned to peace again, but Tang Li knew that this was only temporary and the enemy could come back at any time.

"Team Leader Tang Li, we won!" a villager said excitedly with tears in his eyes.

"Yes, but we must not let our guard down. The enemy may come again," Tang Li reminded.

In the days that followed, Tang Li and his soldiers continued to strengthen their defenses and, together with the villagers, were ready to fight at any time. They knew that as long as everyone was united, there was no battle that could not be won.

One morning, Tang Li received an urgent order from Li Yunlong, asking him to lead his team to the front line for support immediately.

Tang Li led everyone back to the village to live again. The Japanese army had retreated completely.

The retreat of the Japanese army brought peace back to the village. The victory of the Eighth Route Army not only relieved the villagers' plight, but also brought them new hope. Tang Li and his soldiers returned to the village with the joy of victory, ready to start a new life.

At the entrance of the village, the village chief and a group of villagers had been waiting there. When they saw Tang Li and his soldiers, the villagers rushed forward and greeted them warmly.

"Team Leader Tang Li, you are finally back!" the village chief said excitedly, with tears in his eyes.

"Village chief, is everyone okay?" Tang Li asked with concern, his eyes sweeping over the familiar faces, his heart filled with warmth.

"Thanks to your efforts, everything is fine in the village," the village chief replied gratefully, "Now that the enemy has retreated, we can finally live in peace."

Tang Li nodded, feeling relieved. He knew that this victory was not only a victory in battle, but also a guarantee for the lives of the villagers. He turned to the soldiers and said, "Everyone take a break first, and we will discuss the next steps later."

The soldiers nodded one after another, and they also felt a long-lost tranquility.

A young soldier smiled and said: "Squad leader, we have made a great contribution this time. The villagers will definitely remember us."

"Yes, but we can't relax because the reconstruction of the village still needs our help." Tang Li reminded that although the battle is over, he knows that rebuilding his home is equally important.

The villagers gathered around to thank Tang Li and his soldiers. An elderly man held Tang Li's hand and said with tears in his eyes: "Captain Tang Li, thanks to you, the young people in the village can return safely."

"This is what we should do. Protecting our fellow villagers is the duty of the Eighth Route Army." Tang Li replied. He felt the gratitude of the villagers and it also strengthened his own belief.

Not long after, Tang Li summoned the village chief and several soldiers to discuss the village reconstruction plan.

"Village chief, we need to solve the living problems in the village first. Although the enemy has retreated, we must ensure that everyone has sufficient daily necessities." Tang Li said.

The village chief nodded and agreed, "Yes, Squad Leader Tang Li. We can organize the villagers to resume farming and plant crops as soon as possible."

"In addition, we also need to repair houses to ensure that everyone has a safe place to live," Tang Li added.

"We have already started doing this and the villagers are very enthusiastic," replied the village chief.

In the following days, Tang Li and his soldiers started to rebuild the village together with the villagers. They repaired houses, reclaimed wasteland, planted crops, and the whole village gradually regained new vitality.

One morning, Tang Li and several soldiers were busy in the fields at the village entrance when they suddenly heard a burst of cheerful laughter. Tang Li looked up and saw several children chasing and playing in the fields with innocent smiles on their faces.

"These kids are so lively." exclaimed a soldier with a smile on his face.

"Yes, seeing them so happy, I feel that our efforts are worth it." Tang Li replied, his heart full of relief.

Just then, the village chief came over with several villagers, holding some fresh vegetables and fruits in their hands.

"Team Leader Tang Li, these are the vegetables and fruits we grew ourselves. We would like to invite you to try them." The village chief said with a smile.

"Thank you for your kindness." Tang Li took the vegetables and fruits and said gratefully, "These are the fruits of your labor. We will definitely enjoy them."

The villagers expressed their gratitude and shared the fresh vegetables and fruits together with happy smiles on their faces.

One night, the village organized a bonfire party to celebrate the reconstruction of the village and the arrival of peace. The bonfire was burning, reflecting everyone's face, and laughter echoed in the night sky.

"Team Leader Tang Li, let's all sing and dance together today to celebrate our victory," suggested the village chief.

"Okay, this is exactly what we need. Let's all relax." Tang Li replied with a smile.

The party began, and the villagers gathered around the bonfire and sang the "March of the Eighth Route Army" and the "March of the Volunteers". The singing was high-pitched and passionate, as if conveying their tenacity and determination.

A young mother hugged her child and said gratefully: "Squad Leader Tang Li, thank you for your protection. Now we can finally live in peace."

"This is what we should do. As long as we unite as one, there will be no obstacles that we cannot overcome." Tang Li replied gently.

A little boy walked up to Tang Li, his eyes full of curiosity: "Uncle Tang Li, why do you Eighth Route Army always win battles?"

Tang Li smiled, squatted down, and answered seriously: "Because we have faith, we know who we are fighting for. We are fighting for the happiness and freedom of the people, for our homeland."

The little boy nodded, not quite understanding, and said, "I want to be a hero like you too."

"You can do it, as long as you have faith and courage," Tang Li encouraged.

The bonfire party lasted until late at night, and the villagers reluctantly left the bonfire and returned to their homes. Tang Li and his soldiers also found a place to settle down in the village, ready to continue working tomorrow.

The next morning, Tang Li led several soldiers to patrol outside the village to ensure the safety of the village. Suddenly, he saw a group of villagers gathered together, seemingly discussing something.

"What happened?" Tang Li walked over and asked.

"Sergeant Tang Li, we found some equipment and supplies left by the enemy outside the village." A villager replied.

Tang Li immediately became alert and asked, "Where is it? Take me to see it."

The villagers took Tang Li and the soldiers to an open space outside the village, where some enemy equipment and supplies were scattered, which seemed to be left behind during a hasty retreat.

"These supplies can be used to help the villagers, and we must get them back as soon as possible," said Tang Li.

"Yes, Squad Leader Tang Li, we'll start right away." The soldiers replied.

They acted quickly and transported the equipment and supplies back to the village. Tang Li carefully checked the supplies and found that there were some food and medical supplies, which was undoubtedly a timely help for the villagers.

"These supplies are very important to everyone, we must make good use of them." Tang Li said to the villagers.

The villagers expressed their gratitude, and Tang Li felt a deep sense of responsibility. He knew that although the battle was over, the mission of protecting the villagers was far from over.

One night, Tang Li and several soldiers were patrolling in the village when they heard a loud noise. Tang Li immediately became alert and rushed over with the soldiers.

They found several strangers sneaking around in the village, and they didn't look like good people. Tang Li shouted, "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

Tap the screen to use advanced tools Tip: You can use left and right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.

You'll Also Like