Chapter 9 Section 9

In the middle of the night, the shutter door of Xiaozhuang's warehouse opened automatically, his Cherokee drove in, and the shutter door automatically closed again. Xiaozhuang got out of the car exhausted, he went up to the second floor, turned on the desk lamp, and pressed the voice message button. "Fuck! What are you playing? Stop messing around! Call me back quickly..." It was Fatty Shao's voice.Snapped!Xiaozhuang pressed it. "Xiao Zhuang, I'm your father. You've already graduated, what are you going to do? You can't keep messing around like this, can you? Look at your high school classmates, they are all fathers to their children, how mature! Look at you again , what should I do next?..."

Snapped!Xiaozhuang smiled wryly and pressed the button. "Xiao Zhuang, I'm still on duty in the bureau. My photo album is at home. When you get home, look for pictures of Lao Pao and send them to my mailbox..." Snapped!Xiaozhuang turned off the phone and quickly turned to the corner storage cabinet. There are messy stage models, Peking Opera masks and so on on the storage cabinet.The bottom layer is covered with a layer of car camouflage mesh.Xiaozhuang tore off the camouflage net, revealing a very old camouflage rucksack sewn with small patches under the camouflage net. Xiao Zhuang froze for a moment, his hands trembling on the buckle strap of his rucksack.He seemed to hear the roar of helicopters, the noisy radio calls, the crisp bursts of automatic rifles... All kinds of sounds from the special forces period were mixed together, sweeping like thunder.

Xiao Zhuang opened the rucksack in a short breath, like opening a Pandora's box of youth. The moment the rucksack was fully opened, whoosh—the whistle of a stray bullet passed Xiaozhuang's ears clearly.He closed his eyes subconsciously, and the muscles on his forehead twitched. When Xiaozhuang opened his eyes again, the vicissitudes on his face were not commensurate with his age. He took out the contents one by one and put them on the bed in front of him. What he finally took out was a bulging file bag. Xiaozhuang opened the portfolio with shaking hands, and slowly poured out the contents.

Crash!The army's large-brimmed hat badge, collar flower, and epaulettes of military ranks from private to sergeant... Xiao Zhuang laid them out in front of him one by one: He picked up an armband of the "Night Tiger Reconnaissance Company": Swish—Xiao Zhuang saw Chen Pai, who was lying on the mud, raised his rifle and pulled the bolt at him with a clatter: "If this is on the battlefield, I will kill you!" !" He picked up a wrinkled black beret: Swish—Xiao Zhuang saw He Zhijun looking at him seriously, and said loudly: "Since the establishment of the special brigade of the military region, you are the first to be trained as a private soldier and have passed all You were qualified to join the team after passing the assessment—but you are also the first one to voluntarily give up your qualification as a member of the special brigade after passing the assessment!"

Tears glistened in Xiao Zhuang's eyes. He picked up the armband and chest strap of the "Spike Special Forces": Swish—Xiao Zhuang saw thousands of special forces members wearing black berets holding rifles and shouting in unison: "Because we are accurate! Because we are ruthless! Because we are not afraid of death! Because we dare to die!" Xiao Zhuang's tears fell silently. He cried and picked up the last thing—a diary with a pink cover.His hands shook violently, and a bunch of dried wild orchids fell out of the diary.Xiao Zhuang picked up the wild orchid, couldn't hold back any longer, let out a heart-piercing roar: "Xiaoying—"

Swish——Xiao Zhuang saw Xiaoying, a female private soldier in the uniform of the 87 soldiers of the Chinese Army, wearing black leather shoes, walking on the training ground of the special brigade... "Ah——" Xiao Zhuang cried out heart-piercingly, he started to smash things in a frenzy, and the room immediately became a mess, with cups and books flying around. Xiao Zhuang frantically grabbed the laptop, but his hands stopped.Gasping for breath, his eyes bloodshot and his lips quivering, he slowly put down the laptop. Crash--everything left on the table was snorted to the ground by him, and the table was immediately cleaned.He turned on his laptop, breathing heavily as he watched the screen light up.

Xiaozhuang opened the Word document, his hands were shaking. Swish——Xiao Zhuang saw the special forces members wearing black berets solemnly swear: "I swear, I am a special soldier of the Chinese Army, the most elite fighter of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, navy, land and air force! I will bravely face all hardships and dangers , whether it comes from training or actual combat! No matter what dangers I face, I will remain calm and fight the enemy bravely! If necessary, I will serve my country! I will never yield, never surrender, if necessary - the last one Leave the bullets to me!"

In Xiaozhuang's eyes, the flames were burning, burning, burning. His hands tapped quickly on the keyboard: "The last bullet was left to me—the memories of the military that I can't forget. They are still with me only in the dreams of the dark night." "Memory is really a terrible thing. I feel that the hardened shell covering my heart is breaking a little bit, and my heart hurts, because this kind of weakness is hidden in a dark drawer by myself. I dare not show it to others, I haven’t seen the sun for a long time..." "It's a long, long story, and I don't know where to start. I thought, I'd start with her. Without her, I wouldn't have joined the military, let alone the Special Forces, and I wouldn't have There will be these memories intertwined with iron and blood..."

"Who is she? She is Xiaoying. She is the embodiment of all my imagination of beauty and purity. She is my eternal dream lover. We are both children of an art troupe and live in a family home. She and I live upstairs and downstairs. Neighbor, she is one year older than me. I grew up in a broken family and developed a rebellious character. I also have many dreams for the future. In these dreams, the unique female number one is Xiaoying..." Swish—the family courtyard in memory. A couple downstairs are arguing, and Xiao Zhuang, who was a child, sits in front of the window and looks outside thinking about his thoughts.

The melodious sound of the piano is looming, and in front of the upstairs window, the childhood shadow is playing the piano. ... Swish—a certain morning in my memory. Childhood Xiaoying goes to school with a schoolbag on her back. Xiao Zhuang followed behind ghostly. Xiaoying turned around, and Xiaozhuang hid by the flower bed. Xiaoying smiled: "Come out, I've already seen you!" Xiao Zhuang came out, very embarrassed. "Why do you always follow me?" Xiao Zhuang said unconvinced: "Whoever follows you, I will go to school too, this is the only way."

Xiaoying smiled: "It's fine if you don't admit it! If you want to go to school with me, you can go with me; if you don't, you can continue to follow me! I'm leaving!" She turned and left.Xiao Zhuang hurriedly followed, side by side with Xiao Ying. Xiaoying smiled and continued walking.Xiaozhuang walked with her. ... Swish—the family courtyard in memory. It was dark.Xiao Zhuang's parents were still arguing, and Xiao Zhuang, who was in his teens, sat in front of the open window and was lost in thought.A basket tied with a rope was slowly lowered.Inside was a copy of Shakespeare's Selected Plays.Xiaozhuang took the book and raised his head. Xiaoying pulled up the basket on it, waved his hand, and smiled at him. Xiaozhuang opened the title page, and inside was a note: "Be careful, don't get it dirty, I stole it from my father's bookcase! Study hard and grow up to be a scientist!" Xiaozhuang looked up, and Xiaoying was gone. Xiao Zhuang smiled, turned on the drama collection under the desk lamp, and watched it intently. ... Xiao Zhuang was typing while recalling, and with the crackling sound of the keyboard, lines of text appeared on the computer screen: "Time passed like this. When I was in high school, my parents finally ended the dispute and got divorced. I also gradually grew up and became an artistic youth, holding the persistent dream of being a theater and film director." "Xiaoying and I are still classmates, in the same high school. The difference is that Xiaoying is in the science class, and I am in the liberal arts class. My dream is to be admitted to the directing department of the Drama Academy, while Xiaoying wants to apply for the People's Liberation Army Art Academy and become a literary soldier It's her dream." "At that time, we were very pure. We were looking forward to the future, and we were looking forward to entering the palace of art that we each yearned for. We liked each other, but we didn't say it. Xiaoying was the first girl I liked. Later, in my In her life, Xiaoying will always be the incarnation of a dream..." Tears fell silently from his face, Xiao Zhuang didn't care to wipe them off, and typed quickly, the scenes in his memory kept switching in his mind: Swish—the corridor in my memory is pitch black at night. Bang——the door of Xiaozhuang’s house opened, and Xiaozhuang Fei, who was in high school, ran out as if running out, followed by a slipper, and his father’s scolding: “Don’t daydream! What? Don’t waste that money! Can a sanitation ball pop out of the sewer?” Xiaozhuang ran out of the corridor and came to the garden.He sat barefoot on the edge of the flower bed and looked at the stars, wiping his tears from time to time: "Fuck! Don't even let me go! How do you know I can't do it!" A handkerchief was handed over: "What's the matter? Did you quarrel with your father again?" Xiaozhuang turned to look, it was Xiaoying.He took the handkerchief and hummed: "He won't let me go." "Then I have to try too? He doesn't even let me try, how does he know I can't do it?" "Then you go by yourself? Anyway, he doesn't care about you, just go!" Xiaozhuang lowered his head: "Where is the money? I need money. The registration fee alone costs more than one hundred, and I have to go to Beijing. Where do I have money?" Xiaoying fell silent, thinking about something. ... Swish—the station in memory is divided into inside and outside by iron railings. Xiaozhuang and Xiaoying came to the railing, Xiaozhuang smiled: "You go back, I'm leaving!" Xiaoying looked at him with a pale face: "I'm waiting for your good news...you can do it!" Xiao Zhuang looked at her: "Why do you look so bad? Are you sick?" Xiaoying smiled feebly: "Maybe I'm tired from studying, don't think about it. Hurry up, don't miss the bus!" Xiao Zhuang smiled, turned around and quickly climbed over the railing, jumped down and ran away. Xiaoying stuck to the iron railing and watched eagerly. Xiaozhuang ran to the platform over there and looked back at Xiaoying.Xiaoying waved her hand, showing a weak smile. Xiao Zhuang smiled, turned around and ran towards the crowds waiting on the platform, but without a ticket, he got in. The train moves. Xiaoying was still watching and beckoning. ... The crackling keyboard sound stopped abruptly, Xiao Zhuang covered his face in pain, tears flowed from his fingers, he took a deep breath, then wiped his tears, his hands continued to dance on the keyboard: "I passed the professional exam with the best grades, and I was going to take the cultural exam when I came back. However, what I didn't expect was that Xiaoying fell ill due to anemia. At that time, I didn't know that the money Xiaoying gave me was not so She said that her mother lent it to me, but she got it by selling blood. I never thought that Xiaoying, who was not in good health, collapsed during the most tense moment of the college entrance examination. She failed to go to Taking the Art Professional Examination of the PLA Academy of Art, I will forever lose the opportunity to study in the school of my dreams. Because military schools only want fresh graduates.” "Later, I successfully passed the cultural examination and was admitted to the Drama Academy as I wished. Xiaoying recuperated for two months and did not take the college entrance examination. She told me that she would go to the army at the end of the year and then take the military art exam from the army." "The day I left, Xiaoying didn't come to see me off. I was very disappointed. To my surprise, Xiaoying never wrote to me since I went to college. I don't know what happened to Xiaoying. I gradually got used to it. I am used to the laziness of college students in the life of drama school, but I can't forget Xiaoying. When I write to her, the letters always come to nothing; when I call her, her mother always says that she is not here... I can only wait, I hope that I can go back to find her after the holiday. I know she is going to join the army, so I pay special attention to the news about the People's Liberation Army." "That year was an important turning point for the Chinese military. The People's Liberation Army, the Army, the Navy and the Air Force held a deterrent joint large-scale exercise on the southeast coast. The Southeast Military Region on the southeast coast was also called the Southeast Theater in the news for the first time. Various rumors were circulating. It seems that War is imminent..." Xiao Zhuang paused, he thought about those past events quietly, and the past events clearly appeared before his eyes... Swish—the public phone booth in memory.Xiaozhuang was dialing the number nervously.Seventeen-year-old Xiaozhuang is a college freshman, dressed in the so-called art youth's attire. "Auntie, I'm Xiaozhuang!" "Oh, Xiaoying isn't here..." "Auntie, let me ask you—is Xiaoying going to join the army? Which army does she go to?" "Yes, she has been notified to go to the Southeast Military Region... Are you okay in Beijing?" Xiaozhuang dropped the phone and ran away. The phone was hanging, and Xiaoying's mother's voice came out from the receiver: "Hello? Hello?" Xiaozhuang ran like a gust of wind through the crowds, across the playground of the Drama Academy, and towards the office building, Xiao Zhuang hurried upstairs to the door marked "Office of the Director's Department". He panted and pushed the door open. The female teacher in her fifties raised her head and looked at him in surprise: "Xiao Zhuang? What's wrong?" Xiao Zhuang stood at the door panting: "Mr. Liu, I want to drop out of school!" Teacher Liu was surprised: "Drop out? Why are you going?" "I want to be a soldier!" "What did you say?" "I want to be a soldier—" Teacher Liu smiled wryly: "This child, how come he suddenly wants to be a soldier?" "I... Anyway, I want to be a soldier..." Teacher Liu was very puzzled: "Don't worry, come here and talk slowly." Xiaozhuang went to Teacher Liu and sat down.Teacher Liu persuaded him patiently: "Do you know how difficult it is to be admitted to the directing department? Why did you give up? Tell me, why do you want to be a soldier?" "me……" "What's wrong?" Xiao Zhuang was heartbroken and said, "My girlfriend has joined the army!" Teacher Liu smiled: "Hey! Then why do you think of going to be a soldier?" "Everyone is saying now that there will be a war in the past few years..." "That's just a legend. Besides, if there is a war, your girlfriend's army may not be on the front line?" "The troops she went to were from the Southeast Theater." Teacher Liu was taken aback for a moment. "That is to say, as long as there is a war in the southeast, their troops..." "I don't know how to tell you these truths. You are only seventeen years old, and your views on many things are immature. War is very complicated, and it doesn't just break out as you imagined." "But if war breaks out, I can't let her go to the front alone!" Teacher Liu was not angry, but a little moved. "I love her." Xiao Zhuang said with a serious face. Teacher Liu looked at Xiaozhuang, but said nothing. Xiao Zhuang looked at Teacher Liu and didn't speak. Teacher Liu smiled: "Are you really willing to leave the drama school? Leave the directing department? This is the art temple that so many young people dream of. Are you really willing?" "What if I... can't bear it? I can take the university exam again, but I only have one love." Teacher Liu thought for a while and said, "It's indeed a difficult problem—but you really caught up with the good time. I heard that the State Higher Education Commission and the Ministry of National Defense have a joint document to reform the military service system. College students can keep their jobs. Joining the army as a student. I thought it had little to do with our school, but I didn't expect you to jump out and join the army!" "Huh? Really?" "I haven't read the specific content yet. How about this, you go back first. I'll find the document and have a look. If it meets the situation, I will find a way to suspend you from school." "Thank you, Teacher Liu!" Xiao Zhuang was almost elated. "Don't thank me first. I really think that you children who entered the directing department of the Drama Academy directly from the high school campus should have more tempering in life. Go to the army to make a living, and you will grow up and learn to use mature eyes. Look at the world around you—it is impossible to become an excellent director without tempering in life.” "It is very good that you have the idea of ​​joining the army. I believe it will become the most precious wealth in your life." Xiao Zhuang with long hair stared blankly at Mr. Liu, apparently still unable to understand the deep meaning of these words.