Chapter 80
The jeeps were speeding through the Gurban Desert. It was noon, the sun was shining brightly, and the dust raised by the three jeeps was flying all over the sky.
This desert is located in the center of the Junggar Basin. It is the largest fixed and semi-fixed desert in China. It is 300-600 meters above sea level and has abundant water sources. Snow accumulates in winter, and after the snow melts in spring, unique short-lived plants will grow in this desert. They will grow and bloom rapidly, creating a unique and beautiful scene of green plants and flowers everywhere in the desert.
Chen Shengqing and Ruan Xiangming were sitting in a jeep with two other soldiers. One was a wireless communications soldier, carrying a wireless device and searching for nearby signals with a beeping sound. The other was an artillery soldier, holding the latest mortar developed by Dongfeng City in my country in his arms. Everyone in the car looked unhappy.
The driver was Chen Shengqing, and his driving skills were fast and fierce. Although the Gurban Desert was not as hilly and difficult to drive as other deserts, Chen Shengqing did not follow the normal road route, but only followed the signals from the signalmen. The car went up and down in the uneven desert terrain, and the speed was so fast that the rear wheels almost flew off. Even well-trained soldiers could not withstand such torment from him.
The car ran over flowers and plants and stopped behind a sand dune blown up by the wind.
Ruan Xiangming opened the car door, and the first thing he did after getting out was to squat beside the car and vomit.
The two soldiers in the back seat got out of the car, their faces looking pale and ugly, but they held back and did not vomit.
Chen Shengqing got off the car, holding a military telescope in his hand, and looked in a certain direction. After a long while, he said to the signalman: "Xiao Tang, how far are we from the enemy?"
Tang Bin squatted down, put the heavy wireless and tracking equipment on his back on the hot sand, and clicked the buttons on the two devices. Then he said, "Reporting to the commander, I can't track their exact location. If nothing unexpected happens, they are only ten kilometers away from us, and they will fly eastward."
Chen Shengqing nodded and said, "Contact the commander of the first battalion and have them disperse and surround them to prevent them from escaping in other directions if we miss."
"Yes." Tang Bin picked up the receiver hanging on the radio and delivered the order: "Dongguai Dongguai, this is Dongmo, please drive to the left at 15 o'clock. Please answer if you get it, please answer if you get it!"
"I received your instructions. I will execute them immediately. Over."
"Dong San Dong San, I'm Dong Yi, please drive to the right at 45 o'clock. Please reply if you get it, please reply if you get it!"
"Dong San received, heading to destination, over."
The two jeeps that had been following them about 200 meters away drove in the designated direction after receiving the order, and soon disappeared from sight.
"Captain Ruan, are you okay?" Chen Shengqing put down his binoculars and asked Ruan Xiangming.
Ruan Xiangming is no longer the squad leader of the recruit company. He has been transferred to the cavalry battalion by Chen Shengqing and serves as the company commander of the first company of the cavalry battalion.
Although Ruan Xiangming looks chubby and honest, he has a calm personality, quick reactions, sharp long-range vision, and a 95% accuracy rate in shooting, making him the undisputed sharpshooter of the entire border defense department.
Chen Shengqing was very fond of talents like Ruan Xiangming and had been promoting him. He would basically take him with him every time he went on a mission, allowing him to make many military achievements. That was why he was promoted from a small squad leader to a company commander in just a few years.
"I'm fine." Ruan Xiangming supported himself on his knees. After vomiting, he wiped his mouth with his hands, stood up and said, "Damn it, those bastards are really good at hiding. We killed three flies and the others flew back. Only they have been wandering around our border territory and dealing with us for almost two months. They haven't left yet. Are they provoking us? Do they think we can't beat them? Where did they get so much oil?"
The sun made the sand on the ground glow white. Chen Shengqing looked at the endless desert in the distance, where a small vortex of wind and sand gradually gathered.
The dry air made Chen Shengqing's sweat-soaked clothes itchy and uncomfortable. He frowned and said, "A dust storm is coming. We have to get rid of the fly as soon as possible, otherwise we will be trapped here."
Ruan Xiangming and artillery, strike and hand Wu Yuanrui all looked at the small vortex of wind and sand with serious expressions.
There are sandstorms in the desert, and it would be very dangerous for them to be caught in the sandstorm without large sand hills and rocks to hide behind.
At that time, their vision was obstructed and they could not abandon the country's important vehicle resources. They had to guard the jeep and wait for the sandstorm to pass. If they were not careful, their lives would be lost here.
Tang Bin was squatting on the ground searching for signals without distraction. When the wireless device made a rapid beeping sound, Tang Bin stood up and said, "Reporting to the commander, we have found their exact location. It is about two kilometers in front of us. Should we go there immediately?"
Chen Shengqing fell silent. The small vortex of a sandstorm that was about to form was right in front of them. If they chased it now, they would inevitably be trapped in the sandstorm. By then, not to mention completing the mission, even finding the target would be a problem.
But they have been tracking this fly for almost two months. According to the information provided by Ling Goldman, this fly is carrying an elite Soviet team equipped with heavy bombs. Once they find the exact location of the oil field, they will bomb it without hesitation and destroy all the equipment in the oil field.
Therefore, no matter what the cost, they must defeat this fly that harms the country's oil fields in order to successfully complete the mission.
Chen Shengqing thought about it again and again, raised his hand and said, "Get in the car, take everything you have, and get ready for the battle."
The three men were startled and looked down to see if their guns and ammunition were properly loaded. Then they took their weapons and equipment and got into the car.
The car started, and Chen Shengqing asked Tang Bin to contact the other two vehicles, heading towards the exact location Tang Bin had just discovered, and asked them to be prepared to deal with the sandstorm.
The car continued driving on the stretch of desert. Under the sunlight, the low vegetation and blooming flowers growing everywhere in the desert emitted a strange light, making it difficult for people to tell whether they were in the desert or not.
Such beautiful scenery was so stunning that even Chen Shengqing, who was on a mission and had a wide range of experience, could not help but be impressed by the short-lived and unique beauty of the Gurban Desert.
He wondered how Yang Qiujin and Chen Tianyou would feel if they saw such a beautiful desert scene. Would they find it novel and beautiful?
He drove the jeep around the vortex and headed towards his target.
According to his experience, it would take some time from the start of the wind to the actual arrival of the sandstorm, because the formation of a sandstorm requires a process, which is divided into the core area and the periphery of the sandstorm eye. He was not sure whether the small vortex just now was the core area of the sandstorm, so he would try to avoid it if possible.
They traveled in the desert for about an hour. The sunny weather suddenly turned gloomy, the air began to become impetuous, and a strong wind blew in the desert, blowing sand and stones and hitting the car body, making crackling and banging sounds.
The car now encountered resistance and was no longer as smooth as before.
Chen Shengqing's face was solemn. He heard the battalion commander in the back seat contact Tang Bin and said, "Deputy Commander Chen, a sandstorm is coming. Should we continue to move forward or find a place to take shelter nearby?"
Chen Shengqing asked Tang Bin: "How far are we from our goal?"
Tang Bin said: "Less than half a kilometer."
Chen Shengqing pursed his lips and gritted his teeth before making a decision: "Captain of the First Battalion, continue to move towards the goal. We cannot miss this opportunity again. We must get rid of this fly before we can complete our mission and return home."
"receive."
Go home! They have been tracking outside for more than two months and are exhausted. They want to return to the unit and have a good rest.
The wind and sand became stronger and stronger, and the sandstorm officially began to rage within an area of hundreds of kilometers. Countless winds and waves swept the fine sand in the desert everywhere. The originally gloomy sky was soon covered by the yellow sand that covered the sky. The jeep driving in it was like being bumped on the waves and could be overturned by the strong wind at any time.
Everyone in the car nervously raised one hand to hold the handlebars on the roof, ready to be swept away by the sandstorm at any time.
At this time, Ruan Xiangming, who was sitting in the co-pilot seat, suddenly pointed in a direction and said, "Deputy Commander Chen, the flies are over there!"
Chen Shengqing looked in the direction he pointed, and in the blurred yellow sand, a dozen military tents were vaguely visible in the distance.
There were more than a dozen military vehicles parked next to the tent. As if to resist the sandstorm, their vehicles surrounded the tent. In the middle of the tent, there was a small Soviet-made military helicopter.
Chen Shengqing was shocked and said to Tang Bin, "Contact the battalion commander and have them surround us and kill us. If there is a chance, leave two alive and take them back for a thorough interrogation."
He turned to the other two and said, "Get ready for battle!"
Ruan Xiangming put down the sniper rifle on his back and checked the calibration port and the bullets in the magazine.
Wu Yuanrui loaded the huge cannon and ammunition from a loading box under his feet into the mortar gun, then carried the gun on his shoulder, ready to fire at any time.
After Tang Bin contacted the battalion commander and his men with a radio, he helped Wu Yuanrui stabilize the mortar and artillery in the bumpy car with one hand, and held the handle of the car with the other hand. As long as Chen Shengqing gave the order, he would open the window and let Wu Yuanrui shoot.
The wind and sand were raging, the car was blocked and the body of the car was shaking continuously. The muscles on Chen Shengqing's arms were bulging. He held the steering wheel, fighting against the power of nature, and his feet pressed the accelerator hard. No matter how the car shook, under his control, it moved little by little towards the location of the tents.
Soon, the tent cars appeared completely in their sight. The other side seemed to have noticed their presence. A leading Soviet man was chattering and gesticulating.
Ruan Xiangming saw with his sharp eyes that they took out weapons and were about to shoot at them. He thought Chen Shengqing would stop driving and let them find a safe area to hide before fighting the other side.
Unexpectedly, Chen Shengqing stepped on the accelerator and rushed forward, while giving them orders: "Open the window and shoot!"
"Swish--" Tang Bin opened the right rear door of the car.
A fierce gust of wind blew into the car, and yellow sand covered the surface, making it impossible to open your eyes.
But Wu Yuanrui stood still without blinking, and no matter how the car shook in the sandstorm, he was focused on pulling the trigger towards the approaching Soviet camp.
"Boom--" the mortar and artillery bomb flew out with a dull sound and hit the enemy's helicopter that was surrounded. The heat wave from the explosion of the bomb blew the enemy's helicopter into pieces. The people in the plane were killed directly and the people nearby were blown away, screaming one after another.
However, a dozen Soviet soldiers who were far away were unharmed and hid behind the car, shooting wildly at Chen Shengqing and his jeep.
Bullets fired crackling sounds, breaking the window of their jeep instantly, blowing out one of the tires, and sparks flying from other parts of the car.
Chen Shengqing, who barely dodged the bullet, did not dare to stop the car and become a sitting duck. He stepped on the accelerator, and as the car swayed and made a harsh friction sound, he shouted, "Tang Bin, you drive, I'll attract their firepower. Captain Ruan and Platoon Leader Wu, you are responsible for shooting them all down!"
"Yes!" Tang Bin was a wireless communications soldier. His combat and shooting skills were far inferior to those of the other people in the car. After he hurriedly helped Wu Yuanrui fill the gaps, hits, and bullets, he quickly put down the communications equipment on his back, and then climbed from the back seat to the driving position to stabilize the steering wheel.
Chen Shengqing saw him grab the steering wheel, bent down to take a rifle from under his armpit, opened the car door, and jumped out.
He rolled several times in the raging sand, then stood up and ran quickly to the left, firing as he ran to attract the enemy's firepower.
Ruan Xiangming was terrified when he saw this scene. He knew in his heart that Chen Shengqing was risking his life to attract firepower and buy them time. They must end the battle in the shortest time possible, otherwise Chen Shengqing's life would be in danger.
He took a few deep breaths, rolled down the car window, placed the sniper rifle in his hand on the window, put his eyes close to the aiming lens, and steadied the gun in the blurry sand and the violent ups and downs of the car, and pulled the trigger towards the Soviet soldiers who were shooting.
"Bang!" A gunshot rang out, and a Soviet soldier fell down with a headshot.
"Boom--" Wu Yuanrui fired the second burst of artillery fire. The opponent's tent was blown away, and screams were heard incessantly.
But the other side was not easy to deal with. After they launched the attack, they also took out heavy weapons and attacked their jeeps and Chen Shengqing who was running and shooting everywhere.
"Boom--" A mortar shell exploded next to the jeep, and the car was almost overturned by the heat wave. Tang Bin used all his strength to stabilize the car and drove around the enemy's garrison.
At this time, the wind and sand were getting stronger and stronger, and the sandstorm was approaching. Tang Bin broke out in a cold sweat because he was trying hard to turn the steering wheel.
Chen Shengqing also braved the storm in the raging sand, running and shooting everywhere, getting closer and closer to the opponent's base.
Several times, he lost his balance and was blown to the ground by the strong wind, rolling on the ground.
But each time he would thrust a dagger into the sand, steady himself, and dodge Soviet bullets at an extremely fast speed.
When he was about to run to the enemy's vehicle, a battalion commander and another jeep arrived in time and launched an attack on the Soviet army, making it difficult for the Soviet army to deal with it. Chen Shengqing then bent his body and quickly ran to the front of the enemy.
The other side also noticed his presence, and immediately some took out their guns, some drew their swords, and they became entangled with Chen Shengqing.
The whistling sand blurred his vision and Ruan Xiangming could no longer see Chen Shengqing's exact location. He could only hear the constant sound of cannons, shells and bullets.
The battalion commander's vehicle approached the enemy's base. Six soldiers in the car jumped out and gathered with Chen Shengqing to engage in close combat with the enemy.
In the blurred vision, the flashes of cannons, bullets, and swords kept flashing on the garrison, and the roars and shouts in different languages made people's scalps numb.
"Xiao Tang, drive over!" Ruan Xiangming was extremely anxious when he heard this and ordered Tang Bin to drive towards the enemy camp.
Tang Bin received the order and stepped on the accelerator to head towards the camp, but at this time a whirlwind suddenly attacked them. Tang Bin let out a scream from his throat, but before he could react, he and his car flew into the air.
The situation on Chen Shengqing's side was not optimistic either. They had originally estimated that the Soviet helicopter they were going to shoot down could carry six people at most, but they did not expect that the enemy would be stationed in the heart of the Gurban Desert. The number of people was not less than fifty, and they were all well-trained Soviet elites. Although more than half of them were killed in their bombing, the remaining half were all good close combat experts.
The two sides clashed in wave after wave. Men in plain clothes from different armies fought instinctively in the blurry sand. The sound of gunfire and knives cutting into flesh and drawing blood filled everyone's ears. People kept falling down, while others stood up refusing to admit defeat.
Before dusk, the yellow sand within a radius of 500 meters had already been dyed red with blood. Corpses and body parts were everywhere, looking particularly eerie in the roaring sandstorm.
Soon, the hurricane in the sandstorm swept in front of them. It was too late for the survivors to dig sand nearby to hide.
More than six hours had passed when the dust storm gradually calmed down.
As the sun sets, the Gurban Desert becomes peaceful and tranquil, as if the desert storm not long ago was just an illusion.
With something on her mind, Yang Qiujin was listless and exhausted. The first thing she did when she got home from get off work was to sit on the rocking chair in the middle of the yard and close her eyes to rest.
Li Xiu'e came into the yard carrying two pieces of tender tofu and saw her lying in the yard with a bad complexion. She reached out and touched her forehead and cried out, "Aiya Qiu Jin, why do you have a fever? Get up quickly, mom will take you to the hospital."
Yang Qiujin opened her eyes and touched her forehead. It was indeed terribly hot. She said tiredly, "Mom, there's no need to go to the hospital. I may have caught a cold because I didn't cover myself properly last night. I have a fever. Just wipe my back and armpits with alcohol. I'm pregnant now. I can't take medicine randomly. If I take it, the baby will turn into a monster. The doctors in the hospital won't prescribe medicine for me."
"You can't just keep going like this." Liu Xiu'e helped her up with concern, "I think we should go to the hospital and check our insurance."
"Mom, I won't go. I'll be fine after two days." Yang Qiujin still disagreed, mainly because she didn't have the strength to walk anymore.
"You can't just wait for the disease to heal. If you don't think about yourself, you have to think about the baby in your belly."
When Li Xiu'e herself was sick, she always thought that she could get better by just enduring it, mainly because she didn't want to spend money. But when her daughter-in-law was sick, she became extremely anxious and wanted to immediately take Yang Qiujin to the hospital to see what was going on. She felt that it was worth spending the money on her daughter-in-law.
When the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were arguing, a little girl with an oval face, delicate features, and fair skin appeared at the gate of their yard and called out with a smile, "Grandma Li, Aunt Yang."
She walked into the yard with a familiar manner, and seeing Yang Qiujin's unusually red face, she asked with concern: "Auntie Yang, what's wrong with your face? Why is it so red?"
When Li Xiu'e saw her, she said, "She has a cold and a fever. Xiaotao, you came just in time. Please help grandma persuade your aunt to go to the hospital with grandma to get some medicine."
Xu Tao started showing up at their home after Chen Shengqing left two months ago. At first, she was quite embarrassed to come to their home. She just told them that Chen Tianyou had helped her a lot and she wanted to repay him. She would run to their home after school every day and help Li Xiu'e with laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc. After a few visits, the two sides became familiar with each other.
Li Xiu'e saw that Xu Tao was diligent and sensible. Every time after she prepared a meal for her, no matter how Li Xiu'e tried to persuade her to stay, Xu Tao was unwilling to stay for dinner and would run back to her home unconsciously. Not long after, she would be beaten by her stepmother and stepfather until her body was covered with bruises. Li Xiu'e felt sorry for Xu Tao very much and would secretly give her money and food and daily necessities every time. Seeing this sensible girl coming, she felt like she had gained a new lobbyist.
Xu Tao hesitated for a moment and said, "Grandma Li, my stepmother also caught a cold when she was pregnant with my brother. She went to the hospital to get medicine, but the doctor refused, saying that he was afraid that the medicine would hurt the child."
"Ah?" Li Xiu'e was confused. "Then I can't take Western medicine, but I can take Chinese medicine, right?"
She has always been in good health and seldom gets sick. She has no idea whether pregnant women can take medicine.
Xu Tao said: "I think it's better not to eat it."
"Then your aunt has to endure this. How miserable it must be."
"Grandma Li, don't worry. I heard that applying ice cubes to the forehead can reduce the temperature. I'll go get some ice cubes for Aunt Yang and let her apply it." As she said this, she hurried away with her schoolbag on her back.
"Hey? Where did you get the ice?" Li Xiu'e chased out and asked.
"What's wrong, grandma? Xu Tao came to our house again?" Chen Tianyou, who was on duty today and came back from school earlier than other classmates, asked when he saw Li Xiu'e.
In the past two months, Xu Tao has been working like crazy at his home, and many rumors have spread from his family compound and classmates at school, which have troubled him greatly.
He had privately approached Xu Tao many times, asking her not to come to his house to work anymore. She always agreed with a smile on her face, but then continued to come again. Chen Tianyou was helpless and speechless.
Li Xiu'e nodded: "She saw that your mother had a fever and said she wanted to get some ice to cool her down. It's the end of April now and the snow has melted long ago. Where can she get ice?"
Chen Tianyou frowned slightly. "I remember there was a refrigerator in the canteen of the army camp. It was imported and had ice in it, but it was only for the soldiers of the army. Did she go to the quartermaster of the army to ask for ice? Can she enter the army?"
Compared with the inland areas, the border areas are still very backward. Even military officers do not have the designated tickets and money to purchase large household appliances such as refrigerators.
Only the army canteen applied to the higher authorities for permission to store food, and after approval, it obtained a large refrigerator from the Soviet Union.
The quartermaster would make some frozen sugar water, sour plum soup and the like to cool down the soldiers in the summer. Some officers were reluctant to drink them and would take them home to feed their children, so everyone knew that the army canteen had a large refrigerator.
The quartermaster treasured that refrigerator very much. Except for the people in the kitchen company, no one else could even touch it. Asking the quartermaster for some ice was as difficult as climbing to the sky.
Wang Songyue, who went home from school with him, or rather, waited for him after school, saw that Chen Tianyou had a worried look on his face. A barely perceptible expression flashed across his delicate and beautiful face, and she felt extremely sour in her heart.
She pulled the heavy bag strap and whispered, "Tianyou, I'm going home first. If you have any questions, come find me later."
"Okay, you can go back." Chen Tianyou said gently.
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