018
As the sun rises, an old man in black coarse clothes drives an ox cart slowly forward on the bumpy and winding path.
There were two soldiers in military uniforms sitting on the ox cart. One of them sat upright with a righteous look on his face, while the other had a leaky straw hat covering his face. He was humming an unknown tune and lying on the ox cart with his legs crossed. He did not look like a soldier at all.
"Company...Company Commander, our squad leader said that a soldier should behave like a soldier: stand like a pine tree, sit like a bell, and walk like the wind. You are bringing shame to our People's Liberation Army."
It's so embarrassing.
This was the first time he had encountered such an unruly soldier since he joined the army. While Liu Mianli was speaking, he glanced at the fellow villager driving the carriage in front, trying to persuade Xiao Li to sit up properly and not embarrass himself in front of his fellow villagers.
"Don't come near me, I'm going to take a nap." Xiao Li is a typical hedonist who doesn't care about his face at all. Now riding in the ox cart and feeling the breeze makes him feel relaxed, and his originally tense mood is relaxed a lot.
Xiao Li closed his eyes slightly on the ox cart after he finished speaking, and the image of himself in the mirror when he was in the army emerged in his mind:
His face is as handsome as a sculpture, with distinct features and angular features. Under a pair of sword-like eyebrows are a pair of slender peach blossom eyes that will make people fall in love with them at any time. He has a high nose and red lips of moderate thickness, which make up a fair and handsome young man.
The person outside the mirror was so immersed in his own handsomeness that he completely ignored the severe dark circles under his peach-shaped eyes and the pale face caused by long-term malnutrition. He was even very satisfied with his appearance, and a dazzling smile appeared on his face when he looked at the mirror.
I don’t know if it’s because of the combination of Xiao Li’s nonchalant and rogue temperament, but this smile makes his originally handsome appearance look a little unruly.
"Hey, this look is simply amazing. It will seduce so many girls. It's really a huge profit!"
After four years of hanging around in Xiaoli, he finally saw his own appearance clearly. Looking at the person in the mirror, he nodded with satisfaction. He was indeed the top-notch fresh meat written by Laozi. This appearance would definitely make him a top star in the future...
"Just a little thinner." His height of 187 cm made him look like a bamboo pole, as if he would fall down with a gust of wind.
After pondering for a moment, Xiao Li lifted up his clothes.
He revealed a slightly thin but well-defined figure with eight abdominal muscles. It was hard to imagine that this man who looked like a soft scholar had such a good figure.
"You're still too thin." Xiao Li frowned, completely losing his smug look. "Your body is too depleted. You must replenish your body."
Long-term insomnia and a lack of protein such as fruits and vegetables have caused Xiao Li to be severely malnourished. In fact, most soldiers who participated in this war were in the same situation as Xiao Li, and some were even more seriously malnourished.
Xiao Li thought for a long time in front of the mirror, and finally decided to set off back to the Xiao family in Beijing, so that his family in this life would feel good about him and buy him some good things to nourish him.
"Captain, Captain, we're here."
So fast?
Liu Mianli's voice came to his ears, Xiao Li opened his eyes and looked around, they had indeed entered the city.
He jumped off the oxcart, straightened his clothes, looked at the fellow who was driving the oxcart, and said with a faint smile: "Fellow villager, how much is it?"
In 1954, the Jiefang brand car had not yet been manufactured. Most Chinese people's means of transportation were mainly walking. A few people from well-off families could afford bicycles, and some people took buses, horse carriages, ox carts, etc.
"How can I ask you for money? That's not possible, that's not possible." The owner of the ox cart was an old man in his fifties, whom Xiao Li and his companions met on the way. When he saw Xiao Li and his companions in military uniforms, he enthusiastically offered to give them a ride. When he heard that Xiao Li and his companions wanted to give them money, the old man drove the ox cart away.
"How can I ask you PLA soldiers for money? It's an honor to drive you!" The old man took a puff of his pipe, looking a little excited. "When I go back to the village, I'll tell the villagers that my car has driven the PLA soldiers. They will be so jealous."
With the news of victory in the Korean War, the recognition and social status of the People's Liberation Army have increased a lot, and soldiers have a very high prestige in the hearts of the people. Now, if a family has a soldier, it is a big deal in the village and they are very respected.
The People's Liberation Army defends the country and sacrifices for the people. How can he accept money? The old man firmly stated that he does not want any money.
"Old comrade, the army has regulations that prohibit taking even a single needle or thread from the people." Liu Mianli took out a five-cent coin from his pocket and put it in the old man's hand. "If you don't accept it, we will be violating the regulations and will be punished."
"All right then." To prevent Xiao Li and the other PLA soldiers from being punished, the old man finally accepted the money. Before leaving, he reluctantly said to Xiao Li and the other two, "PLA comrades, when you pass by our village, you must come to my house for dinner. My wife may not be good at anything else, but she is an expert at cooking."
The carriage gradually moved away. Xiao Li smiled and said, "Lovely old man."
He hadn't felt this kind of human touch for a long time. The current social environment made people simple and honest, unlike later generations where people became more indifferent. It always felt like everyone was busy but didn't know what they were busy with. When neighbors met, they didn't even know who each other was...
"Is this the Military Region General Hospital?"
It's too broken!
The Military Region General Hospital is not the high-rise building you imagine, but rather rows of flat houses. If it weren't for the sign "XX Military Region General Hospital" outside the door, it would be hard to give the impression that this is a hospital.
Because this place doesn't really look like a hospital, the rows of connected bungalows give it the feel of a small village.
"Yes, Captain Xiao, this is the largest, most fully-equipped and most powerful hospital here." Unlike Xiao Li, Liu Mianli's face was full of pride when he talked about the Military Region General Hospital.
They were not idle during the battle on the front line. Because the hospital's inpatient department was not large enough, the army sent them to support it. They built the hospital's inpatient department with their own hands. Watching it slowly develop, Liu Mianli always felt an indescribable sense of pride.
"Captain Xiao, the people you are looking for should be in the inpatient department. Let's go directly to the inpatient department. I am familiar with that place." Just as Liu Mianli said, he was very familiar with the inpatient department. After making many twists and turns, they found the inpatient department and the two of them quickly found the ward of the support troops.
When Xiao Li found the people, a group of volunteers were gathered by the window drinking secretly. When they heard someone opening the door, they were so scared that they quickly threw the wine in their hands out and pretended to be chatting with their arms around each other.
"You treat people as fools. Haven't you heard the story of the man who covered his ears to steal the bell?" Xiao Li smelled a strong smell of alcohol as he entered the room. Looking at the fools with their backs to him, Xiao Li was deeply worried about their IQ.
The smell of alcohol was so strong that he could smell it in the corridor, and even if he was hiding, he could still follow the smell to find it.
"You're drinking alcohol secretly before your wound has healed. Do you really want to get better?"
"Reiko, why are you here? Aren't you locked up?" When they found out that the person who came was not a medical staff member who was making rounds, they were no longer afraid and even jumped out of the window to pick up the wine.
This is the treasure they have worked so hard to get. If someone picks it up, they will have no wine to satisfy their cravings.
Xiao Li walked over and snatched the half-drunk bottle of wine from Wang Gang's hand, unscrewed the cap and took a big sip. Seeing a familiar face again, he seemed to relax completely, exuding joy. He shook the bottle in his hand and said, "This wine is mine."
"No, Reiko. We finally got this, and we've been hiding it and not wanting to drink it."
"You have no idea how scary these young nurses in the hospital are. They have to take care of everything every day, and even have to drink secretly. It's so uncomfortable." They were scared when they thought of those young nurses. They looked like gentle girls, but when they got angry, they were more ferocious than the tigress at home. As a result, they didn't dare to drink openly.
"The nurses are doing this for your own good. Alcohol will affect wound healing. You hide away and drink every day. Do you really want to get better?" Xiao Li was angry when he saw that they did not take care of their bodies.
After the words were spoken, everyone fell silent.
"It's not going to heal." Wang Gang, leaning on crutches with his broken leg, sat down next to Xiao Li with difficulty, saying with limited emotion, "After a few days of recuperation, I will be discharged from the army and go home to farm. Lizi, this may be the last time we see each other in this life."
"Yes, we've discussed it these past few days. We all feel that since it can't be cured, it's better not to cause trouble for D and the country."
"Have you all thought it through?"
"What's there to think about?" Wang Gang tapped his injured leg with his crutch. "My leg is useless. I can't stay in the army. It's better to retire. I can spend more time with my wife and children."
The ward became a little dull when the topic of retirement was discussed. Except for Xiao Li and Liu Mianli who was hiding aside as an invisible man, the injuries of others were quite serious. The current limited medical conditions could not cure the disease completely, so what they talked about most these days was what they could do after returning home with their disabilities.
They are ready to leave at any time and will never cause any trouble to the country.
"Retreat, it's better to retreat."
The situation in China is tense now, and there are many spies in the country. Leaving the army and going home to be with your parents, family, wife, and children is better than staying in the army with your head on the line.
Xiao Li also wanted to retire from the army. In fact, he had already written the application for retirement when he was locked up in the small dark room, but he just never submitted it.
This time, his superiors gave him three months off, and he wanted to use this time to carefully consider his next steps...
"Lizi, after we retire, you have to work hard and strive to become a general." They knew that Xiaoli was different from them. Xiaoli was much better than them in terms of family background, education and military exploits. If he were not too young and had insufficient experience, he would have been promoted and reused as soon as he joined the army.
Chang Xiaoli performed outstandingly on the battlefield this time. As long as he doesn't seek death, his future will be limitless.
"It's the general's place, forget it." I'm afraid I'll die trying to get it!
All the current generals in Xinhua Country have made great military achievements. He doesn't want to live in fear every day just to gain military merits to become a general.
Isn’t it good to live a simple life... Why do you have to set such ambitious goals for yourself?
He, Xiaoli, is the male protagonist's younger brother. Wouldn't it be nice for him to just stay at home and be a salted fish, drinking tea and fishing?
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