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In April 1961, a green train carrying educated youth slowly drove towards Province D. Every time the train arrived at a place, a group of energetic youth would get on the train. They talked and imagined the future on the train.
Qian Fangyan sat by the car window, holding her chin with one hand and looking into the distance, her heart full of complaints. She complained that God was unfair. Since he allowed her to be reborn, why didn't he let her come back earlier, but she was reborn when she had already registered to go to the countryside and could not change it.
Qian Fangyan tried every possible way to accomplish this, even borrowing a large sum of money from people around her. Seeing that she really couldn't be kicked out of the educated youth team, she changed her words and said that she wanted to go to the D Province Military Corps as an educated youth. The leader of the educated youth office did not find it difficult to accept her request, and immediately agreed with a stroke of the pen and a stamp.
Looking at the young educated youth around her who were dreaming about the future and fantasizing about having enough food to eat as educated youth, Qian Fangyan couldn't help but sneer. They were a group of fools who were ignorant of the world and only knew how to dream. They really thought that being an educated youth was so easy.
The train soon arrived in Province D. The educated youth got off the train with their luggage. When they saw the People's Liberation Army waiting to pick them up at the station, they rushed over.
Qian Fangyan followed the large group and saw a young soldier in a green military uniform holding a sign in front of her. She followed the group happily. Thinking that she was about to see the person she had been thinking about, she even changed her previous expressionless face. A smile immediately appeared on her cheeks and her expression became richer.
After approaching the young soldier, he asked impatiently, "Comrade, is there a comrade named Xiao Ming in your regiment?"
"Xiao Ming?" Being stared at attentively by a pretty female comrade, the young soldier touched his nose a little embarrassedly, his cheeks flushed. "No... I haven't heard of him."
"No? I... I thought he was here. Because he was serving in the army here, I gave up my job in the city and applied to go to the countryside as an educated youth. I have already fallen out with my family because of this. How could he not be here!" It shouldn't be like this. She has read the biography of General Xiao Ming and he should be in Province D now. How could he not be here!
Thinking that her efforts might be in vain, Qian Fangyan slowly lowered her head with a sad look, and tried hard to recall the information she had seen on the Internet.
Seeing her tearful face, the young soldier looked around helplessly and said nervously, "Hey, comrade, don't cry! There are too many people in our 38th Group Army, and I can't know them all. How about this, you leave me your name, and when I get back I'll ask around and let me know."
When the educated youth around her heard that she had given up her stable job in the city for a gay man, they couldn't help but glance at Qian Fangyan. They saw that she was crying for her lesbian. Many of them immediately thought of a pair of star-crossed lovers who lived in different places and whose parents disapproved of them. Those with rich imaginations even imagined a melodramatic drama in their minds and consoled her:
"Comrade, when we get there, we'll help you find Comrade Xiao. We have strength in numbers, and I'm sure we'll find him soon."
"Yes, don't cry. Since he wrote to tell you the address is here, he definitely couldn't have lied to you. If he really did, we'd write your story and submit it to the newspaper so that the whole country can know about this unfaithful man."
Qian Fangyan wiped her tears with a handkerchief, and while crying, she smiled and whispered to the educated youth around her: "We... our relationship is not what you imagine, it's really not!"
"Yes, yes, we all understand. You are not dating, you are just ordinary classmates and friends." Everyone just said this verbally, but they believed in their hearts that the two were dating and had a good relationship. Otherwise, who would give up a hard-earned iron rice bowl in the city for a classmate with whom they had an ordinary relationship?
Even though they are now calling for going to the countryside to support national construction, this is because there are no units in the city to accept them. If you tell them now that there are units to accept them, they will immediately buy train tickets and run back home. Who really likes to leave their hometown?
"Yes!" Qian Fangyan said shyly, "Thank you for your help. Thank you."
The 38th Group Army was huge, and asking her to search for someone there was like looking for a needle in a haystack. It was unclear whether she would find him. Even more worrying for Qian Fangyan was the fact that Xiao Ming's wife, whom she had mentioned in his biography, was a nurse at the Military Medical Hospital in Province D. If they met and fell in love, she would have to go to the trouble of getting her back, which was truly frustrating.
After arranging the educated youth, the young soldier also reported back to the army. When he had nothing to do, he would help Qian Fangyan inquire about Xiao Ming's whereabouts. A few days passed and no one knew Xiao Ming. Just when the young soldier thought that this person did not exist, someone said to him: "Xiao Ming? Xiao Ming, the squad leader of the 3rd squad, 3rd platoon, 1st battalion, 386th brigade artillery regiment?"
"What do you want from him? Why are you asking around?"
Finally someone knew about it, and the young soldier was overjoyed. "Didn't I pick up a new batch of educated youth a few days ago? His girlfriend was among them. That female comrade asked me to find out about him."
"So what does this have to do with you?"
"Why is it okay?" the young soldier said anxiously, his accent showing. "That female comrade gave up her job in the city for him. I heard she had a falling out with her parents. It must be hard to find a partner with so many soldiers here. What's wrong with me helping her find one? When they become a revolutionary couple in the future, maybe I can even be their guest."
Thinking of the scene where the two people saluted him after their wedding, the little soldier ran away with a happy face. The people who stayed behind scratched their heads in confusion: "How could two people who are so close to each other not know each other's situation and address? It's so strange no matter how I think about it."
Before they could figure it out, the young soldier took advantage of his break to go to the 386th Brigade to look for people. The 38th Army was truly massive, consisting of an infantry brigade, a tank brigade (armored brigade), an artillery brigade, an anti-tank brigade, an anti-aircraft artillery brigade, an air defense brigade, an engineer brigade, a pontoon brigade, a radar brigade, a cavalry brigade, and secondary, non-combat logistics units like the farms that ensured the soldiers' food and water, and the medical staff of the D Province Military Hospital. A single brigade consisted of approximately 7,000 men. Located at the junction of D Province and the Soviet Union, the 38th Army was China's first line of defense against the latter. Consequently, the 38th Army numbered over 70,000 men, a veritable force of thousands.
The young soldier belonged to the 381st Brigade, an infantry brigade in the 38th Army. He jogged all the way to the 386th Brigade and after some inquiries, he finally found the legendary Xiao Ming. He even looked at the other person secretly without making any expression, wanting to see what was so special about the man who made the beautiful female educated youth give up her job in the city and turn against her parents.
The man who came was only slightly taller than him, with fair skin, and was wearing the same military uniform as them. There was nothing special about him. The young soldier couldn't help but think of what his grandmother always said: Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.
"Comrade, what do you want to see me about?" The 386th Brigade had just changed its commander not long ago, and the entire brigade was full of energy. They had to train, get used to the new leadership, and show themselves in front of the new leadership. Therefore, the 386th Brigade's training tasks have been much heavier than before. Because Xiao Ming took over the new brigade commander's family, he inexplicably caught the brigade commander's attention. Recently, his training has been closely watched, and he had no choice but to train with all his might. After the training was finally over and he could take a breath, he heard his comrades say that a soldier from the infantry brigade was looking for him, and he came over without even catching his breath.
"Hello, Squad Leader!" The young soldier saluted casually and then said, "Squad Leader, your girlfriend asked me to tell you that she has settled down on the farm. Please go visit her when you have time."
"My girlfriend?" This confused Xiao Ming. When did he have a girlfriend? When did this happen?
When the comrades around heard about this, they all gathered around and listened attentively. Some even started to make a noise, "Squad Leader Xiao, this is really unkind of you. You didn't even tell us that you have a partner. Why are you still hiding it?"
"Hey, comrade. What does that girl look like? Tell us." Soldiers are in training all year round and don't have any hobbies. If they hear gossip during their breaks, they will come to ask.
"Get lost! Don't you know whether I have a girlfriend or not? Get out of here!" Xiao Ming raised his foot and kicked the person closest to him with a serious face. He was in the army every day. Apart from the female soldiers in the army, doctors and nurses in the hospital, he never saw any other female comrades, let alone the female educated youth on the farm. "Comrade, are you sure she said she is my girlfriend? You can't say that casually. What will happen if you ruin the reputation of a female comrade!"
The young soldier's heart skipped a beat. This guy might be Ximen Qing. The female comrade gave up everything in the city for him. How could he not admit it? It really brought shame to them as soldiers. This scumbag is a scum.
The young soldier was not very old, just seventeen years old this year, at the age when he could speak out when he saw injustice. So he exaggerated and told the story like a love story. In the end, Xiao Ming's comrades around him all called him a scumbag, which made Xiao Ming feel very aggrieved.
When did he get a girlfriend? Can anyone tell him?
Xiao Ming, who was single, was forced to find a partner. He tearfully sent off the indignant young soldier and embarked on the road where his comrades teased him again. "You're quite good, kid. You found a partner without making any noise, and a female comrade even chased you all the way. Not bad!"
"Thank you guys!" People say pie in the sky, but I never thought that one day I would find a partner out of nowhere. Xiao Ming was afraid of affecting the reputation of the lesbian, so he didn't say anything more. He thought that when he had time, he would find the lesbian and ask her what happened.
On the other side, Qian Fangyan received the message brought by the young soldier and was so excited that she couldn't sleep the whole night.
Finally, I'm going to see him!
Madam General, here I come!
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