Chapter 71
Ever since Xiao Li learned Qian Fangyan was the heroine, he'd been replaying the original novel's plot over and over again. The hero, who single-handedly shouldered the responsibility after his elder brother's sacrifice and carved out a new world, couldn't be buried in obscurity just because of his arrival. Even if Xiao Ming hadn't donned a military uniform, he could have shone in other fields and become a prominent figure in his field.
The dinner table is always a good place for heart-to-heart talks. During dinner, Xiao Li placed a piece of braised pork in Xiao Ming's bowl and casually asked, "You're already quite grown up, and your sister-in-law has been talking about finding a wife for you lately. Tell me, what are your plans for the future?"
Xiao Ming paused as he ate the rice, his eyes wandering for a few seconds before he suddenly put down his chopsticks, straightened his back, looked at Xiao Li, and said solemnly, as if he was swearing an oath: "Brother, I want to go to the battlefield."
Xiao Li tightened his grip on the chopsticks.
"Although I'm not a soldier," Xiao Ming continued, a strange glint in his eyes, "I want to interview the heroes who defended our country and let the people of the country know their stories."
The dinner table fell silent. Xiao Li looked at his brother in silence for a long time before he sighed softly, "I'll tell Grandpa and the others."
"Thank you, brother!" Xiao Ming stood up suddenly and almost fell over the bench behind him.
That night, Xiao Li sat in his study for a long time. He deeply disapproved of Xiao Ming's decision to go to that place where bullets raged, but it was his brother's own choice, and he should respect it. After thinking it through, he made a long-distance call back to Beijing and told his father everything about Xiao Ming's intentions.
There was a long silence on the other end of the line before the old general's hoarse voice came: "I'm old, and I can't bear to see my younger brother die." He paused, his tone filled with helpless compromise, "If Xiao Ming is determined to go, let him go. Tell that kid, our Xiao family doesn't ask for any of you to achieve great things, we only ask that you two brothers live in peace."
The general who had once fought bravely on the battlefield finally acknowledged his aging. He knew he couldn't protect his children forever; they would have to find their feet on their own. But deep down, he couldn't express his selfish desire to keep them under his wings, and in the end, he only let out a long sigh.
Xiao Li hung up the phone, feeling a weight on his chest. He told Xiao Ming exactly what the old man had said. Some decisions ultimately had to be made by the people involved. They weren't the kind of feudal patriarchs who took care of everything. Ultimately, Xiao Ming had to walk his own path.
"Really...really?" Xiao Ming's eyes widened in disbelief. He knew his family didn't want him anywhere near the battlefield—his eldest brother was already in uniform, and he, the youngest, was supposed to stay home. As a child, he'd always envied his brother's ability to carry a rifle, wishing he could be a hero, but after seeing his brother return from the battlefield, those hopes faded. He even secretly wondered if he could shoulder the entire Xiao family's burden if anything happened to his eldest brother.
"If you regret it, it's not too late to change your mind now." Xiao Li looked at him with a calm tone.
"No regrets!" Xiao Ming waved his hands hastily, his eyes shining brightly. "I want to be a war correspondent. I've already written my application to the newspaper. I want to get to the front lines as soon as possible and interview those soldiers."
"Have you thought it through?" Xiao Li's voice deepened, "That's a battlefield. Guns and cannons have no eyes. You could die at any time." He felt a little regretful now. He could go to the battlefield, but he couldn't bear to see his family members in danger. He felt very conflicted.
"I know!" Xiao Ming's eyes became more determined. "I was born into a military family. Although I didn't join the army, I am also a soldier. It's just that the 'guns' in our hands are different."
He raised his hand and patted the camera hanging around his neck, which was shining from being rubbed. "When I was learning this business, I remembered a saying: If you can't stop the war, then tell the truth to the world. Brother, I want to take my 'gun' and record those soldiers fighting on the battlefield, so that the people will know who is taking the bullet for them, so that more people can see the cruelty of war, the hardship of life, and... the greatness of our great leader!"
After listening to this, Xiao Li's throat moved. After a while, he raised his hand, patted his shoulder, and turned to walk out.
Yes, everyone has their own ideals and ambitions. One has to forge their own path. If someone is determined to serve the motherland, then let him go for it.
The little fat boy who always followed me crying has really grown up.
Xiao Ming's application was approved quickly. On the day of departure, he stood beside the truck, his bag on his back, receiving the starry-eyed admiration of several children. Before getting on the truck, he subconsciously glanced back and seemed to see a familiar figure walking towards him, but the truck had already started, so he didn't see who it was.
Xiao Li followed his gaze and turned back to see Qian Fangyan among a group of people wearing military uniforms and educated youth uniforms. She was looking at the truck going away, her eyes full of confusion, and it was unknown what she was thinking.
Xiao Li deeply resented this "female protagonist." Before he transmigrated into this book, he considered her a mere figment of his imagination. Even when someone criticized her values, he would simply add a note in the copy: "The values expressed in this article do not represent the author's opinions." But when all this became real, he realized how despicable her actions were.
Back at the office, Xiao Li immediately issued an order to strengthen the management of the Corps' educated youth. After this order was passed down through the ranks, many soldiers who had been interested in the female educated youth team gave up their interest. Even Xiao Ming, who was dating someone, didn't dare to leave the barracks to meet anyone. This frightened Qian Fangyan, who was desperate to cultivate a relationship, so much so that she spent her days wandering around the perimeter of the unit, pretending to be waiting for someone.
Qian Fangyan had been feeling something was off lately. The "Xiao Ming" she remembered didn't match the General Xiao she'd seen from afar. This Xiao Ming was too ordinary—a mere squad leader at twenty-two, and his family didn't seem like they came from a cadre background. Was this really the awe-inspiring General Xiao of the future?
She was now completely obsessed with meeting him, but in reality, she was trying to inquire about his family's details indirectly. If she found the right future General Xiao, she wouldn't mind temporarily putting aside her pride, embracing the revolutionary slogan of "fearless of hardship and fatigue," and staying with him for a few years. But what if she found the wrong man? Wouldn't all her efforts be wasted? Thinking over this, Qian Fangyan circled the camp three times, stomping her feet as she stared at the closed gate, her forced smile barely holding.
It just so happened that the army was under martial law, so there was no chance to meet, let alone even to convey a message.
The New China was established just over a decade ago and is now facing internal and external troubles. There are constant wars of varying sizes on the borders, people in most parts of the country are suffering from famine, and spies from various countries lurking in the dark are constantly stirring up trouble, making things even more difficult for this newly established country.
News from the front line kept coming back, and Xiao Li was busy until late every day. Like many officers in the army, he had not seen his family and children for a long time.
Today, news came that medical staff had died on the front line and new medical staff were urgently needed to be sent from the rear. A group of soldiers were also evacuated from the front line, and a new group of soldiers will set off together with the new medical staff. Now Xiaoli and a group of people are sitting together to discuss which regiment to send out this time.
Several regiment commanders vied with each other to express that there were many talented people in their regiments and they were striving to get the job of killing the enemy and making meritorious contributions. They had no fear of war at all, only the determination to serve the motherland, and just like the older generation of revolutionary martyrs, they deeply loved this country.
"It's our regiment's turn this time. We have good fighters in our regiment. The first place in the last army competition was from our regiment. He's a sharpshooter. What's the point of having him stay in the rear every day? Good guns will get rusty." The dark-skinned and burly man spoke with such a loud voice that Xiao Li's ears were buzzing, and his saliva was flying out when he was excited.
Xiao Li rubbed his ears, which were ringing from the noise. After a discussion, they finally said to the man, "Let's go with the 303rd Regiment. Have the kitchen staff prepare an extra meal today so the children can have a good one. I'll see them off tomorrow when they leave."
"Yes!" The commander of the 303rd Regiment saluted happily and turned away excitedly, ready to make those bastards waiting in the regiment happy and ask them to write letters or something.
Before dawn the next day, Xiao Li rushed to the location of the 303rd Regiment. The soldiers were already ready and standing beside the car with serious expressions, waiting for the leader's order.
When Xiao Li arrived, the commander of the 303rd Regiment followed him and introduced his soldiers to him: "Brigade Xiao, our regiment is sending out the best soldiers this time. We guarantee that they can beat the old Russians so hard that their butts will be bruised and they will go home crying to their mothers."
Xiao Li rolled his eyes at him and said, "It's just a minor friction. You don't need to fight to the death. Don't fight to the death when you encounter danger."
The commander of the 303rd Regiment cursed silently in his heart, thinking that the new brigade commander was a coward who was afraid of death. He didn't show it. He pointed to a female comrade in the team wearing a military uniform and carrying a medical kit and said proudly, "This is the new doctor in our army hospital. Her medical skills are quite impressive. I heard that we need medical personnel this time. Please apply to join our team. With Doctor Wang joining us, our soldiers will definitely come back intact."
Xiao Li glanced at Wang Xuemei standing in the medical team and quickly looked away. He knew that she had applied to go to the front line, and he had approved the application. She had her own career and ideals. Even if she was unwilling, he could not selfishly stop her from moving forward.
"Lv Xiao, this is the first place in the military district competition I mentioned yesterday. He's a good candidate." The commander of the 303rd Regiment pulled out a young man of about 25 or 26 years old from the team. The young soldier was a little over 1.7 meters tall, not very tall, but had the unique temperament of a soldier. His square face made him look clean and neat.
Xiao Li looked at the other person in a daze, as if he saw the squad leader Liu Zhi who had been sacrificed many years ago. Then he heard the voice of the commander of the 303rd Regiment: "Liu Jun, this is our new brigade commander."
Liu Jun, Liu Zhi!
Can will really be passed down?
Military trucks passed by Xiao Li, with a group of young soldiers sitting in the trucks. Xiao Li looked at the people in the trucks without blinking, trying to see their vivid faces as clearly as possible, remember them deeply in his mind, and hope to see them again next time.
"Let's go." The car drove away. Dong Shiyi patted Xiao Li's shoulder and turned around with a heavy heart. No one could understand how heavy their hearts were at this moment as they sent a group of young people to the battlefield.
"I'll have to trouble my sister-in-law to take care of the children at home."
"Hey, what's this?"
The distant reveille suddenly pierced the morning mist, like a sharp blade splitting the chaos. The first rays of sunlight climbed along the soldiers' upright figures, tearing a golden-red rift in the sky. At first, it was just a thin thread of light, but in the blink of an eye, it spread across the sky like a tide, washing the inky night back step by step.
The earth's contours gradually emerged in the halo of light. The shadows of the camp's poplar trees were stretched out long, and the frost that had gathered last night shimmered like diamonds on the blades of grass. Sunlight streamed over Xiao Li's combat boots, climbed up the red star on his shoulder, and finally fell on the backs of the group of young soldiers. The folds of their greatcoats shone with golden light, and the metal components of their rifles reflected a dazzling brilliance, as if each of them were coated in a layer of flowing golden armor.
The darkness, hushed only moments ago, gradually melted away, along the corners of walls and the shadows of trees. In the distance, the sound of bellows from the kitchen staff mingled with the intermittent coughs and footsteps, weaving a fine web in the morning light. Xiao Li gazed at the sun-soaked figures and suddenly felt that the light not only fell upon him but penetrated into the very bones of each person, warming the fatigue hidden in his brows and the worry in his eyes into a scorching courage.
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