Chapter 75 Division
The jeep bumped along the Gobi Desert road, kicking up clouds of yellow dust in its wake.
Shu Ran gripped the handle on the bicycle frame tightly, her body still bouncing up and down with the bumpy road.
"Teacher Shu, hold on tight!" the young soldier in the driver's seat shouted, his voice muffled by the wind noise. "This road is like this, we call it the 'shaky road,' it'll just keep swaying and you'll get there!"
Shu Ran forced a smile, her gaze sweeping across the boundless Gobi Desert outside the window. Occasionally, clumps of drought-resistant camel thorn and tamarisk bushes would flit by, tenaciously taking root and growing in the Gobi.
"Comrade, how should I address you?" she asked, raising her voice.
"My name is Xiao Li, and I'm from the transport company of the division headquarters!" The young soldier adjusted his military cap with one hand. "Officer Chen specially arranged for me to pick you up!"
Upon hearing the name "Commissioner Chen," Shu Ran's heart skipped a beat. "Special Envoy Chen... is he going back to the division headquarters?"
"No! Officer Chen is still on standby at the livestock company." Xiao Li skillfully steered the wheel, avoiding a deep pothole. "I heard things are getting tense on the border again, with enemy agents active. The security department has to keep a close eye on them."
Shu Ran frowned, recalling the previous explosion and sabotage by enemy agents: "It's so dangerous, why does he have to stay in the livestock company? Doesn't the division headquarters need him more?"
Xiao Li chuckled: "Teacher Shu, you don't understand! The livestock company is close to the border, making it the easiest place to find out the situation. Officer Chen is a veteran of the border defense; I heard he was a reconnaissance soldier on the battlefield, and he's best at operating around the border. How could his abilities be demonstrated in the division headquarters office?"
The car suddenly jolted violently, and Shu Ran quickly grabbed the seat.
"I'm sorry, Teacher Shu, this is just how the road is!" Xiao Li scratched his head sheepishly. "Actually, Officer Chen has an office at the division headquarters, but he rarely stays there. We all say he's an officer on horseback, either in the mountains or running on the Gobi Desert."
Shu Ran seemed lost in thought. She recalled Chen Yuanjiang's always sharp eyes, which certainly didn't seem like the look of someone who sat in an office all year round.
"Then why doesn't he stay at the division headquarters? Why does he have to run around down there?" she couldn't help but continue to ask.
Xiao Li lowered his voice: "I heard they're on some special mission, but I don't know the specifics. We can't ask too much about the security department's affairs. But Officer Chen is a rather special guy. The division headquarters wanted to transfer him back several times, but he always applied to stay. Some people say he's foolish, giving up a comfortable life to go and suffer..."
The young soldier suddenly stopped talking, as if realizing he had said too much, and focused on driving.
Shu Ran didn't press the matter further and turned her gaze to the window. In the distance, where the sky met the earth, rows of poplar trees gradually came into view.
After several hours of bumpy travel, the jeep finally arrived at the division headquarters. Compared to the rudimentary state of the livestock company, it resembled a small town. Neat rows of houses, mostly adobe bungalows, with a few brick and tile structures occasionally appearing.
"That's the division headquarters office building, it was just built last year." Xiao Li pointed to a two-story brick building not far away, his tone filled with pride. "Our division headquarters is becoming more and more impressive!"
Shu Ran gazed at the two-story building, which would seem ordinary in the 21st century but was a rare example of modern architecture under the conditions of that time. She couldn't help but think of the skyscrapers of Shanghai, and for a moment, she felt a sense of temporal displacement.
The car stopped in front of a row of bungalows. "Teacher Shu, we've arrived! This is the division headquarters guesthouse. Officer Zhang from the Education Section will come to pick you up. I have to go back and report!" Xiao Li jumped out of the car briskly and helped Shu Ran with her luggage.
A middle-aged man wearing glasses was already waiting at the door. Upon seeing Shu Ran, he immediately came forward and said, "Are you Comrade Shu Ran from the Animal Husbandry Company? I'm Zhang Ming from the Education Section. Welcome, welcome!"
After saying goodbye to Xiao Li, Shu Ran followed Zhang Ming into the guesthouse. The room was simple but clean, with a wooden bed, a table, a chair, and Chairman Mao's quotations on the wall. What surprised her most was that there was an electric light in the room.
"Comrade Shu Ran, please take a rest first. I'll take you to report to the textbook writing group this afternoon." Zhang Ming's tone was formal but enthusiastic. "Your livestock company's literacy work is very distinctive. Director Sun specifically instructed that we should summarize our experience carefully."
After seeing Zhang Ming off, Shu Ran quickly washed up but couldn't fall asleep in bed. She got up and left the guesthouse, intending to wander around the division headquarters.
The division headquarters was much larger than the livestock company's, with clearly defined functional zones. Office areas, living quarters, logistics warehouses, agricultural machinery parking areas… although the buildings were simple, they were meticulously planned. People hurried along the streets, each busy with their own tasks.
"Comrade, where is the supply and marketing cooperative?" Shu Ran stopped a passing staff member and asked.
The man pointed east: "Go straight along this road, and you'll find it when you turn the corner."
After thanking him, Shu Ran walked in the indicated direction. The supply and marketing cooperative was much larger than the livestock company, and it also had a wider variety of goods.
She noticed that there were pencils and notebooks for sale in the counter, although the quantity was limited, it was much better than the livestock company's supply.
"What would you like to buy?" the salesperson asked.
Shu Ran thought for a moment, then took out the tickets and money she carried with her: "I need thirty pencils and a notebook." These were for the children of the livestock company.
Carrying the stationery she had bought, Shu Ran continued to wander around the division headquarters.
She noticed a relatively large building with a sign that read "Auditorium" at the entrance, and the sounds of rehearsals coming from inside. Remembering the simple tool shed and classroom of the livestock company, she couldn't help but sigh.
"Comrade Shu Ran?" A familiar voice came from behind.
Shu Ran turned around and saw Yang Zhenhua standing not far away, holding a stack of documents in his hand.
"Officer Yang? What are you doing at the division headquarters?" Shu Ran asked, somewhat surprised.
Yang Zhenhua walked over with a smile: "I've been in the Propaganda Department of the Division Headquarters for half a month now. You're here to participate in the textbook writing work, right?"
Shu Ran nodded: "I just reported for duty today."
"That's great! The experience of the animal husbandry company is worth promoting, and your literacy textbook idea is very practical," Yang Zhenhua said enthusiastically. "Come on, let me show you around the division headquarters."
The two walked along the main road of the division headquarters, and Yang Zhenhua introduced the location of each department.
“That’s the division hospital. Although the equipment is simple, it’s much better than the company clinic,” Yang Zhenhua said, pointing to a row of white bungalows. “Comrade Xu Junjun was trained there, wasn’t she?”
Shu Ran recalled Xu Junjun's busy figure in the simple medical room and once again felt the difference between the conditions at the division headquarters and the company.
"How many people are there in the division headquarters?" she asked curiously.
"There are probably over a thousand officially employed staff and their families. It's the largest military base in our division," Yang Zhenhua replied. "But it's still far from being as large as the inland areas. Are you homesick?"
Shu Ran shook her head: "No, it's just that I feel the people in the Production and Construction Corps have it really tough, putting down roots in such a difficult place."
Yang Zhenhua exclaimed, "Yes, I wasn't used to it when I first came here either. But look—" He pointed to the fields being reclaimed in the distance, "In just a few years, the Gobi Desert has changed. That's the kind of spirit we, the members of the Production and Construction Corps, have to turn deserts into oases and wastelands into fertile fields."
Shu Ran followed his finger and saw lush green farmland, which contrasted sharply with the surrounding Gobi Desert.
At noon, Yang Zhenhua took Shu Ran to the division's canteen. The food there was significantly better than in the company, and even included seasonal vegetables.
“The division headquarters has its own greenhouse, so even in winter we can eat some leafy greens here,” Yang Zhenhua explained. “However, meat is still in short supply, and we can only eat it once or twice a week.”
During the meal, several people from the Education Section joined them. Hearing that Shu Ran came from the Livestock Company, everyone curiously inquired about the literacy work there.
"We heard you compiled your own literacy textbook? The kind that can help you read receipts and keep track of work points?" a woman wearing glasses asked with interest.
Shu Ran nodded: "Actually, it's about starting from practical needs and teaching everyone the knowledge they urgently need."
“This is a great idea!” another middle-aged man interjected. “Our previous literacy textbooks were too out of touch with reality; ordinary people couldn’t apply what they learned.”
Everyone was discussing enthusiastically, while Shu Ran quietly observed them. Their faces didn't bear the marks of years of hard work and sun exposure typical of livestock company workers, and their mannerisms were more like those of intellectuals. This was the different strata of the Production and Construction Corps, she thought; some were on the front lines reclaiming land and producing crops, while others were in the headquarters planning and coordinating.
In the afternoon, Shu Ran arrived at the Education Section on time. Director Sun personally received her.
"Comrade Shuran, welcome to the division headquarters." Director Sun got straight to the point. "Your livestock company's literacy work is very distinctive, especially the idea of that practical teaching material. The reason we selected you here is that we hope you can summarize your experience and promote it throughout the entire division."
Shu Ran said somewhat nervously, "Director Sun, I've only made some attempts, and they may not be mature enough yet..."
“It’s okay if it’s not mature yet; we can keep improving it.” Director Sun waved his hand. “The important thing is to start from actual needs. The Corps has a heavy task of literacy education, and the materials issued by higher authorities are not enough. We need innovation from you at the grassroots level.”
In the following time, Shu Ran met the other members of the textbook writing team. There were teachers from the teachers' colleges, staff members from the education department, and teaching backbones transferred from other regiments. After introducing themselves, everyone quickly got into work mode.
In the evening, Shu returned to the guesthouse carrying a stack of documents. After a day of interaction, she felt the huge difference between the division headquarters and the company level. Here, information was more readily available and resources were more abundant, but it was also further away from the front line of production.
She couldn't help but think of the children in the livestock company, wondering if Sister Wang and Li Xiulan would be able to manage the class well today.
"Comrade Shuran, wait a moment." The guesthouse manager, a kind-faced middle-aged woman, called out to her as she was about to go upstairs. "Your things are here, they'll be delivered this afternoon."
Shu Ran opened it with a puzzled look; inside was a bag of walnuts. The package was unsigned, but she immediately recognized the familiar military-style cloth bag material.
Back in her room, Shu Ran spread out her textbook writing materials and began working. She first compiled the literacy content used in the animal husbandry company, and then, according to Director Sun's requirements, added more teaching cases and application scenarios.
Outside the window, the lights of the division headquarters gradually came on. Although it couldn't compare to the dazzling lights of a 21st-century city, it was much better than the livestock company, which only had a few scattered lights.
Shu Ran walked to the window and looked at the last rays of sunset in the distance. A strange feeling welled up in her heart—it was as if she lived in two worlds at the same time: one was a modern city in the 21st century, and the other was a frontier corps in the 1960s.
"Knock knock knock," the knocking on the door interrupted her thoughts.
"Please come in."
The door was pushed open, and a young girl with pigtails poked her head in: "Are you Comrade Shu Ran? I'm Xiao Liu, an officer from the propaganda department. Officer Yang asked me to bring you some manuscript paper."
"Thank you, just leave it on the table," Shu Ran said with a smile.
Xiao Liu put down the manuscript but didn't leave immediately. Instead, he looked at Shu Ran curiously and asked, "I heard you're from Shanghai? And you even started a school in the livestock company?"
Shu Ran nodded: "It's just a small teaching point, it can't really be called a school."
"That's still amazing!" Xiao Liu's eyes shone with admiration. "I've been to the livestock company, and the conditions are so harsh. It's truly remarkable that you've managed to keep the school running there."
After chatting for a while, Xiao Liu suddenly lowered his voice and said, "I heard that Officer Chen is also in the livestock company? He's a well-known cold-faced war god in the division. He didn't give you any trouble, did he?"
Shu Ran paused for a moment, then realized that "Officer Chen" referred to Chen Yuanjiang. "No, Special Envoy Chen is very supportive of our work."
Xiao Liu seemed a little disappointed at not hearing any gossip. His gaze inadvertently fell on the open package on the corner of the table, and he asked curiously, "Hey, is that the 'Formula Tianshan Snow Lotus Ointment' specially supplied by the health team? That's a hot commodity. Teacher Shu, you really have connections. This ointment is especially effective for weakness and coldness after a serious illness, as well as joint pain. Many of our older comrades here are craving it, but the quantity is too small and it's hard to get."
Shu Ran was taken aback when she heard this. Following her gaze, she noticed an inconspicuous dark brown ceramic jar next to the cloth bag. The mouth of the jar was sealed tightly with oil paper and there were no labels on it.
She immediately realized that this was definitely not provided by the guesthouse; someone must have specially delivered it.
"Oh, maybe one of the comrades left it here temporarily," Shu Ran replied vaguely, her expression unchanged.
Xiao Liu seemed to realize he had spoken out of turn, gave an embarrassed smile, chatted for a few more minutes, and then said goodbye and left.
As soon as the door closed, Shu Ran immediately picked up the small ceramic jar, peeled off the oil paper seal, and the refreshing medicinal fragrance became even stronger. The ointment was dark brown and had a delicate texture.
She dipped her finger in the mixture and rubbed it together, feeling the tiny herbal particles inside. She remembered Xu Junjun mentioning during her serious illness that snow lotus picked near the snow line at high altitudes, combined with several other local medicinal herbs, could be used to make a medicinal paste that was remarkably effective in dispelling cold, replenishing qi, and relieving fatigue. However, because snow lotus was difficult to harvest and the process was complicated, it was only available in a very small area and was extremely rare.
Underneath the jar was a small, neatly trimmed corner of a newspaper, on which was written a line of strong, bold handwriting: "The temperature difference between day and night at the division headquarters is large, so please remember to add layers. Take one spoonful of Snow Lotus Ointment with warm water morning and evening. Beware of wind and cold, and avoid overexertion. Safety precautions are also important, especially in identifying suspicious items and personnel."
No signature is required.
He must have been worried that her body, still recovering from a serious illness, wouldn't be able to handle it, so he managed to get this specially supplied ointment.
Following the instructions on the note, Shu Ran used the medicine spoon provided in the package to scoop out a small spoonful of ointment and swallowed it with warm water from the enamel mug.
The ointment tasted slightly bitter at first, but the aftertaste was sweet and refreshing, and a warm feeling helped to relieve some of the fatigue from the journey.
It was late at night, and Shu Ran lay in bed, unable to fall asleep for a long time. The sound of the jeep bumping against the floor seemed to echo in her ears again, along with the young soldier's words: "Some people say he's stupid, giving up a comfortable life to suffer..."
At that moment, Shu Ran suddenly understood that man a little. Perhaps they were the same kind of people. Neither of them chose the easy path, but rather the path worth persevering on.
As night deepened, the division headquarters quieted down, and Shu Ran closed her eyes, finally drifting off to sleep. Tomorrow, even more work awaited her.
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