Chapter 76: Notice of Awarding Titles, Preparations on the Eve of the Competition
After my first experience with target shooting, time passed by very quickly, like a wound-up spring.
The company then organized each class to conduct two shooting exercises: one in the prone position of 200 meters and the other in the kneeling position of 150 meters.
As for the results, there are quite a few top students with good performance.
But there are also recruits who get worse at shooting, and it is difficult to define this.
However, taking all the results into consideration, the recruits of the entire Second Company were divided into three groups. One group was particularly outstanding, like Chen Mo, who was the top soldier in the class.
The second type is to perform mediocrely, just like the crowd, neither outstanding nor lagging behind.
Needless to say, the last type is particularly stupid. This type of soldier is similar to the elite soldiers. Their number is very small, but if you encounter one, it will give the squad leaders a headache.
As the New Year draws closer and the competition begins, the intensity of the training arranged by the company has not only not decreased, but has become more and more intense.
Chen Mo was not "frozen" and still trained with Class 8 all day long.
During this period, many cadres came to talk to him and wanted to seduce him away, but they were all scolded away by Lao Pao.
Many times, these old volunteers are more effective than the company commander.
Chen Mo was focused and didn't think too much about it.
Every day I focus on the basic subjects of the recruit camp, repeating exercises and tests until I am exhausted and go back to the dormitory to sleep.
Continue practicing after waking up.
Occasionally, when he lay in bed and had time to catch his breath, Chen Mo actually asked himself whether he had lived too much like a machine in this life, going too far in correcting mistakes and being too paranoid about himself.
But once this thought came to his mind, Chen Mo would look up at the metal cabinet in the dormitory, where a sign saying "Excellent Housekeeping" was hung.
There was also a red flag with the words: "Training Model."
The bright flag will be like a guiding light, telling Chen Mo.
It's not that he's paranoid.
But some goals must be fought for. If before 2003, I could not stand in front of the old leader again with a new identity, even if it was just to exchange a few words calmly.
If you can't do it, it's wrong, you must do it.
This was Chen Mo's goal since he joined the army, and his family also needed him to work hard.
In the afternoon of February 7th.
It is already the 22nd day of the 12th lunar month in 1998. Tomorrow is the Little New Year in the north, and it is also the day when the 7th Armored Brigade and the 82nd Motorized Infantry Brigade will compete.
On the training ground.
Chen Mo and Li Zhiang were each occupying one end of the parallel bars, practicing dips. Five people were surrounding them, cheering and counting.
"Zhiang, you have to hold on. The deputy squad leader has already taken out three people, and you're the fourth one. Don't be a coward."
"Hurry, hurry, hurry, put one more on top, the squad leader is almost dying."
"Oh, no, you come down, and leave the important task of killing the squad leader to me."
Feng Junling rolled up his sleeves and was about to step forward. Li Zhiang's face flushed red, but in the end, his arms went limp and he fell off the parallel bars.
"It seems that the important task still has to be entrusted to me."
Seeing that Li Zhiang was in trouble, Feng Junling squatted on the ground, rubbed his palms hard in the soil twice, clenched his fists and was about to get on the bar.
At this time, Lao Pao also came over from a distance.
He first looked at Chen Mo, who was still holding on, then looked at the group of people standing nearby. He couldn't help but laugh and said, "Why, the four of you didn't tire the deputy squad leader out?"
"If four doesn't work, I can definitely do the fifth one." Feng Junling clapped his hands and was about to get on the bar.
Lao Pao waved his hand: "Alright, let's stop training for now."
"The competition is tomorrow. Briefly tell me about the company's arrangements."
"After dinner, the four companies of new recruits will gather together to receive their ranks. The brigade commander and political commissar will be here to preside over the ceremony."
"Tomorrow we will get up promptly at 4 o'clock. The comrades from the motor company will be responsible for taking us to the camp of the 82nd Motorized Infantry Brigade in Pingcheng to start the competition."
"The competition is coming up soon, so I won't say anything more. First of all, you must pay attention to safety when you get there. Then, be alert and give your all to win a good place."
"Do you have confidence?"
"have!!"
Everyone in Class 8 roared together, and Chen Mo also got down from the parallel bars and joined in the roar.
From the beginning of training, the company notified us of the competition, and each class often discussed how powerful the other motorized infantrymen were.
But who is really more powerful? This question has always confused everyone.
Now, we can finally have a face-to-face confrontation.
Seeing that the morale of the class was pretty good, Lao Pao nodded: "It's good to have confidence."
"Alright, the squad leader will lead the team to the company communications room to call home."
"Tomorrow is the Little New Year, and the competition may be delayed in Pingcheng for three to four days. When we return, we will have to intensify our war preparations, so it will be difficult to arrange the time."
"Go ahead."
"yes."
Chen Mo knew the location of the company's communications room. Since he came to the Second Company, he could call home almost every week to report his safety.
It was time to call home again, so Chen Mo dusted himself off.
Even though he knew that his family couldn't see him looking so dusty.
But in this new life, Chen Mo cares a lot about his family's feelings. Even if it's just a word, he has to make sure he is neat and tidy.
The students in Class 8 first went back to the dormitory to get the handwritten phone book.
These days, many people don’t have telephones at home. If they want to contact their families, they either call the village chief’s house or the sales outlet at the entrance of the village, which is the convenience store.
If you are further away, you may even have to call in town, but you definitely won’t be able to get through on the same day. You need to make an appointment with your family on which day you can call, and have someone wait there in advance.
Chen Mo’s hometown, Xinglong Village, is too close to the town and there is no grocery store, so he can only go to the village chief’s house.
When we arrived at the door of the communications room, other classes were already queuing up. There were only two landlines in the entire communications room, and communication resources were very limited. We had to make a call only after one person came out before the next one could go in.
Anyway, the speed is very slow.
It’s a good thing that I don’t have to train at all.
Chen Mo held the phone book in his hand, recalling the contents of the last letter he wrote home, while imagining that his younger sister and brother should be at home at this time.
Little New Year.
According to the customs of my hometown, tomorrow the family will invite the Kitchen God and the family hall, that is, hang the family axis and bake some baked cakes to honor the ancestors.
I have the impression that starting from the Little New Year, families would start to get busy preparing New Year’s goods, sweeping the house, etc.
"Scholar, don't just stand there, it's your turn."
Chen Mo's thoughts drifted back to home. He just followed the team and didn't notice when they reached the door.
"Okay, thank you."
Chen Mo smiled at the new recruit who reminded him, then looked down at the number in the phone book. It was actually only six digits, and with the area code it was only ten digits.
I have memorized it by heart, but for some reason, every time I call home, I still have to read it over and over again.
Walking to the empty phone, Chen Mo picked up the receiver and put it to his ear. He pointed at the area code and numbers with his finger and pressed the dial button. The other party indicated that the line was busy.
I called again, but the line was still busy.
There's nothing we can do about it. In my area, only the village chief's family has this kind of phone. It's okay on normal days, but it's almost the New Year, which is a big day in the countryside, and there must be a lot of people who want to make phone calls.
Chen Mo stood and waited for a while, then finally the call went through.
"Aunt Li's house? I'm Chen Mo, could you please call my parents for me?"
"Oh! It's the eldest son of the Xuejun family." The voice of the village chief's wife came from the other side: "Are you doing well in the army? Are you able to eat enough? Are you tired of training?"
"Thank you Aunt Li for your concern. Everything is fine here."
"Well, that's good. Let your parents tell you."
Chen Mo just heard this sentence, and then there was a burst of noise from the microphone behind him, and then: "Xiao Mo, have you eaten yet?"
It was the voice of my mother Liu Fenglan.
"mom."
"Hey, your dad and I knew you would call today, so we came here early to wait for you." Liu Fenglan said happily: "Xiao Mo, is life hard in the army? Xiao Feng read the letter you wrote to me."
"They said you ate well and slept well in the army, and even gained weight, right?"
"Well, there's plenty of food here, so you can eat as much as you want. We also have boiled eggs for every meal."
"That's good, that's good. I'm relieved then. By the way, will your army celebrate the Little New Year tomorrow? If so, remember to buy some gifts for your comrades over there. Don't be afraid to spend money. Did you receive the money your father sent you?"
"We're not afraid of spending money, but we should be discerning when we go out. Your letter said that your class has many comrades and a squad leader. Go buy some gifts tomorrow, and pick out the best ones."
"Okay, I understand, Mom." Chen Mo's eyes suddenly felt a little sore.
I didn't pay attention, and my voice became a little muffled.
Liu Fenglan on the other end of the phone thought something had happened. She nervously grabbed the receiver and asked, "What's wrong with you, kid?"
"Were you bullied in the army? Oh, your second uncle came back a few days ago and said that being a soldier is not good because it's easy to get bullied."
"Your second uncle is working in Hainan now, helping people build buildings. He's making a lot of money. He came back this year wearing a watch and carrying a briefcase. Why don't we quit our military service and go out with your second uncle to try our luck? At least we can come back for the New Year."
"Your second uncle also said that you'd be better off not being a soldier. You can make a lot of money in Hainan."
Second uncle?
If his mother hadn't mentioned it, Chen Mo would have almost forgotten that he had such a relative.
My second uncle is my father’s cousin, but by his generation the relationship is a bit distant.
My father is not in good health. Although he has the skills of a carpenter, in the 1990s, this kind of work in the south was the most popular time.
Staying at home and relying on that little skill will eventually make people look down upon you.
Especially among the cousins, the relationship is the most obvious. The second uncle mentioned by my mother is indeed doing well, at least on the surface.
I started working in real estate in Hainan in the early 1990s, and later on my business grew bigger and bigger.
It is said that he used to run a company, but it collapsed overnight. However, he has been hanging around there in the past few years, and his family doesn't know what he does specifically.
Anyway, I never saw him all year round, but he always looked very glamorous when he came back at the end of the year. I have the impression that this glamor was not exposed until 2001 or 2002.
The talk of starting a company and hiring a lot of workers was all to fool his family. He was just a scammer who was just selling some small gadgets from the south to some remote places in the north.
Normally, in this era, one can build a business with this kind of thinking, but his second uncle has no courage, no determination, and is very lazy, so he just follows others around.
When Chen Mo recalled the second uncle his mother had mentioned, he immediately stopped feeling sad and said into the microphone, "Mom, I'm fine. Don't listen to their nonsense."
"Are you really okay?" Liu Meilan obviously didn't quite believe it.
"It's really okay, Mom. Don't listen to my second uncle's nonsense. Don't listen to what he says. I'm fine here."
"It's not just your second uncle. Many relatives who came back this year from outside doing business heard that you had joined the army. They didn't say anything good about it, saying that being a soldier has no future and that you're likely to get beaten."
"Hey, why are you telling this to your child?" The voice of father Chen Xuejun came from the microphone.
Then, there was another rustling noise. The call must have been answered by my father.
"dad."
“Hey.”
"Have I caused trouble to my family?" Chen Mo suddenly remembered some things from his past life and the reasons why he had not been home for twenty years.
Not only was he too embarrassed to go back, but also because of the gossip of some relatives, he, who was confused at the time, could not stand the comments that lingered in his ears every day.
These people have been pointing fingers at him since he joined the army, and after he retired from the army, it was exactly what they wanted.
In fact, these people were not talking about Chen Mo from beginning to end, but the father who had been staying at home and supporting his children by doing odd jobs.
No one knows. We are all relatives, why are there so many malicious intentions?
"I'm sorry, Dad." Chen Mo added, but this sentence was not said for this time, but for the twenty years in his previous life.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Don't worry about what your mother said. It's nothing. Just relax and stay in the army. Dad is here for you."
"I know, Dad. I will work hard and make sure our family lives a good life."
"Also, Dad, if my second uncle asks our family to borrow money, don't give it to him."
Chen Xuejun was silent for a while holding the microphone, then said, "I understand. Your mother and I are waiting to enjoy happiness."
"Okay, long distance calls are expensive, let's hang up."
After hanging up the phone, Chen Mo waited until the busy tone came from the receiver before he took a deep breath.
He put the microphone on the phone and turned to walk out of the communication room.
At this moment, the squad leaders are not at the company headquarters. They are probably going to prepare for the awarding ceremony.
This year's enlistment coincides with the replacement of the 94-style military ranks with the 99-style military ranks, so this batch of people entering the military camp must complete the awarding of ranks before New Year's Eve.
Chen Mo's rank was just the rank of private with a crooked leg, but not the rank of private with a straight bar.
There was a long line at the door of the communications room. Chen Mo hadn't finished his call yet and had nothing to do, but he couldn't walk far. Just then, he saw Liang Hongjie coming down from upstairs.
He hurried forward.
"Hello, Platoon Leader."
"Scholar?" Liang Hongjie glanced at Chen Mo and said with a smile, "You know that you're going to be awarded a title today?"
"All new recruits are awarded the rank of Private. The pattern is the one with the curves. You'll see it in a moment. It's quite nice."
"Platoon leader, do you have any cigarettes? Give me one."
Chen Mo ignored the rank awarding. When he heard that he wanted cigarettes, Liang Hongjie pointed to the back of the company building, took out cigarettes and matches from his pocket, handed them over, and said, "Go over there and smoke."
"The company commander and the others have gone to the headquarters now. I also need to deliver some documents. You can go and get the smoke."
"OK."
Chen Mo turned around and walked straight to the back of the company headquarters, facing the envious gazes of the new recruits queuing up in the second company.
After all, Xiucai was the only one who dared to ask the officials in the company for cigarettes.
The wind in December was so cold that it was biting. Chen Mo leaned sideways and finally struck a match and lit the cigarette.
Sitting there quietly smoking.
Chen Mo just finished calling home. To be honest, he felt a little homesick.
But after finishing a cigarette, a faint melancholy dissipated with the cigarette.
Chen Mo let out a sigh and put away his melancholy. Tomorrow was the day he would go back to his old unit and fight against those beasts.
Now is not the time to be sentimental.
He stood up and stretched his limbs, put the cigarettes and matches in his pocket, raised his head, and regained his previous confidence.
The war is imminent, and it is not his style to show weakness before the battle.
"Beep-beep."
"Each class, the squad leader will lead the team to change into their regular uniforms and cloth shoes, and gather downstairs in ten minutes."
The new recruits from Class 8 who were still lingering outside became increasingly panicked when they heard the whistle.
Chen Mo took the lead and ran towards the dormitory.
Changing into regular uniforms and cloth shoes means that one will be awarded a rank. In that era, the army was still relatively poor, and regular uniforms were all equipped with rubber-soled cloth shoes, not those big-toed leather shoes.
In recent days, the veterans have been popularizing the significance of awarding ranks, and all the new recruits in the class know what it is.
If awarding a gun is a soldier's coming-of-age ceremony, then awarding a rank is definitely a second coming-of-age ceremony, and may even be more important than awarding a gun.
After all, with the rank of private, their status has changed from recruits to privates.
Well, even though I'm still a rookie, at least I sound different.
Back to the dormitory.
Lao Pao hasn't come back yet, and Chen Mo and the others are changing clothes more actively than each other.
Zhu Gaituan, who was slower in his movements, hadn't even taken off his pants when he realized that Chen Mo next to him had already brought a stool and was sitting there changing his shoes.
He couldn't help but smile bitterly and said, "Deputy, you don't have to rush to do everything. There's no need to change clothes so quickly."
"It's okay, you guys can slow down. I was thinking about my upcoming rank award, so I changed my clothes in advance and went downstairs to wash my hands and face so I can welcome the award with a fresh look."
The so-called brand new look was not something Chen Mo said nonsense.
For a veteran like him, there is nothing more grand than a ceremony of being awarded a rank, promoted, or recognized for military merit.
There is a saying in the army that goes "Carry the sacred mission on both shoulders and take the solemn oath deep in your heart", which refers to the awarding of military ranks.
When he was a recruit, there was nothing on his uniform and Chen Mo was embarrassed to say that he was a soldier.
But it’s different when you have a military rank.
This is a kind of belief, and more importantly, it is a kind of dedication that requires one to serve in the army in all directions, with the moon at the border overhead, one's heart concerned about the peace of the world, and to always respond to the call.
These new recruits don’t understand this yet.
Chen Mo put on his shoes, tugged at his uniform, picked up his hat and ran out.
Several people in the class were stunned at first, and then they sped up in panic.
When Lao Pao came downstairs.
The people from Class 8 were all crowded in front of the bathroom mirror, with their heads pressed hard against the mirror, each one more conceited than the other.
"What's there to take pictures of?" Lao Pao stretched out his hand and pulled a few people apart: "Everyone, go out and gather."
"I have to lead the team to assemble at the flag-raising platform of the motor company later."
"Look at you guys blocking the bathroom."
After Lao Pao's reminder, everyone realized that the seven of them had gathered at the door, and the bathroom was not very big to begin with.
They were crowded at the entrance, and there was already a long line of people outside who were unaware of the situation.
Since they had all looked in the mirror, Chen Mo and the others smiled and made way.
Walk to the open space, line up and wait for the next arrangements.
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