Chapter 147 It doesn't matter who the hero is.
The sunlight illuminated faces covered in dust yet radiating vitality.
The children crawled around the adults' legs, trying to imitate the sound of a plane crashing, making playful "whoosh-boom!" noises.
The brief jubilation dispelled the shadow of death, and the Xiangyang Brigade seemed to come back to life.
Surrounded by people, Xu Zhili forced a tired smile and was about to speak when a series of hurried and orderly footsteps suddenly came from afar. They were heavy, cold, and carried an unmistakable discipline, instantly drowning out the noise at the scene.
The laughter of the crowd came to an abrupt halt, as if cut off by a knife.
All eyes turned to the path at the village entrance with suspicion and uncertainty.
The light of the torches pierced the darkness, illuminating a troop of soldiers armed with guns.
They silently and quickly dispersed, forming a semi-encirclement. Although their guns were not raised, their well-trained posture and cold, hard aura made the villagers, who had just experienced the ravages of war, feel a new wave of suffocating pressure.
These are not fellow villagers, not friendly neighbors, but regular troops.
Moreover, their intentions were unclear.
When they could see the green color clearly, they realized that it was the army arriving.
The villagers smiled again and instinctively stepped back, subtly exposing Xu Zhili in front of them.
The group parted, and a tall figure slowly walked out.
His military uniform was impeccably tailored, and the brim of his hat cast a shadow over his deep-set eyes; the insignia on his shoulder straps gleamed coldly in the sunlight.
His stance was as imposing as a mountain, his gaze as sharp as a hawk's as he slowly swept across the ravaged village, finally fixing precisely on the slender and upright Xu Zhili, who was being subtly protected by the crowd yet still standing at the very front.
His gaze lingered on her face for a moment.
That face, stained with the smoke of gunpowder and weariness, had clear yet wary eyes.
Xu Zhili's heart skipped a beat.
Xie Yunce.
It turned out he was the one who led the team.
He was the company commander of the company sent by the Ministry.
But he looked...so different.
He was no longer the Xie Yunze who was injured and lost his memory, who kept saying how delicious her spicy rabbit and amaranth dumplings were, who silently helped the villagers repair their roofs and carry grain bags, and who always followed her around calling her "sister".
At this moment, he regained all his memories, and also regained all his coldness and authority as a soldier.
There was not a trace of tenderness left from that brief period of peace in his eyes, only a businesslike scrutiny and an unfathomable probing.
He raised his hand, signaling his subordinates to remain vigilant; the movement was swift and decisive, carrying an unquestionable air of command.
Then, he looked at her and spoke.
The group parted, and a tall figure slowly walked out.
Xu Zhili's heart skipped a beat.
Xie Yunce.
He was still wearing that military uniform, but he seemed like a completely different person.
He was no longer that injured, amnesiac boy with only the memories of a fifteen-year-old, whose eyes were clear yet timid.
Now, his epaulets are stiff and cold, his posture is as straight as a pine tree, and the last trace of childishness has faded from his eyes and brows.
Xu Zhili still remembers what he looked like when he lost his memory—like an undeveloped green bamboo, with a hint of a tiger tooth when he smiled, his eyes always misty, looking at people with a timid and inquisitive gaze, like a lost little animal.
If she looks at you for a couple of seconds, the tips of your ears will quietly turn red.
Now, he is like bamboo that has been ripened by a sudden rain, growing rapidly with strong, resilient branches.
The most changed thing was those eyes—the mist dissipated, revealing deep black pupils, like the tip of a spear that had been tempered with ice, piercing even when they looked at people without smiling.
Only the corners of his eyes still retain traces of his youth, which are barely noticeable unless you look closely.
He transformed his timidity at fifteen into a gentle tenderness that he never showed.
He transformed the confusion of amnesia into the composure and calmness he displayed when leading troops.
He never lost his military spirit; he simply grew from a soldier who needed protection into a company commander who could protect an entire company.
His gaze swept across the crowd, finally settling on her.
The voice was deep and steady, yet every word was sharp and cold, striking the now deathly silent air that had just been filled with jubilation.
"I am Xie Yunce, the company commander of the reconnaissance company directly under the Seventh War Zone."
He formally announced his name, his gaze sharp as a blade, sweeping over the panicked villagers behind her before finally settling on her face with an almost harsh scrutiny.
Someone recognized him at a glance as Xie Yunze, the youngest son of the brigade leader, and wanted to greet him warmly. However, when they met his sharp gaze, their hearts tightened and their hands unconsciously clenched the hem of their clothes.
His enthusiastic expression froze instantly, and the hand that had been reaching out to Xie Yunce to ask him all sorts of questions could only be awkwardly withdrawn now.
Xie Yunze stood ramrod straight, the creases on his military uniform looking as if they had been carved with a knife. He spoke again, his voice cold and hard.
"Fellow villagers, has anyone seen someone shooting something?"
He asked, his tone completely flat, as if he had never tasted her spicy rabbit and amaranth dumplings in that treehouse high in the tree trunk.
Xu Zhili's fingertips trembled slightly as she gripped the hem of her clothes.
Xie Yunze's gaze remained unchanged as he coldly repeated his question, each word clear and icy: "Fellow villagers, has anyone seen anyone shoot something?"
Xu Zhili's heart skipped a beat, and she instantly understood Xie Yunze's intention.
He was deliberately blurring the focus, using this cold repetition to draw everyone's attention back to the surface question of "who is shooting something," thus fulfilling his investigative duties while subtly protecting her.
She composed herself and, following Xie Yunze's lead, raised her voice to ask, "Yes, who saw clearly in the chaos just now? I only caught a glimpse of a dark shadow flash by, I didn't see it clearly."
The villagers chimed in, one after another: "I didn't see it clearly either, it just felt as fast as a gust of wind."
"It's like wearing a hat, all wrapped up tightly."
"Could they be in cahoots with that crashed enemy plane?"
"Are you kidding me? How can you expect your own people to fight each other?"
"Haha, that's right."
"So who is it?"
"No matter who it was, as long as they shot down the enemy plane and we survived, they are heroes."
"Yes, he's our great hero!"
"A great hero! A great hero!"
Xie Yunze stood on high ground, his gaze sweeping over the bustling crowd, finally landing on the direction where Xu Zhili was hiding. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, but he said nothing.
He suddenly raised his hand and pressed down, and the noise gradually subsided.
"It doesn't matter who the hero is."
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a power that pierced people's hearts: "The important thing is that someone saved the village and saved each other. Now, carry the injured villagers to the ancestral hall for treatment, and those who can move should come with my soldiers to clear the rubble and see if anyone is still alive."
"Alright! I'll listen to Company Commander Xie."
Party Secretary Liu was the first to respond. Leaning on his cane, he pointed at the injured people and told them to move to the ancestral hall. "Jiawang, go and ask the village doctor for help. Erzhu, take your wife and go boil some water."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com