Twenty-one.
After listening to Han Wenshu's recollection, Guo Yunlong and Liang Qingshan led the 12 soldiers of the rocket launcher squad to complete the rescue and disaster relief with the other platoons of the company. They actively requested to continue to take on the task of guarding the patrol company's ammunition depot and the safety of the camp. Suddenly, they heard a call from the other end of the excavation site." Company Commander Gong, Instructor Yuan, we've found the bodies of the deceased martyrs..."
"Oh, really?" The anxious Company Commander Gong ran over in surprise.
"Yes, there's been new progress in the excavation. Let's go and see who we found in the excavation.”At this moment, Han Wenshu interrupted his recollection and promptly suggested that he lead Tao Zhigang and Ma Xiaochuan towards the location where the bodies of the deceased martyrs were found.
Three rows of soldiers were digging a deep pit that was more than two meters deep. They were digging out the body of a burly martyr bit by bit and lifting it to the ground. After cleaning it up, it finally revealed its original appearance.
"Isn't this the veteran Lu Shoujiang I saw last night during the inspection?”Company Commander Gong said in a low and hoarse voice.
"Mm, not bad! "It's him. He's a Bai citizen. He's been a veteran for five years. If it weren't for the tense situation of the 'counterattack against the south' last year, the company would have let him retire and return to his hometown to reunite with his family." Speaking of this, Instructor Yuan's eyes became moist again.
The soldiers around them all felt like brothers, and they burst into tears. The surrounding border residents also silently wiped their tears and lowered their heads in grief...
"Company commander, instructor, we also found the body of a soldier who died in the battle.”Another warrior nearby exclaimed.
It turned out that the person they found was Pan Yue, the inland soldier who had been standing guard with Lu Shoujiang last night.
" Ah, Pan Yue, I finally see you. I'm Tao Zhigang, a comrade from the same hometown who signed up with you to join the army and then to fight in the front. I see you're here today..." Tao Zhigang rushed over to Pan Yue's body and called his name in pain.
Instantly, the soldiers present felt heartbroken and began to cry again...
"Cough! They lived together and died together. It could be said that they were inseparable in life and death.”Then, Company Commander Gong also bent down sadly and gently stroked Pan Yue's face with his hand.
"Comrades, we must turn our grief into strength. We must continue to strive to find the bodies of all the soldiers who died as quickly as possible and complete the sacred mission given to us by our superiors.”In order to ease the oppressive atmosphere and further motivate everyone, Instructor Yuan took the opportunity to launch a mobilization call again.
After another day of hard work, the bodies of Lu Shoujiang and Pan Yue were found one after another, but only the body of the squad leader Guo Yunlong was still missing. The order issued by the regiment to "not delay" made the officers and soldiers of the second company feel very anxious.
However, the sky was already dark and night was slowly falling. The dim visibility gradually hindered the search operation. Second Company could only reluctantly withdraw temporarily and continue the battle the next day.
Twenty-two.
This was already the fifth day of the Second Company's death. It was also the time to excavate the bodies of the martyrs and enter the most intense battle.
In the early hours of the morning, before the sky turned bright, all the officers and soldiers of the Second Company got up early and went to the excavation site to search for the body of Guo Yunlong.
Following Han Wenshu, Tao Zhigang and Ma Xiaochuan once again came to the excavation site of the Second Company. While anxiously digging and searching for Guo Yunlong's body, they listened to Han Wenshu with grief as he continued to recall what happened after Guo Yunlong and Liang Qingshan started their patrol that night...
Instantly, the heroic deeds of Guo Yunlong, Liang Qingshan, and the other 12 rocket launcher soldiers, which had been frozen on the last page of their lives, seemed to be presented in front of Tao Zhigang and Ma Xiaochuan.
23.
It was a quiet night, and darkness shrouded Gongshan Canyon, making it seem unusually terrifying.
Under the leadership of Squad Leader Guo Yunlong and Squad Leader Liang Qingshan, the 12-man squad of the rocket launcher squad arrived at the old company's camp on the hillside at 7 pm on time. They were stationed in the original dormitory of the rocket launcher squad and took on the responsibility of guarding the ammunition depot and the safety of the company's camp.
As they took turns on duty, it was soon midnight.
At this time, Company Commander Gong, who was on duty that night, brought Han Wenshu and a flashlight to the old company's Rocket Launcher Squad dormitory to visit Guo Yunlong, Liang Qingshan, and the other twelve members of the Rocket Launcher Squad who were on duty.
"Is Squad Leader Guo here?" Commander Gong asked softly in the faint light.
Not long after he returned from the inspection, Guo Yunlong, who was leaning against the bed, heard Commander Gong's voice. He quickly rubbed his sleepy eyes and came forward to answer,"Oh, yes. Company Commander Gong, it's you. It's already so late and you haven't rested yet?”
"Oh, it's my turn to be on duty. I came up to see you.”Company Commander Gong explained in a gentle tone, then asked,"How was it?" Was the first half of the night alright? Did you notice anything unusual?”"Reporting to Company Commander Gong, I just returned from a patrol. The situation is still good, and I didn't find anything unusual.”
"During the day, you guys were responsible for moving and doing so many things. At night, you guys have to work overtime to guard the ammunition depot.”Company Commander Gong pulled up the military blanket for the soldiers who slept hard while asking Guo Yunlong with care.
"It's alright, I can take it…"
"It sounds like you don't have enough confidence..."
" Uh, no, Captain. My throat has been hurting recently," Guo Yunlong quickly explained before the captain could finish.
"Tonight is the final stage of the camp relocation. We must not be careless. Once we discover the situation, we must report it to the company in time.”
"Yes, I understand. Please rest assured, Company Commander.”
"Who are the two on duty now?”
"It's veteran Lu Shoujiang and inland soldier Pan Yue.”
"Oh, then let's go to the ammunition depot to take a look.”Company Commander Gong said as he turned around to leave...
"Uh, let me accompany you.”Guo Yunlong quickly got up.
"Sigh, there's no need. You just came back from your shift. You should lie down and rest for a while.”
"It's alright, Company Commander. It's better for me to accompany you.”Immediately, Guo Yunlong accompanied Company Commander Gong and Han Wenshu. They walked through the dark night and the pits to the ammunition depot near the barracks.
"The password!" Lu Shoujiang, the veteran who was guarding the ammunition warehouse, raised his gun and asked.
"Earth!" Company Commander Gong, who was walking in the middle, answered immediately.
"Mountains and Rivers." Then, Pan Yue followed suit.
After pausing for a while and confirming that the password was correct, the veteran Lu Shoujiang and the inland soldier Pan Yue began to put away their guns with relief.
"Lu Shoujiang, Pan Yue, Company Commander Gong is here to visit you.”Guo Yunlong led Company Commander Gong to the outpost and explained.
"Lu Shoujiang, Pan Yue, you've worked hard.”Company Commander Gong comforted the shoulders of the two soldiers who were on duty and greeted them with concern.
"No, it's been hard on you, Company Commander." Then, Lu Shoujiang and Pan Yue replied at the same time.
"Hmm, looks like you guys are quite vigilant. Just like this, when someone comes close, you have to match the password first.”
"Yes, please rest assured, Company Commander. We will be on high alert to protect the ammunition depot and the surrounding areas of the barracks.”
"How was it? Did you find anything unexpected in the first half of the night?”
" Reporting to Company Commander: Everything is normal. I didn't find anything unexpected." Pan Yue replied agilely.
"It's almost midnight. Please pass on my words. You must maintain a high level of vigilance and not be careless until dawn.”
"Yes, please rest assured, Captain. We will definitely pass on your words.”Lu Shoujiang, the old warrior, said sincerely.
"Who's the last shift at dawn?”
"Yes, it's Squad Leader Fu, Liang Qingshan, and Zhang Hu from the mainland.”Pan Yue thought about it and then answered Company Commander Gong.
"Oh, as long as we can get through tonight, tomorrow will be easy.”Company Commander Gong muttered to himself as he nodded his head and left the ammunition depot outpost with heavy steps.
After sending off Company Commander Gong and Han Wenshu, Guo Yunlong heaved a sigh of relief. He dragged his tired body back to the RPG squad's dormitory. Then, he collapsed on the bed like a can of lead and fell into a deep sleep.
At this moment, in the dormitory of the rocket launcher squad, other than the two personnel on duty, the other ten soldiers had already entered the Dream Fragrance. Perhaps it was because the pressure of constantly investing in disaster relief was too great, or perhaps it was because they were too tired from the continuous assault and relocation, so they slept so deeply and soundly...
1 o'clock, 2 o'clock, as the clock quietly moved to 5 o'clock in the morning, the sky suddenly turned from cloudy to sunny, and the rain was suddenly stopped. The sky was suddenly filled with stars, and the east peak of Gongshan Canyon had begun to show a weak dawn. Thus, it indicated that a solemn night was about to pass, and a brilliant present was about to arrive.
However, Guo Yunlong, Liang Qingshan, and the others didn't expect that a rare and fierce landslide would occur on the hillside where the Second Company's camp was located. It came down from the sky like a bolt of lightning.
24.
As the huge roar from the hillside spread throughout the entire Gong Mountain Valley…
The soldiers of the Second Company who were camping in the tents at the foot of the mountain and the border residents who had been moved to a safe area were immediately awakened. They all got up and rushed out of the door, looking in the direction of the sound.
"Ah, bad news! Company Commander Gong, there's a new landslide on the mountain. From the sound, it seems to be on our old company's side.”Instructor Yuan raised his telescope to check the situation on the hillside of the old camp of the Second Company while he exclaimed to Company Commander Qi Gong.
"Yes, it seems to have happened on the hillside of our old company.”Immediately, Commander Gong, who had heard about the mudslide not long after the inspection last night, jumped out of bed in a hurry. He took the telescope from Instructor Yuan and looked at the hillside of the old camp of the Second Company. Then, he remembered and urged Instructor Yuan,""Then hurry up and call the rocket launcher squad.”
"Cough! I've already called twice, but there's no response.”Instructor Yuan also felt extremely anxious and said," It seems that the situation is not good! I'm afraid that the soldiers guarding the ammunition depot and the camp last night encountered some trouble?”
"Yeah, they haven't sent us any updates yet. I think something must have happened to them.”Company Commander Gong, who felt the same nervousness as Instructor Yuan, immediately discussed with Instructor Yuan," Old Yuan, we should gather the troops to go up the mountain and rescue them!”
"Yes, human lives are at stake, and there's no time to lose. I'll get the trumpeteer to blow the horn now.”Instructor Yuan then called for the call officer and blew the emergency call for the entire company.
In an instant, all the platoons of the company brought all kinds of rescue tools and gathered at the grassland in front of the mountain to wait for the company to start the rescue.
"I think everyone heard it just now. According to the observation of Instructor Yuan and me through the telescope, the loud noise happened on the hillside of our old company. In addition, we can't contact them until now. The rocket launcher squad that was responsible for the security of the ammunition depot camp last night is likely to have met with an accident. Therefore, we have to quickly organize a rescue team up the mountain! Looking at all the officers and soldiers on the field, Company Commander Gong urgently explained the situation.
"Human lives are at stake, and there's no time to lose. I don't want to say anything more here. Let's hurry up the mountain and start the rescue operation.”Instructor Yuan, who felt that the situation was serious, could not be bothered to give any more motivational speeches. He immediately issued a call to action.
In fact, the soldiers understood that other than saving people, anything else was useless.
Following that, everyone followed the company commander and the instructor and rushed anxiously towards the location of the accident on the mountain-the old camp of the Second Company.
25
The scene in front of them stunned the commanders of the Second Company. They couldn't believe that in just one night, the Second Company's old camp had been completely destroyed by the landslide. Even the 12 soldiers who were responsible for guarding the ammunition depot had disappeared. It was so terrifying and unprecedented!
The Second Company camp, which had been bustling with activity yesterday, was now deathly silent. Yesterday, the twelve rocket launcher squad soldiers were still lively and energetic. Today, they could no longer see their familiar figures. So heroic, so tragic!
Faced with this cruel reality, everyone's mood immediately sank. Many soldiers 'eyes were filled with tears.
"Guo Yunlong, Liang Qingshan, where did you go? "We're here to bring you down the mountain…" At this moment, Instructor Yuan started to call out to his surroundings in grief…
However, all he got was an echo from the valley," We're here to pick you up... We're here to pick you up..."
Bang! Bang! Bang! Immediately after, Company Commander Gong also fired several shots into the sky in grief and indignation, and roared at the top of his lungs,"We must find them!"
After that, the sound of a gunshot pierced through the sky, and an angry roar spread through the mountains." We must find them... We must find them..."
At this point, all the commanders of the Second Company had no choice but to believe that Guo Yunlong, Liang Qingshan, and the other 12 rocket launcher soldiers had indeed been buried under the landslide. This was the worst outcome that no one wanted to think of.
"Company Commander Wei Fu, I want you to assign the specific tasks to each platoon. We must seize the time and do our best to search for the bodies of the twelve deceased soldiers as soon as possible.”Instructor Yuan instructed Wei Lianfu solemnly.
"Yes!" Then, Wei Lianfu walked forward with a heavy nod and gave the specific tasks to all the teams.
" Platoon Leader One-"
"Here!"
"Bring your own platoon and search for the collapsed area near the old company's ammunition depot. Start a search and rescue operation."
"Yes, sir!"
" Second Platoon Leader, Third Platoon Leader-"
"Here!" "Here!"
"Bring your own two platoons of people and cooperate with the drilling machine to find the collapsed location near the old company's rocket launcher accommodation.”
"Yes, sir!"
"Fourth platoon leader-"
"Here!"
"Finally, you will bring your own team and search for the collapsed area near the old company's field.。”
"Yes, sir!"
Immediately, a tense search and rescue operation for the rocket launcher squad began on the ruins of the old camp of Second Company.
At the same time, some of the border residents who had been rescued also rushed over to help, expressing their sincere feelings for their loved ones and revealing their deep nostalgia for the border guards of the motherland.
Finally, the sky brightened up, and the Gong Mountain Ridge once again welcomed the blue sky. The Nujiang River Valley was once again reflected with the brilliant sunlight, as if twelve precious lives had been sacrificed to move the heavens. It was as if the blood of twelve young soldiers had sprinkled the river sky.
Two hours, four hours... Soon, more than half a day had passed. The soldiers of the Second Company, who had deep feelings for each other, were exhausted and drenched in sweat. However, on the collapsed ruins of the old camp of the Second Company, there were still no traces of the bodies of the soldiers who had died...
As they watched the time slowly pass by without any gains, the commanders of the Second Company felt extremely anxious and anxious.
In order to ease the tense atmosphere at the scene of the search and rescue operation and the depressed mood of the soldiers, Instructor Yuan suddenly stood up again, raised the loudspeaker, and exerted the power of political and idealistic work. He once again made a propaganda campaign.
"Comrades, don't be discouraged! I remember that Leader Mao once said,'Victory often depends on perseverance and hard work.' Therefore, I hope that everyone will work harder and be able to hold on. Especially our comrades in the Party and League. At this critical moment, we must be able to withstand the test, bravely shoulder the heavy burden, and lead everyone to persist in digging. I believe that victory will not be too far away from us. Digging and finding the remains of the martyrs will definitely be realized!”
After Instructor Yuan's propaganda, the Second Company summarized the excavation and search situation and formulated a new search plan. This made the officers and soldiers more confident and courageous in excavating and finding the bodies of the martyrs. They made an oath that they would not stop until they found the bodies of the martyrs! Following that, they resumed the investigation of the mudslide and continued to dig and search...
"Company commander, instructor, we found it! Found it!" Hard work paid off. Sure enough, when the soldiers of the Second Company insisted on digging and searching until the sky was about to turn dark, they suddenly heard someone exclaim in surprise. Finally, they dug and found the bodies of two soldiers who had died not far away from the collapsed position of the ammunition depot.
Then, the soldiers and the people on the border gathered around anxiously, scrambling to dig out the body of a soldier who had died in the battle. They were all holding their steel guns tightly in their arms. After some cleaning, the destroyed remains were revealed.
"Uh, this seems to be the artillery squad, Fu Liang Qingshan, and the inland warrior, Zhang Hu.”Company Commander Gong carefully identified it.
"Hmm, not bad. They're the last ones standing guard at dawn.”At the same time, Han Wenshu, who had recognized it from the side, immediately affirmed it.
"Cough! Liang Qingshan and Zhang Hu have really put you in a difficult position this time.”Instructor Yuan stared at the two bodies of the martyrs and expressed his sympathy.
"Stretcher team, quickly carry the bodies of the martyrs down.”Wei Lianfu, who was in charge of the site command, rushed over and made arrangements for the search for the bodies of the martyrs.
"Report, we have also found the body of a martyr.”After a short pause, he heard a call from the second platoon. In the middle of the excavation site, another martyr's body was discovered.
Immediately, Company Commander Gong, Instructor Yuan, and Han Wenshu rushed over. After careful cleaning and combining their physical characteristics, they finally recognized Chen Juntao, the inland soldier who happened to have completed the shift with Liang Qingshan and Zhang Hu.
As the bodies of the martyrs were found at the scene, it brought about a turning point for the excavation and search work. The officers and men of the Second Company immediately felt excited, and they increased their confidence and strength in excavating and searching for the bodies of the martyrs. The progress of the excavation and search work was even faster.
"Sigh, Zhang Hu, Chen Juntao, didn't we agree that we would meet again at the end of this year? Why can't you keep your promise?!”Han Wenshu's recollection once again touched Tao Zhigang's deep nostalgia for his comrades. He finally couldn't help but say. "Zhang Hu, don't have any regrets. You're a good man! You sacrificed your young and precious life to defend the border of the motherland. You died a worthy and glorious death. We are proud of you!”
26
At this point, Tao Zhigang and Ma Xiaochuan had just finished listening to Han Wenshu's recollection of the incident where the second company was attacked by a landslide, resulting in the death of twelve rocket launcher soldiers. They had basically understood the entire process of the second company's officers and soldiers fighting against the flood and disaster relief, and finally encountering the landslide attack. Suddenly, they heard Instructor Yuan's call from downstream of the excavation site."Han Wenshu, quickly bring Tao Wenshu and the others over.”
"Oh, I heard you. I'm coming over now.”Han Wenshu immediately responded to the instructor. Then, he quickly called Tao Zhigang and Ma Xiaochuan, who were beside him," Let's go and take a look. There might be some new developments."”
" According to the spirit of the regiment's order of 'see the living and the dead. Do your best and do not delay it', it is now the most critical phase of the decisive battle and the final countdown. Considering that the body of the last martyr Guo Yunlong has not been found yet, we still have to gather everyone for a meeting on the spot. I hope that we can reformulate a more feasible and accurate excavation plan after careful analysis.”
Hearing Company Commander Gong's anxious explanation and seeing the officers surrounding the scene, Tao Zhigang and Ma Xiaochuan, who had rushed over with Han Wenshu, immediately felt the atmosphere at the scene was particularly tense.
" Right now, we are going to find the body of Guo Yunlong's last martyr as soon as possible and launch a further battle. It is a good opportunity for you to come over and listen to us. You can also give us some suggestions.”Seeing Han Wenshu leading Tao Zhigang and Ma Xiaochuan to the meeting venue, Instructor Yuan went forward and explained again.
"Cough! It had been three days since the excavation and search. The bodies of all the martyrs had been found. Why was Squad Leader Guo still nowhere to be seen?”
"Isn't that so? Although we didn't dig three feet into the ground, we have searched many places, but we still haven't found any traces of him.”
"That's right. That's strange. It's impossible for him to be rushed out of this area and buried somewhere else, right?”
Connecting the fact that Guo Yunlong had not been found in the process of excavating the bodies of the deceased martyrs, most of the platoon officers were confused and started to discuss. Some of them were afraid of difficulties, some had begun to lose confidence, and some even had the idea of giving up.
Seeing that the battle had reached a stalemate, Instructor Yuan calmly walked forward and began to help everyone analyze the situation." Please don't let your guard down. Let's analyze it carefully again. According to Guo Yunlong's position as the squad leader of the rocket launcher squad and the person in charge of the squad on duty, he wouldn't have stayed in the dormitory of the artillery squad for too long that night. He might have been patrolling near the camp and the ammunition depot.
According to the fact that we didn't find Guo Yunlong's body in the upstream of the landslide, he was brought downstream by the landslide that night. According to the calculation of the sliding speed of the landslide and the route he took when patrolling, his body was likely buried below the company's central road.”The instructor's incisive analysis immediately won the support and praise of most of the company officers present.
" The instructor's analysis makes sense. That's right. Looking back, we have been focusing our forces on the excavation and search in the middle and upper reaches of the landslide. We have indeed found most of the dead soldiers except Guo Yunlong, but we haven't invested enough troops to increase the excavation and search in the lower reaches of the landslide..." Wei Lianfu then thought of the excavation and search situation and suddenly came to a realization.
"Instructor Yuan's analysis reminded us that when a landslide occurs, there will inevitably be a sliding distance and moving speed. Why didn't we consider it before?”
"Cough! In the past two days, he had been in pain and sorrow, anxious to dig up the bodies of the martyrs. However, he had not thought about it. This mudslide was not static, but sliding.
"Yes, I agree with the instructor's analysis very much. Let's follow the plan he proposed!”
"I'm also very supportive of the proposal proposed by the instructor. Let's just confirm it and do it."
"Yes, success or failure depends on this move. Hurry up and act. We can't delay any longer.”
、、、、、、、
After a round of discussion, everyone finally agreed on Instructor Yuan's plan.
According to Instructor Yuan's decision on the location and the unanimous agreement formed by the company's officers, the commanders of the second company quickly gathered most of their forces. They used pickaxes, shovels, and steel drills to cooperate with drilling machines and threw them into the downstream of the landslide. They went down the original company's central road and stepped up to carry out a precise excavation search operation.
As the search continued, most of the people were attracted to a digging site at the bottom of the central road. They saw a few soldiers working with the drilling machine, wielding pickaxes and shovels, constantly pulling out mud and sand from the pit. At this time, everyone's eyes were also drawn to the deep pit. They stared at the drilling machine as it drilled down step by step. Everyone's thoughts were also entangled. Two meters, three meters, no sign of Guo Yunlong.
"Sigh, is there a mistake in the judgment?”
"I'm afraid I got the wrong place..."
"Why don't we try moving to another place?”
At this moment, the crowd started to chatter.
Tao Zhigang and Ma Xiaochuan, who were guarding the edge of the pit with Han Wenshu, felt their hearts almost jump to their throats.
"Continue digging another meter! If there are any problems, I'll be responsible for reflecting on it to everyone.”Suddenly, Instructor Yuan stood in front and calmly continued to give instructions.
Then, when the pickaxe and shovel continued to dig down another meter, a miracle finally appeared! Guo Yunlong's body began to reveal the mud and soil. He had a steel gun on his shoulder and raised one hand up high as if he was shouting something...
However, when the two soldiers went down to lift the body, they could not move it no matter what. In the end, they could only rely on the drilling machine to continue digging down for another half a meter before they finally dug it out.
Immediately, Tao Zhigang and Ma Xiaochuan, who had been waiting at the edge of the pit, hoping that Guo Yunlong's body would miraculously appear, quickly took over the bodies of the martyrs. Then, Tao Zhigang touched one of Guo Yunlong's arms in a familiar manner and found the words "lotus" carved on the bloody arm.
"Ah, it's him. Guo Yunlong, my good comrade!”Tao Zhigang, who had witnessed his comrade's body, suddenly spoke with deep nostalgia.
" This 'lotus flower' is..." At this moment, Han Wenshu, who was following by the side, couldn't help but ask in puzzlement.
"'Lotus' is the name of his lover who is far away in his hometown. Because she was in the army for so many years, she was very virtuous to him. Not only did she patiently wait for him, but she also insisted on sending him some hand-knitted sweaters and local specialties that he loved to eat, so that he could serve in the army in peace, stand guard, and keep watch. Her lover was also named a model soldier by the local government. For this reason, he always felt that he had let her down, but he had no other choice. He could only think of carving her name on his arm to express his respect for her.”
Tao Zhigang felt even more sad for his comrade. He couldn't help but lean down and hug Guo Yunlong's body."Cough! Da Pao, I remember you said before you came that you would make it up to her after the war. But now, in order to protect the border of the motherland, you have sacrificed your precious life, but you will never have the chance to meet her again."
Hearing Tao Zhigang's narration, all the officers and soldiers present were deeply moved. Tears filled their eyes.
"Ahem, Instructor, you're right. He might have been washed here by a mudslide while patrolling the road.”Wei Lianfu, who came with the soldiers, looked at Guo Yunlong's face and praised with deep admiration,""Tsk tsk, what an amazing warrior. We are warriors who came together! During the day, they had to continuously participate in the rescue and relocation, and at night, they had to continue to guard the camp.”Then, he said with great hatred,"Look at what this damn mudslide has done to him.”
"Yes, the damage is too serious. It's almost impossible to tell that it's him.”Instructor Yuan said as he gently wiped the mud off Guo Yunlong's face with his hand.
Because Guo Yunlong's face was severely injured, it was almost disfigured, and it was difficult to restore his original appearance, which made many soldiers on the scene dumbfounded.
"Cough! This damned mudslide, why did you mercilessly take away the lives of us cute warriors?”Company Commander Gong couldn't help but punch his head and roar.
"Company commander, instructor, look. This is the relic we found on Guo Yunlong.”At this time, Han Wenshu, who was helping Guo Yunlong's body clean up, suddenly took out a small red notebook from his pocket and handed it to the company commander and instructor.
Instructor Yuan hurriedly took the notebook and carefully flipped open the bloodstained page.
Then, he looked at it together with Commander Gong, who had come over.
"My company owes bills:
Lend Liang Ban cigarettes: 50 yuan
[Borrowing money from Pan Yueyan: 50 yuan]
[Borrowing money from Zhang Huyan: 30 yuan]
Borrowing Chen Juntao's cigarettes: 30 yuan
[Lend Wei Fu Company Commander's watch: 80 yuan]
Borrowing money from Chief Yu for his watch and cigarettes: 100 yuan
、、、、、、”
"Sigh, so this is an account book he had on him. Most of it is the money he owes others for cigarettes.”After reading through the information, Instructor Yuan found that he was discussing with Company Commander Gong.
"That's right, I've noticed that he likes to smoke those few smokes.”Company Commander Gong immediately analyzed the situation." Well, during the sudden relocation two days ago, he even asked me for a few cigarettes.”
"Yes, he has been smoking ever since he joined the army. Because of his family's financial difficulties, he usually has to bite the bullet and borrow money from others if he wants to buy cigarettes.”At this moment, Tao Zhigang, who was immersed in pain, also confirmed.
"Company commander, instructor, look at the watch on his wrist. It might be the watch he borrowed money to buy on his bill. I heard that he only bought it after he was announced as the acting platoon leader this year.”Han Wenshu, who was squatting beside the corpse and continuing to search for the remains, added.
Company Commander Gong and Instructor Yuan quickly looked over.
"Yes, this is the watch he borrowed money to buy.”Commander Gong rubbed his red eyes as he spoke.
At the same time, Instructor Yuan was also crying, and the soldiers were also wiping away their tears.
Tao Zhigang was even more heartbroken as he squatted on the ground with Ma Xiaochuan.
Looking at Guo Yunlong's mutilated body and the scene full of tragic and oppressive tension, Wei Lianfu, who was in charge of the search and rescue command at the scene, hurriedly went forward and made some arrangements.
"Stretcher team, quickly carry Guo Yunlong down the mountain.”
"Yes, sir!" Hearing Wei Lianfu's call, the medics brought a few soldiers and carefully moved Guo Yunlong's body onto the stretcher.
"Han Wenshu, in addition, send the two comrades who came to deliver the letter down the mountain and let them rest early. They've been working hard for the past few days, and they still have to return to Fugong tomorrow.”Seeing that Tao Zhigang's thoughts were about to collapse and Ma Xiaochuan was exhausted, Instructor Yuan quickly instructed Han Wenshu," At the same time, give them the 'Report on the Sudden Landslide Attack of the Second Company' that the company has written and hand it over to the regiment headquarters.”
"Yes." Han Wenshu immediately ran over. He comforted Tao Zhigang and Ma Xiaochuan who were squatting on the ground as he walked down the mountain towards the tent camp.
Twenty-seven.
Tao Zhigang and Ma Xiaochuan camped for another night. After completing their mission to deliver the letter and understanding the entire process of the landslide incident in Second Company, they brought their rations and filled their water bottles on the third day and began to leave Second Company's location. They embarked on their journey back again. Due to the continuous sun exposure and the rescue efforts of the road guards, the mountain road was much easier to walk than it was a few days ago.
In the end, with the tenacious efforts of continuing to carry forward the idea of " fighting a few battles without rest ", Tao Zhigang and Ma Xiaochuan finally completed another long journey and returned to Fugong Company. They brought back the " Report on the Sudden Mudslide Attack of the Second Company " and the information they learned about the Second Company's efforts in flood relief and the life-and-death battle with the mudslide until the 12 rocket launcher soldiers unfortunately died gloriously. They handed it over to their superiors.
Twenty-eight.
After that, when he was cleaning up the relics of the twelve martyrs, he found that some of them had not finished writing the soldier's diary, some had not submitted the application to join the party in time, some had collected photos of their relatives and had not been able to get a chance to meet their relatives...
Other than that, they didn't find any more valuable relics left behind. Perhaps this was the mindset of the youth created in that era, or perhaps this was the spiritual outlook of the soldiers cultivated in that era. Perhaps this was the life values of the qualified conscripts trained in that era.
Combined with the performance of the twelve martyrs before their death, the company's party branch discussed and reported to the regiment's party committee to decide: Guo Yunlong, Lu Shoujiang, Li Guangrong, Pan Yue, and the other four martyrs were given the decision to become official party members, but Liang Qingshan and Zhang Hu were not mentioned. Liu Chun, Ding Xuefeng, and the other two martyrs were approved to join the Chinese Youth League. Guo Yunlong, Li Guangrong, Lu Shoujiang, Chen Juntao and other 12 dedicated soldiers were given the honorary title of revolutionary martyrs.
At the same time, in order to commend the collective spirit of the entire rocket launcher squad, the higher-ups decided: The class was named the " Border Defense Warrior Class ", and the ten martyrs, including Guo Yunlong and Lu Shoujiang, were given merit points respectively. However, Liang Qingshan and Zhang Hu were not mentioned.
Most of the commanders and soldiers in the company felt that it was difficult to understand and felt that it was unfair. They sympathized with him.
However, according to the investigation of the relevant higher-ups, In the second half of the night of the landslide, Liang Qingshan and Zhang Hu, the last squad leader, failed to report the hidden danger on the hillside of the camp to the company in time. As a result, when the landslide suddenly attacked, the whole class was unable to escape from the danger, resulting in heavy casualties.
However, Tao Zhigang still couldn't understand it. Natural phenomena were very difficult to predict, not man-made. This was because the higher-ups were too strict. They didn't sacrifice themselves for the mudslide attack, but they were not recognized to join the organization and were deeply wronged.
Twenty-nine.
At the same time, the Fugong First Company, which had experienced a series of disaster relief operations in Fugong County, also held a grand summary meeting in the company canteen.
The advanced collectives and individuals who showed selfless dedication and were praised by the local government and the people in the border areas were respectively awarded with unreported commendations, including Tao Zhigang and Ma Xiaochuan, who were awarded the title of "Advanced Individual in Disaster Rescue". Zhao Shuang, Tang Xiaoqiang, Li Guozhu, Sun Nujiang, Luo Baojiang and other five people were awarded the company commendation. Fang Xiaoyong, Xu Cao, Yang Zhenguo and other three people were awarded the notification commendation.
After that, Tao Zhigang was elected to represent the award recipient and gave an award speech to the company's officers and soldiers.
Then, Instructor Xu, on behalf of the party branch, gave a speech to the officers and men of the company about "learning from the award-winning personnel and striving to be qualified conscripts".
In the end, the representatives of each class came forward to express their determination and issued a challenge letter. As a result, a craze of " learning from the advanced and catching up with the advanced " was set off in the company, creating an atmosphere of " striving to be qualified conscripts ".
In summary, the border defense companies were involved in disaster relief and fighting against mountain floods and mudflows. It could be seen that the soldiers who came to the border troops not only had to take on patrol duties and guard the border, but also had to take on the responsibility of investing in local disaster relief, protecting the lives and property of the people, and supporting the construction of ethnic minorities. They had to face the tenacious test of the security situation in the border areas and deal with the severe challenges of frequent natural disasters!
If it was said that the soldiers on the front line had to face a life and death decision, then the border soldiers who were born in the rear had to undergo another kind of tempering test. From different perspectives, the soldiers who made noble contributions in a peaceful environment and the soldiers who made heroic sacrifices during the war were both the most lovable people of the new generation. They had shed blood on the flag of the Republic.
Those who had never been to the frontier would not be able to appreciate it, but for the soldiers who had come to the frontier, it could leave a deep mark.
Thirty.
Thinking back, Tao Zhigang felt even more sympathy for Zhang Hu, who was sent to participate in the war and unfortunately died in the sudden landslide. However, he was not recognized as a member of the Chinese Party and was not awarded a merit. Therefore, he found Zhang Hu's tomb and squatted down. He cut open a grapefruit that he loved to suck on and held it in front of his tombstone." Zhang Hu, this is a fruit pomelo grown in our company. It's very nourishing and delicious. I brought it here so that you can have a good taste..."
Immediately, Tao Zhigang's eyes flashed with the unforgettable scenes of him, Squad Leader Wei, Guo Yunlong, Pan Yue, Zhao Shuang, Tang Xiaoqiang, and other comrades from the mainland. When they were transferred from the frontier of Yunnan's south-central border to the northwest border of Yunnan, they experienced various hardships and challenges in order to adapt to the border environment.
Thirty-one.
It was late February 1979. Due to the fact that the central military and government had decided to end the war quickly with the goal of teaching the southern bullies a lesson, and considering the need to guard against the restless "polar bears" and strengthen the defense of the northern troops, according to the arrangements of the higher-ups, some of the redundant personnel who came to participate in the war were strategically transferred. They were now heading to the Central South Frontline and retreating north to the border between China and Myanmar. This made the people who were full of blood at the beginning. Some of the officers and soldiers who were determined to fight, including the platoon leader, Tao Zhigang, Guo Qulong, Zhao Shuang, Chen Juntao, and others who were transferred from Shanghai Jingbei District to Yunnan, were immediately disappointed. They never expected such an outcome.
However, as revolutionary soldiers who had received political education and had strict discipline, they knew that there was no room for bargaining on the battlefield. Although they couldn't figure it out at the moment, they still regarded obeying orders as their duty through the education of the leaders on the spot. They temporarily reserved their personal opinions.
Following that, Platoon Leader Wei, Tao Zhigang, Guo Yunlong, Zhao Shuang, Chen Juntao, and the rest of the soldiers from Shanghai's Jingbei District and the rest of the soldiers from other units were gathered together. They were reorganized into several military trucks and headed towards the northwest border of Yunnan.
As the military truck fleet set off in the early morning, they went from Mengzi in the south to Kunming through Yuxi, then turned northwest through Chuxiong, passed Dali, and went to the southwest Baoshan Military Division for a night's rest. The next day, they continued to head north, passing by the Nujiang River and the Liuku River. They split up their forces and arranged for the rest of the way. In the end, there were only a few military trucks carrying platoon leader Wei, Tao Zhigang, Guo Yunlong, Zhao Shuang, Chen Juntao, and other people who were supporting the front line. They were pulled to the depths of the Nujiang River valley in the western border of Yunnan.
"Alright, we've arrived at Fugong Station. Everyone can get off here.”As the military card slowly stopped at the side of the road, the platoon leader announced to everyone and took the lead to jump out of the car to look at the clock. It was already 2:30 in the afternoon.
Immediately after, the dizzy soldiers quickly rubbed their sleepy eyes and tidied up their luggage as they got out of the car one after another.
"Platoon Leader-"
"Here!"
"Come here quickly."
At this moment, the leader in charge of the team in front of them took out the roster and called out to the person in charge of the border defense company who had rushed over to pick up the car.
"Fugong County, so this is a small county.”After a short pause, the agile Tang Xiaoqiang walked to a sign by the roadside and read.
"Cough! It doesn't seem to be as big as a bustling town in our mainland.”Following behind Tang Xiaoqiang, Zhao Shuang, who had a simple and honest personality, also spoke up.
"Haha, no matter how big or small it is, it still shows that we have come from the eastern gate of our motherland to the western gate of our motherland. Compared to the movie 'Southern Conquest and Northern War', this can also be called' Eastern Expedition and Western War'.”Tao Zhigang looked at the Fugong County address board and said jokingly.
" Hahaha!" Tao Zhigang's humor immediately caused his comrades to burst into laughter.
"Sigh, you don't say. We were first sent to the southwest border to prepare for the war against the south, and then there was a strategic shift. We were pulled to the northwest border to guard the China-Myanmar border. At first, some people couldn't figure it out, but there was actually another mystery behind it.”。
"Let Tao Zhigang write a novel tomorrow and then get someone to adapt it into a script. Wouldn't it be a good movie then?”
At this moment, Chen Juntao and Zhang Hu, who were transferred from the same company as Tao Zhigang, took the opportunity to tease him.
"Alright, alright, don't make fun of me.”Tao Zhigang felt embarrassed and quickly shirked.
"That's right. The military life that we soldiers have experienced and the sacrifices that our comrades in the front line have experienced are all rare materials. How good would it be if someone could write about them!”Zhao Shuang, who was also transferred from the same company as Tao Zhigang, said emotionally.
"It's good to write it, but it doesn't necessarily mean that it will be published. It also requires a good opportunity and a good talent. That's why it's not easy to do literature.”Tao Zhigang said calmly in response to everyone's impromptu discussion.
"Haha, what Zhigang said makes sense. It's just like the ancients said,'A thousand-li horse is common, but a Bole is not common'!”Following Tao Zhigang's words, Tang Xiaoqiang humorously added a sentence.
"Alright, alright, let's not talk about literature for the time being. We're in a critical period of war now, so we should focus on cooperating with the higher-ups to carry out the strategic shift.”Just as everyone was talking with great interest, the platoon leader who had just finished the handover interrupted them."Attention, everyone who hears my name list, come over here and stand in line. Immediately follow me to the two cars in front.”
Seeing the platoon leader give a new order, the people who were fighting in the front of the field all felt their minds go into a trance. They did not expect it…
" Listen up: Guo Yunlong, Pan Yue, Chen Juntao, Zhang Hu..." As the platoon leader read out the list of soldiers, the soldiers who were present at the front were divided into three groups and stood helplessly on both sides.
"The rest of you who haven't been called, stay where you are. The Fugong border defense company leader who is in charge of receiving the vehicles will bring you back to the team later.”The platoon leader looked at the confused soldiers who were still standing at the same spot and added. Then, he led his team back to the vehicles in front.
"Sigh, Zhigang, why did Guo Yunlong, Pan Yue, Chen Juntao, and Zhang Hu continue to get on the bus with Platoon Leader Wei?”At this time, looking at the platoon leader who left with the team, Tang Xiaoqiang felt uncomfortable and asked Tao Zhigang," Where are you going to pull them?”。
"That's right, Little Tao. Even the platoon leader was cut off. What's going on?”Zhao Shuang also felt sorry for Tao Zhigang. They had finally gathered together, and now they were separated again. Why can't we put the people from the same group together?”。
"Sigh, Zhigang, is it because the Fugong Company can't be settled anymore that the leader in charge of the team made such a last-minute adjustment?”Tang Xiaoqiang could not help but guess again.
"Hmm, maybe the higher-ups have other intentions.”After a pause, Tao Zhigang, who was also reluctant to part, made a different judgment.
In addition to Tao Zhigang, Zhao Shuang, Tang Xiaoqiang, and more than a dozen other frontline combatants who were left behind in Fugong County, the local Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture, most of the other frontline combatants, including platoon leader Wei, Guo Yunlong, Pan Yue, Zhang Hu, Chen Juntao, and others, were arranged to go further north to the Gongshan Dulong and Nu Autonomous County.
Looking at the military card carrying a group of comrades from the same hometown gradually leaving, Tao Zhigang, Zhao Shuang, and Tang Xiaoqiang, who were waiting to be picked up, quickly waved their arms at them, and then tears welled up.
At this point, several fellow countrymen who had signed up to join the army and another who had signed up to participate in the war were finally separated at the border of China and Myanmar in the western border of Yunnan.
It could really be described as 'a country made of iron, a country made of flowing water'! Two days ago, he was still at the outpost in the East China Sea of the motherland. Now, he had come to the western border of the motherland to divide his troops and take on the sacred responsibility.
After a short pause, the members who had stayed behind to support the frontline gradually calmed down as they came to a new environment and shifted their gazes. They began to slowly regain their senses and look around Fugong County City. Unexpectedly, they were once again chilled by the sealed environment in front of them.
This place was located in a deep mountain valley. Space was limited and the area was narrow. Other than two mountains and a river, there was nothing else to see. The so-called county town was only the size of a town in the mainland. It was a multi-ethnic border area where the Lisu, Nu, Dulong, Bai, Miao, and Han people lived together.
"Sigh, why are there so many mountains here? Apart from the line of sky above and the river below, I can't see anything else. It's as if I'm isolated from the outside world.”
"That's right. We can't even find a large piece of flat land. When we think of our hometown, it's all plains. We can't even see the end of it at a glance.”
"Isn't that so? Even if there are mountains in our hometown, there are also flat lands. It's not like this place, which is filled with deep mountains and valleys. It makes people panic when they see it. It's too secluded!”
"Cough! This place is just a mountain, it's lonely…"
"Yes, there are only mountains here. At most, there's a river.”At this moment, a leader of the border defense company who had come to pick up the car heard him and said,"To describe this place in a local folk song: 'Two mountains sandwiched by a river, looking up to the sky',' The ground is full of stones, climb the hill when you go out', and 'live in the mountains, grow crops on the wall'.”
"Oh, let me introduce you. This is Company Commander Jiang Fu of Fugong Border Defense Company.”Then, another member of the team who came with them quickly introduced himself to everyone." My surname is Li. I'm a secretary in the company. We're here today to send you back to the team.”
"Sigh, Jiang Lianfu, the folk song that you mentioned just now was quite vivid, but I don't understand the meaning of the last sentence,'plant the crops on the wall'.”Tao Zhigang asked curiously.
"Haha, looks like you're quite interested in this folk song. The phrase 'planting crops on the wall' meant that the local border people planted crops on the steep hillside, just like planting crops on the wall.”Tao Zhigang's curiosity piqued Commander Jiang Fu's interest, so he smiled and explained again.
"Haha, so that's what you mean.”
"Jiang Lianfu, I feel that you are quite familiar with the local situation. Are you a local?”At this moment, Zhao Shuang also asked Jiang Lianfu curiously.
"I don't belong to the Nu River Lisu autonomous prefecture, but my hometown isn't too far away. It's in the neighboring Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, 422 kilometers away from Fugong.”As he spoke, Jiang Lianfu pointed to the back of the car." It's to the south of Baoshan that we passed yesterday.”Then, he added,"And I'm also a Jingpo clansman."”
"Ah, you're also a minority?”Tao Zhigang looked surprised.
"Yeah, what's so strange about that? The proportion of ethnic minorities in our Yunnan border defense forces is also quite large. You'll know when you get into the company in the future.”
" Then you've been with the Fugong Company for many years, right?" Zhao Shuang asked.
"Mm, to be honest, I've been in Fugong for almost ten years..."
"No wonder you are so familiar with the situation here.”Tang Xiaoqiang could not help but sigh,"However, seeing the living environment here, I feel that it's too remote and too difficult…"
"Yes, this place is more difficult, more remote, and more isolated, but after you stay for a period of time, you will slowly adapt.”At this moment, Li Wenshu, who was standing at the side, also had a deep feeling. He interrupted excitedly," When we first came here, we were like you now. We looked at the mountains on both sides blocking our vision. The surrounding space was so narrow, as if we were locked in a cage. We felt very depressed and couldn't open our minds for a moment. Later, we learned from the old comrades in the border areas who had adapted to the living environment here and went through a period of hard training. He had finally adapted to it slowly and now, he was completely used to it.”
"Li Wenshu is right. It's like this. There has to be a process for everything.”At this moment, Commander Jiang Fu continued to persuade everyone," Although you can see that the mountains on both sides block the view and the narrow space makes people feel depressed, this is only the surface phenomenon that you have just arrived here. You haven't seen her full style and rich content. You guys really don't know the true face of Mount Lu.
Do you know that other than the 'two mountains and a river, with a line of sky above your head', there are also many fun places and beautiful scenery here? For example, the majestic Gaoligong Mountain, the majestic Biluo Snow Mountain, the mysterious "Eastern Grand Canyon", the colorful mountain meadow, and the thrilling canyon flying and flying were all scenic spots worth visiting.
In addition, there were also Stone Moon, Lawu Rock Waterfall, Flying Stone, Bijiang Octagonal Building, Lazhudi National Cultural Village, Zileng Hot Spring, and the magical Geocentric Secret Nima.”In order to change the mindset of the people who participated in the battle in time and ease everyone's negative and pessimistic mood, Jiang Lianfu naturally pointed to the mountains around Fugong and introduced them.
"Wow! After hearing what you said, this place is simply too magical!”
"Jiang Lianfu, when can you bring us to these scenic spots?”
"Well, when the company has a rest day, I can take you to the nearby scenic spots first so that you can have a good look at the beautiful scenery of our nature. Then, I will take a few photos of the scenery for you to send back to your hometown.”Hearing that there were many fun and exciting places to go, the dejected members of the vanguard team could not help but jump up excitedly.
"Oh, great! Jiang Lianfu, what you said was too inspiring!”
"Jiang Lianfu, you have to keep your word.”
"Of course, you keep your word!”
Jiang Lianfu's eloquent speech aroused the interest of the frontline staff, so much so that everyone talked non-stop until they cheered and clapped, causing the atmosphere to reach a climax.
"Well, well, enough chit-chat, it's getting late, the comrades in the company are still waiting for you to hurry over with a warm welcome.”At this time, Jiang Lianfu thought of the time to return to the team and hurriedly put away his words." Li Wenshu, quickly assemble the team and return to the company."”
"Yes, sir!" Then, Li Wenshu walked forward and began to gather the troops." Next, please check if there are any missing military supplies."”
Under the leadership of Jiang Lianfu and Li Wenshu, Tao Zhigang, Zhao Shuang, Tang Xiaoqiang, and the other members who were left behind to support the front line quickly formed two teams and walked along the mountain road towards the border defense company stationed at the back mountain of Fugong County.
Along the way to the middle of the mountain, the frontline soldiers were fortunate enough to meet a group of Lisu women walking down the mountain. This made everyone feel particularly curious. It was the first time for most of the frontline soldiers who grew up in the mainland to see their ethnic compatriots at such a close distance.
They had black and red faces, wore beaded chains, and wore thick skirts. They were barefooted, carrying children and goods as they walked down the mountain on the stone road. They politely made way for them by the side of the road, giving people a very simple impression.
Tao Zhigang, who was walking in the front row, had a strong reaction in his mind. It turned out that the ethnic minorities he saw in real life were so primitive, backward, and difficult. They were very different from those in movies, operas, and on stage. They were not so glamorous and dazzling.
From there, he had personally experienced that the most beautiful things in society often originated from the most primitive human life.
At the same time, it also made him realize that he had come to the northwest border of Yunnan and saw the local ethnic minorities with his own eyes.
After climbing a mountain path, the team arrived at a camp.
It was not difficult to see that the stone walls and tile-roofed houses here were all built with the wisdom of the soldiers. Due to the harsh conditions in the border areas, the construction facilities of the camp were relatively simple. In addition to a company and four or five platoon dormitories, there was only a dining hall and a large basketball field.
Right above the company was the battalion headquarters, which was less than a hundred meters away. There were three barracks and a field, and the range of activity was not very large.
On both sides of the open space along the battalion headquarters to the company, there were fruit trees and vegetable fields planted by the soldiers.
Looking around, it was all high mountains, ravines, and deep trenches. All of them were desolate and lonely. From this, it could be seen that the living conditions at the border were indeed very difficult. The trials faced by the troops stationed here were also very serious.
The team finally arrived at the 10th regiment, 1st battalion, 1st company of the border defense. Immediately, the officers and soldiers of the border company who had been waiting on both sides of the road earlier came forward with enthusiasm and began to compete to help take the luggage of the soldiers in front of them and lead them into the platoon. Then, they poured tea for the soldiers who had worked hard all the way, arranged for them to rest, and worked hard to cooperate with them to make the soldiers feel more cordial.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。