On the afternoon of the second day after Zhong Guoqing sent Guo Zhuye's letter, Zhang Wusheng, the commander of the brigade militia, came to see him. He told him to get ready and go to the county people's hospital for a physical examination tomorrow morning.
There were a total of six youths of the right age from the Green Pine Ridge Brigade who went to the county hospital for a checkup. The first team was Wang Shenghu and Zhang Wangsuo, the second team was Wang Xinniu and Zhong Guoqing, and the third team was Wang Hefu and Ren Yulong. It was said that this batch of soldiers was going to the Beijing garrison this year. They would be standing guard at the state organs in Beijing City, so the requirements in all aspects were very strict. For example, they must be at least 1.7 meters tall and have proper facial features, especially in terms of family background and social relations. There were more than a dozen young men of the right age who had signed up for the entire brigade. However, after strict inspection by the armed forces department of the Commune, these six people were notified to go for a physical examination. According to well-informed sources, the Commune had given the Green Pine Ridge Brigade three targets. Three of the six people who went for the physical examination would be eliminated.
Her son was going to the county for a checkup tomorrow and was going to Beijing to join the army. Her mother was so excited that she didn't know what to say. Someone noticed that her pace in the alley had become more hurried, and her voice had become louder. The third aunt next door came to visit with her grandson in her arms and asked her happily,"Fifth sister-in-law, I heard that our country's child is going to Beijing to join the army?”
"I only heard Uncle Qin Zhong mention it, but I don't know if it can be tested.”
"It'll definitely work. The national child's body is so great! You graduated from high school, and your family is also a middle-class farmer. What else is there to say? He could even test it with his eyes closed!”
"God bless my child! If the country's children could become soldiers in Beijing, they could go out and make a name for themselves. In the future, they could do great things!”
"Alright! Fifth sister-in-law, she definitely can! It is often said that people have good intentions, and heaven will catch up with them. Your family is so good, how can the heavens not open their eyes!”
When Fifth Aunt heard Third Aunt's words, she was really happy and couldn't stop smiling. She rummaged in her pocket for a long time, took out a piece of fruit candy, and stuffed it into the mouth of the little grandson in Third Aunt's arms.
Guoqing was the eldest son of Aunt Wu. When she had just married to Green Pine Ridge, Guoqing's father had gone to a fine goods shop on the east street of Xi'an City to be a husband. He was an apprentice in the business and usually could not go home before he finished his apprenticeship. After they got married, she had been serving her in-laws at home, so she had not given birth for a long time. This made her family anxious. They went around looking for someone to treat her, suspecting that she could not give birth. Later on, she followed her father to Xi'an. It was not until she was 27 that she gave birth to Guoqing. Although she later gave birth to her second son, Jianshe, and daughter, Jianzhen, Guoqing's status as a baby in the family had never changed. Her special affection for her eldest son, Guoqing, had always been maintained. On National Day, she graduated from high school and returned to the village. When she heard that he wanted to take root in the countryside and change the backward appearance of the countryside, she was very worried. Could it be that the ten years of studying were in vain? Was he going to be like these boors in the village during National Day, spending the rest of his life farming? Because of this matter, she was so anxious that she could not sleep night after night. She looked as if she had lost a lot of weight. When she finally heard that there was a chance to go to Beijing to be a soldier on National Day, new hope was ignited in her heart.
The next day, when the windows were still dark, Aunt Wu got up. She rummaged through the cabinets and packed a few clothes for National Day and placed them next to the pillow. Then, she began to prepare breakfast for her son. After preparing everything, she sat alone in the kitchen, waiting for her son to wake up. She narrowed her eyes and looked forward to her son's happy future. She seemed to have seen the National Day celebration wearing a brand new green military uniform and a big red flower. Surrounded by the villagers, they walked out of the alley and sat on the tractor of the brigade to report to the county. On National Day, he had just joined the army when the famous matchmaker in the village, the Iron Rooster, came to his house. She sat on the brick bed at home and talked to the matchmaker about her daughter-in-law during National Day. However, she did not easily agree to the matchmaker's sweet words. With her looks and conditions during National Day and her military service in Beijing, she must let the " iron rooster " run more errands and provide her with a few more outstanding girls in all aspects for her to carefully choose. Her daughter-in-law for National Day would definitely be one in a hundred. She would be a very outstanding girl. She would have to be good-looking, virtuous, and capable. She could not help but feel a little intoxicated.
"Mom! Where are my clothes?" Guo Qing shouted anxiously in his cave.
"It's next to your pillow!”As she spoke, she had already pushed open the kiln door and stood at the head of her son's Kang. She raised the folded clothes and placed them in front of the National Day celebration.
"Where are the clothes I've been wearing these past few days? Why did you change to such a new one?"
"I just washed those few clothes. I have to go for a physical examination today. I'm still wearing the clothes I usually wear when I work in the fields. Not to mention that he was covered in sweat and had patches on him. If others saw him, they would be a joke! Moreover, if she was dressed sloppily, would the soldiers like her?”
On National Day, as he was putting on his clothes, he said," I'm going for a body checkup today. It's not to see if you're dressed well or not, nor is it to judge a son-in-law by his appearance?”
"What nonsense are you spouting again?" Fifth sister-in-law smiled tolerantly. Once you enter the city, there will be so many people in the villages. How can Mom let you embarrass yourself?”
When Guo Qing was dressed neatly and washed his face, he sat at the dining table and picked up his chopsticks to stir in the bowl. Suddenly, he found two eggs. He frowned and said reproachfully,"Mom! It's not even New Year's Day, and it's not even my birthday. Why did you give me two eggs at once?”
"Quickly eat it! Who knew how long the military inspection would last today? When the time came, he would be so hungry that he would panic. Listen to Mom, that's right!"
The Green Pine Ridge Brigade was close to the county town, only eight miles away. Therefore, the militia commander Zhang Wusheng asked everyone to ride their bicycles and ride new cars. If there were no new cars, they had to borrow them immediately. Zhang Wusheng had been a soldier for a few years and loved to militarize everything he did. Although he only brought six people with him, before he left, he asked the six young men to stand neatly in a row in the courtyard of the brigade headquarters. He stood in front of everyone solemnly and repeatedly emphasized the discipline and precautions of the physical examination. Even when walking on the road, everyone had to line up in a single file.
Zhong Guoqing walked at the back of the team. He looked at the six people who came for the physical examination today to see who was most likely to be tested. From their physique, they were all burly and muscular. They were all 1.7 or 1.8 meters tall. From their backgrounds, they were all poor and middle-class farmers. There was not even a single middle-class farmer. Judging from their education level, except for Zhong Guoqing who graduated from high school, the others all graduated from junior high school or senior high school. Zhong Guoqing was secretly pleased with himself. He wanted to have three targets, but he didn't even have an 80% chance? Even if you close your eyes, you can't do without me.
The young men from Green Pine Ridge had just arrived at the entrance of the county hospital and stored their bicycles. The head of the armed forces, Zhao Hui, had also arrived on a tractor with 30 youths of the same age from the other brigades. Minister Zhao's voice was very loud. Under his command, everyone lined up, reported their numbers, and took attendance. Soon, they arrived at a small square in the hospital.
In the small square, tall red flags fluttered in the wind. Two thick wooden stakes were supported by a horizontal banner with yellow words on a red background. On it were written," Respond to the call of the motherland, actively apply for the job, seriously accept the physical examination, and obey the selection of the motherland.”The young people of the right age in each community were all in high spirits. They stood in a neat line with their heads held high and their chests puffed out. They looked at the officers and soldiers of the People's Liberation Army who came in and out to receive the soldiers and the busy doctors in white coats with medical examination forms in their hands.
Zhong Guoqing had a well-proportioned and strong physique. He had been the main player of the school's basketball team from the second year of junior high school to the third year of senior high school, so he did not have to go through much trouble during the physical examination at the county hospital. He followed the guidance of the guide and walked into the first examination room. When he entered the door, he saw a few young male doctors in white coats standing in a row, staring at everyone who entered.
"Take off your clothes, quickly take off your clothes, stand in a row, and look up.”The leader of the group, a man in a white coat, gave the order.
He had also checked his body at school on National Day, but he had never seen such a scene. He was a little shy, but when he saw that everyone was like this, he took off his clothes. The white coats first stood in the distance and stared at everyone. Then, they approached each person and carefully examined them from top to bottom. They even circled around each person and examined them from all angles. They even asked about the ins and outs of a small scar on their bodies.
After a man in a white coat finished looking at Guo Qing's entire body, he patted his shoulder and said,"Bending down and sticking your butt up."
Guo Qing obediently stuck out his butt as requested. The man in the white coat approached him and suddenly used both hands to open his anus. He couldn't help but exclaim,"”But before he could figure out what was going on, the man in the white coat patted him on the shoulder and said,"It's over. It's fine. Put on your clothes.”
There was a series of examination rooms. He had experienced it during the school's physical examination and National Day. It was nothing more than looking at an eye chart, looking at color-blind pictures, listening to the buzzing tongue, taking blood pressure, taking X-rays, and so on. Before 12 noon, all the inspection projects were completed. Zhao Hui, the head of the armed forces of the Commune, asked the militia company commanders of each brigade to bring everyone back and wait for the final inspection notice.
After returning to the village, Zhong Guoqing eagerly waited for the enlistment notice. He thought to himself,"How can the people's Liberation Army soldiers be so calm? Why hasn't there been any news for several days?" In addition, there was no response to the letter sent to Guo Zhuye. He secretly guessed in his heart, The Commune is so close, and should have received it long ago. Why is there no news at all? Did the postman accidentally lose his letter or send it to the wrong place? Or did that prankster steal it? Hey! If that was really the case, it would be terrible!
Guo Zhenshan, the brigade secretary, was extremely anxious when he heard that Zhong Guoqing had gone to the county to inspect the soldiers. He knew very well that with his physique and various conditions, it was a sure thing that he would be tested on National Day. However, if he were to test the soldiers on National Day, the relationship between his daughter Guo Zhuye and National Day would resurrect, and there might be another uproar in the family. No, my precious daughter, how can she enter a family like Zhong Guoqing? His family had been extremely poor for several lifetimes. The two brothers and one sister had to live in a dilapidated cave dwelling. It was so shabby. His father, Zhong Rencheng, was the kind of person who was afraid of stepping on ants when he walked. He was like a woman with small feet. What could his son do in the future? However, how could he stop this marriage? After thinking about it, he decided to make a trip to the Commune and take drastic measures.
Early in the morning, he stood outside the door of Ma Yongxiang, the deputy director of the Commune's Revolutionary Committee. He knocked on the door gently.
At this moment, Chief Ma had just woken up and was brushing his teeth in front of the washbasin. His mouth was foaming. When he heard the knocking on the door, he couldn't help but curse in his heart. Which hungry ghost was it? Knocking on the door so early!
He opened the door and saw that it was Guo Zhuye's father, the head of the Green Pine Ridge Brigade. Ma Yongxiang immediately spat out the white foam in his mouth. He quickly cleaned up and asked respectfully,"Yo! It was Secretary Guo. Why did he have to travel so far so early in the morning? Couldn't he just make a phone call?”
"No, some things can't be said over the phone.”Guo Zhenshan handed over a cigarette and said in a very old-fashioned manner.
"What is it? Tell me!"
"It's about the weapon inspection!"
"Why? Whose child do you want to send?”
"I don't want anyone's child to go, but I don't want that Zhong Guoqing to go!”
When Ma Yongxiang heard this, he was a little confused. In recent years, most people would plead for help through the back door and let their children squeeze into the ranks of the soldiers. He had never heard of anyone who did not want their children to go. He asked," Why? Can't leave home? Only son?”
"Sigh! Neither. That Zhong Guoqing was originally in a relationship with our Zhuye. I have already thought of ways to cut them off long ago. I am afraid that once Zhong Guoqing is tested, our Zhuye will be in trouble again. Can you think of a way to make Zhong Guoqing not be a soldier?”
"Oh! So this was it. That's easy. Can't we just not let him go? Don't worry about this. Don't say anything when you return to the village. If anyone asks, just say that this matter will be decided by the community.”
"Alright, alright. I'll leave it to you, Director Ma.”With that, Guo Zhenshan bowed and left Ma Yongxiang's room.
Ma Yongxiang looked at Guo Zhenshan's receding back and nodded with a smile. Humph! This Zhong Guoqing is Zhu Ye's little lover. Go to hell. You still want to be a soldier in Beijing? Dream on, don't think of anything good. Just go and cut your roots in the mountains!
Just as Zhong Guoqing was anxious about these two things, the militia commander Zhang Wusheng came to inform him again," He immediately went to the county hospital for a check-up. Zhong Guoqing was stunned when he heard that. Could it be that he had a big problem and needed to be diagnosed? Otherwise, why did he ask me to go for a check-up? He immediately panicked. When he arrived at the county hospital, he was taken to the surgical department. It was still the same white coats that had examined them that day. They brought Guo Qing into the inner room, asked him to unbutton his pants, stuck his butt out, and examined his anus again. However, it was over very quickly. The leading doctor said,"It's fine. We can go now."”
Back in the village, Guo Qing was a little anxious. He went to look for the militia commander, Zhang Wusheng."Guo Wa, forget it. They said that you have serious hemorrhoids and don't meet the requirements. If you really want to join the army, you should find time to go to the hospital for treatment.”
Guo Qing felt that something was amiss. He said angrily,"We northerners have nine hemorrhoids in ten people. This kind of illness is very common. Besides, I know that my hemorrhoids are not a big deal at all. It's just that sometimes my butt is a little itchy and there are no other symptoms. It's fine."
Zhang Wusheng, the kind-hearted militia commander, understood and sympathized with Zhong Guoqing's feelings at the moment, but he really had no good ideas. In a situation where he was powerless. He could only explain to National Day again and again,"Forget it. There's no need to say anymore. There's still a chance next year. We'll talk about it next year.”
Good fortune never comes in pairs, and misfortune never comes alone.
Zhong Guoqing, who was full of confidence and determined to be a soldier, could not understand how he could be dismissed with the excuse of "severe hemorrhoids" despite his excellent physique. It was really preposterous! For the past two days, he could not sleep or eat. He asked around, but it was useless. Just as he was in a fit of anger, another heavy blow landed on his head in an instant.
That day, when it was almost lunchtime, Guo Qing was sitting in the kitchen with his mother and talking about the news that he would not be able to join the army this year. His mother comforted him,"Guo Wa, don't be discouraged. Why is it different? As long as you work hard in our village, you'll still have a future. Mom knows you're ambitious.”
At this moment, Zhang Xiaohong, the granddaughter of Guo Qing's third aunt, pushed open the door of Guo Qing's house. She held a letter in her hand and handed it directly to Guo Qing."Uncle, our Teacher Yang said that this is your letter and wanted me to give it to you.”
Guo Qing was immediately overjoyed when he heard that. The depression of not being a soldier was instantly thrown to the back of his mind. He took the envelope and glanced at it. He saw that the bottom of the envelope was also written with the word "internal details". From the familiar handwriting, it must have been written on bamboo leaves. Although he was excited, he pretended to be indifferent and said to the little girl with a smile,"Little Red, thank you. You're really a sensible and good student.”He held the letter tightly, as if afraid that it would be blown away by the wind. His mother saw that his face, which had been clouded just a moment ago, suddenly became beaming with joy. She knew that this letter must have brought good news to her son, so she asked happily,"Whose letter? What good news?"
"It's a classmate of mine. I'll tell you after I take a look." Guo Qing turned around and walked back to the kiln to take a look.
The letter was indeed from Guo Zhuye, but it was not long. It was only one page and a few simple lines.
Zhong Guoqing:
I sincerely congratulate you on joining the army and becoming a glorious soldier of the People's Liberation Army. I am very proud to have a classmate like you.
We were very good friends at school. Thank you for helping me so much, but I really didn't even think about what you mentioned in your letter. I'm sorry, I might have misunderstood you. I think we're just good friends who can talk about each other. We're revolutionary comrades. I hope our revolutionary friendship will last forever. I hope you can find a suitable partner as soon as possible.
I hope that you will continue to improve and be happy.
Your classmate: Guo Zhuye
September 18, 1968
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。