"Battery Commander! Come... have an apple!"

"There are lychees!"

“This has peanuts!”

As soon as I walked into the ward, the soldiers piled all kinds of fruits and dried fruits in front of me, and soon they piled up like a hill.

"Battery Commander!" A wounded man came to me and said, "We have heard of the victory of the Battle of Faka Mountain. The soldiers are all happy for this great victory! Comrades all said that the battalion commander was well commanded, otherwise it would be impossible to fight such a big battle with such a small casualty!

"Yes! This battle was so fucking happy!" Another wounded man continued: "We knew that the Vietnamese Japanese lost nearly 4,000 people in this battle, and they were all high-quality troops selected by their ace troops, so we let out a sigh of anger!"

"That's it! But we avenge our sacrificed soldiers!" the soldiers said one after another.

"Comrades..." I said hesitantly: "You... What I want to say is... because our army is special, and it is also to better attack the Japanese devils, so... we cannot count these credits, nor can we promote them, you..."

"Hi! What's this?" A wounded man replied easily: "Battery Commander! You don't need to say these. We all understand in our hearts. We understand it from the moment we join this army!"

"No?" Another wounded man answered: "We join this army... we can't even tell our parents, brothers and sisters. They thought we had already died in Vietnam, so where would we care about these?"

I was stunned when I heard this. It was right to think about it. On the first day of joining this army, the soldiers were told that everything must be kept strictly confidential and even their own families were not allowed to say anything. In fact, a considerable number of people who were in the army were able to shine their ancestors after returning home and make their families feel honored because of themselves. If they could even give up this, what is the meaning of any credit or publicity? Even if we are covered with military medals, who can we show them to?

"Also... I have something to tell you..."

"Battery Commander! Stop talking..." A soldier interrupted me and said, "We know!"

"You know?" I was a little surprised because I couldn't believe that they could still be so vague if they knew.

"Yes! We know!" The ward suddenly became quiet, and a soldier with bandages on his eyes replied, "It will be known from the day we can return to the base alive!"

"We people..." A soldier who lost one leg slowly sat on the chair with the help of other soldiers and said, "We may still play a role in the battlefield. If we get off the battlefield... it will be a burden to the country!"

"You can't say that!" I objected: "You are also doing this for the country and the people, and I think... nothing you have lost can't be replaced. Only what the country owes you will never become a burden to the country! Don't worry, Political Commissar Yang has already said that if you want to continue to stay in the army, your superiors will try their best to arrange suitable work for you. If you want to demobilize, the agricultural transfer will not be arranged again..."

"Battery Commander!" A soldier raised his hands, which were cut off by shrapnel, interrupted me and said, "The superior will arrange work for us, we believe, but... see what we can do?"

Upon hearing this, I couldn't help but be stunned. I cursed in my heart. How could I not expect this? Many of these seriously injured people couldn't even take care of themselves. For example, Wu Quanxin, a fourth-company machine gunner, had no hands. What else could he do?! For example, Liang Jinbang, a member of the shooting team, originally had a pair of eyes with excellent eyesight, but now one eyeball was blown off, and the other eyeball was seriously damaged in vision. Whether it could be preserved is still a question... He even had to help him cross the road in the future. What else could he do?

There was another dullness in the ward. I really wanted to say to them: "Don't worry! The superiors will make arrangements..."

However, I cannot be sure of this. At the same time, this is something beyond my ability, because now I am still a soldier, a soldier who cannot help myself. And I can't say that one day, I will become like them, not knowing how to face the job assigned to me by my superiors, and not knowing how to face my life...

"Don't worry! Battalion Commander, the superiors will make arrangements!"

I didn’t expect that the soldiers were the ones who said this, and I didn’t expect that the soldiers were the ones who comforted me... At this time, I felt like I was crying but not crying, and I felt that my heart was hurt like a whip!

"Yes, battalion commander!" Wu Quanxin continued: "No matter what... we can go back alive to see our family, right? We are so much better than those comrades who died on the battlefield!"

"Battery Commander, just give me a message... When will we leave?"

"This..." I was stunned when I heard this question. Political Commissar Yang did not tell me this.

"It's tonight!" Political Commissar Yang came out of somewhere, and his eyes were also a little red.

"Just tonight?" I said, "Can't you let your comrades stay longer?"

"Comrade Cui Wei!" Political Commissar Yang explained: "Our field hospital is only necessary to treat the wounds of the soldiers. It should have been sent to the rear for treatment a long time ago. The reason why it has been dragged until now is entirely because the road conditions are not good. The wounds of the soldiers cannot withstand the bumps. Now the wounds of the soldiers have been controlled, so we should have sent them to the hospital with better medical conditions in the rear for medical treatment earlier. What do you think?"

After all, Political Commissar Yang said this, I had nothing to say. After all, he thought so because he did not want to delay the soldiers' medical treatment time, and I had no reason to object.

"Comrades!" Then Political Commissar Yang said to the wounded: "I am here to inform you to prepare for the departure. At the same time, please be confident in the organization. We will arrange future matters for you. If you have any difficulties, you can ask the Civil Affairs Bureau at any time, or you can write a letter to respond to your superiors!"

"Yes!" The soldiers responded one after another.

When I walked out of the seriously injured area, I felt tired and sleepy as if I had fought a big battle. Personally, I was punished with conscience in front of the soldiers and was powerless. I would rather go to the battlefield to face the vicious Vietnamese army. At least on the battlefield, I could do something with my own strength. However, in front of the wounded soldiers who were about to leave the barracks, I could do nothing...

In fact, as a reporter in modern times, I know very well that these injured soldiers will not have a good life in the future. Some veterans are lonely and pitiful and have no one to see them off, some are so poor that they can’t afford to buy a wheelchair, and some are even killed in their own room because no one takes care of them for a few days before they are discovered...

But what can I do? I can't do anything!

The supper was spent in a dull state. Although Liu Yun had always wanted to make me happy, I couldn't laugh, and just kept burying my head to eat. Then Liu Yun seemed to feel something, and didn't dare to say anything more, just accompanied me to eat silently.

Not long after dinner, the sound of informing all the soldiers to go to the square to watch the party. I almost asked Liu Yun to drag it. For some reason, my feet were as heavy as lead. Maybe I wanted to walk slowly and the party would start later, so the soldiers would leave us later...

When I came to the square, I saw that the national art troupe sent by the central government was indeed a little different. The stage was filled with red flags flying everywhere, and a banner was hung on the top with a few big words: "Long live the Chinese People's Liberation Army". The stage was already neatly filled with benches brought out by the soldiers. The soldiers sat neatly as if they were being reviewed by their superiors. Even the seriously injured were sitting in wheelchairs or with crutches.

"battalion commander!"

"battalion commander!"

...

As soon as I saw me, the soldiers stood up and let them sit. There were even several seriously injured people among the people who stood up. I hurriedly walked up and grabbed the hands of the seriously injured people and let them sit down. I found two seats with Liu Yun and sat down.

"Give it!" Not long after sitting down, Liu Yun handed me a program list. I took a brief look and saw that it was written on it, "The Confession of a Martyr", the female duet "Self-Defense Counterattack and Winning the Battle", the short drama "I am the People's Liberation Army", etc.... But my mind is not on this at all, so I have no mood to watch these things. Even when the program started, I just heard the singing on the stage in a chaotic manner, the soldiers applauded for a while, and occasionally there were a few cheers...

I don’t know if it was the performance of the Central Condolences Group that was wonderful or other reasons. The seriously injured were so dedicated that they didn’t notice that I was watching them.

After more than two hours of great pleasure, the party ended with a chorus "Salute to Heroes". The audience burst into warm applause to pay tribute to the comrades of the Central Condolences Group.

At this time, Political Commissar Yang walked onto the stage, took the microphone and said, "Comrades! At the end of the performance, I have a few words... In order to improve the medical conditions of seriously injured people, the seriously injured people will leave us to the hospital in the rear to continue to receive treatment tonight. Today's party, even if we pay tribute to the heroes who have passed away, say goodbye to our comrades who are about to leave us!"

As he said that, he saluted a straight military salute to the soldiers below the stage. The soldiers quickly started to riot and turned their eyes to the seriously injured people in the seats...

"Captain Cui!"

"Political Commissar Yang is calling you!"

It was not until Liu Yun reminded me that I realized that Political Commissar Yang was calling me. Only then did I remember that he had told me that he would prepare to say a few words to the soldiers, but I had forgotten this matter long ago.

I stood up mechanically from my position and walked onto the stage. When all the lights were shining on myself, I felt like I was being paid attention to by everyone, but I was not nervous at all, because my heart was completely out of here, and I didn't even realize that I had already walked up.

"Say a few words to the soldiers!" Political Commissar Yang handed me the microphone.

I took the microphone but didn't say anything, and the soldiers didn't say anything. They seemed to understand my mood at this time, so they stood up from their seats one by one, standing in front of me as if they were receiving my review.

However, at this moment, seven or eight cars parked behind us inappropriately, and then several health workers got off in each car and waited. This made me realize that they were here to pick up the seriously injured. This evening party was indeed our farewell to our comrades, just as Political Commissar Yang said!

At this time, what I thought of was the scene of fighting on the battlefield with the soldiers, the days of gunfire with them, and the scene of soldiers falling down in front of me one by one...

So his mind became hot and he shouted to the soldiers: "Light-light cup, hold it in his hand, and the thousands of troops will drink the wine on the war!"

"The luminous cup is held in your hand, and thousands of troops will drink the war wine together!" The soldiers also shouted with me:

"Wine on the war is pure and rich in taste, and the passion and ambition are like water.

The general raised his glass and the soldiers held the wine.

When you go out to war, drink a sip, the general soldiers will flow with blood.

It is life, and it is also raised. It is death, and it is also picked up wine. It goes out to fight for wine. If you can't drink enough, you will never look back in life."

"I never look back in life, I never look back in life..."

I had finished shouting, but the soldiers were still shouting the last sentence over and over again, and seemed to never want to finish this sentence.

In the end, I don’t know when the whole audience suddenly became silent. After a while, several seriously injured people moved out of the team with the help of the soldiers and walked towards the car. After walking for a while, Wu Quanxin turned around and said to us: “Comrades! See you all right!”

With a "wow...", a gust of wind blew around, and a burst of crying sounds were heard. However, my soldiers and I did not cry. What were crying were the actors who performed for us just now, the medical staff who sat and watched the show with us...

The soldiers and I were still standing straight, and then followed my order: "Turn backwards! Salute!"

The soldiers turned to the wounded and saluted them heavily. The wounded also gave us a military salute as much as possible. The reason why they said it was as possible was that some of them had no hands and some could not stand up...

Looking at our appearance, the others cried even harder, and even Political Commissar Yang was secretly wiping his tears.

The soldiers are not without tears, nor are they without feelings, but soldiers have their own understanding of soldiers, and soldiers have their own way of saying goodbye. We do not want to say goodbye like others, because being soldiers... means being strong at all times, not only on the battlefield but also in life.

The poem I shouted out loudly on the stage just now is actually telling the soldiers who are about to leave our team that they are heading to another battlefield and facing another mission... They are not leaving, but going to war!

I know they can understand what I mean, because I see strength in their eyes. I believe that they will face their lives as bravely as they face their enemies on the battlefield in the future...

But even though that is it, I know one thing very clearly in my heart: for those seriously injured soldiers, facing the enemy's bullets and shells... is much easier than facing life!

The car carrying the seriously injured left the base under the eyes of everyone. The soldiers watched them pass the checkpoint and drove out of the village entrance. Then they turned a corner and finally disappeared into the darkness. In the end, even the sound of the motor of the car disappeared without a trace, but the soldiers were still unwilling to let go of their hands. They still stood there like stone statues and stared blankly at the distance where the soldiers left, as if they were blessing them and praying for them...

************************************************

That night, I was lying on the bed toss and turned but couldn't sleep. Liu Yun, who was sleeping on another bed, seemed to understand what I was thinking. She put on her military uniform and walked out of the bed. After thinking about it, she took out a pack of cigarettes from the drawer and handed it to me.

Seeing this, I was stunned and asked, "Didn't you let me smoke? Why... today..."

Since Liu Yun moved in according to the order of Commander Liu, he has confiscated all my cigarettes for the reason that he is not good at recuperation. At this time, he would take the initiative to hand over the cigarettes to me and I couldn't help but surprise me.

"Today is different!" Liu Yun replied: "I know you feel uncomfortable!"

"Yeah!" I didn't object, and sat up and leaned against the head of the bed to take a cigarette, so I took it out and put it in my mouth. I was looking for matches everywhere, Liu Yun had already lit it and lit it for me.

After taking a few sips, I spit out a long sip of smoke and then got much better, as if I was not the smoke but the unhappiness and depression in my heart.

Before I could react, Liu Yun was already sitting on the head of my bed and leaning against my arms.

"Captain Cui..." Liu Yun said quietly in my arms: "Sometimes I am really scared..."

"What are you afraid of?" I asked.

"I'm afraid you will leave me..." Liu Yun said.

"Are you afraid that I won't come back? Or are you afraid that I will become those seriously injured..."

The rest of the words made Liu Yun block his fingers. She said without hesitation: "If you become theirs, you don't have to worry. I will take care of you like now for the rest of my life! But..."

"But what?"

"You promise me..." Liu Yun said hesitantly: "Can you leave the special reconnaissance brigade? I'll tell my father that you have done enough, and my father will agree. With your credit... you can be a senior cadre in the army, and no one will object! Then we get married..."

"Impossible!" I stood up and said, "Don't say these words again in the future. I will not leave these comrades in the Special Reconnaissance Brigade!"
Chapter completed!