After driving for more than two hours, the car stayed on the playground of a camp in Shangqiao, Fenghua, Zhejiang. Another car drove to the mechanical camp station separated by a wall in our camp. There were comrades such as Gu Qing, Shen Jianzhong, Wu Chaoming, etc. on the car. They were assigned to the mechanical camp repair platoon. In my opinion, they were at least stronger than our farm soldiers.

On the playground, a team of officers and soldiers lined up to welcome the arrival of us, the new recruits. As soon as our car stopped, the veterans rushed forward, enthusiastically reached out to pick us up and helped us carry our luggage.

I got out of the car lazily and looked around. This was a typical military camp in the 1970s and 1980s, similar to the army camp of my father I saw when I was a child.

A row of bungalows facing north and south in front of me looked quiet and simple under a row of tall metasequoia trees. The dense trees told me that it had been a long time. A row of houses on the west can be predicted from two doors, which is the cafeteria and the auditorium. There is also a row of houses facing north and south behind me. After a closer look, there are signs with white background and red letters on each door, including company offices, company commanders' rooms, instructor rooms, and several rooms without signs. It is estimated that they are dormitories for company soldiers such as deputy company commanders, deputy instructors or correspondents, and clerks. On the east is a row of relatively tall houses. Only from the two wide doors can we know that this is probably a place where large white circles are placed on the door, with the words "safety" written on it.

In the center of this square camp, there is a flagpole made of cement, with two flagpoles made of long bamboo on it. Don’t underestimate the flagpole made of bamboo. The straight bamboo poles are full of dynamic sections. Moreover, the bamboo stuff is everywhere in the mountains nearby, which is not unusual at all. I heard from veterans that it was given by the secretary of the nearby villages, and they are guaranteed to continue to supply them unconditionally when they need to be replaced. The entire flagpole is coated with naval light blue paint. One flagpole is hung with our national flag, and the other is hung with our August 1st military flag. The two flags flutter in the wind, making people feel a sacred feeling. Before my eyes, my father’s military camp, who grew up, has such a flagpole. Almost every camp has such a flagpole. The difference is that our flagpole is actually made of bamboo and painted in navy. I was shocked, and my cold heart began to revive.

There are two side-by-side basketball courts on both sides of the flag, which also serve as playgrounds. There are neat clothes drying racks on both sides of the court. All kinds of trees and green plants are planted around the entire camp, which makes the camp neat and solemn, at least much better than the engineering corps camp I imagined, let alone the farm. I thought it must be broken, and all the soldiers were whispering. Unexpectedly, this place is much better than what I thought. The veterans who lined up to greet us were also neat and tidy, full of military flavor, and they couldn't tell that they were farming soldiers. My first impression was pretty good, and my depressed mood was much better.

After putting down his luggage, the first squad leader Zhang Jianguo turned around and ran to a cadre, saluted with a standard marching salute, and loudly reported: "Report to the company commander, Zhang Jianguo has finished his training and completed the return of the new recruits. Please instruct me."

The person who was called the company commander narrowed his eyes and said, "Thank you for your hard work, let the recruits gather."

I looked at the company commander and asked me: This is our company commander. Why is it so old? I guess I am in my forty years. Why is it still a company commander? Didn’t we say we are a farm? Why not call it a farm commander?

Just as he was thinking, he suddenly heard the squad leader Zhang Jianguo shouting: "All the recruits are careful, bring their luggage and present a lineup to me."

More than 20 new recruits immediately carried their luggage and lined up. After the squad leader Zhang Jianguo reported to the company commander, the company commander walked up to us with standard soldiers' steps. A powerful military salute, with a tall figure, and his eyes that were still squinting just now were glaring at us, and he even shocked us as soon as he opened his mouth.

"Comrades, I am your company commander, why should I call the company commander instead of the field commander? Because we are first of all soldiers and secondly soldiers who farm. However, I want you to remember that no matter what you do, it is a revolutionary division of labor. I won't say much. I will hold a welcome meeting for the comrades tonight. Please tell the instructors about the history of our special company. Now we will start to divide the troops." After saying that, the company commander said to a thin and dark cadre beside him: "Deputy Company Commander, name it."

The deputy company commander took a roster and reported the names of each recruit. When he heard my name, my answer was warmly taken over by several waiting veterans, and took my hand into the barracks. He felt a sense of warmth in his heart.

A veteran carrying my luggage asked, "Where are you from?"

I said loudly in habit: "Report to the squad leader, Shanghainese." The veteran smiled and said: "Relax, I am the deputy squad leader, my surname is Xie, and I am from Zhejiang. We are half a fellow villager."

I was assigned to the second row and the fifth yard and walked into the dormitory. This was a standard barracks-style bungalow. There were four yards in a large house from east to west. We were in the fifth and sixth yards. One yard lived here, with neat rows of high and low yards. The beds of our recruits were all high and high. I understand the rules.

Without thinking, I threw my backpack up and was about to untie it. The two veterans quickly climbed up the bunk and helped me and the other three recruits who were sleeping on the bunk to open the backpack. After laying the bunk, Deputy Squad Leader Xie brought a basin of clean water, handed it to me with his own towel, and said to me, "Wipe it quickly, it's been a hard work." I refused and said, "Deputy Squad Leader, I have a towel myself." Before he finished speaking, the deputy squad Leader simply helped me wipe my face. I took the towel and wiped it. After seeing that the two veterans who helped us make the bed also brought water to help the other three recruits wash it. I felt warm in my heart.

I asked the deputy squad leader a little strangely: "Where is our squad leader?"

The deputy squad leader told us that the squad leader's surname was Huang. I was stunned and the same surname as me. He was from Fujian and turned out to be the squad leader of the company. This year he took the initiative to serve as the squad leader of our squad. He was helping our recruits get daily necessities and will arrive soon.

While speaking, a voice came from outside the door: "I'm here, why don't you help me pick it up?" I saw a man holding a stack of brand new white basins, towels and tea jars, and boxes of unopened toothpaste coming to us, and everyone rushed forward to help take the items. The deputy squad leader introduced: "This is our squad leader."

The squad leader did not care about the sweat on his face and saluted: "Hello comrades, I am the squad leader of the 5th squad. We will be comrades in the future. I hope everyone will help each other and make progress together. Come and welcome new comrades, gujiujiujiujiu."

I looked at my second squad leader carefully. He was about the same size as me, with a round face and a thick body, and a loud laugh. The squad leader also looked at me and said, "I heard that we have the same surname. OK, we were a family five hundred years ago. I think you are the city soldiers, right?"

I straightened my back and stepped forward and saluted to the squad leader and all the veterans: "Hello squad leader, hello squad leader. I am a new recruit this year and from Shanghai, please take care of me."

The other two comrades Lu Miaosheng and Liu Xiao are my fellow Chongming villagers. Lu Miaosheng, who is tall and introverted, speaks softly and has a low tone. He salutes shyly, "Report, my name is Lu Miaosheng, a Chongming native." I patted him and corrected him, "Shanghai native." He smiled slightly and said, "Yes, Chongming native in Shanghai." His words caused everyone to laugh together.

Later I asked him why he had to add Chongming people. Is Chongming not from Shanghai? But he thought that Shanghai people are your city people, and we Chongming people are the country people. Haha, some big guys with inferiority.

Liu Xiao is not tall, but very burly, with a big head, a square face, and a mature face, clasped his fists and said, "Hello everyone, I am Liu Xiao, a new recruit in Chongming, Shanghai. Please take care of him more and take care of him."

The squad leader immediately corrected and said, "Hey, the army is not promoting this. As a soldier, it would be great to salute them the same way." Liu Xiao nodded quickly: "Yes, the squad leader is right, so you must pay attention in the future."

The chubby, dark recruit saluted everyone in thick Cantonese Mandarin: "Report, I am Li Nanxiong, from Hainan Island, Guangdong."

The squad leader glanced at him and said, "Are you a minority?"

Li Nanxiong nodded and said, "Yes, it's a Li people."

The squad leader shook hands with the four new recruits one by one and said, "Okay, our squad has Shanghai, Zhejiang, Guangdong and Fujian. We are really a revolutionary family from all over the world. From now on, we will be comrades-in-arms who are eating in a spoon."

After saying that, I helped us distribute new toiletries with a few veterans. I looked at the set of supplies sent by the recruits in my net pocket in confusion. I was about to ask Li Nanxiong and muttered in a low voice: "Don't we already have it? Why send another set?"

Lu Miaosheng and Liu Xiao also nodded and said yes.

Several veterans looked at each other and smiled. The squad leader pointed to the already worn washbasin in our net pocket. The tea jar said, "Don't throw away all your broken things. Although we are a logistics farm company, these are our advantages. We have abundant supplies and sufficient supply."

I looked at the washbasin, tea jar, and the white towel that I had been following me for three months, and I felt a little reluctant to leave.

The deputy squad leader explained: "You old things will be left in the warehouse in the company. It will be useful to wait for spring plowing."

A veteran from Zhejiang said with a smile: "Although we are logistics soldiers, we are first and foremost soldiers. Only those broken things affect the military appearance."

Okay, then goodbye, start over. I threw the net bag in my hand to the ground, took a new set of supplies from the squad leader, and felt warm. When I looked at Lu Miaosheng and Liu Xiao were also grinning and cheering, only Li Nanxiong looked at the old toiletries reluctantly.
Chapter completed!