Chapter 051 Goodbye Xinhu Township

  We have been living in the rural vegetable market for days, as it has been closed due to the flood and we happened to be settled here to set up tents.

  Every day, after our soldiers return from a hard day's work, they hang their wet camouflage uniforms outside. By the next day, we can always see that our camouflage uniforms have miraculously dried.

  It wasn't until one day that we discovered.

  It turned out that these were all villagers from our hometown who had spontaneously dried them for us.

  The villagers, after we fell asleep, spontaneously brought out a stove and dried our wet camouflage uniforms that were hung outside.

  This move touches us deeply.

  If it weren't for them, no matter how many camouflage uniforms we had, it wouldn't be enough for us to change into. This time during the disaster relief, if it weren't for them, perhaps every day we would have to wear wet and soggy camouflage uniforms.

  Today is the 13th day of disaster relief in Xinhu Township, and tomorrow we will leave Xinhu Township to gather with the main force in the urban area of B City.

  After more than ten days of hard work, villagers have once again accessed electricity and drunk clean water.

  The roads have also been basically opened up by our troops. The military vehicles of our regiment have also arrived here.

  Today, after the villagers knew we were leaving, many of them voluntarily came to help in the kitchen of the township government.

  Even many villagers spontaneously brought chickens and ducks from their homes to the township government.

  We all know that the villagers want to thank us in this way.

  Today we began to collect and pack up all our gear.

  We loaded all the tools and equipment onto the military vehicle.

  We couldn't sleep at night.

  Because of a little girl.

  The little girl is about eleven or twelve years old.

  In the afternoon, we gathered together. The head of the camp was then rallying us, praising us for not being afraid of hardship and fatigue in these days.

  Just then, a little girl suddenly rushed into our team in tears.

  Little girl crying loudly: "Uncle Liberation Army, don't go, don't go."

  The company commander squatted down at the time, wiping away the little girl's tears with his hand: "Little friend, be good, the PLA uncles have more important things to do and can't stay here anymore."

  At that time, the parents of the little girl also rushed over.

  The little girl struggled with all her might to free herself from her parents.

  Struggling free and crying out: "I don't want you to leave, I don't want you to go, you can't go, you can't go."

  Just after the little girl left, all the students in the village suddenly appeared before us, surrounding our troops and crying out to us: "Uncles of the Liberation Army, we can't bear to part with you."

  It was late at night and we lay in bed for a long time unable to fall asleep.

  Because we have to leave quietly at 3 am.

  We were originally going to set off for the city tomorrow morning.

  Because of today's events, the camp leader plans to have us quietly leave at 3 am.

  The village head understood and came to our temporary residence that night with several silk flags and handed them over to the battalion commander.

  The village head originally planned to wait until we left tomorrow and then present the banner with drums and cymbals, but since we had to leave at 3 am, he sent it over in advance.

  I don't know when it was that I fell asleep in a daze.

  When I woke up, it was already assembled.

  We were carrying flashlights and backpacks.

  Once everything was ready, we lined up and boarded military trucks.

  We see the village head bringing the staff of the village government to send us off.

  As our motorcade set off, firecrackers started going off.

  At this time, all the soldiers in our camp sang loudly on the vehicle: "The border of the head is tied to the moon, and the peace of the world is heard when the soldier walks four sides. The love is dedicated to the tens of millions of families, and the true heart is held in front of the people, held in front of the people... Come, come, come, come... Come, come, come, come... Motherland... Dare to shed blood and sweat for the people, blood and sweat...

  Farewell, Xinhu Township.

  Wishing you a happier and more beautiful life after your home is rebuilt.

  Farewell, to all the aunties who ironed our camouflage uniforms for us.

  May all your wishes come true and everything goes smoothly, may you have peace and safety.

  Goodbye, little girl.

  I hope you can study hard and grow up to contribute to our motherland.

  ……

  ……

  After we arrived in City B, we were arranged to stay at the gymnasium of No. 1 Middle School in City B.

  We gathered here.

  Because we don't have to work today, our superiors arranged for all of us officers and soldiers to go to B City's tourist attractions to take a walk and alleviate the fatigue of the past few days.

  That day, I finally had the chance to make a phone call home.

  I and Hu Xinwei and Zhang Yu came to a newspaper stand with souvenirs in hand.

  "Boss, can I make a call on the public phone?" I asked the boss of the newspaper stand after we three arrived.

  "Go ahead, you can play." The boss warmly greeted us.

  I looked at Hu Xinyin and Zhang Yu, and asked them: "Who's first?"

  Hu Xingwei waved his hand and smiled: "I won't fight, Xiao Bin, you go ahead and fight, I'm just here to accompany you and Zhang Yu."

  I turned my head to Zhang Yu and asked: "Yu Zi, you go first."

  Zhang Yu nodded and said okay, then started making a phone call to his home.

  I waited while looking at the magazines displayed in the newsstand with Hu Xingwei.

  "Xiao Bin, you say, tomorrow when we leave, will a large number of people rush out to stop us, reluctant to let us go?" Hu Xingwei asked me while looking at the magazine.

  I shook my head and replied: "I don't know, probably not."

  Before long, Zhang Yu hung up the phone and said to us: "Don't you two know? We have to leave here for our unit before dawn tomorrow."

  "Huh?"

  "Really?"

  I and Hu Xingwei were shocked and shouted out loud.

  "Is what you said reliable?" I asked Zhang Yu.

  "Hey, you little brat, don't try to fool us, or I'll get you." Hu Xinkui shouted at Zhang Yu with a clenched fist.

  We both can't believe it.

  Zhang Yu nodded firmly and said to us: "It's true, our class leader told us personally, it's a requirement from above."

  I shook my head in frustration: "I'm going to go, why are we sneaking around again, it's like we've done something wrong."

  "It's all, from the countryside to the city quietly, tomorrow back to the troops is also quietly, really depressing." Hu Xingwei also followed and complained.

  Zhang Yu smiled and handed me the phone, saying: "Alright, you two stop acting like a resentful wife. This is called being low-key, do you understand what it means to be low-key?"

  I picked up the phone and dialed Dad's number.

  When I heard Dad say everything was fine at home, I finally felt relieved.

  At that time when our hometown was affected by the disaster, there were soldiers like us who rushed to the scene at the first moment.

  Hang up the phone, my mood is even more comfortable.

  When we handed over the money to the newspaper stall owner, he refused to accept our money.

  How can we be willing to go there?

  Not taking a single needle and thread from the masses is our unit's fine tradition.

  We threw money at the boss and quickly withdrew...