The Blues of Private (1)

  After the exercise, we won't mention what happened next because it involves many things at a higher level. How our Dog Head Brigade handled it is also not mentioned, because it's our family affair. Putting this matter out isn't to make everyone think that our Dog Head Brigade treats soldiers' lives carelessly. Do you still want to be a soldier? You didn't come easily, and thinking of leaving after writing a report is easy, why stay here waiting for danger to arrive? So, for many reasons, we won't leave. Because many things are truly too coincidental. This is the fate of Sheng Zi and his three men. No other explanation.

  You've been in a high-risk profession for too long, you'll know what life is. To be honest, many sacrifices of the Dog Head Brigade I really don't want to recall, because it's indeed very dangerous. Just talking about parachuting, Commander He has had fractures, think about others? ——I can tell you one rule of our Commander He: when parachuting, the deputy commander must jump first, no matter what type of parachute, except for night or water jumps that are really not feasible due to age issues, which one isn't done by these 40-year-old middle-aged officers first? Winter training in cold regions, summer training in deserts, wilderness survival, island survival... all the survival and suffering courses you can imagine, wasn't our Dog Head Brigade's deputy commander suffering together with us every time?

  However, what impressed me most about the battalion's standing committee members was not these trivial matters. One winter, we were conducting a long-distance raid exercise on foot in the northeastern mountains, and the snow was really knee-deep. We were blocked by an icy river, how cold do I need to say? We were all thinking about how to cross the river when Captain He and Political Commissar had already gone down! Can you say we wouldn't go down? In a special forces battalion, if you're not a man, not a hero, not a brother, not a high-quality officer who makes us admire him endlessly, you can't even be a squad leader. Let alone the battalion commander and political commissar? So, we won't give up.

  There is danger, but it won't work. Crossing the road is also dangerous, let alone a special forces team? At that time, we really thought so. Whose lives do we belong to? — The motherland.

  If the motherland needs, we can pay everything. If a team leader of a parachute team still breaks his bones, you can imagine how many times our dog-headed team has broken its bones before. The training and exercises of special forces are not as dangerous as you think.

  The sacrifice of the three of them, in my heart, caused a shock that was not even comparable to Chen Pai's disability. At that time, I had already walked out of the simple brotherly feelings, if according to my previous personality, I estimate that I would have really set the training ground of Dog Head Regiment on fire, it was just labor reform, what could they do to me? My three brothers, eating together, sleeping in one dormitory, playing football in one combination, training in one small team, even fighting together, three out of a group of brothers, just disappeared - never to be seen again, shouldn't I hate this Dog Head Regiment? Shouldn't I hate the Army?

  But I really don't hate. Strictly speaking, the grudge between me and Dog Head High School is an old one, not a new one. I know he didn't do anything wrong, why he didn't do anything wrong I won't explain. Why don't I hate? —— Because I know I'm a soldier.

  Because I know that my three younger brothers are also soldiers. So, what is it?

  Everything we have belongs to the motherland, including our lives. Because I know that our predecessors, whether on the battlefield or in training, sacrificed for one purpose - the faith of soldiers. At that time, I was already a thorough soldier.

  I don't hate anyone. We all don't hate each other. We are still training, eating and playing football, but we dare not mention anything. We are also very enthusiastic about the three new brothers who have joined us. Our second team's special duty squad is always on standby 24 hours a day as the first strike team in any situation, absolutely cannot be absent, and must be the best. The newcomers are also the best officers from our other teams, but I always feel like there is something missing between us. However, we all haven't expressed it.

  I just secretly cry at night because before giving birth, I slept opposite him. At that time, I always hated his snoring, and even pinched his nose, but he didn't get angry, just smiled and woke up, never getting angry with me. After giving birth, his snoring was particularly distinctive, like a motorcycle engine, with an accelerating feeling, we all called him "Domestic Suzuki Off-road", you can imagine how loud it was! However, this kid is also naughty, during stealth training he slept without snoring, only when sleeping in the dormitory did he snore. What good things can I say about him? Originally, the position where Shengzi's backpack and helmet were placed was first emptied, and then new backpacks and helmets were added. There was another officer who slept opposite me, he also snored, but not as loudly as Shengzi. But I still couldn't sleep, at this time I thought of Shengzi's snoring... Can we stop reminiscing about Shengzi?

  The exercise ended and it was already autumn, we returned to rest and prepare for the thousand-mile mountain comprehensive exercise. It's in a large mountain range, interspersed with thousands of miles, conducting various comprehensive special warfare subjects, not exercises, but exercises, also normal training. But there are also imaginary enemies, not just one unit, along the way, the field troops rush to whoever is who, originally these guys have some opinions about us, this time they seize the opportunity to heavily attack. They all raise dogs, polish guns, and load empty shells, search teams can't wait to practice for half a year before speaking, just waiting for us to infiltrate and find our own hammer. As for their own warehouses, bases, bridges, etc., they are all well-guarded, because there are only a few places worth harming, we must go in and harm them, how can they not guard? Every year is like this, so their annual anti-infiltration skills are also improving. Sometimes the combat effectiveness of troops is because they don't care about each other, and superiors give you the opportunity to hammer each other, you will definitely improve, compared to what inspections, exercises, and martial arts are all useful. We naturally made many such preparations, including corresponding enemy reconnaissance, with various means. Even mobilizing family members to establish a relationship with the opposing unit's family members, anyway, whatever method is used.

  As a special task force, we definitely have the most arduous tasks. Before departure, I took leave to go to the provincial city to see Xiao Ying. I miss her, I really miss her. Because I want to cry in her arms thoroughly. But I won't tell her about having children, because she will worry about me. I hitched a ride with the chief of staff's car to the military region meeting and got off at the largest department store entrance in the provincial city. I bought gifts for Xiao Ying, then took a bus to the entrance of the Military Region General Hospital.

  I just realized that it's really autumn. The leaves of the Chinese parasol tree have turned red, and some have started to fall off. It was half a year ago when I last came to the provincial city? Maybe not, but my feelings have really changed. There are many changes. The city hasn't changed much, but my mindset has changed. I walked into the entrance of the Military General Hospital in an orderly manner through the small door. After entering, I turned back to take a look at the sentry. He was a superior soldier, and he smiled at me. I also smiled back, actually there was nothing, just wanted to take a look. Don't know what I was looking for.

  I went in. I walked slowly by myself, with the gift for Xiao Ying in my bag. I went to the obstetrics department to find her, only to learn that she was on night shift. The nurse on duty looked at me for a long time before smiling. It wasn't until then that I remembered seeing her before - she and Xiao Ying were roommates. I didn't dare speak to her, so she told me to go to the dormitory to find Xiao Ying, who was still sleeping.

  I slowly walked into the deserted corridor. I heard my own footsteps. It was also in this corridor that day, I also heard my own footsteps. They were all rubber shoes, they were all privates' insignia, but this little soldier was different. Last time was leaving; this time, it's coming back.

  Xiao Ying's arms are my home.