14. The Blues of a Private (3)

  I'm sure many of you have had the experience of being surrounded by a group of girls, but I don't know how many of you have had the experience of being surrounded by a group of female soldiers. At that time, all I could think was that I never wanted to go through it again, even if it meant going back and getting beaten up by the Dog Head High School team. Looking back, it really was an unforgettable experience! A group of female soldiers surrounding a proud Chinese Army Special Forces soldier, chattering and laughing away. But what can you do? My crazy thoughts only came to me after the fact, at the time I couldn't even speak, let alone have any opinions. All I could do was sweat and smile stupidly, answering whatever they asked.

  It seems that Xiaofei is their leader, and they are all high-ranking soldiers. The others are just a bunch of low-ranking soldiers. However, due to her gender advantage and being Xiaoying's comrade and sister, her status is absolutely higher than mine. I understand this principle in the Wild Battle Army, I'm not stupid. Xiaoying was still wearing her pajamas, laughing and sitting on the bed watching me being interrogated - she later told me that the masses had already made this demand, the People's Army follows the party's leadership, Xiaofei is the only party member, following the minority obeying the majority, even Xiaoying agreed, so it was unanimous, and I had to undergo interrogation. It's just that Xiaoying thought of me being worried about these female soldiers crying with her, so I also had to undergo interrogation!

  "Did you write all of these?" Xiaofei pulled out a stack of letters I had written to Xiaoying from under her pillow.

  "Ah, I wrote it." I admitted.

  I was puzzled, and then another female soldier also pulled out a few letters: "This is it."

  I hadn't even reacted yet, another female soldier took a few more: "I have some here too!" I was so amused. Xiao Ying burst out laughing, it seemed this was their premeditated plan. Xiao Fei sized me up: "Can't tell at all!" I just laughed. Xiao Fei: "Tell us, how many girls have you tricked with this move? Is Xiao Ying the nth one?"

  I chuckled: "First one, first one."

  Xiao Fei: "Hmph! Still trying to act innocent with us? Xiao Ying told us a long time ago!"

  I couldn't: "The first person to write a love letter, absolutely the first."

  "This is just about right!" Xiaofei sighed, "That's why I said our Xiao Ying was pitiful! She was fooled by you in just two strokes? We should have taken a look first! You shouldn't have gotten off so cheaply!"

  Xiao Ying Le: "Alright, alright! Look how tense he is! He's just a country bumpkin from the mountains, it's good enough!"

  "Xiao Ying!" Another female soldier spoke up, "Not even married yet and already speaking up for this young man? Alas, it's really 'a girl is not to be kept at home past 18'!"

  "Alright! I won't speak for him anymore!" Xiaoying hugged her pillow, "I won't take his side! We're on the same team!"

  "Get out of here! Who's in the same camp as you?" said Xiaofei, "You've long since defected to the Mountain Gully Wife's camp! We're just sympathizing with you! You say our Xiao Ying found someone who isn't good enough and had to follow you instead!"

  I just nodded.

  "Ah!" Little Fi caught the thread of conversation, "Now you regret it! Did Little Ying see? Now you want to push me back again?"

  "No way!" I said hastily.

  The female soldiers all laughed.

  "Alright, alright!" Xiaofei stuffed all the love letters into Xiaoying's arms. "We can only help you organize them, but the major decisions are up to you! This little black monkey from the mountains doesn't have anything to ask anyway! You'd better keep them for yourself, we won't fight with you over them!"

  Xiao Ying laughed and hit her: "You wish!"

  Xiao Fei smiled: "Let's go! Comrades! We should give the young couple some time in their bridal chamber, shouldn't we?"

  "What did you say?!" Xia Ying hit her.

  Xiao Fei blocked him: "Wait a minute, let me tell you something serious!"

  "Speak!"

  Xiao Fei leaned in close to Xiao Ying's ear and whispered a few sentences.

  "Ugh!" Xiaoying's face turned red - her skin was so pale and tender that the blush was especially noticeable. Xiao Fei laughed and ushered the girls out. The door closed. I felt uneasy.

  "Sit down, what's wrong?" Xiaoying said to me with a pillow in her arms. I sat on the chair: "The girls in your house... all the girls in your house are quite formidable!"

  "They're just like that!" Xiaoying giggled, "We're all used to it."

  I just smiled.

  "What's wrong with sitting so far away? Come over!" She moved in a bit, patted the bed beside her. I went over, being as obedient as a police dog on duty.

  "Take off your hat and let me see your bald head!"

  I just picked it. Xiao Ying's eyes were stunned. I don't know what she was stunned about. Xiao Ying's hand gently stroked my head, lingering on a scar.

  "New?" she asked. I nodded.

  "And this?" She lingered on another scar.

  "Me too."

  She held me over, my head leaned against her bosom, I closed my eyes and felt her fragrance.

  "How much more suffering have you endured..."

  Her tears fell on my face with a long sigh. I chuckled: "I'm used to it, not bitter." She stroked my face and I felt at ease.

  "From now on, don't get hurt again." She stroked my face and said seriously, "Did you hear?"

  I forced a smile, is this something I can decide?

  "You little monkey..." She pressed her face against mine.

  I wept silently. Our tears flowed together.

  I'm home. I know this is my home, my forever safe haven. We didn't talk about the drill or death. But I knew she knew, and knew it clearly. So she would be so heartbroken for me. Only Xiaoying would truly be heartbroken for me. I knew, only she would be heartbroken for me. I slightly opened my eyes, saw her red face. She smiled, with tears in her eyes.

  "Little black monkey!" She pinched my nose. I also laughed: "You look really good, just like a painting."

  "Oh! Look at you, what have you become?" She touched my forehead, "It's really impossible to mention the Liberation Army soldier Xiao Zhuang and the original Xiao Zhuang in the same breath. Are you hungry? I have biscuits here."

  I shook my head. I'm really not hungry, in her arms, all the bitterness is gone, this is my happiest moment.

  "Do you want me?"

  I was taken aback. Looking at her again, she looked very serious, with a flushed face.

  "Do you think so?"

  She asked again. --- Be honest? Think! Don't you think I'm human?! I didn't speak.

  "Wait a minute, I'll get something." She gently pushed me away. I saw her reaching under Xiaofei's pillow to grab something - of course, I knew what it was.

  "Xiao Ying!" I hoarsely shouted at her. Xiao Ying turned back with a smile: "What's wrong? In a hurry?"

  "Give me a dream, okay?" I said.

  She looked at me with confusion.

  "I can survive in the mountains, in the sky, and in the water, no matter how bitter it is, just because... I have this dream." I said hoarsely.

  Xiao Ying turned around and looked at me.

  "Honestly, I don't dare to destroy it." I said, "If I destroy it, I won't be able to stand it."

  Xiao Ying looked at me, and her tears began to sparkle.

  "It's better to have a dream than not." My voice was even hoarser. Without me telling her how much I suffered, she already knew just by looking at my scars. Xiaoying closed her eyes and tears rolled down. I couldn't tell her about any of my hardships because our discipline is that everything related to training is confidential, and rehearsals are even more so. Anything related to the special forces is classified. Our discipline is so strict that we're not allowed to wear our insignia outside the base, or we'll be punished. So no one understands us, and no one knows what kind of hardships we're going through.

  I couldn't even say anything to Xiao Ying. She understood herself. She cried silently for a while, lowered her head and opened her eyes: "Hei Hou Zi, what do you want then?"

  "I want you to hold me," I said hoarsely. Xiao Ying slowly walked over and wrapped her warm arms around me. That's all I needed. Really. As long as she held me, letting me cry quietly for a while.