1978: A Literary Giant Who Began His Military Service

Chapter 45 Artillery Fire! Artillery Fire! (Requesting monthly votes and ranking! Thank you!)
The next day, the performing arts troupe assembled.

Zhou Xu stood still, watching them go.

One by one, people climbed onto the car.

Everyone knew that Zhou Xu was going to stay on the front lines. After all, no one knew how long the war would last!

He Jing waved from the car: "Comrade Zhou Xu, you must come back alive!"

"……goodbye!"

"goodbye!"

A group of people waved to him, and the political commissar finally got into the jeep and nodded to Zhou Xu.

The car slowly started moving, kicking up a cloud of dust. From then on, Zhou Xu was left alone here... along with ten other members of the cultural troupe.

"Wheat Ear! Let's go! Back to the tent."

Why did Maisui stay behind? Because her boyfriend stayed behind too!
Of course, Zhou Xu also admired all the soldiers who voluntarily stayed behind; they were all brave.

Zhou Xu, Mai Sui, and a few others sat together in the room, all feeling uneasy. They didn't know when the war would start, but it seemed imminent.

in the afternoon.

A middle-aged man walked towards the tent. He went inside and glanced around: "Is Zhou Xu here?"

"And you are?" Zhou Xu glanced at him.

"I am the director of the news department of the propaganda department of the Wuhan Military Region. Who is Comrade Zhou Xu?" The man glanced at him again.

Zhou Xu stood up and saluted: "Greetings, Commander! I am Zhou Xu!"

During wartime, journalists were under the jurisdiction of the news departments of the propaganda departments of the major military regions, which was also my direct superior after I was transferred here.

The man returned the greeting: "My name is Zhang Lingxiao! Hello, Comrade Zhou Xu!"

During the Sino-Vietnamese War, Zhang Lingxiao accompanied combat troops for 15 days, publishing 6 public reports and 2 internal reports. He also met his son Zhang Dianfeng on the front lines and told him, "I came to see you today, and I only have one thing to say: don't be a coward in war."

"Hello, Chief!"

"Come with me first? Have you packed everything?" Zhang Lingxiao asked.

"I don't have much, just a bag!" Zhou Xu slung his bag over his shoulder, but the most important thing was the gun at his waist, his first gun ever.

As he reached the door, Zhou Xu waved and said, "Goodbye, Mai Sui!"

"Goodbye!" Wheat waved.

Zhou Xu followed Zhang Lingxiao out the door.

Zhang Lingxiao said, "I've read your articles in the group newspaper, as well as your published novels and songs. Your works are all very good! It's rare to see such an outstanding comrade like you on the front lines!"

Zhou Xu said, "Actually, there are many comrades like me. The comrades in the news department all have to go to the front line to conduct interviews!"

"Well, the exact time is confidential, but it'll be in the next few days. Go to my place and get some film and paper. I'll arrange the work and the troops then," Zhang Lingxiao continued.

He casually offered me a cigarette: "Want one?"

Zhou Xu took the cigarette, lit it, and immediately took a puff: "Thank you."

"We've arrived. You can rest here for now."

After leading Zhou Xu to the location, which was the command post of the 54th Army, Zhang Lingxiao left to continue arranging other matters.

Zhou Xu tidied his bed and began reading and writing reports...

Stepping out of the tent, Zhou Xu looked around.

Some soldiers were wiping their guns, while others were cleaning and repairing the tanks!
The soldier on the other side sat in a chair, while the comrades behind him began to have their heads shaved...

Zhou Xu watched as people came and went near the camp.

night.

Zhang Lingxiao suddenly lifted the tent flap and said, "Comrade Zhou Xu, dinner's ready!"

Zhou Xu followed him out of the tent.

Outside, tables were set out with food, including dumplings, braised pork, stewed chicken, and stir-fried pork slices...

Zhou Xu, needless to say, already knew what he was up to.

He followed Zhang Lingxiao over. Zhang Lingxiao introduced Zhou Xu: "This is Company Commander Xu Feihu of the XX Company! This is Comrade Zhou Xu!"

Zhou Xu didn't know what Zhang Lingxiao meant, but he took the initiative to shake hands.

"Comrade Xu Feihu is the company commander guarding the field hospital! Comrade Zhou Xu is the comrade in charge of interviewing the field hospital in your area! You two can get acquainted with each other beforehand!"

Oh!
Zhou Xu now understood what Zhang Lingxiao meant; it turned out he was assigning him a direct supervisor.

During the Sino-Vietnamese War, based on the operational deployment and the security needs of the hospitals, the higher command would determine in advance the troops responsible for guarding the field hospitals.

"Hello, this is Comrade Chen Hui, the deputy company commander of our company!"

"This is our instructor, Comrade Liu Menghai! You know what, Old Liu and you have a bit of a connection. He was originally the photography officer of the cultural troupe and then he was transferred to our place as an instructor."

Chen Hui and Liu Menghai shook hands with Zhou Xu one after the other.

They would be comrades-in-arms on the battlefield from now on, so they naturally became familiar with each other very quickly.

Chen Hui pulled out a bottle of Wuliangye liquor from below: "Want a drink, comrades?"

"Drink!" Zhou Xu said.

"Good! I like straightforward comrades like you!" Chen Hui glanced at the company commander.

Xu Feihu nodded: "The battle is about to begin, everyone drink as much as you like today! Drink to your heart's content!"

Zhou Xu poured a full glass of wine.

Everyone poured themselves a full glass of wine.

"Comrade Zhou Xu! You're only eighteen! You're a comrade from the Political Department! I admire you for volunteering to go to the front lines. Let me toast you first!" Xu Feihu raised his glass to Zhou Xu.

"All of you comrades are brave warriors, I dare not accept such praise! I'd like to return the toast to you all."

A group of people drank quite a lot of alcohol that night.

Zhou Xu hadn't drunk much alcohol before. After a few drinks, he got drunk and hurried back to his tent, where he fell into a deep sleep.

February 17th.

early morning.

They were the troops who were moving later, so they didn't receive any notice tonight and dared to drink so much, but the comrades in front received the notice well in advance!

Shouts and shouts rang out from inside the military camp.

The rolling sound of volleys of cannons went on ahead.

The tanks roared forward like behemoths!
"Dudududu!"

A soldier stood on the hilltop and blew a bugle call!

The bugle call was still echoing in the valley when the preemptive shells exploded on the southern positions. Orange-red flames instantly tore through the morning mist, and gravel and dust rained down on the tops of the Vietnamese army's bunkers.

Immediately afterwards, the artillery barrage behind them roared like thunder, dozens of shells shooting into the sky like fiery dragons, their sharp whistling as they swept over the soldiers' heads, turning the night sky a scorching orange.

"Boom!" The earthen slope in front of the position was overturned by the shells, and the firing ports of the Vietnamese army's bunker were instantly blocked by smoke and dust. But before the smoke could dissipate, several more firing points started to ignite.

At that moment, the tank tracks rolled over the gravel, making a dull thud, and the gun barrels opened fire on the remaining bunkers...

Countless cannon fire rained down on the enemy like stars!

It was pouring down!

"..."

Zhou Xu suddenly woke up with a start.

The loud sound of the firecrackers startled him so much that he couldn't sleep.

He quickly put on his clothes and stood up.

Look towards the south!
The sky was dyed orange-red, and from here it looked like a red sun rising in the south!

war!

War has broken out!

Zhou Xu's first reaction was one of astonishment! Utter astonishment! He used to think war was far removed from his life, but now it felt incredibly close!
It could erupt at any moment!

It was a powerful army that protected a peaceful and prosperous era that lasted forty or fifty years!
(End of this chapter)