1978: A Literary Giant Who Began His Military Service

Chapter 48 Frontline Support
Zhou Xu has been helping out at the field hospital for the past few days.

Sometimes when there are no interviews, they help serve tea and water, or move supplies.

Now that things are a bit quieter in the evening, I start writing reports, and also some of my recent new ideas...

Zhou Xu felt that writing reports was mostly for people within the military to see, but writing novels would give people all over the country the opportunity to witness the soldiers' heroic deeds.

I've been here for over half a month now.

That night, Zhou Xu slept inside the tent, writing his novel while hunched over his small table...

The moonlight was sparse, the wind blew bleakly, and the sounds of busy activity outside continued.

The hospital was almost constantly busy, working day and night, as soldiers were being sent in day and night.

Of course, gunshots and cannon fire could also be heard in the distance.

Zhou Xu stayed here for a few days and gradually got used to those strange, sudden noises.

……

Yujiang Commune, Lichuan County, Enshi, Hubei Province.

The postman handed the letter to Zhou Guoping.

Zhou Guoping took the letter into the room.

It's already March, more than two weeks since the start of that conflict.

Inside, the elderly mother, Zhang Qiutian, was slowly knitting a sweater with a bundle of yarn.

Her hands never stopped moving. After all, Zhou Xu was already an adult and wouldn't grow any taller. Zhang Qiutian knew her son quite well and could knit a sweater that suited him based on her intuition.

"A letter has arrived?"

Zhou Guoping nodded, then took a puff of his cigarette and continued, "It's a letter that arrived recently, probably after the New Year."

Zhou Guoping continued opening the letters.

I took it out to look at it very quickly.

"What did you say?"

“Let me read to you… Mom and Dad, I went to the front lines with the army, but not the very front lines. I was transferred to the cultural troupe to help with performances for the troops.”

"..."

Zhang Qiutian on the other end of the line was stunned for a moment, then asked somewhat bewilderedly, "What did Xiaoxu say in the letter?"

Zhou Guoping repeated: "He said he went to the front lines!"

"Go to the front lines?" Zhang Qiutian looked at the sky, even more confused: "Front lines? Which front lines?"

"That's a matter from the South!"

After the war began, core newspapers such as the People's Daily and the PLA Daily became the main channels for information dissemination, reporting on the front-line situation daily in the form of "Xinhua News Agency dispatches".

Although news from this small mountain village arrives a little slower than from the outside world, those who care about it can still buy timely newspapers.

Zhou Guoping read many of the breaking news articles, so he was quite familiar with the matter.

"What if Xiaoxu is in danger?" Zhang Qiutian stopped knitting.

“If they are cultural performers from the rear, the chances of them being in danger are very small!” Zhou Guoping reassured him. “Besides, there’s nothing we can do about this.”

"..." Zhou's mother continued knitting: "We'll go to the temple to pray in a couple of days."

"up to you……"

-

Two or three days.

Zhou Xu finished writing a report.

Upon reaching the door, a car was parked there, with two comrades sitting inside.

Zhou Xu knocked on the door of the communications soldier's vehicle.

The person inside, with their neck stiff, asked:

"Comrade Zhou Xu, is there anything I can help you with?"

"This is the report I wrote about Chen Haisheng last time. Take the manuscript back to the regimental newspaper and publish it!" Zhou Xu put the manuscript in an envelope and handed it to the two communications soldiers.

"A report? Give it to me! I'll take it to the regimental headquarters for you!" The communications soldier treated reporter Zhou very well.

The communications soldier took the letter and put it in his pocket: "I will definitely deliver it to you."

Zhou Xu nodded: "Thank you. This letter was written on behalf of Comrade Chen Haisheng, please take it with you!"

"Give them all to me!" Zhou Xu turned around and walked away after the car drove away from the field hospital.

It took me half a month to write just one report.

Halfway there, Li Xiaopan waved to him: "That seventeen-year-old comrade I told you about last time is recovering well! Why don't you go and interview him?"

Zhou Xu nodded.

He went to the battlefield at a young age and was seriously wounded; he was indeed a typical figure.

He walked into the room with his camera: "Hello, I'm Zhou Xu, a reporter from the military region's publicity department!"

Seeing that the boy did indeed look very young and inexperienced, he slowly replied, "Hello, reporter, my name is Zhang Moran!"

"Comrade Mo Ran, where are you from?"

"I'm from Xiaogan, Hubei."

"Oh! Can you tell me, what kind of burns did you suffer...?"

"My comrades and I went to a gorge, and someone carrying a flamethrower came towards us. For my comrades, I rushed to the muzzle of the gun, and when I woke up, this was where I was."

Li Xiaopan nodded with tears in her eyes.

"..."

After interviewing the second typical figure.

Zhou Xu went back to his small tent, sat down at the table, and began writing a new report.

I've been here for half a month now, and I've only written one report. Actually, the more reports I write, the better.

Of course, aside from the reports, he also took time to perfect his new novel.

By the time the war ended, they were almost all in their nascent stages.

Actually, what the political commissar said is quite right. Going to the front lines is a rare experience for many writers... Writers who have been to the battlefield often experience a dramatic change in their writing.

"..."

I've been writing for most of the day.

Company Commander Xu Feihu suddenly patted him on the shoulder:

"Zhou Xu?"

"Company Commander Xu? Is something the matter?" Zhou Xu looked at Xu Feihu.

Xu Feihu stared at his eyes for a moment before asking, "Your eyes are really red. Haven't you been getting much rest lately?"

"No time! I still need to finish reporting on the new exemplary figures! The sooner the better, as it needs to be published in the group newspaper."

"Here, take these." Xu Feihu took out two small slips of paper from his pocket.

Zhou Xu looked and saw that they were two pieces of chewing gum: "Company Commander, where did you get these?"

"A friend gave it to me; keeping watch at night is exhausting."

Zhou Xu took it and put it in his mouth to chew.

To be honest, chewing gum these days has a rather unique feel to it.

"Thank you, Company Commander."

While the two were still talking.

There was another commotion outside, with the roar of trucks coming from outside the door.

The two knew that another new wounded soldier had arrived.

Usually at this time, the company would go over to help the stretcher team, and the two of them would naturally and skillfully put down the things and walk out of the tent.

A military vehicle quickly pulled up in front of the hospital.

Then we saw two comrades hurriedly get out of the vehicle that was transporting the wounded.

The two comrades looked around, and finally their gazes settled on Xu Feihu and Zhou Xu.

Judging from his appearance, the man seemed to be a company commander: "Is Xu Feihu from XX Company here?"

Xu Feihu immediately stepped forward and saluted: "Report! That's me!"

"The commander wants you to quickly arrange two platoons to provide frontline support?"

Xu Feihu was stunned for a moment: "Frontline support?"

(End of this chapter)