1978: A Literary Giant Who Began His Military Service

Chapter 68 Leaving! Returning to the Cultural Troupe

in the afternoon.

Most of the martyrs' families from the company have arrived, and the company has decided to issue medals to these families who have arrived at the camp first.

Zhou Xu also notified Zhou Youcai's parents.

A row of tables and chairs was placed at the entrance of the camp. Each family sat in front of the tables and chairs, and everyone had the same sorrowful expression, including the soldiers in their company.

Zhou Xu took photos from the side.

Song Zhipeng stood at the front: "All the fallen soldiers are the pride of our company. They fought bravely against the enemy! Their names will be forever engraved on the walls of the company history museum. The compensation and preferential treatment policies have been implemented. If any uncles or aunts need anything in the future, please contact our company! We will definitely help you!!"

Then a group of soldiers saluted deeply, and the scene was filled with weeping again.

Song Zhipeng also walked to the front sadly and distributed medals one by one.

Finally, when they reached Secretary Zhou, Song Zhipeng said, "This is Comrade Youcai's First-Class Merit Medal!"

Secretary Zhou took the small box. Inside the box was a First-Class Merit Medal, its gold gleaming brightly.

The main seal is an obtuse-angled five-pointed star with a red five-pointed star and a golden Tiananmen in the center. The ribbon is red with golden stripes and the edges are delicately patterned.

He stroked the medal and slowly placed it in his pocket.

Song Zhipeng continued to award other medals.

After the distribution was completed, Song Zhipeng stood at the front and said to everyone, "I know you all came to see the children. A truck will come later to take you to the Martyrs' Cemetery to pay tribute to the martyrs."

Of course... if you have any reason not to go, you can register here. Please have a good rest, everyone.

After saying this, he saluted again and left.

About half an hour passed after the medals were awarded to the families of the martyrs.

The truck has arrived.

Everyone got on the bus together, and Zhou Xu naturally followed Youcai's parents. The group got on the bus together.

The trucks were driving very slowly today, without the bumpy ride of before. It seems that truck drivers are tough guys with a soft heart.

We arrived at the Martyrs' Cemetery.

A tall gatehouse stands there, with the words "XX Martyrs' Cemetery" inscribed above it. The martyrs' graves are arranged neatly and orderly, mostly small mounds of earth, with a tombstone standing in front of them.

It looks a bit haphazard now, but it will be renovated later.

Most martyrs' cemeteries are where soldiers from each army are buried in a concentrated area. Naturally, most of the martyrs' cemeteries of the 54th Army are located here. Today, we are here as a group to pay our respects, so there are quite a few people in the cemetery.

But despite having so many people, there was no noise; instead, it was extremely quiet.

Song Zhipeng led the way, and when they arrived at their company's location, he said, "This is it... The first tombstone over there is Wang Kang's... The fifth one is Zhou Youcai's..."

Their respective families began searching for their tombstones.

Zhou Xu followed Secretary Zhou to Zhou Youcai's tombstone.

Zhou Xu hadn't come before; this was his first time here. After all, he couldn't hold back his tears, which streamed down his face.

Zhou Xu also cherishes the memories of the days they spent together.

Zhou's mother held the tombstone and cried, while Secretary Zhou squatted in front of the tombstone and wiped it again and again.

"..."

Zhou Xu said, "Uncle and Aunt, let me take a group photo for you..."

"Oh! Okay, thank you, Xiao Xu." Secretary Zhou led the mother and son to stand up, and Zhou Xu took out his camera to take a photo of the two of them together.

Zhou Xu looked at the family of three.

I left immediately without disturbing them.

After leaving the cemetery area, Song Zhipeng approached and offered him a cigarette: "Would you like one?"

"Smoke!" Zhou Xu said, holding a cigarette between his fingers.

Song Zhipeng sighed: "Actually, after you left, I disliked you for a while. I thought you were a deserter... I hate cowards the most."

"..." Zhou Xu nodded. He originally left because he was afraid of fighting, but later... he might have been influenced by Zhou Youcai, or he might have been influenced by the soldiers who came down from the front lines.

Anyway, Zhou Xu was indeed timid before, but now he is not so afraid: "I was indeed afraid of going to the front line before."

Song Zhipeng nodded: "I should thank you! You protected many wounded soldiers. I was the one who was too naive!"

"..." Zhou Xu looked at him and suddenly asked, "I haven't seen the instructor for the past few days. Where is the instructor?"

"Our company's political instructor also sacrificed his life..."

Zhou Xu pursed his lips and nodded. The instructor was a staff officer transferred from the regimental headquarters. In fact, like Song Zhipeng, he was a second-generation officer, but he sacrificed his life on the battlefield!
After a while.

While the two were still smoking.

The soldiers from the next company came up.

The two men looked at each other and saw that one had a missing arm and the other had a bandage wrapped around his head: "Comrades Chen Hui and Liu Menghai!"

Liu Menghai and Chen Hui smiled at Zhou Xu: "Comrade Zhou Xu! Hello, hello! After Lao Liu and I received the commendation, we had been wanting to find you, but we've been so busy! We finally have time to see you today!"

Liu Menghai nodded: "The soldiers in the company all want us to express our gratitude to you! They say that without your heroic actions at the hospital, they might not have been able to hold out for even an hour! You not only earned our company a first-class merit, but you also saved everyone's lives. I don't even know how to say thank you."

Chen Hu immediately said:

"Yes, we came here specifically to thank you. This is a gift from the whole company, please accept it!"

Zhou Xu replied, "No, I was protected by the two of you at all costs. I can't accept your thanks."

Finally, under the company's insistence, Zhou Xu accepted a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes and some alcohol—a truly simple and unpretentious gift of gratitude.

"..."

I'm catching up with a group of people here.

Two days passed.

At the station entrance, Zhou Xu and Song Zhipeng saw off Youcai's parents: "Goodbye, Secretary!"

Secretary Zhou asked, "Xiao Xu, will you come back for the Chinese New Year?"

“I will be back!!”

"Good~"

"..."

-

Two or three more days passed.

Having finished writing his new novel and all that work, Zhou Xu could finally relax.

Zhou Xu took the manuscript paper and went directly to the press office to report to Zhang Lingxiao: "Sir, I'm sorry to have bothered you these past few days. I'm going back to the art troupe to submit my novel."

Zhang Lingxiao immediately began signing and approving documents: "I've already prepared everything for you, I was just waiting for you to say that! I'll contact the Victory Art Troupe for you right away!"

Beep!
Political Commissar Huang's phone went through:

"Is this Zhou Xu? Your work is finished?"

Zhou Xu nodded: "Yes, Political Commissar, the work is finished. I want to take it back to the art troupe and submit it again."

"Okay, I'll arrange a vehicle for you and also prepare the necessary documents to bring you back!"

Zhou Xu was originally on loan there, so after the war ended, the transfer process for him to return to his original unit was completed very easily.

Before leaving, he visited Song Zhipeng one last time. Song Zhipeng and the others would be withdrawing back to the military region in an orderly manner with the 54th Army.

Zhou Xu visited the martyrs' cemetery one last time, offered a cup of wine to Zhou Youcai in remembrance, and then truly left.

April 20th.

Zhou Xu stepped onto the bus back to the cultural troupe with one foot.

(End of this chapter)